Wrapping Up the Sydney Experience

Blogger Meet Up

It isn’t very often that I have the chance to meet up with a blogger buddy, but luckily it worked out that Melanie (of Mel Tries to Run) was able to come up to Sydney from Canberra on Saturday evening.  We met up with another runner friend of hers, went for cocktails and grabbed some super yummy Thai food in Newtown.  The evening was full of really fantastic conversation and I’m really glad that we had the chance to meet up.  Thanks again for a fantastic evening Mel!!

Hmm, looks like I caught a wee bit of sun…

Running

I managed to squeeze in some final runs in Sydney on Sunday and on Monday.  On Sunday I headed back to Circular Quay and the Opera House, plus I spent a bit more time exploring the Botanical Gardens.  It was slightly less humid when I started running as a light drizzle was coming down, but as soon as that finished the humidity kicked back in.  I went from feeling like I could run forever to feeling…ugh.  But the scenery was great!I hadn’t quite planned to run on Monday morning as that was the day I was leaving for the airport.  My parents had a much earlier flight than I did and they were out of the hotel room by 5:30 am.  I didn’t have to leave until 9 am to catch my flight and as I lay in bed and watched the sky brighten I figured I should really just get up and run.  We were staying in a part of Sydney called Darling Harbour so I just went down there and ran along the semi-circular boardwalk. I’m glad I got a last few miles in before having to rush off and catch my flight.  It was a nice way to end the trip.

Lessons Learned and Things I Was Reminded About in Australia

1. There is no better way to sightsee than on a run or a bike ride in a new place.  I got to see things I may not have noticed if I wasn’t running past it.  Running past the Sydney Opera House and up its stairs was a definite highlight.
2. Humidity and I?  We are not friends.  While all of my runs were incredibly scenic and beautiful they were also fairly hard.  I’m attributing it mostly to the humidity although I wasn’t quite the active runner I would have liked to have been in December.  So needless to say, I am actually kind of looking forward to getting back to running in cold, snowy Calgary.
3. Mozzies (aka mosquitoes) love me.  I do not love them.  My parents would get the odd bite here and there, but by the end of the trip the final count was 21 bites on my right leg, 16 on the left.
4. Swimming in a gorgeous outdoor pool is pretty well all I need to get excited about swimming again.  Time to get back to working on that stroke.

And with that…I’m back in Calgary.  Back to work tomorrow.  And my first block of Ironman training starts too!!  I’ve got a lot of catching up to do with you guys.  Google Reader is telling me that I have just over 600 unread posts!!

Exploring Sydney Pools

When I was searching for places to swim before visiting Sydney there was one thing that was immediately clear.  There is no shortage of pools to choose from.  Indoor, outdoor, tidal pools, you name it, Sydney has it. 

Thanks to some yucky weather on Boxing Day I figured that the underground pool at the Cook + Phillip Park Aquatic Center would be my best bet on Boxing Day.  The weather improved a bit around New Year’s, so it was time to scope out some outdoor pools.

Wylie’s Baths at Coogee Beach

The lovely Melanie suggested Wylie’s Baths as a good place to swim, and it was definitely a great idea.  I stopped in on the final day of 2009 for a quick swim. Wylie’s Baths is a 50 yard tidal pool, costs $3 for admission and it is open 365 days a year.  Their website is great and posts up to date times for low and high tide and swimming conditions.

Swimming at Wylie’s gives you the best of both worlds between a pool and the ocean.  You are more protected than swimming in the ocean, but the bottom of the pool is essentially the ocean floor.  It is uneven, rocky, and full of plant life and wee little fishes.

I spent some time analysing the situation – who was swimming versus who was playing around, what direction were they going – then slipped in the water.  I’d be lying if I didn’t have a moment where I thought, “Wow, I kinda wish I had a wetsuit…”  Luckily that idea lasted about five seconds because the water was really warm.  I was reminded that I cannot swim in a straight line without lines on the bottom so I wound up criss-crossing a bunch.  And I tell you what, you definitely notice if you are ingesting water when you swim in salt water…

Bondi Icebergs Club Swimming Pool

When I first saw the Bondi Icebergs Club website I knew I needed to swim here.  A 50m outdoor swimming pool right at the world famous Bondi Beach?  Fantastic.  Admission is $5 and is open to the public.  If you want to get into the club itself you need to have a membership if you live within a 5 km radius, or else you can enter as a temporary member.  The pool is closed every Thursday for cleaning.  The pool was amazing and I definitely appreciated having lines painted on the bottom of this pool.  And I love that you never really feel crowded in a 50m pool, even if you have six people in your lane.

