Daily Photo — Magnificent Trees

Some of the amazing trees in Cathedral Grove, Vancouver Island.

Daily Photo — Rainbow

There I was, sitting on my couch, marking student's assignments, waiting for the Canucks-Blackhawsk game to start on television. I looked up and saw an amazing rainbow stretching over the pool in my building complex. I cannot recall a rainbow as vibrant or large. I saw the full arc, from one pot of gold to the other. So I had to jump up and take a picture. It was hard because the sky was so bright, but using a high dynamic range technique I think the result is pretty amazing. Pretty amazing.

Also, that was one of the more stressful hockey games I haver ever watched. Right up there with the two gold medal games I have seen Canada win, the Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup Finals, 7th game in 2006 and coaching in the Calgary Football city championship game. All very stressful.

Enjoy the picture of the rainbow. It was amazing.

Daily Photo — A Bridge in Thailand

Daily Photo — Steeps Streets

The famous steep streets in San Francisco.

Daily Photo — Grandpa's Barn

The barn on my Grandpa's farm. he owned this farm most most of his life.

Daily Photo — Mike

My friend Mike. This picture was taken while we were skiing at Highwood Pass, Kananaskis Country.

Daily Photo — Speakers Corner

My sister and I travelled to South Africa in 2008 and on the way we stopped in London for a week. While in London, we took a trip to see Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park. There, we found a man speaking about the downfall of capitalist societies while communism rises up around the world. Instead of listening to him I took a picture.

Today was a very interesting day for me. I got to hear Justin Trudeau speak at the school I teach at. For anybody who does not know him, he is a politician in Canada and he is the son of Pierre Elliot Trudeau, the former Prime Minister of Canada. He spoke to a large group of students at the school about why they should get involved with politics. The youth of today should not be the leaders of tomorrow, they should be the leaders of today. The youth need to step up and become leaders in the local and global community.

If anybody has not been to London, go. It is an absolutely amazing city. It feels like 10 cities in one. You get to experience the richness of British History and soak in all the different cultures that reside in London.

Daily Photo — Cash Register

The keys on a very old cash register. Taken at Heritage Park, Calgary.

Daily Photo — Nanaimo Shipping

Sunday Scrutiny — Race Week

Another round of Sunday Scrutiny with Chris Pedersen. This week is a little more exciting as there was a race today — The Vancouver Sun Run.

I did not taper this week for the race because it is not a trail race, just a check on how well I am doing with my training.

Monday saw a 10k tempo run to see how I could handle the 10k at a good clip. I ran 43:00 on Monday and felt pretty confident going into the rest of the week. It also gave me a goal for the Sun Run as I had no time comparison going in. I wanted to beat 43:00 on Sunday at the Sun Run.

The training fell off tues-thurs due to meetings, teaching, planning, others sports and just life. Bad excuses but it happened. Thursday became normal again as i did an 8k trail run through the forests above Caulfield in West Vancouver. It was muddy, sunny and a great uphill grind to get my legs pumped. Now I should have rested on Saturday but the sun was shining and I had to get outside. Bad and good decision.

The run on Saturday was great. I went from Yaletown down to Kits beach and then back along the Seawall to Cambie Street. The bad news was that my calf started hurting late in the run. It had hurt a month ago and I took some time off to heal. Needless to say I was worried. I iced, stretched, rolled and rested last night and this morning it felt great. Even during my warm-up run and stretches.

Race Day:

I woke up nice and early to have a warm bowl on oatmeal, syrup, nuts and water. I wanted to get well hydrated before the race began. I was also nervous about my leg so I stretched several time before heading out to the race.

Left the house at 8:30 and took the train down the Vancouver City Centre. I have never seen the train so full. There was running shoes and spandex everywhere the eye could see. It is good to see so many people getting out to run. Apparently, there were over 50,000 people at the Sun Run.

Once downtown I did a short warm-up and stretch before taking my place among the thousands of people waiting for the gun to go. It was an amazing experience. When they played "Oh Canada" everybody sang and it was the loudest rendition I have ever heard. Make one truly proud to be Canadian and living in Vancouver. Once the gun started the pinball game was on. To get ahead the faster runners had to doge around everybody. Eventually I got annoyed of this by 2k and started running with others on the grass and sidewalks. This opened the race up and I was able to keep a consistent pace up until km 5 and the Burrard Street Bridge. 

At the Bridge I slowed down for the middle section of the race so I would be able to sprint for the last 2k. 

It was great to see so many people cheering the runners on. There was one scary moment as we were running along Beach Avenue though when an apartment building was on fire. There were flames erupting from the windows, quite a sight.

