#2 Highlight From This Morning’s Run

On our way to the trail this morning Conny, Colin and I met LaFawnduh.  For those of you that didn’t get the reference (myself included), LaFawndah is a character from Napoleon Dynamite who has style, poise and access to sweet mixed tapes.

#3 highlight from this morning’s run was it being over! I will always pick a trail run over a road run, but today should have been an exception to my rule. Running in 8-10 inches of snow for 45 minutes was equivalent to running for 45 minutes flat footed with high knees on unstable ground, and I am going to pay dearly for it tomorrow.

#1 highlight from this morning’s run was the coffee and hot tub that followed! Tuesday mornings suck. 

Sheee’s Crafty!

Oh no, not me! Check out my New Year love gift from my very crafty (and witty) friend Lysa….

Did I mention that she has a fantastic website and blog (we also share a love for Wonder Woman)? Stop by and visit her at the Red Spotted Patch.

T’was The Day Before Christmas

T’was the day before Christmas and all through my house,
My running family was stirring and so was my spouse,
Their wet shoes were placed by the backdoor with care,
In hopes that Vanessa’s goodies would soon be there.

The runners were nestled around the table ready to be fed,
While visions of Rae’s mimosas danced in their heads;
And Tony in his Santa hat and I in my cap
Had just settled down to shoot the crap.

When out in the hallway arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my counter to see what was the matter.
Away to the hallway I flew like a flash,
To see D’s birthday wine on the floor, thank goodness it didn’t smash.

The mud and the rain on my somewhat clean floor,
Gave luster, who am I kidding, hey, who’s at the door,
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a big box of chocolates, and six more runners spreading Christmas cheer.

“Now, Colin! Now, Soraiya! Now, Murray you vixen!
On, Barry! On, Shelley! Oh Conny, is she still Blitzen?
To the top of the stairs! To the top of the wall!
Now eat away! Eat away! Eat away all!

We spoke many words, but not about work,
And filled all our bellies, without worrying about calories, what a perk.
Before I knew it, coffee was drawing to a close,
And giving a hug, to the door they rose.

They sprang to their cars, to my dog gave a whistle,
And away they all drove like the down of a thistle.
But I heard them exclaim, ere they drove out of sight,
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Jingle Bell run! I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the morning of my favourite day of the year. Merry Christmas.

Vanessa’s recipes:
Sausage and Egg Casserole

• 6 slices bread, cubed
• 1 pound sausage, browned, drained
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 8 each eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon, salt
• pepper to taste

Cube bread and place evenly in greased 9×13 pan or baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with sausage and cheese. Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over ingredients in pan. May cover and chill overnight. (if left overnight, remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before baking). Bake 45 minutes at 325 degrees or until set. Cut into squares to serve.
Serves 8 to 10.

Mini Cheddar and Bacon Frittatas

• 4 eggs
• 2 T. creamo
• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• 3 strips finely chopped cooked bacon
• 2 T. salsa
• ½ cup chopped bell peppers
• pepper and chili powder to taste (approx ½ t. each)

Beat eggs and creamo in a medium bowl – add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Grease mini muffin tin. Fill cups with egg mixture almost to the rim. Bake at 375°F for 10-15 minutes or until centers are set. Makes 12 mini frittatas.

Las Vegas Rock N’ Roll 2011 Recap

It was decided that we would be running this year’s Las Vegas Rock and Roll event before we left the race last year.  And when it was announced that it would be a night run, it was just a matter of booking the flights, but with one minor change, this year for the pure enjoyment factor, I would run the ½ marathon instead of the full.  The countdown seemed to last months, which included many “this time next month, we will…” , “this time next week, we will…”, and before we knew it was Vegas time baby!

We checked into the MGM Grande and dropped our gear and headed down for the infamous BLT at Wolfgang Puck.  As Chris and Soraiya were missing from this year’s trip we decided to have a little fun, of course at their expense.  We are so funny.

Retracing our steps from last year seemed to be a theme on Friday afternoon as we headed to race package pick-up, we said hello to Toby Keith and got lost trying to find the convention centre.  Once we were there, pick-up and last minute corral changes went smoothly, and again had some fun with Chris and Soraiya.

There were no celebrity sightings this year, but a definite highlight was the Barefoot Winery sampling booth.  Why do they not have one of these at every race event?

