It’s been a few weeks since I returned to what I now think of as “Home #2″.  Things seem to be going fairly smooth, but it definitely was not such a seamless start…

The day I was to fly out was a foggy one, and my dad and I were frequently checking the flight status, which in time indicated a one-hour delay.  Being as I live all of 15 minutes from the airport, this wasn’t a big ordeal; it actually gave me a bit of time to relax.  Upon arriving at the airport adequately prior to the new time, we quickly learned that the “one-hour” delay wasn’t quite accurate anymore.  As it played out, the flight that was to be coming in had to be redirected to Toronto, meaning that we had to be bussed there and fly out from there. We had to wait for the buses, and then wait again to check in once in Toronto.  By the time had taken off and arrived in Calgary, it was 1:30am (CST).  We were given a pass for the airport, but being as my flight in the morning was scheduled for 7am, I was limited to a hearty three hour nap; definitely the shortest hotel stay I’ve ever encountered.  All in all, it was around 7:30am (PST) when I finally arrived at my destination.  I decided that my afternoon classes were not an option and a nap was a necessity.

Since then, it has been much smoother sailing (thank goodness!).  My school schedule seems to be a lot more balanced this time around, and I have a lot better feel for how to handle the workload.  A couple of weeks in, and I am keeping up on my work without mass amounts of stress.  My professors all seem decent thus far, and the workload is definitely a bit lighter than the last time around.  I am particularly enjoying my business classes; English and philosophy are different story, but they at least seem tolerable and not overly  difficult.

My running has been going quite well, and a couple of Saturdays ago we traveled to University of Washington (in Seattle) for our first indoor meet, which was quite an enjoyable and exciting experience.  It has been nice being back in our wonderful temperate climate, though we did just get a foot of snow this past weekend.  The indoor season it quite short, and the real fun starts at the end of March, when we begin our outdoor season.

All in all, I’m pretty excited about this semester.  The schedule is better (as well as the workload), my parents are coming to visit in March, and I should get to travel even more than last semester.

[photopress:n500779451_138493_7662.jpg,thumb,alignleft]Friday we (the SFU Cross-country team) arrived in Olympia, WA (75 min south of Seattle) to a nice sunny day. Saturday was race day, on the same course that is going to be used in one months’ time for NAIA Regionals. We woke up to a wet ground and a light rain falling from the sky with cool temperatures. Far from ideal running weather, but such was the story of my week.

The week began with a strong effort to catch up on the sleep I had missed from the previous week. A calculus midterm on Wednesday hampered these efforts. The mid-term itself was tough, as I had expected. The week also included a couple of assignments which needed to be completed before we left Friday at lunch for our race. It was another packed week with plenty to do. On top of this, I had to make sure I was doing enough contract work to keep my clients pleased, which has been tough as I’m limited to my laptop until my main development computer arrives.

I entered weekend far more stressed and tense than I would’ve liked, and this was compounded by a bit of a nagging foot issue. I tried to put as much of this behind my going into Saturday’s race, one that I had been trying to build up for, as it is our last race until Regionals. The race did not end up providing any solace to my already less-than-ideal week. Within the first (of three) loop of the race I had rolled my ankle twice, and considered dropping out the second time as I jogged with a limp, trying to loosen up the foot. The rest of the race was spent being overly cautious on the rough areas of the course and trying to make up time on the better areas. It was the worst I have raced this year, though I was proud of myself for sticking it out and putting in all the effort I could given the circumstance. The result wasn’t disastrous, and our teams both did really well in winning the meet. I must admit though, I wasn’t in a particularly good mood at this point.

Sunday I made an effort to make my way to church, on yet another rainy morning (not that the rain itself bothers me, it just seemed fitting with my mood at the time). Church did not disappoint this time. It helped me to take a step back and regain a larger perspective. The sun can’t always shine; there are always lessons to be learned and hardships to go through.

Later Sunday afternoon, the sun made a welcomed appearance from beyond the clouds. I enjoyed a light run around the campus, and was able to take a brief moment of time to relax, knowing that I had an extra day off. In addition to having the day off today, it also marked my first Thanksgiving away from home. Luckily, I know I will have the opportunity to see my family in a short while. As well, me and my neighbor, a member of the track team, had organized a Thanksgiving meal for those of us who didn’t have opportunity to make it home. With everyone chipping in, we made and enjoyed a wonderful (and rather large) dinner, showing that University students are capable of having the luxuries away from home. It was a great time, and really helped kick-start a new week.

Sometimes it does rain; but rain is refreshing and invigorating, and helps us to enjoy the pleasure of the sunshine. I’m learning to balance my workload better, and to make sure I take time out for that which really matters. One bad race only re-ignites my passion to train hard and I intend to be ready to go come Regionals. The sun is always there waiting for the rain to end.

Saturday afternoon, after a light workout, the Cross-country/track team headed up to Whistler for our pre-season training camp. We are staying in a very nice lodge situated on the side of Blackcomb mountain. For me, this trip is an excellent opportunity to meet my teammates and get a feel for what the upcoming cross-country season might bring.

Now that we’re a couple days in, I have to say I am probably as excited as I have been about moving out here. Now, to clarify, this isn’t purely because I’m surrounded by runners and running activities; I had a couple of days to get settled in my residence back at Simon Fraser and spend a bit of time at the campus, which really got the ball rolling. I’ve been able to touch base with quite a few people back home, which has helped the transition as well. Of course, there’s also the fact that I’m surrounded by stunning scenery: mountains, rivers, lakes and oceans are no longer uncommon. I currently have no doubt whatsoever that I made the right decision to make my way out here. As much as I know I am going to miss the many close friends and family back home, I feel very much at home here already.

Training camp has been absolutely amazing thus far. I had a great long run Sunday morning: I was out with the team Capitan traversing the many trails around here, and we often popped out of the forest to a gorgeous view of lakes and mountains. The other members of the team all seem really great and are really welcoming and friendly to us newcomers (and there are quite a few of us). I have a lot of opportunities to chat with various members and get to know people better. Everyone is really excited about the upcoming season, and I definitely fit in that camp. The coach seems great, and I think it is going to be and excellent training environment for me. It is an intense week here training-wise, but we also have a lot of time to relax and recover. We have access to a heated pool and 3 hot-tubs, which also have a nice mountain view. It’s also been great getting together to socialize as a team: last night was a movie in town, and tonight was karaoke and Dance Dance Revolution in our room. It really feels like a strong team atmosphere, something like I’ve never really experienced when it comes to cross-country.

Again, I have to mention the scenery…both here and at SFU. It still really blows me away when I look around and realize this is my new home, not just a brief vacation. To get an idea of what I mean, visit my photo gallery at http://picasaweb.google.com/trevor.feeney/TrainingCampWhistler

I’m looking forward to the rest of the week, and once it’s done it’ll be time to gear up for class. I’m sure I’ll have a lot more to say once that begins.