Monday, July 26

Hey Ya'll,
Just a quick update to let you know where you can catch me Tuesday on the tele.
Canadian Nationals are this week and we're spreading the word.

Tuesday July 27

@ 8am Canada AM on CTV
www.ctv.ca/canadaam

Off The Record @ 6pm on TSN
www.tsn.ca/shows/otr/

With my buddy Michael Landsberg on the set of his show OTR

Etalk
@ 7pm on CTV
www.shows.ctv.ca/eTalk.aspx

Wednesday July 28 @ 10am is the press conference at Nike Toronto in Yorkville

Hope you can catch some of it, if not you know I'll dig me up some links.

Don't forget Canadian Nationals start this Wednesday! I race Saturday and "Team Perdita" tees are going to be on tap. I'm recruiting everybody including infants to cheer loud and come out and support us all.

Championship Website: www.athletics.ca/toronto2010

Till next time,
P

**Update: OTR airs Wednesday night (7/28) at 6pm. Etalk is TBA**

Thursday, July 22

MY (S)HERO!

Every now and then I watch Dr. Phil and he says something a lot: "Every situation needs a hero".

Blank stare.

That would usually be how I'd look at the tele when he said it...and then I'd be giddy to see the domestic dysfunction that ensues.

But today that phrase came to mind and a light bulb came on. In this case it's not that my grandmother stole my winning multi million dollar lottery ticket, then wrote me out of her will. It's my racing. It's not so crisp or where I'd like it to be, so I'm in need of a hero.

Enter Captain save a hoe...hurdler...?

No. Because I came to the realization that the only possible hero in this situation is me.

Durr!.
Of course I won't be doing it alone but it starts there. So being the She-ro that I am, I'm gonna save my own damn self.

Yes Regis, final answer.

Dangit, I'm gonna put on my oxygen mask first and worry about the little kid flying solo beside me later...

Baaad analogy, yes I know.

But you get my point. And for me that's as simple as staying the course and giving it 100, in the midst of not seeing the results I sweat hard for.


I was 4th in Monaco and executed terribly. A string of three races with not one being anything I can take to the bank.

Literally....(almost).

Frustrating, yes. But I've had strings of three races before that have been exactly what I expected. Utter delight and bankability when this happens.

In six years on the circuit, I've learned the balancing act that keeps all jocks sane: Never get too high. Never get too low.

Stay somewhere in the middle. That's where you can thrive, be humble, believe and regroup if you have too.

Simple.

So I'm taking it back to the house, brushing my shoulders off and doing the work. Because its gonna show up. It has too.

Thanks for the ♥ today everyone...got it all! xo
Perdita

*Note: Thank God for Skype & 2.5 hour convos w/ the bestie! Phew. "Nicole G.--Walking folks off the ledge since 2003"... LOL!

"Don't do it girl. Don't you do it!"

**************
Now The Real Story of Monaco 2010
I was fortunate after the race in the cool down area to explain my side of race day to a foreign and very symphathetic camera crew...

You sure you really wanna know what happened out there?

ok, so I was doing my pre race imagery, ya just like so...


and suddenly right before the gun I hear this loud boom...

It was immediately apparent to me one of the girls had let one rip...eww...right beside me...lane 4...it sorta shook me...ya know?

...But I'm not understanding?


Yo guy!!...what do you mean I was in lane 4?!


Ooooh...


Bring it on...Monaco

Hey,
just a short entry to let everyone know ways to watch the meet today. I'll be taking care of business, but as per usge send me those good vibes and prayers!.

Herculis Diamond League
Monaco, Monte-Carlo Thursday July 22

In Canada
Live on cbcsports.ca 2-430pm Est (100m hurdles ~230pm)
*Free







Outside of Canada
Universalsports.com
*A small fee to watch per meet, or purchase a pass to watch all season long

Live event by event results


Obviously I want you to watch the hurdles, but the meet overall is stacked. Im definitely bringing my popcorn sprouts to watch the action when I'm done!.

Hope you can tune in!
Perdita

P.s- You peep the nails?. Yup, all me. Nothing makes me feel more like a lady at the line than a fresh coat of paint with sparkles on my spirit fingers...u likey?! ;0)

Tuesday, July 20

Monaco 2010

What it do! I'm updating from Monaco, in the South of France. I gotta say I love it here and could get used to the lifestyle. It's beautiful, they speak french and everything is paid for. And to make matters even better my Fucci purse blends so well into the surroundings. I know, you can't even tell!.

I wasn't online at all on Monday and I know there was some concern from my internet society friends. "Gasp!, P is not online?!". I know. Ludicrous. I'm that chick that can find a signal on the moon or at least a suspect, but worth the risk "internet "cafe" in Borneo.

Anyhoo, as soon as I walked into the hotel I asked about the internet setup. First things first. Catherine told me it was $40 a day. I started to laugh (in french): honh honh honh. No really how much is it, Cath?. Sorry Madame it is the best rate in Monaco because it is for 24 hours.

Zut alors.

Well we all know me: frugalistic. So I stayed without. Just sat on the bed watching the tele and guessing how many emails were left unattended in my inbox or daydreaming of who may have poked me on facebook.

There had to be a way to get on the interweb....for free. There just had to be. I started to think: What would Macgyver do?. So I started to play with some exposed wires at the back of the TV. Nope. Still no free internet. It just jacked up the channels. Macgyver sucked anyways.

Another hour went by. It was nearly midnight and I had failed to slay the jetlag jaberwoccky, so aimless and bored I picked up the random pamphlets at the side of the bed. All in french, but because I have been brushing up on my french by podcast lately, I decided to read them.