Friday evening was supposed to be a quiet evening singing along with songs we knew at the Paris Piano bar…Friday evening as with the wee hours of Saturday morning will remain in Vegas.

Although we were up and at ‘em relatively early, Saturday morning was a hat and sunglasses type of morning.  The girls shopped, the boys looked at old cars.  On our way to the outlet mall, we saw the sea of Santas leaving the Great Santa Run, even for Vegas, it was a weird sight.  Our group reconvened over lunch at Cabo Wabo, tested the waters (they were calm) and ate what may have been the greatest bowl of chips and guac EVER.

Saturday night was not only carb loading night, it was Vegas dress night!  Dinner was at Lombardi Romagna Mia, other than a slight food mix up which lead to a near force feeding and a stare down with risotto girl, we had a really great time and had plenty to talk about.  That was until we got to the cab line up.  Ahead of us was a very intoxicated fellow (Vegas, go figure) who was waiting for a limo, because due to his lack of kids and wife that evening, he was doing him (his words not mine) until he saw D’s pink athletic tape running up the outside of her calf, which ensued him to ask in a very loud voice “what is thaaat in your stockin’?” Which then became the line of the night.

You should never do anything new on race day, I would also like to extend this rule to the evening before race day.  Note to self: as hot as they may look, as well as they go with the dress; new heels are never a good idea the evening before a big race.  I also learned that sequins irritate your skin.

Race day came very quickly and without the solution to the dilemma, when and what do you eat for a 5:30pm race?  I opted for a late morning breakfast of toast, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns and fresh salsa (don’t knock it ‘til you try it), my meal did come with sausage but I thought that the salsa might be pushing the envelope a bit so settled at just a little nibble of one.  With still a few items that I wanted to pick up, I did a little leisurely shopping and was back at the room and even had time for a 7 minute power nap before my transformation began.

With this whole turning 40 thing and just wanting to do something a little different (me doing me) I decided that I was going to run this race dressed as Wonder Woman.  As my Mum is a master seamstress she was able to transform my red Lulu Power Y tank and my blue Speed Shorts into something Diana Prince worthy.

Our group met in the hotel lobby at 3:00pm and began our trek to Mandalay Bay.  This year Colin was the only one running the full marathon and we certainly weren’t going to let him start his race alone.  Although the sold out ½ marathon didn’t start until 5:30pm, the streets were extremely crowded, and a bit pushy at times.  The start of the marathon was very exciting, the sun was setting and the energy was intense!  We wished Colin well and away he went….run like hell Colin!

With 90 minutes before our race started, we went in search of gear check.  It was inside, no it was outside, no it was inside, and finding it was nearly impossible.  So many people you could hardly move and when you did it was at a snails pace.  If you had any kind of anxiety about close quarters or claustrophobia this was not a place you would have enjoyed being.  My highlight was meeting San Diego Wonder Woman while in line for the washroom!

Eventually we found gear check and started to make our way back to the start line amongst the crowds of people.  As we were nearing race time people were starting to get a bit panicky so I was glad when we got outside.

By now it was dark, the wind had picked up and it was chilly…not shorts and tank top weather.  Fortunately for us, we had the best support crew/sweatshirt holders we could ask for.  They stood with us until moments before the race started and kindly took our belongings.

The race started at 5:30 and corral 7 made its way across the start line 8 minutes later (I found out later).  Only a few moments into the race I heard what sounded like a massive water balloon hitting the pavement…it wasn’t a water balloon…poor guy.

I knew that the first few miles were going to be congested, until the crowds thinned out, but that never seemed to happen.  I was really disappointed by the runner etiquette displayed by some, walkers 3 and 4 abreast chatting, unwilling to move or let others through.  I am a big believer, on the trails or on the road SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT, I do it myself.  Not to mention that the corral seating for where I was placed was 1:55, why am I passing walkers?

The marathoners had their own separate lane, and why shouldn’t they?  By the time they hit this part of the course they would have already run over 13 miles and this race was also a Boston Marathon qualifier race.  There were so many ½ marathoners using their lane, I witnessed one lady who was asked and then told by several marathoners to move over, I don’t know if she was oblivious or just rude, because she never did.

