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

From Death Racer to Grinder

It doesn’t matter what kind of shape you are in the first time you tackle the Grouse Grind, it is a monster, and the first trip up is always a killer. Yesterday Conny, Soraiya and myself took great pleasure in taking Chris’ Grind virginity!

I am not a fan of static stretching before activity; I prefer a dynamic warm-up and to follow activity with static stretching, but I am a fan of photo ops. Feeling torn and conflicted I put my feelings aside while we played at the stretching station at the base of the Grind.

Watches synched, 3-2-1, music on and for the next 52:35 I was in my own rock-stepping stair-climbing world.

There have been a few changes to the route since last year, the Baden Powell Trail and the Grouse Grind are now two completely separate trails to begin with instead of splitting somewhere between the base and the ¼ way mark. As you enter the gate Baden Powell right, Grouse Grind left, and yes it is very clearly marked.

In addition to the ¼, ½, ¾ way signs posted on the trees, there are also orange spray painted markers on the rocks along the route, but well before the tree markers. I found this a bit confusing thinking that I was ¼ of the way there by the orange marker but then several minutes later seeing the same distance marker posted on the tree. I assumed that because of the changes to the base of the trail the milestone markers must have changed but found out that the orange spray painted markers are actually how the North Shore Search and Rescue measure the Grind. So now we know.

In addition to the route changes are the horrific flies at the top that I don’t remember from last year. And they were mean; I am missing chunks from my legs! Getting eaten alive was so worth it though to see the look on Chris’ face as he emerged from the trail and then to heckle him to run up the rocks and touch the Grind Timer for his first official Grind time! Gooooooood for you!

What Are Trying To Say Kim?

Ah, liquid courage, it makes us think that we can dance, sing and say stupid things. Talk gets bigger, the unattainable becomes no sweat, and you are king of the world. The next day you wake up only to remember or to be reminded of your very public and LOUD declaration of said challenge.

I have a friend who after a couple of cocktails likes to challenge me to the Grouse Grind. The last one came in the form of a bbm last week. When I messaged back “how about Saturday?” I didn’t hear back. Whenever you are ready my friend.

I have to confess; my marathon declaration came after a Keg sized glass of wine. It somehow became D’s declaration as well, and when I received the text “Done and the medal to prove it” I had to put my money where my wine mouth was and six weeks later I had the medal too!

So when I was driving along my marathon-training route today, I noticed a new billboard.

Is someone trying to goad me?

Whistler Warrior Dash Recap

Warrior: a person who fights in battles and is known for having courage and skill

Dash: to move with sudden speed

Add in a kilt, a mini sombrero, velour leopard print cut off pj’s, 11 obstacles, a lotta mud, several flesh wounds, a nasty bruise, an eye full of mud, 2 trips to the medical tent, loud music, furry Viking helmets all around, oh and a mountain climb, sound like fun?  It was the most fun I have ever had in an afternoon!

We converged on Day Area Parking Lot 2 and made our way to Whistler’s (as well as British Columbia’s) very first Warrior Dash.  Emotions ranged from nervous to excited, I was a little disappointed that I had not opted for a costume (next year will be a totally different story) especially when we joined at the gondola line-up to take us up to the tube park where the race was being held.  There were Smurfs, ninjas, uncle-daddies and auntie mommies, but policeman in bootie shorts was my personal fav.

The line-up and the gondola moved very quickly and we arrived at our battleground in no time at all, and made our grand entrance to “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” (the Quiet Riot version), how fitting.  The venue was absolutely massive, tents everywhere, a beer garden, huge main stage and of course the Warrior start line.

Racer check-in was well organized and we breezed through.  The first wave of racers was already coming in covered in mud, and I couldn’t wait to get started.  The racer bulletin from Friday night had suggested we allow 2 hours to complete the parking, upload and check-in process.  Originally some of our group were to start in the 1:00pm wave and the others in the 1:30pm wave, but we were done in just under an hour and decided to join an earlier wave.

The anticipation and the energy at the start line was crazy.  In front of us was the steep hill that we had to climb; I was told that when it rounded the corner it just kept going so I was prepared for a good 20 minute grind.

