The Last Half.

Well October sort of flew by. I don't remember much except Halloween was in there somewhere. I was a clown. Sort of fitting for my personality (and I was definately, one scary a** clown. hehehe).

Then came November. Busy. Busy. Busy. I've been to more concerts this month than I've gone to almost all year. I'm a music lover and it's just so happened three of my favourite bands/artists all decided to show up in the same month. I saw Leonard Cohen, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Paul McCartney. All amazing shows. All very unique in their own way. Paul McCartney was probably the most awesome show I've ever seen. Just phenomenal. Leonard Cohen was such a class act. His musicians were incredibly polished and his voice sounded as clear and strong as it was in his younger years. Not bad for a guy pushing 80. The RHCP's have been one of my favourite bands since high school and they did not disappoint. ...and I could be here all day writing about how great all three of these bands were but this post will turn into a novel.

The last few months had a quite the serious weather change. Went from beautiful, hot and sunny to cold, wet and freezing in a matter of a few days. Not that I'm complaining THAT much. I don't mind running in the rain or even the cold - it's when the two go together, it becomes a bit of a nuisance. Been having some issues with my knees - a problem that I've never had before. So I figured it was time to chuck in some cross training into my running regimen. I signed up for swim lessons as I either float like the titanic or flail like some spawning salmon gasping for air. Which brings me to funny story from my last class...

Ever had one of those dreams where you look down and don't have any pants? Well, something similar happened to me but in real life. After my last swim class, I grabbed my stuff out of the locker and went into the change room. I stripped off my wet bathing suit and proceeded to get dressed. However, when I went to grab my pants, they weren't there! You can imagine the horror that flooded through me. So there I was, running around the change room with a towel wrapped around me, trying to find my pants. All I was thinking is that this was going to be a very cold walk home if they don't show up soon. Luckily for me, someone had turned them in. As I was late getting to the class, I left them... well, I have no idea where I left them because I swear I put them in my locker! I'm a prime example of someone who would be head-less today if it wasn't attached. ;-)

I did my final half marathon of the year. It was also my 13th one. After this year of health "stuff" and then surgery, it felt like I had to start all over again with my training. The good thing was that it didn't take as long to get back to where I was. In just a few short weeks, I was back to running a 2:15 half which is slow for some, but fast for me. :-) I was pretty thrilled about it, actually. The race was 2 laps of the seawall in awesome weather (sunny and cool). I felt good through the whole thing and I even did my second half a little faster than the first. Never have I thought I could run a negative split. lol. So, hooray!

My Finisher Medal for the Historic Half Marathon.

I've got a few races coming up for next year, so hopefully I can stay on this kick of time improvement. My goals for next year are extenisve but on the top of that list is to get my time down under that 2 hour mark.

Now it's time to relax and await the chaos they call Christmas. lol.... Happy Holidays, Everyone! Cheers!

What's Cooking'?!

Walking into the store, I scanned quickly for an open seat. Found one in the second row, sat down and in front of me was a clipboard with recipes. I saw the chef/instructor putting items in pans and prepping for other dishes. I was already lost. The cooking class started promptly at 6:30pm.

"Not a lot of people cook from scratch, anymore. Everything comes pre-packaged for time and convenience," the instructor said to the class. I felt my body starting to sink into my chair. "It's very easy to just throw your Michelina's in the microwave and be done with it."

I sat there feeling my face grimace. I knew I wasn't innocent from this 'cooking crime'.

"And you look guilty!" He said as he stared and points to me. My face turned red as I laughed nervously with the rest of the class.

Cooking really has never been my 'bag'.  I'll do it if I have to, but making things from scratch or testing out new recipes are not very high on my priority list. The only reason why I was in the class is the fact my boyfriend signed me up because he's sick of sandwiches. Don't get me wrong, (I'll always love sandwiches but) I fully realize the value of cooking the 'right way'. It's 100 times more nutritious, often cheaper and generally, not full of as many chemicals/preservatives. This isn't 'news'. It just takes more effort. You have to actually write out a shopping list, go to the store and search for items, then bring it home and organize it all and set up/think about what it is you're going to make... *sigh*  ...I'm getting exhausted just thinking about it. I do however, eat and feed my family lots of vegetables (greens) and monitor sugar content. In the end, it's sort of futile if I'm also feeding them pre-packaged items like high fructose corn syrup, MSG, food dyes, nitrates, sulfites and words that I can't pronounce like butylated hydroxyanisole. I'm basically trading the health of my family in for what's easiest for me. However, I also don't think it's realistic to completely rid of all convenience foods overnight but I will certainly try to start the process of incorporating more interesting, healthy foods they won't turn their noses up at.

This particular class I took was called "Fall Flavours" and it was done in demonstration format. As the foods became ready, they were served to the class with a BC wine. The instructor was fantastic. He was not only entertaining and descriptive, but he would explain the "why's" of doing certain things. He gave hints and tips to your everyday cooking and inspired me a bit to do my own experimenting. Things like: don't over-saturate your already tasteless potatoes by boiling them in water - steam them instead.  Or why add water to your chilli (or other food requiring water) if it's going to evaporate and not change the taste at all - think about other liquids like wine, juice or even beer to add flavour (if deemed appropriate to the dish). I suppose a lot of it was common sense, but for a beginner like myself... not so much.

On the menu was: Pumpkin and Cranberry Salad, Oven Roasted Root Vegetables, Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Pot Roast with Wild Mushroom Gravy and Spiced Apple Loaf. I'm not a big pumpkin fan (no, not even pumpkin pie), but the pumpkin salad dressing was absolutely fantastic. The biggest surprise for me on the menu was the Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Apparently, here in Canada we call sweet potatoes yams and yams sweet potatoes. I did not know this. So when I heard he was mashing up yams (as I always skip those at Thanksgiving and Christmas), I felt myself gagging inside. I have to tell you, it was absolutely amazing! Tasted almost like a dessert. They were sweet, buttery, with a nearly pudding-like texture. He garnished them with candied pecans which complimented them perfectly.

