Life is good.....

Wow, knew I hadn't done a blog for a while, but didn't realise it had been this long. Time flies when you're having fun....hmm, am I personally having fun? Yes, I think so.....maybe 90% of the time.....no, in fact I think I'm having fun all the time, there is just a small portion of time when I don't fully appreciate that! That small portion of time is frankly pretty crap, when I feel frustrated, angry, envious, fed up, miserable, and left out. I then have to remind myself that i'm still in an awesome place, I don't have to work, and there are plenty more adventures to come in the year ahead. So life is pretty good!
Being injured at home is never really that bad, as there are only weekends to cope with seeing people going out and having fun without you. But over here it's a different matter. You are surrounded by people doing the things that you can't, all day every day, and its hard to not get frustrated. Don't get me wrong, I have been busy every day, with lots of running on some fantastic trails that I know I wouldn't have visited if I wasn't injured. I feel really fit, the weather couldn't be better, and it is soooooo beautiful everywhere that it still takes you're breath away at some point every day. I've always liked doing stuff on my own and having my own adventures, but it's hard not to feel gutted, no matter how great a day I've had, when you see groups of friends coming home at the end of a day discussing all the fun they've had together, or what their plans are for the next day, and not being part of the group.
The worst part is listening to Gareth talking each day about the incredible time he's having, doing all the things we'd had planned to do together, but with other people. Those were our plans, and our adventures, and while I don't begrudge him at all for getting on with them (I know I'd do the same), it's difficult to show any enthusiasm when I hear the stories of amazing trails or brilliant climbs he's done with others, and see the endless photos and video footage. It hurts to know I'm not part of that and have missed out on those experiences.........it hurts a lot :(
But ultimately it is still great out here, just not in the same way I expected it to be!
The pins have come out of my thumb (disappointingly tame, just pulled out with a pair of pliers in a flash......like ripping a plaster off quickly!) and I no longer have a giant cast on my arm, just a small splint that should allow me to get rid of the dodgy tan-lines! I have been strictly instructed not to use or even move the thumb though for another 2 weeks, as it's only 4 weeks since I injured it, and although the fracture has healed, the ligaments need more time to ensure I don't re-dislocate it. I have been following this advice for the most part, and not even considered riding a bike or climbing (I know that would be a sure-fire way to go back to square one!). However, in my professional opinion, I have deemed it wise to begin gradually mobilising and gently strengthening around the joint ( in a painfree range obviously) and it feels better every day. (I may not tell the surgeon this) I'm also allowed to swim now which is such a luxury given it has been 30 degrees or more for the past 2 weeks!
We spent a day with our german friends Moritz, Johnathon and Johannes on the Sunshine Coast a week or so ago, which was a really nice break from Whistler. The sunshine coast is part of the mainland of Canada, but accessible only by ferry, as it is on the other side of Howe sound and the Squamish river. We spent the day running and riding around an area of forest at Roberts Creek, and Gareth said it was one of the best places he has ever ridden! He put together a video edit of one of the trails they rode there.

The ferry journey itself is pretty cool, certainly a bit more scenic than Dover to Calais, although equally as windy on the deck!

Despite the inconvenience of having a cast on my hand and arm, we also managed to do a 7 pitch route on the Chief in Squamish. The route was supposedly equivalent to VS/HVS in UK grades, almost all slab climbing ie. no real hand or foot holds, just friction climbing trusting the sticky rubber on the bottom of your boots! It was ideal for me as I didn't need to use my left hand, but pretty scary all the same, as the guidebook had failed to mention that there was hardly any bolts for protection on the slabs! Not only that, but we got stuck behind a few people so took a detour onto another route of similar grade, except this one hadn't been climbed for years, and involved traversing across a steep slab covered in moss, with no gear for about 40metres....phew! That certainly got the adrenaline going!

 Our friends Jon and Anna from the UK have just arrived to spend the next 2 weeks with us, and it's great to see them. The first day Gareth showed them round some local XC bike trails, and I ran with them for a good portion of it which was fun (it was also quite cool that I was the one stopping and waiting for them for the most part! Until it got to the downhill sections anyway!) This morning was pretty hard to see them all raring to go for a day in the bike park together (and I'm sure there will be plenty more days like that in the next 2 weeks where I have to enviously watch them all ride off for a day of fun), but I had a fun morning too, and took some GoPro film footage whilst running which I can hopefully edit into a short clip. And now its time to hit the lake for a refreshing swim and a lie in the sun while I wait for the others to get back....as I said before, I don't have much to moan about really....life is pretty good :)