At 12:30 our wave went out and charged the first hill.  As I was racing with Heckter, my plan differed a little from the others.  We hung towards the back of our wave and hiked the hill at a steady pace.  It was tough but completely doable and we hit the top in just over 15 minutes.  There was a bit of a bottle-neck at the first water station but the sun was hot and we decided to wait in line for a little hydration.

The first obstacle was not too far away.  It was a series of 4’ walls that you had to climb over or crawl under.  I’m not sure if the last wall was slightly taller than the previous or that my shoulders were being worked in way that they hadn’t before, whatever the case the last wall required a little more oomph to get me over.

A quick run down the hill and we hit the second obstacle.  At first glance, it just looked like you had to run through a mist of water, but when you actually ran through it, the mist was actually being blasted at you and you couldn’t see at all for about 10 seconds, we called it the blinding water and of course the ground was full on mud.  I liked this one, and it completely cooled you down, very well placed.

From here we made our way to the tunnel of terror.  You had to crawl under a series of 2’ ish beams.  I entered in on my hands and knees but after the first rock hit my knee I quickly developed a new strategy, kind of a side scuttle on my hands and feet.

After the tunnel of terror we made our way up and over another little hill and down to the great warrior wall.  It was similar to climbing a 12’ wall ladder with every second rung missing.  There was even a rope to help you if you needed it…we scaled it.

A second and less busy water station was just steps away, and we took in a little more hydration.

From here we made our way down a very slippery downhill section that lead to a 35’ slip and slide.  The marshal said that we could go headfirst or on our butts, I followed Hecktor’s lead and went head first and as soon as my body touched the plastic I knew that it was a HUGE mistake.  I made it about half way down and my hipbone went over a rock SMF!  I jumped up in sheer agony and hobbled down the rest of the slide.  The girl behind me must have followed the same line because she did the same thing.  I think that if I were by myself I would have had a little pitty party at the side of the trail, but I put on my brave (grimacing) warrior face, clutched my wound and made my way up the mountain bike trails towards the next obstacle.

We called this one the low cargo net.  Still smarting a bit from the slip and slide, I navigated this one very gently holding onto the middle beam and stepping sideways.  It was all good until I had to climb out of it, I think I left some profanity on this section of the course.

Next was walking the planks.  The planks were narrow a little wobbly and about 5’ in the air.  This obstacle was a combined effort from Hecktor and I; you have got to love teamwork.

By this point we could hear the band playing on the main stage and we knew that we were close, and came upon the cargo climb.  Note to self for next time to climb in the centre along the beam, the ropes are way less wobbly.

As we rounded the corner we could see the spectators who were cheering us on as we entered the last stages of the dash.  Up another wall, and into the homestretch.

We jumped over the two rows of fire, they were small but hot!  With less than a minute or so from the finish line we were completely soaked but still fairly clean…but then came the mud under the barbed wire.

I am fairly certain that this was manufactured mud, it was the consistency of pancake batter, the kind of batter that has been left on the counter too long and then mixed with little tiny rocks, it felt like it could harden and solidify at any minute.  At this point I was glad that I wasn’t wearing a knee length kilt.  I managed to climb under the first few rows of barbed wire without having to completely submerge myself in the mud, but the last one made sure that nobody was coming out clean and I had to climb through on my belly!  It wasn’t easy climbing out either but once I was out there it was merely steps to the finish line.

What a total rush! I was absolutely filthy, I had even forgotten about my battle wound for a few minutes but once I remembered it I couldn’t wait to show it off.  Turns out I wasn’t the only one!

By the time I finished taking a few pics I could feel the mud starting to harden so made I my way up to the wash station.  Here it was all very civilized.  We lined up and one at a time we took our turn standing and turning from front to back as many times as we could possibly stand whilst being blasted/power washed with ice cold water from a fire hose…oh and it did the job too.

Once we were relatively clean, on came the furry Viking hats.

Our timing chip also doubled as a free beer ticket.  I don’t think that I was meant to ever get a free beer, because although I did remember to bring my ID this time, the line-up was insane and we were all hungry so we decided to head back down the gondola in search of a patio.

I’m not sure what visitors to Whistler must have been thinking as there was a sea of furry Viking helmets roaming though the Village….VICTORY!

A big thank-you to the race organizers, course marshals, volunteers and first aiders – job well done, and congratulations to all of the warriors, big and small.

