Greetings! 

I realize it has been a while since I last blogged... the off season isn't too exciting. Mostly just stuck in the gym, working and trying to enjoy the hot weather! 

As soon as the NAC races ended, I made the decision to start my off season training immediately. I know I will need more rest time between season and training in the future, but with racing done so early, I had to take advantage and start building the foundational blocks for the testing in June. 

Training has been amazing. Not only do I love going to Revolution everyday, but I seem to actually be making progress! Starting training so early this year also has allowed me to take a few trips and not feel guilty about being away from the gym. 

The first was a trip to Ottawa to be a part of the Motivate Canada ACTIVATE youth leadership forum . I was 1 of 50 youth aged 16-22 who was selected to represent their community at this forum, where we discussed issues in our communities, sport for social change and had the chance to network with companies and individuals from all over Canada (and 1 Australian!). 

Two weeks later, I headed off to NYC to hang out with my Dad for the weekend! AMAZING! We probably walked almost 100km, through Tribeca and SoHo, just taking in the New York atmosphere. I also got to try some incredible restaurants - Beauty & Essex, Tiny's, Tao to name a few.

We stayed right beside ground zero, and this was the view from the hotel room window. I remember visiting ground zero in 2007, and to see how far the area has come is heart warming. 

It wasn't necessarily the most physically recharging trip with all the walking, but it was mentally recharging. I love big cities, I love the NY atmosphere. I will definitely be going back! This trip marked 1 month until my testing camp, it was time to buckle down and maintain what strength I had built. The last month has been crazy busy, as I have been working for Alberta Skeleton, doing 1 correspondence university class, and training. 

Lastly, 1 week before testing, I made a stop in Kelowna to attend a wedding. It was a wonderful weekend to recharge and enjoy friends company. 

So fast forward to yesterday - testing camp! A day that I had been looking forward to since the start of 2015 had arrived. I arrived with forms signed, ready to go, only to be told that my heart rate was too high, and I would have to wait until it got under 100 bpm. Keep in mind, this is a testing camp that determines whether you have the opportunity to enter into the national program, or slide provincially for the next year - so I was pretty nervous! 

After 3 hours of me attempting to relax, with the help of the Canadian Sport Institute staff (thank you!!!), I got my heart rate down to 99 for a few seconds, so I was cleared to test! 

Everyone had already run, and was completing their last part of the tests, but it didn't matter. I got to it and did a quick 10 minute warmup before my sprint. 

Standing on the line for my 30m sprint, I knew I had given it my all, no matter the result. 1st trial: 4.34 (a new PB). 2nd trial: 4.25. 3rd trial: 4.21. 

One hundredth. 

I missed the standard by one hundredth. 

That being said, there is no way I could be disappointed, as I gave it my all and I cut that down from 4.35 in just 1 short year! I am so incredibly happy. 

One year to knock off that hundredth. I'm ready.