Croatia 2010

So the end of my 2010 season is just around the corner as I race tonight in Zagreb, Croatia and on Sunday in Split, Croatia (then home to Pickering on Monday!...but first things first). Lolo Jones and I will represent The Americas at the World Cup in Split, this is my first time qualifying for this team and I hear it's a championship with a much lighter atmosphere.



I tend to get antsy around this time of the season. The training is very simple and the days seem longer. It has been a long ten months of training and racing and at this stage it is easy for me to look ahead to all the things I will do during the off season. The free time to hang with my favorite people, guilt free eating, and the fun initiatives I get to continue with  my sponsors and partners.

So it's with great effort on my part and encouragement from others that I am not getting ahead of myself with two to go. My aim is to finish my season on a high note and know anything is possible. I would love a personal best, but based on the season I will be very happy to better my season's best time.

My season's fastest race 12. 58 in NYC beside Lolo Jones

So no holding back now or going through the motions, my intensity tonight and in Split have got to be like they were at seasons start. These two races will help build momentum for my 2011 season and the big one being the Worlds in South Korea.

Have a great day (0:
Perdi
Zagreb World Challenge Website, IAAF Continental Cup Website

Today is my birthday. I am thirty.


And you're saying No duh. But I have been repeating this to myself and whoever happens to be near me all day. The policeman at customs. The hotel receptionist. The woman showing her young son the airplanes at the airport.

You'd be minding your own business and suddenly I'd bust you in the ear with the information. Expecting you to comp my snacks from the mini bar or drop the hand of your small child and come see about me. Well Happy Birthday stranger, whoever you are!. 

Nope. For the most part people took this information dryly. Some even looked at me all crazy.

What?...today is P-day.

Crickets.

But it didn't matter. I kept repeating my Dita Day mantra to myself: Today is your birthday. You are thirty!.

And you know what, after ten hours of saying this it actually feels like my birthday. Even if I spent it flying to Croatia and no one around knew how special the day was.

Such is the fate of a trackster born in August. I love my life and feel grateful to God I get to see another anywhere on our beautiful planet.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

In commemoration of my arrival into the 30's, I bought a totally age inappropriate birthday present in honor of years gone by.

The best 30th birthday gift on earth A Cookie Monster Tee

Hello dirty thirty! Where have you been all my life? Let's get this partay started Ok k k!

Thanks for the birthday L♥ve Friends & Fam
Have a blessed day everyone!

Perdita xo

30th Edition of P-Day!

Off to Croatia...lots to talk about today!!
Perdita xo

Putt Putt: Brussels 2010

Well hellooo! 

There is so much to talk about on this beautiful day, a bella hardly knows where to start. Ever have a morning where your happy feelings wake you up?. It's a beautiful and totatlly inconvenient occurance, because I love REM that much (who are we kidding?). Anyhoo, I really hope you have.

Ok the first thing my subconscious was buzzing about was last nights race. Third place in 12.68. Nothing spectacular, we know my standards. But something happened in the race I haven’t felt one single time all year. For the first time it felt like I was going to bite the dust!!. AKA scrape the skin off my chin post hurdle five.

I didn’t. This is a good thing.

But basically it’s a sensation that a hurdler lives for. There is only so much room between each hurdle, so when a hurdler breaks into a faster rhythm it often feels like the hurdle comes up before she is ready for it.

Your eyes see it coming but with the increased speed there is only so much time for your body to react to the impending barrier. You pray your training and tenacity have prepared you to make it in time, even though it feels like you won’t.

All skilled hurdlers live in this realm. And being able to embrace this sensation, expect it, create it; well it's what the good ones do best. But it’s hard to get there, though when you do, you can thrive there for a while.

Side note: If you don’t hurdle I can only explain one way for you to get this sensation. Go to the top of the steepest hill in your neighbourhood and sprint down it as fast as u can. DO NOT stop until it bottoms out. A few things to remember: you are not allowed to coast or slow down for comfort. In fact as fast as you are going, you have to force yourself to accelerate and go even faster.