I chose to run this race without music because I wanted to hear and feel the energy and as well as the  bands.  I was a little disappointed in the bands or what may have been my poor timing, it seemed that whenever I approached a band they were just finishing a song, with exception of the band playing Adele’s “Someone Like You”, not the most driving beat or motivating song.  I do highly recommend running in costume though, you are not being cheered “go random runner” I felt and heard plenty of Wonder Woman love while on the course, which made up for the lack of rock and roll and of course running along the Strip was absolutely fantastic!

I also chose to carry only a small bottle of water with me and use the water stations.  Just after the ½ way point I found them to be too hectic and not manned as well as they should have been, so decided to use my own water.  I am thinking I made the right choice especially after the numerous reports of “tainted” water.

One choice that I did not make was for my Garmin screen to go blank, yet again.  And without knowing exactly what time we crossed the start line, I had no idea of what my time was.  Although I never felt like I could completely stride out due to the congestion and constant weaving in and out of other runners, I felt really strong (it may have had a lot to do with the costume).  I was so sure that I my pace was good that I did not stop for the free beer being handed out in front of one of the pubs.

As we rounded back around from Freemont Street to Las Vegas Blvd and the Stratosphere, I knew that it would only be a matter of minutes before I would be able to see the lights of the Mandalay Bay in the distance.  The funny thing about Vegas is that things look so close because they are so big, but in reality the Stratosphere is 4 miles away from the finish line!

Over the course of the last few miles the crowds of runners did start to thin out, and the crowds of spectators now nearly lined the sides of the street.  Passing the Venetion Hotel was a big deal, because I knew that I had walked to my hotel from there only two days before, and the MGM was only a mile from the finish line.  It’s funny how we rationalize the distance during a run.

It was during this stretch that the 3:30 marathon pace bunny ran by me as if I was standing still! But it didn’t matter, because the Wonder Woman fan club seemed to be out in full force.  As a runner you always appreciate spectator support along a course, but as you come into the final stretch of a race, especially one of this magnitude it becomes electric!  I love reading the signs people bring.  Worst sign I saw was something about running into hell care of a religious group, which is something that I am sure that the marathoners could relate to (although it may have not been meant to be taken that way).  Best sign along the course and it made me think of my Thursday morning Studio class, “Don’t stop…that’s what she said!”

With the finish line in sight and still feeling really strong, I wiped the sweat off my face, made sure that my crown was still in tact, chin up, chest out and shirt down I started my kick.  As I got closer I realized I may not be able cross the finish line as the ½ marathon finish line was completely jammed with people.

What a complete disappointment, there were no arms in the air/horns up crossing of the mat, instead I put one foot on the mat and came to a complete standstill.  I have never experienced anything like this before.  The line-up to receive the finishing medal was insane, there were volunteers screaming at us to keep moving as there were other spots to receive medals.  I stayed to the middle and managed to have mine tossed to me (I heard reports later that they ran out of ½ marathon finisher medals), the same was done with a bottle of water and my space blanket.  By this time I had cooled enough and was absolutely freezing (the temp was only several degrees) so decided against waiting in another ridiculous line-up to have my post race picture taken (you know I must be cold if I forfeit a photo op) and slowly made my way out of the secure zone in search of section S (for SMF), where we had all agreed to meet once we were done, and the location of my hoodie.

Within a few minutes I was reunited with a very tired support crew (but they did manage to have a drink and share a tuna sandwich while we were running…poor things) and not long after that D and Conny.  It wasn’t long after that when I received a congratulatory call from my baby and she filled us in on all of our times as well as the predicted finishing times for Colin and Barry (you have got to love a tech savy teen). We were all a little surprised at our times, and not pleasantly either, all of us felt like we had much quicker runs. Hell, I didn’t stop for the free beer because I didn’t want to mess with my pace, kinda wish I had now.

Even with a hoodie I was still freezing so the ladies and I decided to head back into the bedlam of the Mandalay Bay and get the rest of our gear.  The crowds didn’t even bother me this time, because it was warm.  Finding gear check wasn’t nearly as difficult this time and the line-ups for the bathroom at that moment were almost non-existent, we even managed to find a central spot on the hotel floor (it was so much better than being outside) to call our own as we waited for the rest of the group to join us.

As Barry’s predicted finishing time approached, we headed back into the cold, and now rainy night to give him a bit of love.  All I can say is thank goodness for our cell phones as we may have never found him because he had been directed into the hotel after he came out of the secure zone.

