Shawna Olsten

Team Hot Years is running their little hinnies off. The first challenge of 09 is heating up and our minis can’t stop air punching the hell out of nothing. All the minis have a safe little home on my blog, keep checking back as we earn new accessories, change outfits and learn new moves. It’s with great pleasure I introduce you to Team Hot Years.

Fo’ Sho-shawna

Eeelaine

JodiBeth

CDarling

SarahSweets

JenStoddart

SuzBanks

BakesMyCakes

CristiCat

Can’tCatchKelly

Lola

Kristy&Finn

Sometimes the stars just align. Kudos to Veet.

Are you disappointed you missed this sunrise from Cypress Mountain this morning? Has anybody else noticed it’s been a little eerie out lately? Most of Vancouver has seen dense fog the last few days. But there are some places that have stayed clear the whole time, and those are the spots where the wind is blowing east or are at higher elevations. So if you are feeling like a little winter, stay down in Vancouver. If you are missing BBQ’s and hot patio’s just remember it’s Spring in Whistler and on all the local mountains.

My mini will remain lazy until 2009

Are you ready to feel the sweet-soul-soca beats of deee’ reggae music this christmas? I’ve uploaded all the best jams, so turn it up and step into island time. Praise JAHHH, irieeeee…boooyakashaaaa!!.

white christmas - bob marley

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irie christmas - freddie mcgregor

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silent night - the tamlins & trinity

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sound the trumpet - bob marley

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i saw mommy kiss a dreadlocks - barrington levy & trinity

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jingle bells - roy richards

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winter wonderland - pam hall

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christmas a come - chaka demus & ini kamoze

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christmas in jamaica - brent dowe

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christmas time - horace andy

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christmas feeling ska - toots & the maytals

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lost - coldplay (feat. jay-z)

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i’m a lady - santogold (feat. trouble andrew)

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everybody’s changing - lily allen (cover)

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baby’s gonna die tonight - adam green

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live your life - ti (feat. rihanna)

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closer - nin

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welcome to heartbreak - kanye west (feat. kid cudi)

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complaint department - lykke li

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paris is burning - ladyhawke

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eye of the tiger - survivor

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feel so good - mase

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taken too young (tough alliance remix) - taken by trees

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badd to me (ying yang twins vs. the cure) - king of pants

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I have a life list, not a physical one, this list only exists in my own head which eases the editing process. The last week I’ve unexpectedly been burning check marks up and down this list.

On December 12th I was lucky enough to be invited to the peak2peak Gondola opening in Whistler, BC. The p2p project has been in the works for the last 2 ½ years and with a price tag of a smooth 52 million bills it wasn’t going to disappoint. The lift links 7,160ft Whistler and 8,000ft Blackcomb - at a point where they are 2.7 miles apart. In order to reach that far, the cables have to be strung across a central, unsupported span that is nearly two miles wide. The cabin’s travel on a cable line 1,427ft above the valley below. These are both world records for this type of lift. Brrreaaaking breeeaaking RECORDZZZZZ. *CHECK*

We were given our tickets to ride on lucky cabin #8 and herded into our cabin cue at the top of Whistler. We then listened to some speeches, sang O CANADA, and watched free skier Shane McConkey and renowned base jumper Miles Daisher get awesome. With a helicopter hovering overhead, the pair base-jumped from the top of a gondola car, free-falling before opening their parachutes hundreds of feet above the valley floor.

We departed the Whistler station around 11am and arrived at Blackcomb roughly 10mins later…no BIG. I found this very convenient as the snow is way better on Blackcomb right now, good thing I didn’t have to waste over an hour to find out. So we shredded the gnarr for a couple runs then headed back to Whistler, simply because we could. We were lucky enough to catch a glass bottom cabin and yes I will get under that rope and superman on that glass bottom before the end of the season. *STILL UNCHECKED*

At the après festivities in the Round House, we sipped champers and descended on the chocolate fondue buffet. We made it back down to the village just in time for the pyrotechnics, YEAH p2p gondola!!

We headed back to the cabin slipped into some formal attire and preceded to Quattro for dinner. This is where I thought our evening would end. I had been up since 4:30am and was beat from the afternoon beverages and intense McShred session. I was wrong…dead wrong.

You may remember Miles Daisher from earlier in the day when he jumped off the p2p gondola with nothing but a parachute. Leave it to him to come up with the great idea that we all go bungee jumping after dinner. Miles is crazy but there is no way I thought even he was going to be able to pull this off. It was at least -10 out and nearing midnight… it was also the evening of the biggest and brightest Full Moon of 2008. Next thing I know 3 guys from Whistler Bungee (in uniform) roll in and roll us out to the middle of nowhere…did I really agree to this?

I have never bungee jumped before but it was on the life list, and something about the day told me this was the way it was meant to happen. Chivalry is still alive, so it was ladies first…and I somehow got roped into jumping first. I’m guessing it had something to do with my big mouth and funny hat. So the gents stepped aside and I stepped up, heels and all. It wasn’t long before I was strapped in and flipping backwards into the chilly abyss below under nothing but moonlight. *CHECK*

I made the cover of Runner’s World…sick!

You can imagine how hard it would be to fall asleep the night before your first half marathon.  Now your insomnia is heightened by the fact that you chose to do it in Vegas.  You also just bumped into the Wu Tang Clan (we made eye contact no big) in your hotel lobby. Temptations so great could not stand in the way of carb loading and sleep.

The reserves.

Before the sun came up, team Babe Caravan stretched it out and headed out to the strip. The race gun went off at 6:00am and we were off under a shower of fireworks.

The Dream Team together at last.

I finished with a time of 2:02:37. Major shout outs to some key contributors.

1.       Pyrotechnics

2.       Live Your Life – T.I feat. Rihanna

3.       The guy who offered me a swig from his beer outside Circus Circus

4.       Cake at the Run Through Wedding Chapel

5.       Downing a Hammer Gel and like magic Eye of the Tiger queued on my IPod

6.       Running Elvis

7.       Team Babe Caravan for your love, support and making me the fastest.

8.       Live Your Life – T.I feat. Rihanna (5 more times)

The team regrouped and headed to the spa for a solid 3 hours of pampering. We then sat down for Prime Rib and Waffles. The rest of the afternoon was spent in bed toasting our accomplishments and watching the live coverage on TV.

We slept off the Champers and headed to the Hard Rock where the rest of the night had 2 rules.

1.       If you’re not wearing an Affliction shirt we don’t want to talk to you.

2.       We aren’t paying for anything

The evening doesn’t end there but my story telling does…what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

I know you are all eager to wake up at the crack of dawn on Sunday morning and listen to the Las Vegas Marathon. If you’re listening for me I’ll be the one who sounds fast. Live race day audio webcast of the 2008 Las Vegas Marathon hosted by Rob Powers. Starts at 5:30 am PST Sunday Dec. 7th.  Click here for link.