PHEW. this thin air is takin a toll on my cardio system. I have been running quite a bit at this altitude and it is not as tough as it was on day 1. I have been seeing quite a bit here in Ajijic, and its beautiful but there is no lack of Mexicans calling me names as i wear my running shorts through town. I must be the first runner they have ever seen sans shirt and wearing short shorts
here is a list of things ive seen here in Ajijic


Dogs making love on the main street at noon
no lack of hats and corona anywhere in town
Filet Mingion with mashed potatos and veggies with corona for $5.50
Cactus Galore
Bread company called BIMBO and milk company called LALA
A very nice man who remembers my name, wasted giving me directions......i found it on my own.
and much more.


Its been great and a few more days of altitude before i can catch my breath!

Mexico

Well, as i catch my breath, what i can say is the altitude is a different experience. I'm sitting at nearly 7000 feet and the weather is beautiful. warm days and very cool nights. I went for a nice 10k run yesterday, at a pace i usually go at for a nice cruise. It went fine, but it felt like i hadn't ran for a month and was struggling to keep running. The altitude makes you feel out of shape...that's how to explain it, along with headaches. The scenery here in Chapala and Ajijic is beautiful and authentically Mexican. cobblestone streets and narrow roads with small shops set up all around, makes running exciting and easy to turn a recovery run into a long easy sightseeing event. Today I'm off to see Guadalajara and finish the day off with some Hills....wish me luck.

training, training, training...

Mid winter..halfway to spring! next week i fly down to Mexico and am staying with Jordan and her Aunt and Uncle in Chapala, a small town south of Guadalajara. Training will be difficult but a great chance to train at Altitude. The town lies at around 6000-7000 feet which will make my body adapt to the lower oxygen levels. It will be a great time to get in some tough runs and swims in while enjoying the scenery. Then, in March a group of us are travelling to Central Florida to really train hard for the first time outdoors in summer gear rather than throwing on layers of clothes. It will be nice to FINALLY bike outdoors instead of staring at the TV for hours on the trainer.

Winter

So it has been a long time since my last post. Winter is a tough season to cope with but its movi'n along quickly. My schedule in regards to triathlon is moderate and i am enjoying myself. I have been running and cycling quite a bit and have been very light with swimming, but that will change soon. I bought a new fluid trainer and its been motivating me to get on the bike for 2+ hours after work. Running is also going well, especially when i can jump on a treadmill when conditions are sub par outdoors. Today it is warm and raining, feeling like Vancouver in the winter. The snow is melting and is looking good for outdoor running.

Down Under

Well, it has been an eventful week or so. Last week in Hawaii, while preparing for tomorrow's worlds i went out at 6pm for a light 6k run and about 50m into it something awful went wrong. A sprinklet system that has its maintence "thing" grate on the sidewalk was slightly open by a crack, enough for my leg to fall into it. i fell, smashed my leg and knee and scraped up my back and arms. i was very swollen and unable to run or bike for a few days. As well, while biking in hawaii i ran over something and had a flat....then ran the 2k back to the house to finsd out i now have blisters on my feet. things were not going well! i did manage to get in a few good runs but all my muscles were sore from all the training and were not recovering prpoperly. However, i rested them from the fall and now they weel like they are going to explode....in a good way. Im well rested and want to explode on the start line and tackle the race. thats a good feeling and i am hoping my luck will be on MY SIDE for the race. It is nice down here in gold coast. a bit cooler than the Hawaiian weather...around 23-25 durig the day and 9-11 at night....but brilliant sunshine. Im still getting used to the rules of the road having some close encounters on the roads gere. I Also keep getting lost with my directions. the sun goes from right to left in the sky and points towards the north at noon in the southern heisphere.....its hard to tell N.S.E and west! However, getting up at 5:45 to bright sunrises in a clear sky is a wonderful sight. Tomorrow is my race, which i have been preparing for. Although my foot is now infected with hugh swelling (i forgot to mention that as another god fortune on my part) i am on 1000 mg of IB and not feeling much. I am excited, AND not as nurvouse as last year...we will see how i feel in a few hours when i wake up and its race day. Im gunnning for a fast swim with or without wetsuit ( temperature keeps fluctuating between 21.5 and 22.5 and the border btwn wetsuit and non wetsuit is 22. ) hammer the flat as a pancake bike and rip up the road on the 10k run. wish me luck as i will need it the way things are going.

no matter what happens, ive done my best and thats all i can do.

Scott Takala

Aloha from da kine Hawai'i

So we have arrived in Honolulu and its hot and humid. The trade winds are blowing and keeping the 33 degree temperatures feel like 33 even though humidity is through the roof! yesterday morning i went for a hike on the Lunar looking koko head and it was beautiful. some steep sections and a knap sac filled with bottles of water make it nice pre workout for the afternoon run. In the PM in went for a run at around 2pm in the blazing sun 5k out and back. The workout was to go hard on the way out and easy on the way back. the one thing is that the way out is straight up for 5k to 1300ft. By the time i got to the 3k mark i had goose bumps from being dehydrated and my body saying "what the hell are you doing!!??" i got to the top, stood over the 1300ft cliff over Waimanalo and let the trades cool me down. then it was a easy run down. My heart rate up was super high and is a good way to prep for heat while racing. My body will figure out how to cool properly in the heat within the nexty few days. The weather in Brisbane loks sporatic right now. Some days 30, and some 21. So i ve got to prep for anything. Today im off to the O'ahu club for a swim and then a nice bike in the pm. after surfing at Ala Moana. Tomorrow will be an interval run and the day ater that will be a brick. Cant wait till taper time. Also i forgot to mention that in Vancouver i went to Kitslano beach pool and swam laps. 1 lap being 137m long!
thats all for now.

Scott

Nationals and an Update

So the race went alright in Kelowna. I was super nurvous going into the race when i saw the start list with the likes of Simon Whitfield, Paul Tichlarr, Brent McMahon, Kyle Jones and A.P. B-Smith. Quite the field. I had a small chat with Simon about his o'l city, Kingston and some encouraging words to keep my nurves down. He must have seen i was edgy when he came over to me and talked about doing a relay at K-town tri. that would be fun!
At the starting line the gun blew and it was mad hell in the water. I tried soo haed to make that first pack of swimmers but was dropped by the group as they just made it pout of transition before me. The bike was lonley with just myself and another frenchman alone. out bikes would have been quicker if we all worked in a pack. I think a few guys gave up on the bike and quit...tisk tisk. (9 of them) by the run we were down quite a bit as the main pack worked haed and were much more effieient and saved alot for the run. my group of quys were toast from the bike and we cruised the run as there were not too many of people right behind us. My main goal is to work hard on that swim and make the main pack! The run should be much quicker. all i need is some rest on the bike.

Vancouver is a beautiful city as well as kelowna. We (my mom and brother) climbed Grouse Mountain on the grind ( all 4100 feet up) and got some amazing pictures (will post them in Hawai'i)Now its back to some training, swimming alot and cruising on the run through Vancouver and off to Hawai'i!