It has been a busy time, hence the lack of blog updates for which we apologise.

Two weeks ago, Antares media organised a fashion show fundraiser for the Rally4Life project at the Cove Lakeside Resort in Kelowna. The show was supported by some of Canada's top fashion designer, jewelry and accessory manufacturers and grammy nominated bands and musicians. Featured outside in the gardens of the Cove Resort, the back drop to the magnificent designs was equally stunning.

For the inaugural event, we were really excited to see people enjoying themselves and many local companies supported the event by donating items for our silent auction.

Click the photo to follow a link through to SNAP Okanagan where you will find a collection of photos from the day.

Stay tuned for details of more fashion show activity in the Vancouver area soon!

The Rally4Life team was out in the community again a few weeks ago, as participants in the 30th annual Ski2Sea Race.  Rally4Life driver and founder Mark Jennings-Bates, co-driver Jennifer Daly and Anthony Evans, founder of Rally4Life: Awareness Through Triathlons, competed in six disciplines, including alpine and Nordic skiing, mountain and road biking, running and canoeing.  The relay began at the top of Big White and ended 95km later on the shores of City Park in Kelowna.

Mark and Anthony each completed two consecutive legs in the race, which requires uninterrupted effort over long distance.  Both were well prepared, and undertook Ski2Sea as a challenge that fits well with their rigorous training schedules: Mark, for the 2011 Dakar Rally, and Anthony, for the approaching Awareness Through Triathlon season.   This year’s Ski2Sea had a record entry field, including teams with long standing rivalries, and a few entrants who tackled the entire race on their own.

It looks like we have several months of stress, deadlines, training and pressure ahead!

As we move in to 2010 we have many things to accomplish, not least of which is to get the team to the finish line of the Dakar in a years time. The year will be filled with highs and lows, but perspective is a wonderful thing. Several years ago, a colleague in another business, Kurt Goad said that if he was having a bad day he would call ten people who were worse off than him and try and encourage them and by the tenth phone call he was having a good day. Life is like that, we think we have tough days yet we know there are people having worse days than us!

I am in to the second month of sleep deprivation training. This month, the third month of the year I will be sleeping only 4 hours per night for three consecutive days and keep up the usual training schedule. If I get a little cranky on day three I hope my clients will understand. It actually feels like being on a cleansing fast, a slight loss of energy but when you really need it, it is there. I had a really good run yesterday after some weights and tomorrow I am in the gym again and then a 16km run.

We will be announcing some new sponsors/partners soon and before too long the traveling will start to pick up which is going to cram the schedule again. On top of the hectic side of preparing for the Dakar, the real estate markets are picking up and my business is starting to demand more time... more Dakar training I suppose.