Time flies, doesn't it? 

Four months ago, I made the jump from the Vancouver Canucks to ICUC, a global social media moderation company. 

I had been told that changing roles is never easy. New environments, new people and new projects can make for difficult transitions. 

That was certainly not the case here. From the moment I joined the team at ICUC, I felt incredibly welcome and empowered. The leadership here is incredible and the opportunity to grow as an individual is endless. 

I loved and valued my time with the Canucks and will greatly miss working in the sports industry - for anyone with goals to work in such an organization, I highly recommend spending time pursuing such dreams.

For the second time in three years, I hopped on my road bike and rode the Sea to Sky highway for 122KM of intense elevation and lengthy climbs. 

As you can tell by the elevation chart, Vancouver to Squamish was a breeze. Squamish to Whistler on the other hand? Whew.  

Pre-Event Communication 

Great emails, good communication. Very clear.  Package Pick-up

Package pick-up was located at the Vancouver Convention Centre. With a relatively small Expo for the size of the event, everything ran smoothly and efficiently. We waited in line for approximately 5 minutes before getting our package.  Course

Having done this course in 2013, I was familiar with the twists and turns. The start line this year was changed, however. Beginning in Stanley Park instead of Georgia St., we rode through the park and up to the Lions Gate Bridge. This created a bottleneck at the start line that seemed unexpected. 

Once getting on the Lions Gate Bridge, the course was flawless. With one lane of the Sea to Sky dedicated to riders, there were no issues I saw while on the ride. This is one of the most well-organized, well-supported races I've ever participated in. 

Finish Line

The best! We finished right in Whistler Village, with a large parking lot dedicated to rider support. No better finish line than this. 

Promising long stretches of rolling hills and just a few tough climbs, the 2014 Valley GranFondo was the perfect race for my first cycling event of the season. 

Selecting the MedioFondo length in preparation for the Whistler GranFondo in September, our route ventured throughout Fort Langley and Aldergrove for a grand total of 88KM. 

Below is a race review of this charity event. 

Pre-Event Communication 

Simple, easy. Just a few emails prior to the event.  Package Pick-up

Yikes! Package pick-up was only available for six hours on Saturday, the day prior to the race. I had to make arrangements to pick-up my package on race day. More dates/times are certainly needed.  Course

The route promised rolling hills and a few climbs - and that it was. The course was well directed and the rest stops were great. There were three rest stops throughout the medio-course - I hopped off my bike at the second stop, fuelling on electrolytes. There were plenty of hydration and nutrition options available. 

With that said, there were many potholes on the course that were passed. Some cyclists were unlucky - I cycled by four ambulances in the 88KM stretch. It would have been great to see the city and race committee work together to remedy this. 

In addition, distances were not marked. This was the first race I took part in where I wasn't exactly sure where I was - with no kilometre marks, it was a guess how fast I was going. 

Finish Line

The finish line is always a great sight to see. With a sharp left turn before ending the race, the finish was exciting for all participants. The best part? Red Racer sponsored a great beer garden. 

OVERALL: 7/10. 

After nearly four years of building the digital fanbase for the Vancouver Canucks, we've reached 1 million likes on the official Facebook page.

I love destination races. Although the idea of waking up in your own bed on the morning of a race is appealing, there's something about driving or flying to a new town or city to explore unfamiliar areas. 

Although I've spent the better part of my 20+ years in Whistler for weekend trips and get-aways, I've never hit the pavement for 21.1KM in this scenic resort town of British Columbia. 

Suffice to say, this course was far different from than of Abbotsford - and was possibly one of the most challenging courses I've faced. 

Pre-Event Communication 

+1 for communication. Plenty of information, including training and nutrition tips and tricks, was shared before the event.  Package Pick-up

As I was arriving late in Whistler, I didn't have an opportunity to pick-up my own race package.  Course

Honey, we're not in Kansas anymore. 