Once we were together, it was a mad dash or as quick as you could possibly move after a run like that back to the hotel so that we could shower and make our 11:00pm, yes 11:00pm, dinner reservations at PF Changs.

And what a meal…two orders of lettuce wraps, nine other dishes, plus a bowl of white rice and a bowl of brown rice. We started out so polite and then it just became an all out feeding frenzy, there may have only been a morsel or two left over!  In true PF Changs fashion, we were totally taken care of, really, where else would we go to eat after an event like that?

We moved fairly slowly back to the hotel, but I still had enough in me for a wind sprint across the casino.  I know that I totally had an unfair advantage (like running 13.1 miles less than Colin), but I was wearing heels.

So would I run this event again? No.  The ½ marathon route was fantastic and I was fortunate enough to start early enough so didn’t encounter many of the issues (no water, no food, no space blankets, no medals, etc) that thousands of others did, but there were just too many people.  And after hearing that the race organizers have plans to up registration to 60,000 participants next year before rectifying this year’s problems, I may not run another Rock N’ Roll event, but given my late night annihilation of Colin across the casino floor, a stiletto dash may be in my future.

Will I return to Vegas?  Abso-freaking-lutely, but on a different weekend.

Thanks to my fam, my running fam, Las Vegas, coke finger, Fat Burger, the guy from Langley, Miss M’s sparkly spectator cup, D’s gang signs, 867530ni-ee-ine, gingerbeard, cut-out Soraiya and Chris, maraschino cherry stems and even risotto girl for a 90^th birthday weekend (that I think we actually forgot to celebrate) that I won’t soon forget.

Energizer Night Race Vancouver Recap

In preparation for our upcoming night race, a group of us decided to sign up for the Energizer Night Race.  We could test out fueling during the day as some of us have never even run at night, it would be a true training run.  You know when an idea sounds really good at the time, and then the time comes and it makes absolutely no sense and just becomes ridiculous…that’s how Saturday night felt.

We left Maple Ridge and it was snowing/sleeting/raining and also windy.

It could only get warmer as we headed towards the coast right?  It did not.  The only thing that changed was that it got darker.

As we approached Stanley Park I vocalized that I would be ok with not running the race at all, Soraiya immediately agreed.  Why on earth would we want to get out of the toasty warm vehicle?  Really, heated seats, great tunes, heated seats.  Our driver got a little snappy setting the record straight that he would not drive all this way for us not to run.   I guess we were running.

Part of our registration fee included an Energizer 4 LED Headlight (and a Brooks running shirt, nice but a little small fitting), so with our headlights assembled and strapped to our heads our driver dropped us off near the start line and we went in search of shelter.

I have run quite a few crappy weather races, but the weather on Saturday had to be the worst I have experienced.  I can take the rain, I can take the snow but the one degree slush that was being blown sideways at us just made me miserable.   Fortunately for us we found an unmanned tent just behind the start line and were able to take cover while we waited for the race to start.

Soraiya and Conny were running the sold out 10km race, the rest of us waited too long to register and were running the 5km race.  At this point the $13.32/km race entry fee seemed like a much better deal after all, my race would be over that much sooner.

Somehow our motorcade split up during our drive in, but as Soraiya left to line up for the start of the 10km race she found Conny, Colin and Chris and directed them to where I was hiding.  Their timing was perfect, just as they arrived we watched the sea of headlights go out along the seawall while singing “Blinded By The Light”.  Our race was to start 15 minutes later.

It seemed like no time at all until it was our turn to line up.  Chris and Colin were both wearing garbage bags (I didn’t get the memo) I was jealous, but they assured me that they only looked warmer than they really were, LIARS!

Our race started precisely at 5:15pm, and thank goodness because I don’t think that I could have stood there a moment longer.  My legs were still fairly fatigued from my long run the day before, so the only time goal I had was to get it done as fast as I could as I knew that my warm and dry down jacket would be waiting for me at the finish line.

We started at the front of the group so although it was fairly dark it was easy to start at a good pace.  I lost Colin and Chris almost immediately ahead of me, but quickly found my own rhythm and mastered the placement of my headlight so that I could see where I was running.  I was surprised how much light came out of my headlight, I was also surprised how the darkness affected my depth perception as I seemed to find every ankle deep puddle.

