I’ve always thought you were so beautiful; regardless of season, there was always a reason to visit. A mountain town that attracted mountain people – people of adventure, of sweaty pursuits, up to living life large. Really, the epitome of living the west coast dream.

What I didn’t know is that you have endless paved roads, far beyond the “gran fondo” route; hills to climb that would otherwise be known as mountains #15%grade,whaaaaat; weather patterns that change drastically from 4degrees and pouring rain to warm air and dry roads. You are a mecca for road cyclists, yet certainly not for the faint of heart. #bearsincluded!

What I’ve never fully appreciated are your quaint lil coffee shops. Upon bonking today, i pulled into the local Bean Around the World for a final hit of caffeine. I handed the sweet chic behind the counter this 20 in an attempt to make it home (up the yep, final, climb!). When she looked at it and told me that there were lots of counterfeits this weekend, i so proudly smiled and told her that it was in my tire. That split tire, when i rode down on my rim, in the rain on a flat, surprised i didn’t crash my face across the asphalt. Yah, that 20! Instead, it bought me a coffee after 3 solid days in the saddle, a few hundred kilometers of riding later and several thousand feet of climbing.

(Not to mention, the fact that every ski shop transforms into a bike shop for the summer and getting new brake pads mid ride is my version of burning rubber!)

What I learned this weekend is those remarkable people that are attracted to the mountain life are actually another level of epic. And to say I feel lucky to get to start a ride with them, and hang on for dear life only to be dropped shortly thereafter, feels like such a treat. Really. Yet, it’s this chic who has forever been a triathlete legend to me that takes it up a notch. She recently morphed into more of a coach-figure (along with this rad guy!) and we are now Whistler cabin mates for the summer.  Her engine is similar to that of race car; her attitude and approach to sport and life are ubiquitous with integrity – it’s a simple formula: be your best. She delivers nothing less and expects the same of you. They say you are an average of the 5 people you spend the most time with; Chrissy Fletcher is indeed one who bumps my average to awesome!

The woman I affectionately refer to as Fletchy! Imagine if she rode that bike? It does happen to be the winning frame from the 1990 TdF! (And it might be for sale if you are interested…)

If I was keeping score, I’d say Whistler, you’re up one on me…yet don’t think for one second i’m not comin’ back to rock and roll over those rollers! That climb from Pemberton to Whistler, 130km into race day, yah….you + me are gonna be very well acquainted in no time.

Until the next weekend of suffering, I remain…
Stoked! xo

It’s just a matter of time before all good things must come to an end, be it a career, a relationship, a loved one’s time on this earth. Sometimes we get to choose the start and end to days, yet sometimes we don’t. I realized very acutely in these past few weeks when I have been paralyzed with words to share with you, that beginnings and ends are big deals and special and sometimes friggen funky (like not the good funk). The funeral of a marriage when the court said “it’s complete” – #likeWOAH!  The BC Divorce Court doesn’t make it an easy process and good on ‘em, yet when you cross that finish line it must be like finishing IM before midnight. On the contrary, one of  my best friend’s Mum has passed away to a battle with the ugly C word -  it had been a long road. I remember vividly 2years ago when she told me tucked away in a meeting room at the office with tears in her eyes that her Mum had another tumour. We promised to cliff jump naked more! #lifeisshorrt

It’s just a matter of time before you can no longer keep your “i love you’s” to yourself or your dreams a secret. You make choices every single day toward the life you are sooo excited to create, today and lots of tomorrows from now. Like, that home that is for sale on the sunshine coast that keeps me up at night because I can already imagine Christmas on the Coast! #hippiehardon Or waking up in Whistler this morning realizing that it is only 99 more sleeps before I will be waking up to start Ironman #5. #notadream,reality!

It was just a matter of time before Bro came home, a slightly different version of  awesome wrapped in a tan of beautiful. The Corker Cabin is complete. The energy around our pad is really sweet. Life will rock us and we are here to roll…..like the hand on a rolex. #itsjustamatteroftime

As the moon set and the sun rose, we rode…

I quickly changed, threw wet hair on top of my head to go to the office where pretty asian leaders ride around on skate boards…

And finished the day with the first picnic of the year on Wreck Beach!