This course was tough. With some pretty intense hills for the first 4 miles through residential areas, I realized that I should have focused much more on hill training. Though I gained speed and made up for lost time on the downhill portions, it seemed we were all challenged with those first few miles. 

Once we hit the flat stretches of the golf courses, it was clear sailing. The weather was perfect and there were cheer stations at every turn. Best part? The scenery. From the hills of residential areas to the beauty of running through two incredible courses, it was easy to become distracted. 

Only critique - I would have loved a few more aid stations on the course. It was a warm day!  

Finish Line

So fantastic. We finished right in the village, which made for great photos and plenty of crowds.  

$250,000. That's the grand total the Abbotsford Run for Water raised on May 25 to help develop clean water sources in Ethiopia. 

With 4500 runners participating in ultra, full, half, 10KM and 5KM routes, it's no surprise this race saw over 4500 runners hit the streets of Abbotsford to help support such a worthy cause. 

The half marathon route promised a flat course, and flat it was. Check out this elevation chart:

Although the rain started to absolutely pour around the 13KM mark, spirits were high amongst the 552 half-marathon runners. 

Below is a race review of this charity event. 

Pre-Event Communication 

Communication was excellent before the event. With just a few emails leading up to race day, everything we needed was included in all correspondence - maps, package pick-up, road closures, etc.  Package Pick-up

This was probably the quickest package pick-up I've ever been part of. With the smiling faces of volunteers greeting runners, I was in and out of the pick-up location in less than 5 minutes. Easy as pie.  Course

My favourite part. We started at Centennial Park and entered into a gradual down-hill for the first 3KM. From there, it was a lengthy stretch on Riverside Rd. in the industrial and farmlands of Abbotsford as we headed to a turn-around point at Whatcom Rd. 

Despite being caught in a rainstorm after the half-way mark, I was having so much fun with this route that my body essentially turned to auto-pilot. The course was designed in such a way that every step felt like we were entering a brand new area of the Valley - from parks to industrial to farmland - with supporters and volunteers at five different aid stations. 

Finish Line

As this course was an out-and-back, we faced that 3KM steady incline on the way back to the finish line. At this point we had already joined up with the 10KM runners, which made for a busy finish. 10KM/5KM runners were separated from the half- and full-marathon runners at the finish line - something I appreciated.

OVERALL: 9.5/10. I would absolutely participate again. 

Fun topic, isn't it? 

I recently wrote a post on the The DOS and DON’TS of Carbo-Loading for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Oasis Vancouver Half Marathon and Cunningham Seawall 10K. Read all about it here. 

If you haven't signed up for this October event, I'm very excited to offer a discount on registration. See below for the codes and register here. 

The inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Oasis Vancouver Half Marathon and Cunningham Seawall 10K is a race I'll have my eye on all summer long. Live, local bands along the route? Cheer squads to help keep those legs moving? A route as great as this one? I'm in. 

After plenty of hype, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon route was released at an event at Vancouver's Media Club last week. Promising a picturesque journey through one of the most beautiful cities in Canada, the route will certainly live up to expectations.  

What do you say when you're asked to talk Sports and Digital Media at HootSuite?

You say "yes". 

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to talk hockey and social media on April 3rd at HootSuite HQ alongside the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Specifically focused on building community around sports organizations, I chatted digital landscape, brand strategy and social tactics on behalf of the Vancouver Canucks. 

It was an absolute blast to be part of such a creative event. 

I had the pleasure of speaking at the UBC Imprint Conference on March 28 at the Terminal City Club in Vancouver. With a focus on personal and corporate branding, this conference provided students and delegates alike with the opportunity to learn from both international brands and small business. 

I was thrilled to speak with a very engaged audience - always a bonus when delivering a presentation. Specifically, I touched on branding and corporate voice in digital media for the Vancouver Canucks. 

Thanks to UBC for having me! 

Though the Sunshine Coast April Fool's Run isn't scheduled on April Fool's Day, I've been told to prepare for costumes, laughs and the odd joke leading up to the race on April 6 2014. This half-marathon first began in 1978 and is one of the year's favourites for any runner. Starting in Gibsons and finishing in Sechelt, the route hugs the coast and has a net drop (yes - drop) of 142m. Any race with history and plenty of hills sounds great to me. 