Sweet potato (aka orange fleshed yams).

Originally, I was a bit leery of the price of this workshop ($59+ tax), but it was very worth it. You got fed, taught how to do the recipes (which you got to bring home) and it was a night out (that ended promptly at 9:30PM). This particular class was a fairly quiet bunch, but the chef encouraged questions (in regards to anything about cooking - not just the dish he was working on) as well as taking notes. The place I took the class at was called Cook's and Corks. Click this link to check out their website and for upcoming classes. The instructor was Chef Dez who has a few cooking books out (which I got one of and had him sign for me). He also has a food column in many local papers. Definitely check out his site and sign up for his newsletter. I highly recommend taking one of his classes whether you're a newbie like me or a veteran home cook looking to pick up some new tips or inspiration. Happy cooking!

Happy Thanksgiving and Thanks for Reading!

Inaugural Surrey Music Marathon

When I originally heard about the Surrey World Music Marathon happening (about a year ago), my expectations weren't all that high. It is "Surrey" after all. I've lived in different areas there - Whalley, Fleetwood, Scottsdale and Cedar Hills - so I know the area. For those of you who don't know, Surrey has had a bad reputation for gangs/shootings/drugs/prostitution. The Skytrain runs right through Whalley, so it's definitely more of a high traffic area than other suburban places around Vancouver. While some of it can can be nice, I didn't think it was great enough to hold a Marathon. However, I'm eating my words now because the event was definitely a success! I had a lot of fun and the course was very pleasant - I didn't even have to break out my bullet-proof running vest.  Har. Har. It's been a long time since living in Surrey, and it looks like it's improving.  Originally, I was thinking about doing the marathon distance but at the last minute, I decided against it. Mostly, because it was a double loop course and if the course sucked, I didn't really want to see it all twice. Plus, with my health, I didn't want to risk hurting myself. The course was nice, and will consider running the full next year.

 Countdown to the beginning of the Half Marathon.

Package pick-up was held in one of the rooms in the SFU part of Surrey Central mall/towers. The volunteers were very friendly and efficient. I was in and out of there in less than 5 minutes. The race shirts were AWESOME. As I was late signing up, I was disappointed to see that they only had small and medium sizes left. Typical race shirts generally fit short and I'm tall, so I have to get a large. However, when I picked up my medium shirt, I noticed the length was perfect for me. I was also excited it was an Addidas shirt - I ❤ their gear.

The morning of race day, the skytrain was nice enough to open early to accommodate the runners. Lately, I just haven't been feeling well, so I decided to take a cab up to the skytrain rather than a bus so I could leave a bit later. I left the family sleeping in their cozy beds as I took off around 6:45am-ish. It was pretty cold out but I decided to still leave my jacket at home and stand around freezing. (Shivering burns more calories, anyway.). I wore my arm sleeves instead. ...and of course, the first 15 minutes of the race I was already hot and sweaty so I pushed them down to my wrists ...looking like a dork for the remaining of the race. (Didn't want to take them off and carry them).

At the beginning of the race, like usual, I seeded myself in the back. It took me about 2 minutes to get up to the start line when the race started. LOTS of people! There was a decent amount of water stations and lots of music and cheer stations along the course. I definitely felt "encouraged" throughout the course. Personally, I think this race is ideal for newbies as there was just enough hills and lots of spectators.  The music was interesting for sure. My favourite being the German organ grinder and accordion player!

Around the 12k mark, my knees started to hurt. The hills on the course (as mild as they were) combined with the pavement running, didn't really agree with me. The pain lasted about 3-4k and it started to dissipate, thankfully. The aid stations were stocked with water and Gatorade. I didn't see any gels, but I personally didn't need any.  Around the last 5-6k, I noticed a lot of backed up traffic due to the road closures from the race. People were going as far as getting out of their cars and complaining to the police officers directing traffic. Surrey is a very busy and I was surprised that they shut some major streets down. While, as a runner, I'm VERY thankful that they did this, I could feel the seething rage of the motorist penetrating through their cars. lol.

Coming through the finish line, I could hear my name being called which is always pretty cool. I was met with some volunteers holding the biggest, shiniest bling of a finisher's medal I've ever seen! I felt like a pimp wearing that thing home. It's by far, my new favourite medal. lol. My chip time was exactly 2:24:00 which was just over 4 minutes faster than last weeks half marathon time. I was pretty happy with that, as going any faster for me would have done some damage. Around the corner past the finisher chute was the runner's area, where they had lots of bottles of water, bananas, bagels, etc. Typical post race food. I'm rarely interested in eating right away after a race, instead I generally drink my weight in water and/or other liquids (soup, juice, etc). They also had the stage set up with dancers and other musical performance acts. Soon after I was finished, I cleaned myself up a bit and headed back home. Overall, it was a great race and a good experience for me. Looking forward to next year! :-)

My finishing Bling!

October/November has quite a few races happening but I haven't signed up for any, yet. Not sure what will be next. I did register for a Creative Writing course starting this weekend, so hopefully, I can at least, get my writing/blogging skills more up to par (and more interesting for you readers... or reader. I'm hoping there's more than one of you, though.)

That's it for now! Thanks for reading!

Do I "Half" to?

After hitting the snooze button on my alarm 6 times, I finally rolled out of bed this morning thinking, "I want to go back to bed." I was seriously considering NOT doing the half marathon this A.M. The only thing that motivated me was the fact the start line was local. In fact, I was "running" incredibly late so I was thankful I could just run up there in less than 10 minutes. Plus, it made for a nice warm-up. :) I had a yogurt, half a banana and a Clif Shot for breakfast (and took an extra one with me). For fluid, I used regular Gatorade. I figured they'd have water on the course if I needed it.

When lining up to start, I stood way in the back as I knew I'd be a slug. As I mentioned in my last blog post, I only started to run again last weekend and I haven't done a distance longer than 10k in 6 weeks. So in order to refrain from hurting myself (and perhaps, coughing up blood), I kept it slow. By slow, I was planning on a 2:35-ish finishing time. (Which would be a 7 min pace with a few, quick walk breaks.)