Picnics are indeed my favorite. We brought a blanket + bubbles (water), salad + glutenfree ’zza. One of us wears flip flops, one of us wears boat shoes. We watched tug boats take the big guys out to sea, sail boats whip around the bay and contemplated how to save the dying ocean or does every family just need to adopt a child from Africa so that these types of experiences do not become extinct?

day16: #mfpat - SportsSunday

We drove to Langley to watch these adorable kids score soccer goals, hit baseballs and try on Kona-goggles. They have the sweetest energy – they are in fact a BUNDLE of energy – and watching them dance is by far my favorite. Yet beyond all of that, they have an appreciation for fun that i think children are so good at harnessing and adults lose too quickly. I always love anytime i get to be immersed in their version of FUN!   

day17: #mfpat - Stephy the Sloth

It’s recovery week and I woke up monday morning feeling like this guy. Fatigue, at it’s finest. Proof that the work is getting done. #worthit

day18: #mfpat - StephyHomeImprovement
Recovery week means there is time for renovations when I’d otherwise be riding or running. This morning was an attitude adjustment (aka a trip to the chiro!) -  I leave that place standing a lil taller, thinking a lil clearer and just a lil mo’open than when i walked in. #thankyouDr.Tyler! This afternoon was a visit to my GreenDoctor (aka an appt with a nutritionist!). I think I have my nutrition dialed about 80% of the way, yet I learned many small tweaks that I’m really confident will make big differences. What i know for sure is that triathlon is indeed a 4sport activity with fuelling being #4! And then, this evening, Victory Gardens came over for a consult on how we can convert our currently concrete, bare and lame patio into a food-growing-container-garden! #picstocome

…i’m tired this week. i’m also ridiculously grateful that this way of life is becoming a full team sport with such remarkable partners/sponsors/mentors/coaches. it’s a way of life that i reallllly love!

Day14: Hannah Georges (or as I call her, Gorgeous!)

She went to school with my Guy and his crew, her Dad taught me CPR at their family pool and we went to summer camp together. Last night she performed at a small venue in east vancouver. I saw her poster while walking down the street and thought: “goshdarnnit – this beautiful Newmarket chic has really made a name for herself!”. I hope she is so proud. She really rocked, no pun intended.

You might have recognized her from the Juno’s…or CBC…or Starbucks when they gave away one of her singles! Great things have come out of good ol York Region.

Day15: Hotties (aka MAMA’s!)

It’s been a while since I’ve been to a baby shower and what a treat to be surrounded by women in their beautiful women glory – procreating and growing bellies. I really believe that the ability to pro-create is such a gift, the experience for a woman to transform her body in the name of bringing a new lil critter into this world is the epitome of selflessness and the treasures of memories that come along are unlike any other. Today was all for Christa Hull! She beams, she glows, she still pops up into handstand on her mat for pete’s sake. I just adore her and know that her lil monkey is already gonna be the youngest kid on a SUP board.

One of these things is not like other; one of these people is indeed not a mother…okay, maybe two of us:) More to the point: can you even tell Christa is EiGHT months preggo?!?! #beauty

I went to the track today and goshdarnnit, if only I could get my heart rate to rise a lil mo’; if only I could run a lil faster; if only those 800′s didn’t feel sooo hard. What i know to be true is running long and slow is easy, running short and fast takes heart beats.

I ended my day on a patio with two best friends. As the sun set, I realized what numbers don’t matter – our age, our bank accounts, our postal (err, zip!) codes. These girls don’t care what my resting heart rate is and they certainly didn’t care that I ran like a baby elephant around the track, they just cared that I wasn’t late for dinner!

Coach said it best: “Don’t judge, just do and changes will happen.”

So this one goes out to my heart beats – resting and elevated and your heart beats for being so darn awesome. xo

And old friends to go to OneLoveYoga classes with as the moon rises….

I’m grateful for these remarkable people in my world. I’m grateful they are up to living such radical lives – lives worthy of a story to tell. I’m ROCKED by their willingness and straight out spunk to live bigger today than yesterday.

