Family is so important to me, and every time I get to spend time with my relatives it gives me an extra spark, that special energy that you get when you’re with people you love. So although it can be challenging to fit in extra travel around a grueling training schedule, it was important for me to make the short flight from Boston to Toronto, Canada and see my aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends that I haven’t seen in over 5 years!

Mom, me and my Dad!

Mom, me and my Dad!

First, I zipped over to Boston for my boyfriend’s birthday. The city had massive heat wave warnings, so little did I know that when I asked if he’d like to come running with me it would be “real-feel” of 105*F! Yikes! Good thing the ocean was cold afterwards or I might have completely melted on the sidewalk. Big hero points to Wade for voluntarily going to the gym to train on his birthday!

Wade and I goofing off at a Blue Man Group show.

Wade and I goofing off at a Blue Man Group show.

Then I had a short and easy flight over to Toronto, where my parents picked me up at the airport and took me to my Nana’s house. It was so nice to see my Grandma and my parents, and I hadn’t seen them since I left for training camp back in May! My Mom, Dad and I all went running the morning of the wedding, and my parents cheered for me as I did some sprint training on the running path along the creek in Brampton. So never fear, I still got in all the training I needed to do!

Bill, the groom, and my Nana!

Bill, the groom, and my Nana!

My cousin Bill was the one getting married, and his Bride Corina was absolutely beautiful. We celebrated with them and danced and took the goofiest photos at the photo booth before all the props made their way onto the dance floor. It was such a great evening!

The ceremony

The ceremony

The bride and groom dancing in!

The bride and groom dancing in!

Taking silly photos in the photo booth with my family!

Taking silly photos in the photo booth with my family!

I’m sure you’re wondering what training has been like the past week. This is primarily a ski blog, after all! I had a fairly big week before this, and then a nice medium-sized week which worked out great with the wedding on the weekend. My teammates and I had a fun Italian cooking night making sweet potato gnocchi with a recipe from our Italian friend, Virginia de Martin.

We made waaaaaay too much gnocchi!

We made waaaaaay too much gnocchi! (photo from Julia Kern)

Which was good, because the next day we had a 4 hour over distance workout during which we skied in the rain, ran to Little Rock Pond, and cliff jumped! Then I had a “level one race” with Cork where he ran around the pond while I swam across it. I got him by a few seconds, but just barely!

Taking a jump! (photo from Pat O'Brien)

Taking a jump! (photo from Pat O’Brien)

The day I drove to Boston was the start of that massive heat wave, and our bounding and ski walking intervals up the mountain in the morning were really something special. We were so sweaty and hot, but the workout was still productive thanks to coach Cork and Pat hiking up with gallons of ice water to dump over our heads in between intervals so we could keep our core temperature down!

Tougher than the heat! Anne, me and Erika after our intervals on Stratton Mountain. (photo by Pat O'Brien)

Tougher than the heat! Anne, me and Erika after our intervals on Stratton Mountain. (photo by Pat O’Brien)

Now I’m on my way back to Stratton to rejoin my SMS club teammates after my weekend away. Training these next two weeks will be a magical ratio of 30% training, 10% eating, 50% sleeping and the remaining 10% glued to the Olympics, NOT resting as we scream and cheer at the television. All joking aside, train, eat sleep is pretty much all I’ll be up to until it’s time to pack for our 3rd US Ski Team training camp of the summer in New Zealand!

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