View from the trail.

This was an out and back course. The weather was cloudy and cool. Perfect for me. As I was getting closer to the turn around point many of the runners were well on their way back. I did a lot of smiling, thumbs-up, "good jobs" and clapping to keep up the energy as there was very limited spectators due to the location. Despite the rise of registrations over the past few years it's still definitely more of a 'low-key' type of race.

When I was about 1.5k from the finish line, I was stopped by a couple for directions? I'm writing a question mark at the end of that last sentence because I thought that was quite odd. Especially, when it was an open trail and it's sort of hard to get lost. lol. There were other odd things that happened like bike riders riding 4-abreast so I had to stop off to the side to let them go by... or people who came out with their dogs so us runners got to trip over them as they came up trying to sniff us. This wasn't a closed race, but I thought it would be common sense to not let your dog weave in out of running legs or take up the entire width of the trail on your bike. Oh well. lol.

There was 3 aid stations along the course (2 that you'd see twice). They had either water or energy drinks. The 5/10k'ers started about an hour after the half marathoners. So for slower runners like myself, I was running with them on the way back. The 10k'ers were a little less smiley, though. lol. I think for a lot of them, it was their first race so they were a little more "serious", maybe. :) This course was well marked and next to impossible to get lost on as it was a lot of straight lines. The RCMP were out directing us and stopping traffic on the only road we had to cross. That road isn't usually busy, either... but it was still nice that they came out and cheered us on, too! As usual, the volunteers are great and I always make a point to thank them for volunteering. :) The course is very pretty - which is why I choose to run it for my training runs. Overall, the race was nicely organized and I'm sure I'll be back next year to do it again (this was my 3rd year). It's a fair price and you get your timing, bib, finisher medal and a souvenir postcard with your time written on it by a volunteer. My finishing time ended up being 2:28:05 which was better than expected (but much worse than previous years. lol. Oh well!)! I also felt great post-race which was a bonus! Not tired or sore after. So there's some benefits of going much slower. ;)

When nearing the finish line, my bf and daughter were waiting to hi-five me through. Seeing her smiling face was awesome. After the racers all came in, she did the kids 1k run. She had some difficulty breathing at the end due to her asthma and never-ending chest cold, but she powered through and I was very proud. She was a little grumpy she wasn't first, though. LOL.

My girl powering through to the finish line! :-)

Overall, I'm glad I went but hopefully next year, I'll either meet or exceed my last years results (2:15). I'll be sure to train for it next time, though. lol. For more info about the Trail River Run, you can go here.

Thanks for reading!

Summer ReCap

I feel like this summer has completely blown by. Can't believe it's been nearly 3 months since I've posted anything. Let's see if I can recap the entire summer into one blog post. It's about time I put my summary skills to the test. ;-)

July: It had been about a million years since I've been up to Lynn Canyon. So we took an easy hike across the suspension bridge over to Twin Falls, back around to Rice Lake then back around to the 30 ft pool (which was absolutely packed). We also stopped in at the ecology centre which was interesting. The kidlet thought it was great and even suckered her Mother (yes, me) into buying yet another stuffie to add to her massive collection. The weather was awesome but by about 3PM (when we were leaving), the bridge was pretty packed with a long line-up. Regardless, the bridge is still free to cross when Capilano Bridge you need to pay. I do, however, recommend going there over Christmas season when they have all the light displays. Kind of cool to cross the bridge in the pitch dark as well. Anyway, our trip to Lynn Canyon was definitely an awesome family day and we immediately planned our return...

Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

View From the Bridge

August: So after our day out to Lynn Canyon, we decided practically the week after to go back and take the Baden Powell Trail - Hike from Lynn Canyon Park to Grouse Mountain Skyride. Needless to say, taking a 6 year old on this hike was a little bit challenging at times. There were some steep drop-offs after Skyline and my kidlet took a few spills. One of which I followed after her. I'm not the most dainty person when I fall either... and it's even worse watching me get up. As it's been a while since we did the hike, here is the review I wrote on the Vancouver Trails website the day of completing the trail:

Started at Lynn Canyon Park and worked our way towards Grouse. Got a little confused a bit in the beginning (after taking the bunch of stairs and up a steep-ish hill) and ended up on the road. We then found ourselves walking through some residential area before we found our way to the trail again. Some nice residents directed us (along with a few other hikers that lost their way as well) to Mountain View Park and we were back on the trail the rest of the way. We didn't think to bring a map or directions. Woops.

The first 1/2 of the trail was great and perfect for my daughter. Just had to watch out for a few Mountain Bikers racing through. However, after we hit Skyline drive it got a bit more technical. Some of the drop-off's made me a bit nervous taking her through especially when the trail was more sideways than flat. We had to hold her hand constantly. There were some steep areas where she lost her footing and wiped out. All the dry weather we've been having has made the ground a bit more unstable. I fell once as well. Probably would have helped if we were wearing trail shoes instead of crappy runners. :) We were also trying to pick up the pace due to the gate closing at 7PM (at the base of the Grind) and we wanted to get there in time. Luckily we did with 45 minutes to spare. Took us around 5 hours with a few stops for lunch/snacks/rest. There is only one part that you could really see a view of the city, but being surrounded by gorgeous nature and trees was good enough for me.

From Skyline to Grouse, I wouldn't bring a child under 8 years old or taking someone with 'height vertigo' due to a couple of areas that had narrow/single track, steep, slippery terrain. It could be potentially dangerous if you don't keep a continuous eye on them. Otherwise, it's a really great, very well-marked hike and totally recommend it. :)

Stumbling our way through. ;-)

A rickety old bridge in the last km or so of the trail.

