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Josh Smith

@jsmooth235

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Exploring the mountains around Vancouver.
⛷️ TAY 2025
🥾 JMT NOBO 2023
🐈‍⬛ Spyda 2008-2022

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Come mountain biking in Chilliwack Community Forest while I tell you what I think about the BC Conservatives

(I really don't like them) taken in Chilliwack, British Columbia by @jsmooth235

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4 days ago

Come for a ride with me around Stanley Park while I tell you what I think about Ken Sim and his ABC Party

(I don't like them) taken in Stanley Park Vancouver, Canada by @jsmooth235

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15 days ago

August was a busy month. Because of my injury, so much of my summer plans just ended up getting pushed together into one month. The mountain bike class I signed up for pushed from July to August. Backpacking couldn't happen until my shoulder was healed enough, so it got pushed to August. Exploring the Gulf Islands, got pushed from May back to August. And I also had to train for my triathlon too! But I managed to make it all work and it ended up being a fun month.

1-3 - Backpacking into Tenquille Lake with my mom and scrambling up a couple peaks. It is a gorgeous area out there and it's always nice to get some time out in the backcountry with my mom. Plus I was happy my shoulder held up with the heavy backpack.
4-7 - Camping trip to Salt Spring Island with my mom and sister. This was a lovely island to explore. We toured a lavender farms, sampled some goat cheese, enjoyed some nicer cider and bought a bunch of stuff at the farmer's market. Plus we were camped right by the ocean and watched the ferries go by on their way to Victoria.
8-9 - Eve 🐈
10-11 - I signed up for this mountain bike class before my injury but it turned out to be a perfect way to get back into it and get some of my confidence back. Getting that time with some experienced instructors was exactly what I needed. And the other people in the class were super nice too! Just a good time all around.
12-13 - Doing a couple open water swims in prep for my triathlon. I found an open water club that I joined for one day and they seem like a fun group! Hopefully I can swim with them more next summer. Also I was happy to find out my wetsuit still fits 10 years after I bought it lol
14 - Doing a brick workout and my legs were feeling like... well bricks. I was happy to take a little break in my run to say hi to this cat.
15 - Just some jumping fish in the Seymour River
16 - Trail running up Lynn Valley
17-20 - On a day trip to Mayne Island to bike around the island. Lots of pretty ocean views and cute farm stands. And some punchy hill climbs plus one little section where we had to hike our bikes (there always has to be one). Then we finished off at the brewery before taking the ferry home. taken in Vancouver, British Columbia by @jsmooth235

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19 days ago

Vancouver Triathlon Race Day!

On race day my biggest concern was pacing. When I did triathlons in the past, I often would go too fast on the swim and bike and then would have no legs left for the run. But I also didn't want to hold back too much and go too slow. I had to find the right balance.

When the horn went off, I forgot my race plan and started swimming fast. Really fast. But at the 300m mark I realize I was going way too hot and I back off. I find a pace that feels sustainable and efficient. As a former competitive swimmer, it takes a lot of will power to hold back and not try to race the guy next to me who appears to be working twice as hard. But I'm motivated to not die on the run. Save the legs, you'll need them later. I get out of the water in a time of 24:16. Holy, that's fast. Faster than I expected, but I feel good with lots of energy to spare.

I transition and head out on the bike. I once again settle into a pace that is fast but feels sustainable for a long time. There is one major hill on the course that I have to climb 4 times. I gear down for it each time and I am careful not to burn out my legs pushing too hard. This pays off, my time for each lap is about the same and I don't fade at all. I finish the bike with a time of 1:26, averaging 27.6km/h. This is the fastest I've ever ridden this distance, very solid. And even better, my legs still feel like they have more to give.

I transition again and head out on the run. I check the time and I have 1:06 to hit my 3 hour goal time. My race plan for this part was to survive so I aim for a 6:30/km or better pace. In my training, I never really tested how fast I can go for a 10k so I don't want to burn too hot here. However I get to the 3k mark and I realize my legs have more to give. So each km, I push the pace just a bit more. I'm definitely working hard but my legs show no sign of blowing up. By the last 2km I'm pushing 5:30/km pace. I negative split the run with a 56:49 time, almost a personal best for the distance. And a final time of 2:50:38, easily under 3 hours. Hell yeah.

#vancouvertriathlon #triathlon #racereport taken in Stanley Park Vancouver, Canada by @jsmooth235

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a month ago

Last November I signed up for the Vancouver Triathlon - and didn't pay for the cancellation option to make sure I was fully committed. I had thought about doing this race many years. But then each year it didn't happen. I would have other plans or the race would fill up before I made up my mind. So I decided that this was the year that would change.

However I didn't know that 6 months later I would injure myself in the bike park. By the time I was healed up enough to reasonably train, I had about 2 months to race day. But turns out this was pretty good motivation to get out and train. And now it's here, race day is tomorrow morning! I'm pretty happy with how everything came together on the shortened timeline. And I feel like I should be able to put together a good race tomorrow.

The race is tomorrow morning in Stanley Park starting from Second Beach, my wave goes at 7:50. And then I should finish by 10:50 or so (finish is also at Second Beach) - my goal time is 2:59:59, would love to get under that 3 hour mark if I can.