While the adults are dripping in sweat and pushing for the finish line, the Sunshine Coast April Fool’s Run offers a free kids' run for the little ones to do the same. With an activity tent, customized bib numbers and healthy snacks available, the Sunshine Care Network Kids' Jester Dash is a 400M loop for children aged 7 and under. Any long-distance running event that includes a kids' run is a win in my books. 

Fees increase for the Sunshine Coast April Fool’s Run on March 16. Be sure to register for this half-marathon event and cram in some training before April 6. See you on the course! 

I'm a proud blog ambassador of this race, along with Zahida Jaffer and Brian Webb. 

My best friend and I are off to Portland next week for a much needed get-away. In the spirit of all things beer and West Coast, we visited Craft in Olympic Village last night to gush all about our road trip plans.

I couldn't have been more excited for the First Half in Vancouver, Canada. With the start line just a few blocks away from my apartment and the route being one that I run nearly every weekend, I did my best to treat this race as just another jaunt in the park (literally). 

Starting at 8:30AM and wrapping around Yaletown through the West End and into Stanley Park, this course was absolutely stunning. Nearly 2,000 runners hit the pavement for a 21.1KM run on what turned out to be one of the most gorgeous mornings of the week. The weather really held up for us. 

Pre-Event Communication 

I joined late (oops!), but pre-event communication seemed great. Clear instructions and directions to the package pick-up and start line were sent one week prior to the event.  Package Pick-up

I had picked-up a race package at Forerunners in Kitsilano in the past, so I luckily knew where I was headed - (if I haven't mentioned before, I'll do it now - I live in a downtown bubble. Anything outside of the Vancouver core is foreign to me). I was in and out of this location in under 10 minutes. I would have appreciated a reusable bag to carry my items with me, but that seemed to be the only critique of the pick-up process. All volunteers seemed great!  Course

As mentioned above, this was the best part. I left my apartment at 8:10AM and had enough time to walk around the start line for the 8:30AM gun start. Circling around Rogers Arena (my second home) and through Yaletown, this course was so familiar. I knew when the hills were approaching, when I had a long, speedy stretch of flat pavement and when we were hitting the gravel.

There were four aid stations on the course, between the 2MI and 12MI markers. Water and sports beverages were available.

This race really did fly by. Before I knew it, I was in the home stretch to the...

Finish Line

I was so thankful to have my family at the finish line. I turned my music down to enjoy the cheers of the crowd (they were loud!) but was a little bit disappointed to not hear music. I'm assuming this has to do with noise by-laws in the area, but it would have been so great to hear some tunes or announcements as runners crossed the finish line. Who doesn't love hearing their name shouted out? 

OVERALL: 8.5/10. I would absolutely participate again. This race is so convenient to my home and to my familiar training route. All racers were focused, volunteers were enthusiastic and on-course aid was great. 

If you thought the SeaWheeze half marathon sold out quickly, you'd be equally as surprised at the popularity of the First Half taking place on February 16, 2014 in Vancouver, BC.. A race capped at 2,000 runners, this event is really only for the dedicated (and crazy) distance runners in the city. After all, who runs 21.1KM in this c-c-cold February weather? 

I'm very excited about this event for one reason in particular: the location. My last two races (Amsterdam and Washington respectively) have seen me share hotel rooms on nights prior to running. Don't get me wrong - I love hotels. Exploring the pool deck, relaxing in a warm bath robe and ordering room service is just like heaven for me - but it doesn't always set a runner up for success. Getting a good rest the night prior and fuelling with familiar food is of the utmost importance before the start line. 

The start and finish line for the First Half is just a few blocks away from my apartment. The event kicks off at The Roundhouse Community Centre, goes through Stanley Park and back around the English Bay Seawall. This is my regular, go-to route on weekends. Check out the map here.