A week later, we headed out for a few days in Squamish, where I participated in the Arc'teryx Squamish 50 race. No, I didn't do the 50 miler, but I did do the 21k distance (which I found out later was a tad longer than that). I was not ready in the slightest to do this race. I ended up being really ill the night before - pretty sure it was some sort of food poisoning. Regardless, I made it through with the help of my old friend Imodium and Pepto Bismal. It was tough, though.

There were times throughout the race where I was actually getting nervous as I didn't see anyone running (past) me for quite some time. "Did I go off the trail?" "Did everyone get eaten by bears?" "Am I dreaming that I'm here and I'm actually sound asleep in my nice cozy bed at home?" (Ha. Ha.)

The volunteers were so nice and the energy of the athletes was so fun and positive. I'm still in absolute awe over the 50 miler runners who were blowing past me with big smiles on their faces. "You are awesome!" I'd yell out, while walking. "You're almost there!" They'd yell back at me flying by. 10-15k isn't "almost there", I'd think to myself, but nice try. :-) The only thing that sucked through the whole race was the bugs that seemed of the "stinging" type that would appear every so often and intimidate me. They seemed to come out more when I opened a gel and I couldn't get rid of the empty package (no littering!). So I think they were attracted to the sugar. There was this one mud wasp (at least that's what I think he was. Other than that, it was something pre-historic) that literally came right in front of my face (and he was a loud, buzzing sucker!). It 'stood' there staring at me and I screamed where I proceeded to run away waving my arms like a crazy person. No one was around to watch me, but I'm sure that would have been mildly entertaining to have witnessed. Next time, I'm bringing one of those bug repellent things that hang off of you and a plastic baggy to properly store my syrupy gel packages.

I had never run out in Squamish before, so overall, it was a nice treat. By the end, I needed ice packs on my knees as they were very swollen but I still had a great time. It was a challenging course with an abundance of hills as well as steep declines. I may do the race again next year (if they offer a 50k - no way I'm doing a 50 miler, there). The best part of all - it was my 10th half marathon! (Yay, I'm in the double digits, now!)

Here I am adjusting my earbuds before the race. (21k start line was at Quest University)

View going up one of the hills in the beginning of the race.

I soooo wanted to jump in here! The breeze off the water felt awesome!

My finisher medal!

Unfortunately, a few days after the race, I came down with a flu. Then no sooner I got over the flu, I had to have surgery. Then of course, with the general anaesthetic, demerol and my incredibly weak stomach, I not only had to recover from the incision pain, but I was pretty ill afterward and couldn't eat for days. As a result, I didn't get back into running till last weekend where I did the Terry Fox run. I wanted to do it because it's a great cause and Terry Fox was such an amazing inspirational person. I even did the 10k - but very slowly - like I mean SLOWLY. Advil was my friend when I got home. lol. Since then, I've done another 16k and plan to keep going. It will take some time to get my speed back up as I'm still recovering, but I'm out there doing it. ...plus, I have a 1/2 marathon this weekend that I forgot I committed myself to, so that's a bit of a butt-kicker. lol

After the Terry Fox Run 10k (I plan to burn those pants, by the way. They look nasty on me. lol)

Well, there's some of my very brief highlights from my summer in a very firmly packed nutshell. The weather has remained amazing, so I'm not sure how quickly I'll be back here writing but I promise it won't be in another 3 months.

Thanks for reading!

“I don’t feel that this is unfair. That’s the thing about cancer. I’m not the only one, it happens all the time to people. I’m not special. This just intensifies what I did. It gives it more meaning. It’ll inspire more people. I just wish people would realize that anything’s possible if you try; dreams are made possible if you try." ~Terry Fox

Hello Summer!

Well, I figured I better get in another post before June is up. Can't believe summer has already arrived and my kidlet will be out of school! Maybe I need to manage my time better because it seems to be passing me by at an alarming speed... These past 6 weeks I haven't been running much as I want to be but instead I've been trying out some new things. One of the things was the Jenny Craig diet. (Ok, you can stop laughing now!) As it's a pretty low-calorie diet, it made me tired so I didn't feel "myself". However it definitely DOES work. I lost 6 pounds the first week, 2.4 pounds the second and another 2.2 pounds the third. That's over 10 pounds in 3 weeks... but that's all I could handle it for. The food is totally hit or miss and at $150+ a week, it should be a "hit" every time! Their double chocolate cheesecake was my favourite for obvious reasons. (Who doesn't like cheesecake... or chocolate?!) But overall, I found the entrees salty and bland even though they smelled pretty good when cooking. Having to go in to meet my consultant each week held me accountable and was a real was a motivator as well. They gave me some satisfactory literature about nutrition and portion control and their website tools/forum was fairly helpful. So if you're looking for a quick results, definitely consider it. Just be prepared to hand over plenty of cash as it's expensive - averaging $18-22/day! Eeep!

This month I also took part in the Relay for Life to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. My team collectively raised over $7100, which was pretty impressive! My captain did an amazing job organizing the pub night fund raiser, silent auction, draws, etc. Personally, I raised $425 in individual pledges. Almost everyone I asked donated something, which was very nice. It was a great day to have the relay (no rain!) so I went for a run around the track. I was really surprised seeing the amount of young survivors at the event. Volunteering in Hospice years ago, I saw a lot of elderly people being touched with cancer so it was sort of a shock to me. It's a devastating disease that can hit any one of us at any time. I know it's cliche to say, but don't ever take your health for granted! Embrace your loved ones and remember that life isn't always about accumulation and "stuff". (You can't take the junk with you!) Personally, I know at the end of the day, it's relationships and "experiences" that I'll value the most... not whether I have the latest flat screen t.v. or designer clothes. :-)

Speaking of "experiences", on Father's Day we decided to go up to the Airport and take a flight above the burbs in a 4-seater Cessna.

The Plane we rode in.

My daughter LOVED it! I sat in the front seat and was able to take some cool pics of the view.