Sweet dreams you wildly inspirational human beings… xo

Until today! I met a remarkable man – Dr. Tyler Hunsberger. And realized that my norm doesn’t need to involve these small tweaks. He informed me that I’m not broken, I just have an opportunity to be even more finely tuned! #wellsaid #understatement

I wanted to share this because for the 9 (whaaat?!) years that I have been in Vancouver, I’ve looked for a chiro that I could call Doc, like my chiro from childhood. There are many different approaches, philosophies, business hours, etc that these sweet doctors work and I think I’ve found my match. (No pun intended – Tyler is a phenomenal tennis player and has been working with heaps of remarkable athletes.) Seeing him today made my day. Perhaps seeing him will make your day as well!

check ‘em out: www.broadwayburrardchiro.com

(psssst…this is another addition to Team Fletcher+Corker. We’ve got a rad duo going and I’m redonkulously grateful. Everyone needs a chiro on their team; you’d be lucky if you have a Fletchy on your team:))

I’ve been waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop and the dark cloud to hover. After all, I’ve done a remarkable job managing 2/3rds of my life at any given time to feel great, usually on a 3month rotation, and 1/3rd usually sucked, a lot. So I wake up in 2013 thinking my baggage was unpacked…yet I’ve struggled with accepting that three thirds can be awe-some.
I’ve been waiting to get kicked to the curb, thinkin’ that I was just a novelty that my guy was waiting to get rid of.
I’ve been waiting for the tides to turn at work; thinkin’ that you can’t actually love how you spend every day.
Heck, I’ve been waiting for my femur to break; thinkin’ training can’t always go to plan, injury free and happy.

And guess what? This rockin’ triathlete reminded me that she didn’t want to blog about “another age group win” (#niceproblems!) so she turned pro. I don’t want to sh*t butterflies, so I’m going to unapologetically let you know that it really can be this good!

My sweet lil crush has turned into adventures-gone-soooo-right. Work is a haven of radical inspiration. Femurs, frig, mine are strong! Your heart wants to fall in love, your greatest purpose is how you are meant to spend your days and femurs are surrounded by muscles for a reason – they wanna runrunrun!

So while hearts do break, work can get crazy, bones break and bodies get tired….none of that is my reality right now. I’m hangin’ on grateful  and blessed. #3for3! The craziest part of it all….is that not only can it really be this good….it can get BETTER! Inspiration is flowin’ like your garden hose around here – turn the tap and there are no kinks, no shortage of supply.

#truthbomb’d from the Universe:

You might not always see it, steph, but everything, always, plays to your greater good.
Things keep on getting better and better.
And you’re already the kind of person you once dreamed you’d become.
All choked up,
    The Universe

#mfpat….when it is this good, you are called into action to make the world a better place. Yvonne was onto something with this:

We are next, onto something awesome…#beready,world!

He said: “It’s not an adventure until something goes wrong.” – PapaPatagonia
I say: I believe that it becomes an adventure when you believe that it can go right! xo

A couple of hours later and my favorite part about today was indeed THIS.DOCK….

At the end of Indian Arm, out a spit that I have only seen from the water, never from land lies a dock. This very dock in fact. And the ride there is one heck of a speedy descent. Very fast. Sharp corners. Wet roads. I thought for sure I was going down. In fact, while my lil arms were shaking, I screeched, “Fletchy, I’m out!” only to turn the corner and see this sweet dock covered in sun. Of course I wasn’t out. Just another day scared! The climb outta there was somethin’ special.

If I was singing raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, I’d tell you that these are a few of my favorite things: mountains and oceans; very fast riders; new routes way too easily available; Fletchy who promises me “it will always be an adventure”; and of course, sunshine. I’m gaining strength and confidence back on my two wheels…this season is just getting started! #letsridebikes

PS – it’s been 9days since Bro left for Bali. Kinda crazy. In some ways it feels like it has been many many many more and in other ways, it feels like it has only been many more – either way, he feels missed. It sounds like he is up to radical yoga/food/spiritual transformation and the coolest part is that it has only been 9days. #transformationdoesn’ttakelong #sweetreminder xo