After the Burrard Bridge the race was quite flat until the Cambie Bridge. I enjoyed the section between the Bridges as it was just gut it out running until the final sprint.

It was amazing to see all the people going over the Cambie Street Bridge, quite a sight. With about 1.5k left I picked up the pace and managed to get quite a bit faster until the last 500 metre sprint to the finish. It felt so mazing to cross the finish line with thousands of other people and just enjoy the atmosphere of the run.

Weekly total: 40k

Year total: 229k

Daily Photo — Satin

I decided to post two photos today. I couldn't resist. The first is Satin. My family has had her for a while now and although she is getting old she still loves to go for walks and have fun. I posted this because it is hard being in Vancouver away from Satin. I miss her energy and taking her for walks.

Satin playing around in the snow when she was younger.

The second photo is a statue from the University of Calgary. I was walking to my car after a sudden rain storm when I walked by this statue basking in the evening light. I decided I had to run back to the office and grab my camera so as to forever capture the beauty of that moment. What turned out were some absolutely amazing pictures. The lines, light and atmosphere of this photo is enchanting. Enjoy.

Daily Photo — Schedule Slow down

I posted this photo because tomorrow is the massive road race in Vancouver, the Sun Run. I will be participating along with thousands of other people. It promises to be a great time and although I will be treating it like any other run, I will be aiming for sub 0:43:00. I went for a 10k run along the Seawall from Yaletown to Kits beach and back today, it was gloriously sunny in Vancouver. One of those days where if you don't get outside, your nuts.

This road is near Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island. As I was running back to the car I stopped in the middle of the road to snap a quick picture. Luckily there were no cars coming, but i still took it rather quickly just in case one came up quicker than preferred. It exemplifies just slowing down no matter how rushed you are to do something fun and adventurous.

Which brings me to something I wanted to talk about today. 

Sometimes we just need to slow down. No matter how busy we get, we all need to take some time to get outside and slow our lives down. You can always go back to being busy, later.

I am a victim of always having way too much prepping, marking and cleaning to do, but today but I chose to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. I will do work tonight and I will do a better job because I took time to get outside and soak up the rays. We are all busy and we often rush through the days without looking around. 

Recently I have decided to slow things down and enjoy Vancouver as much as I can. It means I have more time to relax but also when I work, I work hard. It is so worth it for that extra time to slow things down.

So I implore everyone to look take some time to put the schedule away and go outside and enjoy the sunshine. Because the next day it could be raining and then you will regret you didn't go for a walk, run, cycle or even a coffee in the sunshine.

Daily photo — Grandpa's Farm

Here's to you Grandpa. This was taken on my Grandpa's farm. The farm is located near Duffield, Alberta and it holds many memories for me. My parents often  took us out to the farm to visit my Grandpa and explore the beautiful fields and forests that were on his property. This is near the main barn and was used for cattle. Enjoy a scene from my family's history.

Daily Photo — The congested beauty of Paris

This photo is from my around the world trip in 2008. We stopped over in paris for a week and enjoyed the Eiffel Tower, Versailles and pastry. I took this photo of a beautiful old building surrounded by modern traffic. Represents the congested beauty of major cities today.

Portrait of Africa

This is Serge. He was on a camping safari with my sister and I in Botswana. He is from the Iberian Peninsula, more specifically Spain.

Daily Photo — Homage to the beard

Since the Stanley Cup Playoffs start tonight, I thought I would honour them with a hockey related picture. This photo shows the ice rink in Valley Ridge where I grew up. 

Vancouver starts its quest to win the Cup tonight as they host the Chicago Blackhawks. The school I teach at is alive with spirit. Canuck jerseys and paraphernalia are everywhere. So everyone should tune in and check out the game tonight. I will be out watching it with a very good friend. 

If this city is anything like Calgary and Edmonton during their long playoff runs it promises to be an exciting few months in Vancouver. Also, this is the day when many a young men shave for the final time and begin to sport their playoff beards. Let's hope we see some long ones in Vancouver.

Daily Photo — Government frivolities

As I was thinking long and hard about what to post for the daily photo, I remembered that the Canadian Federal Election leadership debate was today. So to honour that momentous occasion, I posted a picture of the Parliament Library.

This photo was taken in 2008 while i was in Ontario visiting friends. I toured the entire grounds in one afternoon (and went to the Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec). It was a great day.

And remember, as Canadians, it is our duty to hurry up and finish "registering our ducks." eh!

Daily Photo - San Francisco

The famous windy street in San Francisco.

Goals

I just updated my goals page. I will constantly be adding to it but you can check it out now. I will work on my goal wall (pictures of my goals) over the next little while.

Chris

Sunday Scrutiny - The fast week

Well, I have a very sad report to make about this last week. Running wise it was less than stellar. Life wise it was pretty freaking fantastic. 