Yesterday, I took my first ultralight flight up where I got the opportunity to take hold of the controls and fly the plane! Was a total blast! Yes, I was pretty nervous, but now I can't wait to go back and do it again. As they are only small/light 2-seaters, I had this picture in my mind where I'd be flying inside a tin can with a lawnmower engine attached, but this plane had quite a bit of power to it! Was cool to take off and land on a patch of grass, too. If I had to learn how to fly it would be in one of these planes. I definitely see flight lessons in my near future!

The ultralight plane!

As this is the last week of school, I was thinking of what I can bring to my daughter's class as a treat for the kids. I just bought a cake pop maker, so I think I might bring those. The maker definitely makes it a LOT easier to create these little treats! I've tried making them before without one and I failed miserably. I still need to work on my decorating though! I also need to find a cake recipe (that's not disgusting and works in the maker) that is a bit healthier and less sugary... because we all know we can't just have one! ;-)

Well, it's time I take advantage of this lovely, sunny day and get outside with my kidlet! Got to enjoy it while it lasts! Have a great week and thanks for reading!

BMO Vancouver Marathon

Well, I did it! I made it through the finish line almost a half hour later than what I did last year (5:17). Meh. I'm not all that excited with my time (for either year - 4:50 in 2011), but I'm very excited that my body held up long enough to get through it. As I mentioned in my last post, I was put back on medications and it definitely wreaked havoc on my system. Aches, pains, stomach upset, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, you name it - I got it. Overall, I felt like I was 100 years old. The longest run I did in preparation was about 6 weeks prior and it was a half marathon. After that I took 2 weeks off then another week prior to the race. So I was surprised I didn't fall over and collapse by the end of it.

I knew I was in for a long haul when I had to keep stopping to go to the can... five times to be exact. My gut was not cooperating. At around the 25k mark, I had to run into a porta-potty. Unfortunately, it was not exactly "stable" and the whole thing swayed to the side and practically knock me in the toilet. I ran out of there going, "ahhhhh!". That freaked me out. What was worse, I had to hold it for another mile.

I understand that some people get a runny nose when running long distances, but there was this chick that kept blowing snot rockets in front of me. I'm pretty sure this wasn't her first run, so bringing a tissue may have been less repulsive. She had a race belt on - could have put it in there. I've seen men do the "farmer's blow", but never a girl... especially on a road race with thousands of people around watching you. I hope the photographers got a few shots as a nice "memento" for her. ;-) But I digress...

Lots of awesome spectators and cheer squads! Some guy was standing in the middle of the road high-fiving everyone wearing just a barrel. Something was written across it about his buns. lol

I didn't do any hill work and there was some nice hilly areas in the first half of the race - and what comes up, must come down. As a result, I felt my knees starting to stiffen up and grind. Taking it slow was the best way to go. On the upside, my toe nails thanked me! Yes, it's true - I get to keep ALL of my toe nails, this year! Woohoo! Pre-summer pedicure, here I come! Plus, this was a brand new course and a lot more scenic, so it wasn't like I had to slog it out in some dusty industrial area. I even stopped to take a few pictures along the seawall. The weather was amazing!

Along the Vancouver Seawall.

The Friday and Saturday before the race, I volunteered at the expo with package pick-up. It was very fast-paced but fun. Met some nice people and a lot of out-of-towners. I even got a cool "crew" shirt. It was great to see some of the behind the scenes preparation for the race. With a sold out race and nearly 15,000 runners to take care of, I'm sure it was quite the challenge. This year, nearly 4,000 volunteers came out and helped with the race and they were amazing. :-)

The expo was very hot as there was so many people there. I didn't want to stay long because it felt claustrophobic. I ended up going to the Running Room in my area to buy a few things rather than picking them up at the Expo, BUT, other than that, the whole race experience was very organized and positive. :-)

Things I really liked this year that they didn't have last year was the new scenic point-to-point course starting at Queen Elizabeth Park and ending at the Trade and Convention Centre - it was pretty awesome, I must say. If I didn't live here already, I'd totally want to move here. Along with the course, the 8am start time, corral start, aid stations/porta-potties at every mile and the finish line food bags were great. Usually, it's impossible to get to the food after a race. 

The medals were nice, too.

This will definitely continue to be an annual tradition for me. Even if I don't do any other races for the entire year, this one will still always be my "must-do". Even if I have to walk it.

Due to the medications I'm on, I'm now trying to re-evaluate if running long distances is still for me. I have the Scotia Half Marathon next month that I'm looking forward to. However, I really would like to do another marathon or even ultra but I guess I'll have to wait and see how I'm feeling. At the moment, I'm definitely feeling down-in-the-dumps but I felt this way last year, too. I've been told it's "post marathon depression" but I think I'm just friggin' crazy.  LOL.  I haven't been out to run this week but hope to get back to it tomorrow. Going for one in the sunshine should not only cheer me up but make a nice added bonus to my Mother's Day. :-)

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's! 

Thanks for Reading!

Relapse~

With just over 3 weeks to go to the sold out BMO Vancouver Marathon, I've been a bit worried about how I'm going to tackle this race. Now that I know what I'm in for, it sort of takes away the surprise on how hard it actually is. Especially, with knowing that when I should have been building my miles last month, I instead was in hospital and had to take 2 weeks off. As I may have mentioned in previous posts I have Bipolar disorder. This particular mental illness has the highest rate of relapse. I've also been off all medications for over a year. I consider this pretty cool as for the first time in 17 years, I was able to give my liver/body a break from all the drugs. Now, I'm back to 3 different types of meds and I'm still trying to adjust to them. I'm finding it terribly frustrating, too. The side effects suck. Six weeks ago, it was much easier but now I'm feeling a bit defeated. My body seizes up way too fast and I get tired very easily. Dealing with a dizzy head is no fun either. I get nauseated quickly and chest pains. Yes, I'm really complaining here ...and yes, I realize that I shouldn't. It could be much worse. I suppose I could always keep going off my medications and continue getting committed! ...not really a bright idea, though. LOL. I'm very lucky and thankful for my supportive family and the fact that I'm otherwise, in good health. I'll just have to deal with it and move forward... literally. Preferably, at a 6:24 km pace (for the marathon).