*Please somebody do this and let me know how it goes. JK please don’t.!*

So anyhoo back to me--I felt this!. Now it didn’t last that long, but I felt this!! Ok I just said that. But can you sense my excitement?!!.

I then went to hit another gear, because you NEVER get comfortable with the one you’re in. (Stick jumping 101-check the credits, yo). Well instead of reacting like the 2011 Porsche 911 we all I know I am inside. I was more akin to my mom’s first car a 1989 ford escort, which the whole family called “Putt-Putt”.

Yeaah. Not my smoothest transition.

I got a bit sloppy but rallied to get my race back on track, without hitting the deck. I haven’t felt my top gear all season and I wasn’t sure it would rear is beautiful ferocious head with two races to go. It has. It was just a quickie resurfacing, but it’s there. And that’s all  this stick jumper needed to know.


Big up to the last woman standing, Priscilla for clinching the overall Diamond League title.

Grateful for the little things,

Perdita

Brussels

What it do!
I'm racing tonight in the Diamond League final in Brussels. But I'm just checking in for a hot second before I get my race face on.

The week went by slowly I have to admit, and that's always good because it means I'm excited to race!. I was happy with my workout sessions this week and plan to compete just as hard as I did in Berlin.


The women's hurdles continue to be one of the most exciting races on the circuit this season, and today's race is late on the schedule tonight. Which is always a sign of respect and great anticipation. Hope you can catch it.

Back before you know it,
Perdita

Diamond League Memorial Van Damme Brussels, Belgium
1) Friday Aug. 27  Live @ cbcsports.ca 1:50pm ET (100mh @3:20pm)
2) Universalsports.com shows live video for a fee
3) Live result updates @diamondleague-brussels.com @12pm ET
4) Saturday Aug. 28 CBC TV broadcast (& web repeat) 1-2pm ET

Berlin Berlin

Hi Again!

I haven't posted in a few days, there wasn't anything really going on. A tinge of homesickness (can you tell from my last post), but that left in a day or so.

I used the time training solo in Kamen to really reflect on what I want out of the rest of my season. It was wonderful to have one of my best friends in the world (who happens to be one of the best chiropracters in the world too!) join me in Kamen and Berlin this past week.

I needed reinforcements after London and as always Dr. Wilbour Kelsick left his busy practice in B.C to help me out. I was happy with my second place finish in Berlin today. It was a huge step up from my seventh place, 12.96 in London. And a whole .25 seconds faster in 12.71.

I am grateful for all my performances, though the competitor in me is really not feeling all this "12.7x" business. But Berlin was progress because in 17 races outdoors this year, today was my second fastest. 

It was all about effort and fueling my competitive juices after London. My bestie was ALL over my tail this week on email about bringing the stank nasty and finishing my season with gusto.

To quote her email this morning: "At this point, its more about the attitude and effort than the result, so let's see some fire and fight..."

Which is much more pleasant than an email I got from her a few days ago saying she really wanted to "shake me...". lol

I was in the same lane as I was in last year for the World Championship Final. Lane three. I used the memory of finishing that race in 15.53 seconds as inspiration to do better today. I was healthy and able and after all it was a new day. I'll take a 'do over', even if it's 12 months later. :)

I've got a few more races to go and I'm working hard and enjoying myself and as always expecting a break through. Your attitude I am learning is a very powerful tool. 

Be well my friends!
Per 

Take a peek at the victory ceremony today in Berlin, good times...

When The Rain Hits My Window

It's pouring rain in Kamen, Germany today not the kind of weather that inspires happiness I must say. I watched the Canadian men's 400 relay leave this morning for Zurich. As well as my homie Nicole Forrester leave for Cologne.

Then it dawned on me as I walked back to my apartment dripping wet, that I was now at this place alone and how lonely is that. Suddenly I wanted my sisters to cackle with. And to hear my mom's voice with her familiar accent; the way it feels like home, no matter where in the world I am when I hear it.

My baby sister "Mini" sent me this song after my race in London and its been on replay ever since. I really love and miss them.

I can't stand the rain.

