McLaughlin Blogs From Vancouver: July 13

Former three-time Iowa State defensive MVP Mary Kate McLaughlin is in the midst of her debut season with the Vancouver Whitecaps of the W-League. McLaughlin will provide updates on her experiences in Vancouver throughout the summer. This is her third blog entry.

Hey Cyclone fans!

Time is flying, and things have been very busy up here in Vancouver. Fortunately, the summer weather has arrived. As a result, I've been able to enjoy some of Vancouver's finest tourist attractions. One of my favorite attractions is Grouse Mountain. Just a couple weeks ago I completed The Grouse Grind, which is a 2.9-kilometer trail up Grouse Mountain. It's commonly referred to as Mother Nature's Stairmaster, because you have to climb 2,830 stairs to get to the top! It was challenging, but the views at the top made it worth it. The summer weather has also allowed me to spend a lot of time at the beach. There are a number of beautiful beaches to visit in Vancouver, but my favorite is Kitselano Beach downtown! It's located near one of Vancouver's salt-water pools and Stanley Park!

Unfortunately, our season is already coming to a close. This weekend we will play our last two games in Colorado. We face the Colorado Rush on Friday night, and the Colorado Rapids on Sunday afternoon. Only the top two teams in our conference advance to the playoffs, and due to our record we will not be advancing. However, we are looking to finish the season strong, as we have one more opportunity to improve our record and finish the season with a couple wins. It has been our focus this week in practice to compete with one another and really enjoy our final training sessions as a team!

I cannot believe my time in Canada is already coming to an end. It has been such a privilege becoming a part of this organization, and I am really looking forward to competing in my final matches as a Vancouver Whitecap!

Thanks for checking in and letting me share my experiences with you! Until next time, keep kickin!