I've been keeping to 10-12k mid-week runs and so far my longest weekend run has been 22k. I should be already over 30 but I'll figure it out and hopefully, won't hurt myself in the process. When in doubt, I just go slower. It doesn't look like I'll be making a PR this time around, but at least I'm doing it. Yay me. ;-)

Thanks for Reading!

Shamrock'n Half Marathon

Yesterday, was my first long-ish race in a while - The Shamrock'n Half Marathon which was two loops around Burnaby Lake. It's also my 9th Half Marathon race in under 2 years.

The runners met behind Burnaby Lake Clubhouse in the field leading to the trail:

I did this race last year but it was only the 7 miler (one loop). I remember it being completely miserable outside and I was frozen to the bone afterwards. When the weather stinks, you don't get much for spectators or "cheering squads", either... and I don't blame them. LOL. I also don't remember anyone dressing up either. This year, I think every other person was dressed up in festive St. Patrick's Day attire.

In 2010, I did the Rubber Ducky Half in October (time - 2:21 chip time) which is also the same race but in the reverse direction. I definitely improved my time since then and made a PB (2:14 - chip time). This year, the weather was cool but not wet/raining. Unlike the day before, when I was picking up my race package. It started to downpour as I was leaving the store and then the sun came out. Made for a nice rainbow, though!

The trail around Burnaby Lake had only a few muddy areas but I didn't find it slippery. The trail is pretty flat and spacious. The volunteers were enthusiastic and full of cheers and smiles. As I went to the race alone (and there's no bag check in these smaller races), I had to carry everything with me. Of course, I started to over-heat, which required me to stop half way through and take my jacket off. At least it gave me the opportunity to show off my new shirt that I bought the day before at package pick-up:

My motto! LOL!

During the race, I felt good through most of it except for feeling too hot. I had my arm-sleeves on and I didn't want to take them off as I had nowhere to put them. My iPod also died around the 10k mark. I don't mind running without music, but it was just another item that I had to take off and store. I must have looked like the most disorganized runner ever. LOL. I spent a lot of time scrambling around. Even down to finding a place to put my used Clif Shot wrappers. I didn't want to just throw them in my pocket, because I knew I'd forget about them and shove my hand in there and... ewww. Then I'd be running with sticky hands. So I crammed them in my already stuffed race belt. At the end of the race we got a cute new finisher's medal. I was even called over to pick out a door prize. I chose a new visor - summer is approaching soon, and you can never have too many of those!

Overall, it was a good experience. It was a small race (around 2oo people-ish). Afterwards, we got treated to a pancake breakfast in the clubhouse. When I got home, I was able to celebrate guilt-free with some St. Paddy's Day cheer, too!

Cheers!

Next week, I will be running in Harry's Spring Run-Off 8k around the Vancouver Seawall. Loved this race last year - hope the weather is just as beautiful!

That's it for this week. Thanks for reading!

Golden Ears 10K

After the race. You can faintly see the Golden Ears Bridge in the background.

Well, I learned a valuable lesson - don't book back-to-back races. Not because I don't think I could have done it, but because "life" sometimes happens and it makes for a very busy weekend of trying to balance schedules with my family. I was supposed to do the Dirty Duo 25 km on Saturday and it just didn't pan out. Fortunately, I was still able to get to the Golden Ears 10k in Pitt Meadows the following morning. Yes, even with the time-change, I was able to drag my tired, lazy butt out of bed to get there at the butt-crack of dawn on a Sunday morning. What was even more surprising, was the fact my BF did the race with me. This is the guy that was practically coughing up blood the week before when I took him on a 5k run. So I was happy that not only did he finished the race, but he only came in just over 6 minutes after me and he didn't die. Not bad! He might be able to do the April Fool's Run in 3 weeks after-all. ;-)

The Golden Ears 10K was a nice little race. It was close to home, so geographically that made me happy not having a long drive before hand. The 10K went from Osprey Village, over the Golden Ears Bridge, then back again. The Half Marathon also went through some of the trails. I was actually going to sign up for the Half, but I thought it would be too much doing it the day after the 25k as I originally planned. Oh well. Live and learn. We even got a finisher's medal at the end of it which was pretty cool.

Golden Ears 10K Finisher's Medal

The weather turned out great. What I mean by "great" is that it never rained. Woohoo! It was cool and cloudy. My time was not a personal best - which I suspected. As the the race was basically a steady climb, I knew I'd be a bit slower. I came in just over 1:01, which I'm completely OK with. I'm terrible at hills. Probably because I have very little muscle. I should start doing weights or lunges or squats or whatever people do to strengthen their legs, but I turn somewhat sloth-like after I come in from a run. It takes everything in me just to do some crunches and push-ups. Hey, if I just ran for 50 min.+ why would I want to work out my legs more?! Haha. I know, I know - I'm making excuses. Working on some hill and strength training is definitely high on my priority list now.

As it's spring break, I'll be a little less inclined to work out and more inclined to find some fun activities with my kidlet. In lieu of needing to leave the house for an hour at a time but still keeping up my cardio, I've gone back to the 3rd grade and have taken up skipping. Yes, with a rope. In the 3rd grade, I never had boobs, so it's a bit more uncomfortable now. As a solution, I have to wear my super-squish-me-flat-as-a-pancake-sports-bra. It works, so it's all good. ...Well, on that note, I'll leave you with that image. LOL.

Thanks for reading! :-)

Runner Rage?!

Grouse Mountain Snowshoeing

Lately, I've been trying to get my mileage back up but because I ripped off 17 layers of skin from my feet when I did some snowshoeing a few weeks ago, it's been pretty painful. I made the mistake of wearing runners with rental snowshoes. I normally wear proper snow boots, but I wanted to "run" this time. Well, let's just say, I had some issues walking by the end of those 90 minutes. I could have been wearing the best wicking socks and slathered my feet in Body Glide and it would have still been a disaster because the snowshoes were just simply to heavy for the runners. The constant rain hasn't helped either. Wet feet and blisters, don't really work well together. It's frustrating but I've been making do the best I can. I've been using cetrimide and Polysporin along with blister bandages and wraps. I've also had to take time off of running and go to the gym for some cross-training instead. (Boo!) Oh well - you do what ya-gotta do! :-) Anyways...