♥Perdi

Dusseldorking

Just some history on the video you are about to watch. Nicole and I had a 4 am shuttle to London Heathrow, to catch our 7am flight to Dusseldorf, Germany. It didn't make sense to get four hours of sleep so we both did our respective things, which didn't include going to bed.

Meaning we had been up a whole day, which made for a crazy morning of travel. That included Nicole going toe to toe with a women in the customs queue. Since she wouldn't "commit to a line", but instead straddled both. Nicole won!. And I stood at the very end of the line laughing hysterically the whole show down.

We spent 45 minutes after landing in the Dusseldorf Duty Free shop spray jacking and sampling expensive lip sticks, with Jorgen the clerk.

We took so long playing Jezebel that by the time we made it to baggage claim our flight had been cleared from the screen and our luggage was no where in sight. After wandering aimlessly from carousel to carousel we felt completely lost and out of sort...until we saw our German knight in shining armour cart...

Click Play To View Our Rescue

P's Guide: How To Smell Like a Million Euros

Duty+Airport=Free!

I travel a lot and I'm in a different country every few days, obviously this means a lot of time in airpots. In the last few seasons on the tour I have developed a certain compulsion that was breed from 'gate wait' boredom and my frugalistic disposition.

It very much revolves around the word "Duty" but only when specifically followed by the word "Free". I mean who doesn't like free stuff?!. I go Gaga over it. All kinds of Alejandro.

Hungry Or Not Here I Come...

I was that kid who would abandon moms shopping cart whenever we hit up Knob Hill Farms, our local grocery store. As soon as we hit those doors I was on the "free" sample prowl. It just wasn't safe for a bite sized morsel.

Imagine me all of six years old telling my mama: "You got this?, ok good. Ima do me, see you at check out...and do not forget my fruit roll ups.". I would then line up at every sample stand thrice, only to meet up with her later at the cash register with a gut full of bran flakes, oscar meyer weiners and a coupon for watching the streak free Windex demo. (That stuff was the truth).

*Spray Jacking For The Novice

Now not everything in the duty free shop is "free" and that is ok. We only want the free stuff. Which lucky for us is usually the sample bottles of expensive designer perfume. Dior, Chanel, Chloe, CK. The list is endless. So I suggest knowing what you want in advance and not deviating from this plan!.

I find it best to pseudo browse and act like you want to buy something. But all the while you use this time to scope out the exact coordinates of Eternity or Angel by Thierry Mugler.

Once you have locked in the coordinates proceed directly to the bottle. Slowly. We don't want anyone to sense the giddy inside us or draw attention to our spray jacking skills.

Look around too see who is watching (if there are too many eyes bend down behind something or someone...as I do). When the coast is clear bathe your person in choice fragrance, pump that spray till your index finger cramps. Pumps must be quick and ninja like.

Remember to layer, as this will make the freeness go further. If the situation allows go for broke and spray the mass of things in your carry on baggage. Computer bag optional.

Calmly return the bottle to its place and walk away. Quickly. Make eye contact with no one. If you hear: "Excuse me Madame/Sir..." spewed in your direction, sprint immediately towards your gate.

Congrats you now smell like a million euros and you didn't even spend a dime!. It's genius. No need to thank me.

**Repeat at airports world wide**

P. Felicien

Spray Jacking Since 2007

London·Paris·Toronto·Berlin·Nice...many more coming soon!

Human

Ok you got me. I'm human, incase you haven't noticed--but you probably have. * Tee hee.

I damn near closed the gates in London with my 7th place showing in my slowest time of the year, 12.96.

I won't agonize over it, but rather focus on the next competition in a week in Berlin. I've called in reinforcements so my chiro extraordinaire will be down to help me out. I'm so happy to have company from home, especially since Dr. Kelsick is one of my best friends and also acts as a sports shrink at times. Clearly he will be doing double duty on this trip.

So here's to regrouping and staying committed in the face of piss poor results. I'm back to my German base and the drawing board. August is really testing my mettle, but you know me....

***

I always go back to this song when I need a pick me up, the radio stations at home played it repeatedly for me after I fell at the Athens Olympics. It reminds me to never give up, shows me how far I've come, and that someones got my back.

So play a song for me! :)

Perdita xo