Picture is from a training/adventure ride last weekend on Mayne Island. taken in Mayne Island by @jsmooth235

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a month ago

Highlights from July (falling a bit behind posting these as per usual in the summer)

This was a month of rebuilding from my injury. I had hoped that when the doctor in the ER said 6-8 weeks to heal, July would be back to normal. After all that was over 6 weeks after my injury. At the start of the month I was about 80% healed but alas that last 20% takes a while to get all the way back. But still I did appreciate all the things I could do that I couldn't in June. And each day, my range of motion and mobility got a little bit better than the last. Bit by bit, incremental improvements.

1-3 - On Canada Day, my first day back on my gravel bike, riding the Poco Trail. And I brought along the huge Canada Flag that flew over Parliament Hill. (It only took like a decade after I signed up to get it in the mail, it was completely free so I won't complain)
4-5 - My first real hike back out in the mountains, going up Pump Peak. But still taking it easy on the scrambling, not wanting to fully test out how much weight my injured shoulder could handle.
6 - FIFA Fan Fest Zone for England vs Mexico. We decided we would have a beer if England scored first or a margarita if Mexico did. England scored first so we changed the rules to be the most recent team to score so we could still have a margarita lol
7 - Gelato after a seawall run, I've gone by this place so many times but this was the first time stopping here. But won't be the last.
8 - Evening light in the city
9-11 - Another hike up Mt Fromme. I decided to do it via Grouse Mountain since I had a pass and that seemed like a more interesting route. Some nice views from the top and it was fun to see the resort runs in summer mode.
12 - More evening light in the city
13-15 - Vancouver Folk Fest! One of my favorite weekends of the year, I love being introduced to all the new artists. And listening to live music is always so fun.
16 - Views from a run along Spanish Banks
17 - Going up the Grouse Grind on one of the hottest days of the month was certainly a choice
18 - Stanley Park and New Brighton Park views, post outdoor swims. I had physio approval to slowly start getting back into swimming and it was nice to be back taken in Vancouver, British Columbia by @jsmooth235

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2 months ago

My favorite gravel ride near Vancouver. Or really anywhere.

Fisherman's Trail -> Spur 4 -> Old Growth Trail -> Lower Seymour Trailway taken in Lower Seymour Conservation Area by @jsmooth235

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2 months ago

I broke my collarbone in May in the Whistler bike park which completely changed my plans for the first half of summer. It's not a fun injury to deal with but I still did my best to get out when I could. After about 10 weeks I was almost fully healed back up but I'm still working on getting that last bit of range of motion back. taken in Vancouver, British Columbia by @jsmooth235

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2 months ago

3 days out in the Pemberton backcountry with my mom, exploring an area I'd never been to before! The first day was pretty rainy but then it cleared up and we got some gorgeous views of all the mountains around us.

#hiking #backpacking #camping #backcountry #explorebc taken in Pemberton, British Columbia by @jsmooth235

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2 months ago

Henry is recreating Free Solo but the part where Alex Honnald gets stuck and needs help.

#cats #climbing #freesolo taken in Yosemite National Park by @jsmooth235

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3 months ago

Vancouver Folk Fest x FIFA World Cup taken in Jerhico Beach by @jsmooth235

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3 months ago

June was a month of recovery. Healing from a broken collarbone isn't the most fun process. But each week I felt a bit better and could do a little bit more than the last. I started doing physio exercises and slowly the range of mobility improved. And I did my best to find fun things to do even while injured.

1 - June started off cold and rainy - and I really appreciated this. Sitting at home is a lot nicer with the sound of rain outside. You don't feel like you are missing out like you do on a warm sunny day. It's perfect injury healing weather.

2, 3 - For a belated birthday, my family came in and we had sushi at Spanish Banks. And then the following week my mom and sister came in and we had baked burritos at the Burrow. Good food is also key for injury recovery.

4 - For the first half of the month, I was quite limited in what I could do for exercise. There were lots of walks around the neighborhood (my step count this month was way up compared to last month). And I could also do some indoor pedaling on an exercise bike - staring at a blank wall. Honestly extremely boring and I could only do it for so long.

5-7 - My first time hiking Quarry Rock in Deep Cove. I somehow avoided this hike for a long time. But it was lovely and the perfect distance to ease back into hiking. Having a doughnut stop at Honey's midway was fantastic. And doing it as a loop meant we got to add in some quieter trails.

8-9 - There were some good cat sightings on my walks this month. Most of them were very busy with cat stuff and ran off. But these 2 were super friendly and happy to say hi.

10 - Reading at Jericho Beach. Pre injury I had fallen out of the reading habit but it was nice to get back into it. And I got some books checked off the list that had been on it for a long time.

11-13 - I did a couple hikes up Burnaby Mountain. Being right next to the Skytrain, it was a nice way to get some cardio and a bit of forest time. And one time there was a bagpipe band practicing at the top!

14,15 - 5 weeks after my injury, it was so nice to finally be healed enough to ride a bike outdoors again. I had missed that feeling of wind flowing past.

(continued in comments) taken in Vancouver, British Columbia by @jsmooth235

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4 months ago