Use Your Road Sense - Caution: Ranting Ahead

When I do go for my runs, I try to stay on the trails as much as I can. However, in order to get to/from the trails, I have to do some running on the sidewalks (road). I would say about 50% of drivers are pretty good about stopping/waiting and being otherwise courteous to me. Some even smile, wave or go as far as yelling something encouraging. I always use crosswalks, stop-lights and never just dart-out on to the roads in front of drivers. I wait my turn then walk across if it's a busy intersection. If it's dark out, I wear a headlamp and reflective clothing. The last thing I want is to be is a road pancake and never be able to run again. Unfortunately, many drivers think that just because they are in a giant piece of moving machinery, they think it's OK to intimidate me. If I'm crossing at a crosswalk while the flashing "man" is telling me it's OK to walk, you'd think it's safe. Well, it's not...

Yesterday, I had some jerk practically run me over, then flip me the bird when I stopped to shake my head. Super obnoxious! What people don't get is that I've been waiting for the light to change, too! Not to mention, PEDESTRIANS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY. I've even had people lay on the horn in the past. So, I stand in the front of their car and tell them to look at the flashing 'pedestrian-man-walking' sign. Not sure if those type of people should be driving, anyway. They'll be in an accident by the end of the day with that type of attitude. These sort of fiasco's put a bad taste in my mouth and leave me angry instead of happy at the end of my run. I keep picturing myself jumping onto the hood of the car and kicking out their windshield. Runner rage?! I think so! LOL. So the moral of the story is: If you're a driver, slow down and use your road sense! If you hit a pedestrian at a crosswalk it will be 100% YOUR fault! Just sayin...

Well, that is all... Thanks for reading. :-)

Race Season is Here!

Well the groundhogs didn't see their shadows this year (well, in Canada, anyway). So, I guess that makes for an early spring... and where there's spring, there is an over-abundance of races!

Last year I could have still signed up at package pick-up. This year, that won't be the case. I get an announcement last week that the BMO Vancouver Marathon (full distance) has less than a few hundred spots left! Forbes Magazine has it listed as one of the top 10 marathons worth travelling for. So I signed up right then and there. This wan't a race I was going to miss. I had such a great time last year, it should even be better on their new course this year! The fact that there will be even MORE runners to share the experience with will be an added bonus. Actually, I was so excited to register, that I also signed up to volunteer for a few days leading up to the event at the expo. I've always appreciated and valued the volunteers and thanked them for their help and time. This year, I wanted to learn more about the behind the scenes stuff of putting on a race and help where I can, too.

I've also registered for the Dirty Duo (25k) distance which is coming up pretty quickly in March. I've heard some great things about this race and am really looking forward to it. ...also heard it's tough due to the elevation. Which makes me pretty nervous. Time for more hill training and stair-climbing, maybe? LOL. It's probably a little late for that now. The race is less than a month away! Eeek! I just hope it lives up to it's name and I get really dirty! LOL! ;-)

The following month, I'll be running the April Fool's run (half marathon) for the third year in a row. I really like this race for many reasons. One being that it's just far enough from home that I feel like I get to go on a "mini" vacation (if you choose to stay in Gibsons like I do). It's also a point-to-point course (Gibsons to Sechelt) so you don't have to see the same scenery more than once. The course is mostly downhill with a lot of small rolling hills, which I love. At the finish line, you can look out at the ocean (or jump in if you're brave enough!), so it's something to look forward too. They also have plenty of food and transportation back to Gibsons as well. The weather has been great the last few years, too - cool and cloudy. Plus, the race is cheap! They don't force you to buy their shirt keeping the price down. Honestly, I have a closet of race shirts and I have worn maybe two of them more than once. I'm fairly tall for a girl and it's rare to get a race shirt that fits long enough in the body. I end up having to go a size up so it looks like I'm wearing a box (as it's too wide).

I've been looking into other cross-training techniques for the season to supplement my training including spinning. There's a great new indoor cycle studio close by, that has comfortable bikes and is fair open/airy unlike a lot of spinning places. It's a bit pricey but worth it if I only go once a week. I feel like a bit of a nerd trying to set up my bike but everyone there has been so nice, so far, and are willing to help my "nerdy self". Some of the spinning classes incorporate other exercises including killer ab workouts and upper body strengthening. My stomach killed for a week after the first class. I could barely sit up!

I'm slowly getting my mileage back up to where it was (prior to the Ultra last November). Now that the weather has started to get a lot more milder (no more snow, yay!), I'm enjoying my runs a lot more. One thing that is starting to really bother me though is seeing all these little plastic bags of dog poop everywhere. There are garbage cans every 1-200 meters and instead, dog owners just leave them on the side of the trail. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of picking up dog poop? People also enjoy riding their horses, too on the trail - and I love seeing them... but wow... if dog owners need to pick up their dogs' "doo-doo", shouldn't horse owners do the same? Just sayin'. I've stepped in both, and neither are pleasant. ...and that's my little rant for the day. Now, it's time to get moving! :-)

Thanks for Reading!

Snowshoeing is the new Snowshoeing.

Here I am at the start of the Snowshoe Grind. It gets much tougher in a few minutes.

Well, it's been a busy few weeks! Not busy doing stuff I love but rather the mundane. We had a big dump of snow early/mid-month that deterred me to running outside. I did pick up a pair of ice joggers but found them a bit jarring when running directly on pavement. So I figured it was time to just embrace the snow, completely. I went up to Grouse Mountain for some snowshoeing and hit the Snowshoe "Grind" right away. It was pretty challenging. I didn't carry poles, I wasn't dressed in full-on snow gear and I rented my snowshoes. I wasn't really sure about what to expect on this hike. There were some pretty steep areas, where I was crawling on my hands to get up while sliding backwards. So my hands would have been frozen if I wasn't wearing gloves. I looked pretty silly as I was trying everything in my power to make up some of those slopes. That wasn't even the hard part, though. It was coming back DOWN that was hilarious!