The run itself was pretty surreal, although I was running with 1632 others, the seawall was so quiet you could hear the waves hitting the shore.

As I approached the 5km turnaround point I could see the frontrunners coming toward me.  Even with the headlights it was pretty hard to see faces, the only reason I recognized Colin was because of his glow in the dark jacket.

My Garmin screen was completely blank (a new feature that now happens when it gets wet) as I hit the turnaround point and I had no idea what my time was (oooo look at me running naked).  I was feeling great and surprisingly warm so I continued to keep my same pace, that was until the 10km front runners passed me.  They seemed to run so effortlessly and served as just the motivation that I needed to get me to the finish line.

Somehow, the group of runners that I was following veered off the seawall and ended up on the sidewalk on Beach Ave which was covered in wet leaves making for slippery conditions.  One of the volunteers had to guide us down a grassy embankment and back onto the seawall.   We runners can be so stupid.

Coming into the finish shute was fantastic, I had just enough kick to come in strong.  As I rounded the last corner I could see my fam (and my down jacket) cheering me in and as I crossed the finish line Colin and Chris were there with big high fives.

Because of the staggered starts, it wasn’t long before Soraiya and Conny crossed the finish line.  Soraiya’s face was so cold from the weather that when she started talk it was like she had been to the dentist and her mouth was frozen, oh we all enjoyed that!  Conny came in feeling fabulous and was all smiles, but her celebration had to be put on hold until we got back to the hot tub because we were all too freaking cold!

Looking back now (warm and dry) it was a great event and this whole milestone birthday worked for me as I placed first in my age category!

Thanks to the event organizers for a one of a kind race and to wonderful volunteers for keeping us safe…we arrived alive.

Spin Class Celebration

We celebrate birthdays and holidays and last night at spin class we celebrated the marriage of Stu and Cheryl with a very formal black and white gala!

Wishing you a lifetime of love, happiness and laughter together.

The Gun Show

The only thing that this post has to do with fitness is that it involved E, whom I met at the gym many moons ago.

When you spend a Friday afternoon with one of your girlfriends, normally it involves lunch, shopping maybe a glass of wine.  Spending a Friday afternoon with E involves none of the above; instead she took me to the gun range!

I was all smiles leading up to this, peeking around corners with my finger gun, kicking in virtual doors with my finger gun as well as the classic holding my finder gun to my lips and blowing on it.  I was a little disappointed to find out that I was not allowed to wear heels to the gun range, because in my fantasy I was wearing my really cute black suede boots, funny I don’t recall any of the Charlie’s Angels wearing sensible shoes…well may be Sabrina but I think she drove a Pinto too.

With my wardrobe completely rethought, I met E (who was wearing very cute flat black boots, she has done this a time or two before) and we headed out on our adventure.

So about this gun range, it isn’t an ordinary open to the public kind of place, it is a “training facility” and my first experience shooting a gun would be Trevor’s (my instructor) practicum.  The poor guy.

Before we entered the range the gun rules were explained, and my giddiness quickly turned into nervousness.

Rule 1: Treat all guns as if they were loaded. Gulp, I kinda blanked out after the first rule, so the rest of the rules look something like this.

Rule 2: Keep the muzzle (that would be the end of the gun where the bullets come out of) pointed down and away for you.

Rule 3: Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot at your target.

Rule 4: Be sure of your target.

So much for hair, because we were then given baseball hats because sometimes the shell casings fly up and towards your face and they are hot, the hat protects your face.  And so much for wardrobe because if the shell casings fly up and hit your hat, they can also drop down and if your neck/chest is exposed they can burn that too.  I was wearing a good bra too, so the thought of shell casings dropping in my cleavage sounded very flammable.  Lucky me I got to wear the evaluator’s jacket…zipped all the way up.

We got to practice a bit with a pretend gun.  I did not need to death grip the gun either, in fact my grip should be similar to the grip that I squeeze a peach with to determine its ripeness…Trevor was trying to relax me I think, and what relaxes a girl more than squeezing peaches?  After our practice the range became “hot”.  We put on our protective eyewear and hearing protection and out came the real guns, mine would be a Smith and Wesson MP90.  Trevor explained how to load the gun and also told me that if at any time I became tired or no longer wanted to shoot I was not to put the gun down, but instead I should say, “take it” (Breathlessly? Forcefully?  I’m not sure it really mattered) and he would.