I first stopped in to swim on New Year’s Day.  Although I didn’t realize it at the time, apparently there is a big, super exclusive bash at the club every year.  Music was blaring out of the top level club and I loved swimming along and popping up to hear the tunes every once in awhile.  I went back again on Saturday the 2nd and it was a lot quieter, so this was definitely an unusual experience.

And yes, I loved the pool so much that I went back for a second swim the next day…making for three days in a row of swimming.  Talk about a way to say goodbye to 2009 and hello to 2010!  The swim was even better on day three as I finally figured out how to drink less salt water on the swim.  It started to rain just as I was finishing up my set though, so I quickly ran out of the pool, moved my stuff under cover, then hopped back in the water to keep swimming.  After all, water is water whether it is pool water or rain water, right?

My dad even took some video of me swimming that I want to pass along to my coach.  It is the first time I’ve ever had a chance to see what I look like swimming and it is quite an eye opener.  What my left arm does compared to my right arm is pretty astounding.

Other places I looked at but didn’t have a chance to swim at?  The North Sydney Olympic Pool near Luna Park and the Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool inside the Botanical Gardens.  So many pools, so little time…

New Year’s Eve – Sydney Style

Being that Sydney is one of the first cities in the world to delve into the new year they certainly go all out.  (They aren’t the first city, just one of the first ones.)  Yup, New Year’s in Sydney is something else.  At various time throughout the day on December 31st streets around the harbour and the Opera House start to shut down starting around 11 am until 4 am, so getting to the fireworks takes some planning.

Figuring out where you are going to watch the fireworks from also takes some planning.  We saw folks heading towards different vantage spots early in the morning with blankets and coolers.  A lot of the best areas, say around the Opera House only allow in a certain number of people before they call it at capacity and seal it off to additional people.

You understand why they have to start closing streets off as you make your way towards the harbour.  There are just so many people out there is no way you could contain them to sidewalks.  I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere this busy before!  We had booked a harbour dinner cruise for New Year’s…probably one of the best ways to try to catch the fireworks!  You better have your ticket or else you won’t get anywhere near the dock…

Sydney had a bit of a theme going and had asked folks to wear a touch of blue…as they were trying to go all out with as many blue fireworks as possible, the most difficult ones to create.  I didn’t realize this when I was packing or else I would have brought a blue dress, but I found something else in the suitcase that would do.

As we set sail around the harbour we passed the odd barge…spots were set up all around for fireworks to go off, not just on and around the bridge.

Sydney really gets into the spirit of things by having family fireworks go off at 9 pm for an eight minute show.

There were quite a few boats out on the harbour, and all of them had lights on them in different designs to increase their visibility.

Time flew after the first set of fireworks and before I knew it, it was midnight and the real spectacle started.  12 minutes of amazing fireworks all around – the bridge in front, off of barges to our side and behind us, and off of the buildings in downtown.  Absolutely unreal!

My pictures do not do the show justice since I couldn’t hold the camera still enough for the full exposure time.  So if you want to see the show, check out the video here.

And with that, it is officially 2010!  I cannot believe how quickly 2009 went.  It really felt like it flew by.  It was a year full of new PRs (5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon), plus it saw my first Olympic and half Iron distance triathlons.  Plus, I even won my age group at my one sprint triathlon of the year.  2010 looks to be even bigger and better…literally…as it is officially my Ironman year!  It should be an interesting journey.

Happy 2010!!!!