Since it is only one week until the Vancouver Sun Run, I am getting worried about the speed aspect of the race. I can run many miles at 5:00/km pace but pushing it down to 4:00 and under is daunting. So I worked on doing some speed this week. So the mileage was way down. 

I did two easy runs of 10 km each to start off the week and then did a 4k tempo (managed to stay at 3:45/km pace) and was very happy about that. Then I took a day off to rest my speedy legs and then did another tempo run on Saturday. Pulled of 5km at 4:00 pace and was well-tired after that affair. But I felt very comfortable with the speed. I must be deranged when I think that it would be nice to do a nice marathon or trail run rather than pump out a 10k. But I am also excited for the challenge and I think it will be great for my training. I am still developing my race plan and I will let you know when I have it developed. Next week will see me cut down the mileage as I prepare for the race. I also made a whole whack load of spaghetti for the next week. Gotta load up on those carbs. That was one problem with last week, When I ran I felt out of energy. That will not happen this week.

Life outside of running has been great. I watched the Vancouver Canucks lost to the Oilers, always good when my team wins. But, I will be cheering wholeheartedly for the Canucks in the playoffs. LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!

Then last night, I hung out with some awesome people and watched the Canucks edge out a victory of the most hated of teams for an Oilers fan, the Calgary Flames. Also, Canada won gold at the World Curling Championships. Nicely done.

My classes were great this week. We are having some amazing debates and my students are really getting into the election. They are angered about a lot of issues. So that is great to see. It can be so hard to teach politics, but I am really trying to hear their voices and opinions.

Cam in deep contemplation. Thailand (2008)

Also, the future is looking brighter than ever. I am heading down to Montreal at the end of the summer to visit some amazing friends and help one of my best friends move. He is beginning the 12 year process (joke) to achieve his phd. Amazing Cam, amazing. Then I have plans to head to Hawaii, Nepal, Tibet, Pakistan, India, Canyonlands in Utah and Alberta next year. I have also possibly recruited another team member. Man, life is really turning up Chris. A lot can happen when you start to absorb what life throws at you instead of trying to control it.

Weekly total: 29 km
Yearly total: 189 km

Photo of the Day - Decay at Alcatraz

Last May (2010) I travelled down to California, following the Pacific Crest Highway. On the way back up, I took a tour of Alcatraz as the sun was setting. It was an amazing place, the sun was poking through the crumbling buildings and it conflicted with the eery setting inside. The views of San Francisco across the Bay were simply amazing. If you have a chance to go down to Alcatraz, do it. It is a tour worth doing. 

Photo of the Day - Angkor Wall

This is a wall in the Angkor Wat complex in Siem Reap Thailand. I spent an entire day touring the complex with two ladies from Paris that I met at the border crossing between Thailand and Cambodia. It is much cheaper to rent a driver for a day, if you split it with several people. We spent 12 hours touring much of the complex, including the main palace. Then I finished the evening off in an ex-pat bar, with a friend from Seattle that I met at the hotel. If you have never been to Cambodia it is a must see place. The people are extremely friendly, the sights are amazing and it is incredibly in-expensive to travel here.

Thailand

 Taken near Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Philosophy of Sport

We have our second ultimate frisbee game today and so I thought I would post a picture of a field for inspiration. I am on my lunch break and the students aren't harassing me, so I get to spread some inspiration. Below is a picture of a football field in Calgary. My Dad did all the lighting for this field and when you view it at night it is an amazing place. Great job Dad.

So as i tell my players, there are two reasons to play sports. First, you love the game. Second, you want to win and push yourself to be the best that you can.

Vince Lombardi said it best when he stated that "Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing..."There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that's first place… "I don't say these things because I believe in the "brute" nature of man or that men must be brutalized to be combative. I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle — victorious."

So everyday at practice we work hard, the kids get corrected constantly and told how they can improve. Never tell an athlete they suck, tell them they need improvement and there is no end to what they can achieve. If you place limits on students they will never become better. Secondly, although we work hard we have fun. If you are having fun and working hard then you will ultimately be successful. Having fun comes from finding what you love and pursuing it until then end.

So enjoy the picture and find what you love and succeed.

Where does Democracy come from?

GET OUT AND VOTE IN THE CANADIAN FEDERAL ELECTION ON MAY 2!!!! 

There I have done my civic duty.

I figured I would post two pictures relating to democracy today, as it seems to be a rather important topic in Canada this month. Plus, I am teaching all my Socials 11 students about the Canadian government and it is making me happy and sad to be a Canadian. I am happy that we are able to vote in free elections but also sad that events like the exclusion of the Green Party from the debates and screening and evicting from rallies is happening in our glorious country. 