Who should do this event?

• Anyone with a basic level of physical fitness.

Would I do anything different?

• Dress in costume.
• Not go head first down the slip and slide.

Would I recommend this event?

• Abso-freaking-lutely!

Check out the rest of the pictures

Run Like Hell Chris!

This is my friend/neighbour/teammate/running husband Chris, and today he will be tackling leg 2 of The Canadian Death Race.

A ‘lil about the race from their website…

The Canadian Death Race is a 125 km all-terrain extreme adventure race course on very challenging terrain including three mountain summits and 17,000 feet of elevation change.

The race begins and ends in Grande Cache, Alberta. The five legs may be run individually or in relay teams of from two to five members. The first leg is the shortest at 19 km, the second is the most technical, the third is considered the easiest section, the fourth is the longest at 38 km, and the last leg to the finish line is of (comparatively) intermediate difficulty.

Second leg, 27 km: Flood & Grande Mountain Slugfest
Includes about.1 km of pavement. The rest is dirt trail with rocky and swampy sections, and approximately 6 km of hard packed dirt road.. Net elevation gain is 500 feet, but the total elevation change is well over 6000 feet. This leg of the race is characterized by long sustained climbing with about 3 km of very rough terrain and two creek crossings. The trail from the summit of Flood Mountain to the summit of Grande Mountain is the roughest piece of trail in the Death Race. The power line down the front of Grande Mountain leading back into town is the most dangerous part of the entire course. This is due to the steep, rocky drop-offs and unstable footing while running downhill. The Slugfest is the most technical section and is rated the second hardest leg of the Death Race (although many rate this leg as the hardest of all). Cut off Time: 6 pm

Run like hell Chris!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Potlucks are great, because everyone has their own thing at which they rock.  Liz brings the romanoff potatoes, Kathy brings her basket cinnamon buns (the batch needs to be tripled next time), Chris makes a mean veggie chili, you can always count on Shannon for the simple syrup and/or x-rated delicacies…and it’s not a party without jojos!

Me, I make chocolate covered strawberries; somewhat healthy, oh so good and made in less than 10 minutes. I do have to confess that I borrowed this recipe from my friend Nadine, but added my own twist (although not that original of white chocolate drizzle).

You will need:

• Strawberries
• Milk chocolate melting wafers from the bulk food aisle
• White chocolate melting wafers from the bulk food aisle
• A small plastic bag
• 2 bowls (medium and small)
• 2 spoons
• Cookie sheet
• Wax paper
• Clean hands

Here we go…

Disclaimer: The amount of wine that you have consumed before or during the making of these chocolate covered strawberries can and will effect the consistency of the dipping and drizzling chocolate.

And Summer Began

Nothing says summer like a warm morning run at the lake under blue sky , a celebratory lunch on the patio with the ‘bad girls’, a nap in the warm afternoon sun, a loud and sweaty spin class and some serious home cookin’.

Hope that you had a wonderful first day of summer.

Vistas 2011

It has been said that good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions. Whether or not I learned from my own experience or Daryl’s, thankfully I did not attempt to defend my title yesterday at the Vistas Race (retiring as a champion, even if it was in my own mind), returning this year only as a spectator.

When I arrived at the race Starbucks in hand, because that is part of spectating, I met fellow runner/last year’s race winner at the finish line, also with coffee in hand and Conny’s hoody over his arm.

There was a strange yet wonderful smell coming from the food area, I would have to wait to find out what it was until the racers came in because RACE FOOD IS FOR THE RACERS AND THE RACE VOLUNTEERS. This is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, hence the boldface and caps. Food is ordered and purchased for a race on a per racer basis. If you have ever been one of the last few racers to come through a finish line only to hit the food tent to find scraps and mushy pieces of fruit that nobody wants, and hear from a non racer how good the chocolate chip cookies were or how juicy the watermelon was, you know exactly what I mean. Rant done. One of the main reasons why I bring my own coffee to spectate (that and also because Starbucks is much better).

The sun was shining and music wasn’t half bad as Colin and I waited for the racers to cross the finish line. Here they come…

Although the age categories were wide, top finishers did receive medals this year.  Race results have now been posted here.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Vistas 2011 run.

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