Hanging in the Hunter Valley

On Saturday (aka Boxing Day) I went for a swim, we went for lunch, and then we loaded the car up and hit the road for the Hunter Valley.  It is about a 2 or 2.5 hour drive from Sydney, and is another one of Australia’s great wine producing regions.  We rolled into our accommodations in the Hunter at Parrot Stump Farm just around 5 pm.  Just like the Barossa this place was a self contained cottage in amongst a vineyard.  The owner met us at the cottage just as we arrived.  He was quite concerned that with it being Boxing Day, and everything being closed, that we would be somewhat out of luck for dinner.  He was planning on having a few folks over for ham and he wanted to invite us over.  It wound up being a really fun evening full of good food, good wine and good times as we met a few of the locals from around the area.  Everyone was so nice and friendly that they wound up feeling like old friends by the time the night was over.  It was a great way to start our trip to the Hunter.

Rain, rain…and a bit of running

Sunday I had decided to take as a rest day, and I was definitely happy with that decision when I woke up in the morning.  It was pouring down rain.  It continued to rain all day and well into Monday as well.  Somehow or other I just wasn’t in the mood to slog through the rain.  I had thoughts of heading to the outdoor pool in Cessnock for a swim, but unfortunately I wound up missing the lap swim times in the morning so…another rest day it was.  By Tuesday morning there was a break in the rain so I figured I’d better hit the road!  Much like the Barossa the Hunter is quite hilly although the scenery is very different.  Rolling green fields for as far as the eye can see as opposed to the more dessert like scenery in the Barossa.  Vineyards still dot the landscape though. 

I headed out the driveway away from Parrot Stump and just ran along the road.  There was very little traffic, but there was plenty to see.  This little colt came running up to the fence as I ran past to check things out.Along the way there were also lots of other horses, and some cows, including one very amorous bull.  The area was mostly a few vineyards, olive trees, some houses and the odd bed and breakfast/cottage type of place.  I was hoping to spy some kangaroos as I know they sometimes are nearby.  But no luck…  I ran up the driveway to the cottage and just as I crested a hill I saw some brown lumps way off in the distance.  Could it be?  Might they be kangaroos??  I couldn’t tell directly, so instead I had to get the camera out so I could check it out via zoom and picture.Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have some kangaroos off in the distance!!  Just as I was taking another picture on of the air guns in the vineyard to scare off birds went off and the guy on the left gave a big ol’ leap.Success!  3.1 miles and a kangaroo sighting.

I was wavering on going for another run on Wednesday morning before leaving the Hunter, but as it felt quite a bit cooler and less humid out I figured I’d better take advantage.  I left the camera at home, which was somewhat too bad as I spied a few goats and alpacas out today.  No kangaroos, although I did meet a very boisterous and friendly (thank goodness, although maybe too friendly) sheep dog who was determined to keep jumping up on me and had me wondering if I was going to be able to make it home without him.  Luckily his owner was out checking his olive trees and he was able to grab his dog for me.  Then it was time to pack up and hit the road back to Sydney shortly thereafter.

And what about the wine??

Ah yes, we did do a wee bit of wine tasting in the Hunter.  This region produces some really great Semillons that age nicely in the bottle, along with some good reds too.  We had some fantastic tastings in the area, but the highlight was probably at Keith Tulloch’s.  When you walk into his winery you head upstairs, are given a tasting glass and told to find a spot to sit down.  There are comfy couches inside along with tables on the veranda overlooking the vineyards below.Some of the other places felt a bit like a zoo as you tried to find a spot by the tasting bar to stand, but at Keith Tulloch’s it was so quiet and relaxed.  Every few minutes someone would come by to pour a tasting sip in your glass.  It just so happened that the owner Keith was outside on the veranda that day.  He came by to say hello and we chatted about Canada (like the differences between importing to Alberta versus British Columbia) along with some of the spots that he and his family have skied at in Canada.  And all of his wines were absolutely fantastic.  Lucky for me that he imports to Alberta!

With that the trip to the Hunter is over (along with all of the wine touring) and we are about 20 minutes away from Sydney at the moment.  It is so hard to believe that the final day of 2009 is TOMORROW!!  How did that happen?  Where did the year go?  I am looking forward to spending a few days around here playing tourist and going for some great runs.  Thanks to the lovely Mel I have a few ideas for some great pools to check out too.  I hope everyone is enjoying their final days of 2009 and have a safe and happy New Year!!

The Barossa – Part II

Tuesday

I started the day off with another run on Tuesday morning.  I decided to turn right outside of the cottage and run in that direction instead.  The run was just as beautiful in this direction, with more vineyards, sheep and hills.  The heat felt a little less oppressive as I started to acclimatize just a bit more.