The hotel talked about their green initiative. Bravo. Then mentioned how to escape during a fire. C'est tres necessaire. The last booklet seemed basic too, except one word jumped off the page at me instantly. It was the french word for internet!. *Note: if I never learn another french word after today, I don't care. Because guess what the french word for internet is?... Yup. "INTERNET"!.

*Note: I wanna give a shout out to Madame Alfano. Whoop Whoop, grade 5 french standup!. This day was our destiny.

My interpretation of the pamphlet was if I signed up for this program my $internet$ charge of $40/day would be waived for my entire stay. I didn't even read what I was signing up for. Sacrifice of my first born, the removal of my front teeth, donation de kidnies. I didnt care. I got dressed headed to the lobby and in my best Amistad said: "Give us us free".

***

So there you have it. I'm here and we're reunited and neither of us have to pay for it!. I guess I could have used the free meet internet, but who wants to sit in a foyer all day. Ick.

I’ll update later, Im going to head to lunch and then to the track to get my legs back in the groove.



**Here is the Monaco website. Competition day is Thursday.**

P

Friday, July 16

You Can't Fight Tradition!

I'm about to wrap up July and I have to say the summer is speeding ahead. I'm not sure how I feel about that. The one good thing however is the sooner summer leaves the quicker autumn can enter. And in Perdita-speak, we all know what that means!.

Yes, you do. Because you read my blog religoulously. Right?.

Of course.

And you know around this time I start making plans, some very important ones.

*Note: For those who may have guessed 'what color I should paint my toenails for Nationals'...close! But that's actually second. Think more along the lines of Krispe Kreme, poprocks and poutine...

Yes. Exactly right.

WWPE Lives
The famed and storied "WWPE" list. AKA "What Will Perdita Eat". Where I start making plans for what kinds of caloric garbage I can shove down my pie hole (the word pie was used strategically here) in the six weeks that is my off season.

Now this has been a P tradition for many moons. It's what gets me through the summer season as I just sit by the window chewing asparagus. Or at the movie theatre when my date offers to buy a bucket of popcorn but instead I bust out my plastic carton of alfalfa sprouts. Booya Boy! Already got ya covered.


And when you're somewhere eating chocolate, I'm probably in Scandinavia chewing ice chips and sipping fat free water.

Do you get it?.

Right. This is sacred. WWPE is an event. It's a way of life. It's tradition.


No Pestilence. No War...
So imagine my horror tonight when I'm grabbing a bite with coach and the waitress puts my meal down in front of me. And as per usge endorphins start rushing through my brain. I'm giddy, I'm excited, I'm talkative. (No, even more so).

My food is here and nothing is wrong with the world. No pestilence. No war. And most important at this very moment: no famine.

I'm digging my fork deep into the food. Destroying it. I know, mad skills. Anyhoo, I don't really care what coach wants to talk about because I'm now running away at the jibs.

And guess what I'm talking about as I'm annihilating this hot food and simultaneously managing world hunger...one person at a time?!.

You know it: more food. I share/spew my "WWPE 2010" initiative with him.

But I don't look up. That's right still working.

Miraculously in between my shoveling, I manage to divulge more details about the WWPE initiative: 'Oh man I kill it...see me now? this is nothing...'. Talks of carbonated beverages, Garretts popcorn, Famous Dave's BBQ and sugar plums dance in my head and bounce off my lips.


Now I look up. My work is done here.

But I'm not quite feeling the look on dude's face. And I can tell it's been planted there the whole time.

Ohhhkaaay..?!. I think. Then quickly reassure him that I am going to share *ALL of my food with him.

*Except for the sour skittles. Mine. I don't never share those. Dem is my favs!.


No change on his face.

Then suddenly I recognize it's not about my greed. Phew. Because honestly I'm not planning to extend my eradication of hunger campaign to others at this time.

Coach asks if I plan to come back with some added body weight.

Me: Heck ya. That's my mission, Sir yes Sir!.

Do I realize how much more work the fall will take if I come back too out of shape.

Me: Word?.

You're turning 30 you have to start managing things differently than when you were younger

Me: Excuse you?. This is tradition. You can't fight tradition!.

You're not eating like that...you're not taking six weeks off...you get four...

Me (after his first syll-A-buhl): A sobbing heap of tears on top of the table.

****
I'm still inconsolable. So please don't email me food suggestions this year. Don't tip me off on who to order cakes from. Don't send me brownies. And mom please don't ask me to mentally place my favourite food items at the finish line, in hopes it will make me run faster to it!.

It's not a tradition, anymore. The tradition is over. Coach fought the tradition. And won.


Me: Boooo.....

Note: But If you have coupons for discounts on fresh sprouts and asparagus, I will take those.


Perdita

Tuesday, July 13

Livestrong 2010

Livestrong is Lance Armstrong's global initiative to fight cancer. You'll recognize its symbol whenever you see someone wearing a yellow band on their wrist.

I have lost a loved one to the disease, and I don't think there is anyone in the world that hasn't been affected by it.

This year during the Tour de France Nike has printed thousands of messages of hope and inspiration on the streets of the tour from their athletes, celebrities and people involved with the cause.

I just received the picture of my own personal message written on the road.

Talk about the cool factor. More than anything I am proud that I supported the cause in this small but special way.

The opportunity is there for anyone around the world to submit their own message and have it written just like mine. Thousands have already done it and you can too by clicking: http://bit.ly/chlkbot.

Help the fight. Spread the word. Tweet and repost your own message or this one and let the world know your stance!

Livestrong!
Perdita