Where it starts to get a bit steeper.

I'm thinking that after a few times of doing the snowshoe Grind, that it will get easier than doing the regular Grouse Grind. With the snowshoe trail, you can have a rest as it plateaus a few times going up (unlike the Grind where you have to literally stop and move off the trail to get a rest). When you get to the top, it's absolutely beautiful and quiet! Plus, I ran into a raven that was the size of a small dog. He flew down and was walking towards me. I wish I got a picture, but I was afraid that if I looked away too long, he would eat my eyes.

The view from the top of Dam Mountain: the turn-around point on the Snowshoe Grind.

When you got to the turn-around point, you have a choice of going further if desired. Personally, I had absolutely no desire to go any further. My biggest complaint at this point was the fact I completely forgot to bring any water and I was parched! You think that because you are travelling through cold and snow that you won't get thirsty. I also learned that layers are very important as you can break a sweat fairly quick. Under my track clothes and vest, I was wearing Under Armour. Let me tell you, if I wasn't wearing that, I would have frozen my a** off! ...and I mean that literally. It would've been still up on the mountain somewhere and some poor sod would have tripped over it. On the way back, I spent most of my time on my butt. The snowshoes kept slipping out behind me and they would end up somewhere behind my ear as I screamed out expletives sliding down... and often backwards. How I ended up not rolling all the way down the mountain still surprises me. As the last half of the trail was very steep and mostly single-track with a lot of ice, it made it very difficult to stop. I think next time I'll be bringing a garbage bag or a magic carpet. Overall, it was a really great time, and I can't wait to bring my daughter up there. Probably won't be taking her up the Grind, though. There are a number of snowshoe trails that I would like to see, anyway. :)

Last weekend, I participated in the Vancouver Chilly Chase. It was definitely VERY chilly. It was an 'out and back' course that started off at the Olympic Village close to Science World and took us up to the Seawall. Running along the water was pretty but very cold. Especially with the wind and rain. I was an ice cube by the end of it but I still really enjoyed myself. I made a sub-1 hour time for my 10k which was my goal. 58:21. For me, that's a pretty good time. Especially, since I haven't been a "diligent" runner these past few months due to the weather. Yes, I'll melt in the rain and yes, I'm made of sugar! ;-)

Chilly Chase Finisher's Medal January 22 2012

I also signed up for this year's Relay for Life to raise funds for Cancer. Unfortunately, I don't think I know anyone (including myself) who hasn't been touched by this awful disease in some sort of form or another - whether it be losing a loved one, being a survivor, or a supporter to someone who is currently battling cancer. It can be extremely devastating and I truly hope that one day they find a cure. I will be posting my donation page shortly and I hope to raise as much money as possible with my team.

Well, that is all for this blog. As you may notice I've been a bit sporadic with my updates, but know that I try to enter a minimum of 2/month. If there's more, then it's just a bonus.

Thanks for reading!

Happy New Year!

With the holiday season officially wrapping up (I don't think I could've taken my Christmas tree down quickly enough), it's time to get back to a normal schedule now. I spent too many days being up late not because I wanted to, but because I came down with the worst stomach flu of my life! Still feeling the remnants, but definitely much better than what I was. On the bright side, I was able to catch up on all my "movie watching". I definitely got my lifetime supply of crappy chick flicks in. Well, maybe they weren't all crappy. I did watch them from beginning to end - but I also didn't have any where else to go, either. :-)

Yesterday was my first day back to exercise after taking a week and a half off to recover. Boy, did I need it! I was getting completely cranky and my sleep was suffering. Getting my heart pumping on a regular basis is extremely imperative to keep my sanity! I went to the gym: 30 min. on the cross trainer, 15 on stair climber and 15 on bike. Used upper body weights. I walked to and from the gym - 5k. Then after lunch, I went for an easy 5k run. I definitely see an improvement with my mood this morning and no soreness (hooray). I really despise going to the gym - especially, this time of year when cold season is rampant. I feel like I may as well go around licking everyone for the amount of germs I'm being exposed to. It's like hanging out in a flu fortress. So, I make a point to washing my hands in between machines and wiping down the equipment before and after use. Sounds a little OCD - but I like to think this works for me (and I'm a poet and didn't know it).

As it's the new year, I did see a spike in the amount of people there. Which means, I saw a spike in ladies loitering around and gabbing by machines. I also see many on cell phones chatting away. "Oh my God. Seriously, she said that? Wow. Like... wow." Is what I could hear right behind me. I've picked up the phone when I'm in the middle of a work-out, to take a quick call. Not sit there having a long, drawn-out conversation. Yuck. How relaxing is that? It's like bringing your 2 year-old with you to a massage. lol.

I would really like to find an additional cross-training exercise that I can do and enjoy. There's a lot of them out there, so it's just a matter of finding one I like. There were a few I tried in the past and was considering, such as swimming or hot yoga, but I don't really love either. So I'll see what I can come up with over the next few weeks... should be interesting. Like a lot of people, I like to use the New Year as an excuse to trying new things (like being less stubborn). Last year, one of my resolutions (that I actually stuck with), was to keep a journal - and I did. Had 246 entries for 2011! I used this website to log them. It's called OhLife. They send you an eMail everyday (or less frequent if so desired) asking how your day went and you just hit the reply button and write as little or as much as you like. I think my longest entry was a few paragraphs and my shortest was 2 words (Today sucked). This was also another way to log my runs and any grueling workouts.

On that note, here's a few funny videos:

Thoughts of a Marathon Runner
Sh*t Yogis Say

I'd like to wish everyone a happy, healthy New Year!
Thanks for reading!