After the run it was time to explore the wineries around the Barossa just a bit more.  One of my favourite places that we stopped at was Two Hands.  The Barossa is a perfect spot for growing shiraz, and Two Hands have more shirazes than you can shake a stick at.  It was a really neat exercise to sit down and find out about how much shiraz can vary from one area to another as we ran through about ten different wines (although only about seven of those were a shiraz).

Some of the wines were just massive fruit bombs and others were much more refined.  Two Hands also exports quite a bit, so if you happen to see them in your local wine shop I would highly recommend them.  And if you really want to try them and you happen to live in Calgary, give me a shout.  I know a great wine shop were they stock a lot of their stuff at.

Wednesday

There is a really lovely looking outdoor pool in Tanunda (the town that we were close to), and I had really hoped to manage a swim there.  Sadly it was only open for swimming from noon until 6 pm and it just didn’t really work with the schedule.  So instead on Wednesday I rented a mountain bike from the cottage owner and took it out for a spin.

I haven’t ridden a mountain bike for awhile, and this one was definitely a lot heavier than my old road bike.  And…I didn’t exactly bring bike shorts with me either.  Funny how you get used to riding in those things..!!  I was a little worried that I’d forget that I should be riding on the left hand side over here, but luckily I managed to remember that important fact just fine.  I rode down Seppeltsfield Road, a really lovely road lined with palm trees along much of the way.  And, very much like my runs so far, it was hilly.  I went out for about 15 miles, and it was great to see the area from a different perspective.  I even rode past the pool that I had hoped to swim at.

In the afternoon we checked out Peter Lehmann for a tasting.  At the winery you can buy port (or fortified wine) in bulk.  Only $3.70 a litre, unless you are filling a container less than 5L and then it is $3.90/litre.  Interesting, eh?  Apparently people bring in everything from pop bottles to other containers that still have “Caution: Poison” labels on them to fill up with port.  Hmm…hoped they washed that container out well!!

And after that our stay in the Barossa was over!  We flew to Sydney on Thursday (aka Christmas Eve)…

The Barossa – Part I

Monday

We stayed in an absolutely gorgeous self-contained cottage out in the Barossa called Stonewell Cottages.  This place was close to everything, yet it felt so secluded.  The cottage was on a little lake, and in amongst the vineyards.  We had quite the assortment of wildlife around the lake, including three very friendly ducks who quite liked to be fed. 

The cottage is owned by a family that also owns a winery.  Back in the 1980s Australia was going through quite the wine glut and this family decided to diversify by going into the B&B business.  It is quite different from a traditional B&B in that when you arrive your fridge is fully stocked with fresh eggs, milk, bacon, tomatoes, pancake mix, juice, coffee and tea and it is up to you how you want to use it.

Luckily jet lag didn’t really affect me too much and I was up and raring to run early Monday morning.  Wow, you would think I hadn’t run in a month!  It was not pretty.  I’ll choose to blame the heat, humidity and the hills.  Ah yes my friends, the Barossa is not very flat, a piece of information that had escaped me on the drive in the day before.  And even though I was out running around 7 am the heat was definitely something I was not used to.  Oh well, ignore the Garmin and pay attention to the scenery, right?Sheep!  These guys were so noisy that I heard them long before I saw them.Vineyards everywhere… Just one of the big hills, off into the distance.  Imagine rollers like this your entire route.

After my run and some breakfast it was time to get down to business and taste some wine.  Our first stop was at Penfolds.  There certainly is a lot of Penfolds wine available outside of Australia, and they really run the gamut from inexpensive to incredibly expensive.  In fact, their latest release of their top end wine, Grange, retails for almost $700 AUD.  The fun thing about tasting at Penfolds is that they have a lot of wines that are exclusively available at their cellar door.  And would you like to taste one of their $200 wines?  No problem.  I am quite happy to report that they are both extraordinarily yummy.We also wandered over to Henschke and Yalumba.  Yalumba was a wee bit intimidating as they had a massive book of wines that they make and that you can taste.

Once we were done tasting for the day we stopped in a small butcher shop to pick up some sausages, went back to the cottage to grill them up, fed the ducks, and called it a day.  Not a bad start to things in the Barossa!