I love Canada, and I wear my pride on my sleeve. I admit that I get emotional when I hear the anthem being played or watching highlights from the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Anybody who knows me can vouch for this. I absolutely love Canada and could not imagine living anywhere else in the world. I tell this to my classes all the time and I hope they realize the potential that Canada has, especially if young generations like myself and my students work to make our world right again. Erase the pain, save the environment and be the best person you can be. Our countries best years are still ahead of us. The youth of today can make the 21st century, Canada's century.

Anyways, these pictures were taken in 2005 as Cam and I made our way across Europe. I thought that pictures representing the birth place of democracy were very appropriate as the future of our country is decided in the next month.

The photos were taken with a basic point and shoot camera and although not perfect, I love and treasure the results. So get out there and shoot, it does not matter the camera. 

Cameron Cotton-O'Brien looking thoughtful as he looks out over Athens.

The Parthenon in Athens.

Southern Africa — Landscapes

Here are some amazing landscapes from Southern Africa. I hope that you enjoy.

Beach stand in Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa

Victoria Falls from Zimbabwe

God's Window, Drakensberg Escarpment in Mpumalanga

Lighthouse in Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa

Baobob tree

Penguin colony in south Africa

From my balcony in Wilderness, South Africa

It is spring time in Vancouver (despite the rain) so I thought a picture of a flower would be most appropriate. I am sitting at my desk, in my classroom wishing the rain would just go away. Vancouver is amazing but even more amazing when it is sunny. UNtil then, or if you have snow, enjoy this picture.

Sunday's Scrutiny

This week was a great week, absolutely great week for running. This was a speed week and so that is why the weekly mileage is down. On tuesday I joined my young track athletes in a speed workout. We did 6 x 400 metres on the track. 20 minutes warm-up and a small cool-down. They were fast and even though I train for ultra-marathons, doing speed works makes you faster overall.

I followed that up with two 10k fartlek runs on thursday and saturday. A fartlek is where you run fast, then, slow then fast for a predetermined distance or time. The name sounds funny but they make you a lot faster. The week ended with a nice slow recovery run as I get ready for a big week coming up. It is only two weeks until the Vancouver Sun Run. Although I'm not treating it like I  would a normal race I am still going for a decent time. I am not tapering as much as I would for a normal race.

This week was also great teaching wise. The new units were absolutely great and I was able to help numerous students after school and during lunch with some hard to understand concepts. IT feels absolutely amazing to help people and recognize that they begin to understand what you are talking about. So a great week at school ,this whole teaching thing is really shaping up nicely. And, after reading another blog over at Smile with your Heart, I have created a bucket list and currently in the process and finalizing my life goals. Also I am intrigued about making a digital pictorial goal board. Seems really motivation and a good way to take perspective on what is important in your life.

Weekly total: 32 km

Year total: 160 km

Absorb Life

This is St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Enough said. Amazingly this pictures was taken with nothing more than a cheap little point and shoot camera. Many people think that you have to have great cameras to get great pictures. That is simply not true. You just need the desire and willingness to get out in the world, absorb what it presents and find a subject matter that is enthralling. It is not the quality of a picture that makes people remember it, it is the story it tells. 

The story that this picture tells us is that we need to look beyond the spectacle and absorb all the little details of life that make it so worth while. Sometimes we get so absorbed with one thing we forget everything else going on around us. To me, this picture shows a side of St. Paul's not often seen by the flocks of tourists who are on a whirlwind holiday. People need to take time to walk around and take in all the little details. Sometimes we just need to slow down and absorb more. We can still keep focused on spectacle but take time to wander around and gain new perspectives on life and the world.

"We should stop trying to control life and instead simply absorb it."

                                                                                  Chris Pedersen

If you have time, grab your camera, find something in your city that is photographed a lot and walk around it. I guarantee you will find something that nobody else has even thought to look for before.

Southern Africa — Animals

Here is the first instalment of my Southern Africa photo series. I have pored through my photos and found some deserving candidates. The first series focuses on the animals found in the national parks of Southern Africa from elephants to rhinos to giraffes. In 2008, my sister and I travelled to SOuth Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe to see sights, safari and absorb the magic of a vibrant continent.

There is nothing more confusing than waking up in the darkness of an African winter, crawling out of your tent, having a quick roiboos tea and then heading out in the jeep to scout for animals. As you wonder to yourself (while shivering) "What do they expect us to see this early in the morning" the soft hues of the sun peak through the bushes and begin to warm your toes and fingertips. Along the trail you see everything from elephants feeding to giraffes galloping across park. I don't want to ramble on much, I will provide more personal stories in the future posts. I will let the animals do the talking.