Trevor hung my target and set it across the range.  It made a really loud noise and I practically jumped out of the evaluator’s jacket!  He then handed me the gun…holy crap I am holding a gun…I am sure that the only way to describe my facial expression was stunned virgin.

The first shot was fired from the stall beside me; I screamed.  At this point Trevor had to be thinking that he would receive an automatic fail.  As any good angel would, I pulled myself together and fired my first shot at the target…holy crap, I just fired a gun!  Although I did hit the target, I did not hit the silhouette on the target, oops I hit the innocent civilian.  I re-positioned, re-focused and fired again, this time hitting the target, ahhh hell yeah!

It’s amazing how quickly one can go through a clip.  We went through the unloading and re-loading of a new clip and I was good to go again.  I was really starting to get the hang of this, and yes, shell casings were a flying so it was a good job that I was redressed!

By the third clip I was getting a bit cocky, aiming for the head on my target, you know, mixing up my shots a little, Trevor even called me on it!  And then it was over.  Out of bullets Trevor “took it” and the range returned to “cold”.  I was a hot mess, my hands were shaking, I was in an all out sweat, and I liked it!

Trevor rolled my target up for me as a souvenir, debriefed my on my experience and of course we took some photos!

Thank you Trevor and all of the staff at the JI for an afternoon that I won’t soon forget and a special thank-you to E for helping me cross off another item on my bucket list, I so wasn’t ready to jump out of a plane this year.

Lordy, Lordy

According to Harold Camping, the world was supposed to be destroyed by fire today and depending on what time zone it happened in, I might have not had to turn 40.

I remember when I was pretty young, it was my Dad’s birthday and I was on my way to see him play rugby.  I remember my Grandma saying that my Dad was over the hill, I had no idea what that meant, I also had no idea how old my Dad was.  When I found out he was 40, I was totally shocked, I totally thought my Dad was in his 20’s. 40 just seemed so old.

I really was not looking forward to this birthday.  My friends have been telling me for months that 40 is great, it’s when life starts and that 40 is the new 20. I have been telling them that they were just trying to make themselves feel better; you can do that when you are still in your 30’s and your friends aren’t.

Well, the world has not yet been destroyed by fire and here I sit celebrating my 40^th birthday.  And after taking a long hard look at my 30’s, I am kinda over them.  So here’s to mammograms, being a cougar, a new racing age category, not caring that I am not being ID’d if they ID under 40 and my midlife crisis!

Peer Pressure

Apparently if my friends told me to jump off a bridge…

I would!

How did you spend this misty first morning of October?

Salutation Nation

Salutation Nation is an annual, international day of yoga hosted by Lululemon where people from all over the world gather to do yoga together at the same time (9-10am).  And yesterday we rolled out our mats and joined the Lululemon Coquitlam Centre community for their inaugural Salutation Nation led by the fabulous Andrew Colyn!

But what would Saturday morning be without a run?  Not Saturday.  We hit the road early and made our way to a place very near and dear to my heart, Rocky Point.  I got to ride shotgun with Smurfraiya for the journey and was educated almost immediately about the vulgarity of hamster music – shame on you! I also found out that the Jersey Shore theme song really is a song!  I hope that my Tommy is receiving copyrights.

The morning could not have been anymore lovely; the sun shone, the water was calm, lots of runners/hikers out, and all so well dressed! We ran an out and back to Old Orchard Park, nothing serious but enough to get our sweat on.

We made our way over to the Plaza at Coquitlam Centre, signed our lives away, secured a good spot for our mats, grabbed a complimentary coconut water (I have always wanted to try, but never have, turns out it’s not my thing) and ever so discreetly changed out of our sweaty running gear. It is never an easy task changing out of a sweaty sports bra into a dry sports bra, the dry one gets stuck half way up your back, there is always a lot of twisting and grunting, and that is in the privacy of a change room, try it in a car in the middle of a parking lot.

By the time we were on our mats, the sun was high in the sky it was hot!

This pose is called as Astavakrasana and as you can see from my positioning, it is absolutely not going to happen, but check out little miss Conny!

Thank you ladies, Lulu and Andrew for a wonderful morning. Namaste.

Salutation Nation Photography by Olga Kundilivski, Happy Moments

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