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.

About Last Night

Spent last night in the big city. I couldn’t think of a more perfect way to work off the oysters, Caesar salad, Ahi tuna, potatoes, macaroni and cheese, mushrooms, creme brulee, wonder woman and a lemon drop martini or two, than with an early morning run through Coal Harbor and along the seawall.

Energizer Night Race Vancouver: Top finishers

Article Post: National Post.com November 23, 2011

The Energizer Night Race (5K and 10K) held on Nov. 12 in Vancouver’s Stanley Park was the final race in Canada’s first series of these popular evening races. Top finishers and their times from both distances are below, and we salute you!

5K

Male Top 3 Overall

1. Brent Limbeek, 18:27.92

2. Matt Meffan, 18:50.19

3. Laurent De Weck, 19:01.58

Female Top 3 Overall

1. Chantal Mathieu, 18:58.25

2. Angela Hammond, 18:58.88

3. Daisy Laforce, 20:26.09

Male Under 20

1. Duncan Grainger, 19:26.02

2. Jonah Smith, 25:45.33

3. Sean Vanderluit, 28:01.18

Female Under 20

1. Kate Pickering, 23:18.03

2. Kiah Wheeler, 25:23.89

3. Courtney Milligan, 25:24.66

Male 20-29

1. Sean Wheeler, 21:58.42

2. Rafal Matuszewski, 22:23.03

3. Marvin Ng, 22:26.89

Female 20-29

1. Sue Safadi, 20:47.50

2. Danielle Jarvis, 26:05.84

3. Glorianna Anderson, 26:53.49

Male 30-39

1. Andy Bienefeld, 19:01.65

2. Dave Stirling, 19:37.72

3. Michael Geary, 20:24.26

Female 30-39

1. Jill MacKinnon, 22:29.44

2. Nicole Housley, 25:04.62

3. Christine Smith, 27:22.61

Male 40-49

1. Duncan Wood, 19:40.50

2. Brendan Farrelly, 21:44.60

3. Martin Cross, 22:10.36

Female 40-49

1. Keri Cawthorne, 25:26.15

2. Sandra Verschuur, 25:59.59

3. Beverley O’Neil, 26:26.91

Male 50-59

1. Gordon Flett, 20:49.70

2. Colin McLean, 20:54.31

3. Bill Chang, 22:25.17

Female 50-59

1. Darcey Dalzell Wood, 29:02.95

2. Sybil Henteleff, 29:09.23

3. Anne Vanidour, 30:05.27

Male 60-69

1. Dave Reid, 31:23.34

2. Pete Emmett, 31:42.20

3. John Lowe, 32:37.15

Female 60-69

1. Edna Mathews, 30:42.79

2. Marnie Mitchell, 33:42.85

3. Kelli Buchanan, 34:28.03

Read entire article

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.

A ‘Lil Bling

Thank you to the organizers of the Energizer Night Race for enabling those of us that did not stay for the medal ceremony to still receive our placement medals. Big thanks to Miss Marnie for picking up my 40 year old bling!

Big shout out to Mr. Colin McLean for placing 12th overall and 2nd in his age category…BFD!

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!

Post Run Dip

Boo-hoo the heat wave is over and summer running conditions have come to an abrupt end, and so has our post run swim in the lake.

Today we started a new post run tradition in Conny’s new HOT TUB!

I think I am going to enjoy fall running a little more this year.

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!

Mud Sweat Beer

Mud, sweat, beer and a viking hat…how can you go wrong?!  I’m not sure how you would train for this baby, I don’t really know if you can and I am soooo in! There is even a half price race entry on Groupon today ($50 value for $25).

Here are the event details if I have got you thinking:

• Saturday August 6th, Whistler Blackcomb
• 3.07 hellish miles
• $50 CAD until 11:59pm* on Sunday, July 10, 2011
• Waves of up to 500 participants will start in waves every 30 minutes from 11:00am – 4:00pm
• www.warriordash.com

I don’t think that I will be buying a pretty new outfit for this one.

Seattle Rock ‘N’ Roll Report

This past weekend was a big weekend in my running community, the Seattle Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon and ½ Marathon was on Saturday and the Scotiabank ½ Marathon was on Sunday. Originally I was to Rock ‘N’ Roll the marathon, but injury (there I said it) sidelined my final four long runs so instead I Rock ‘N’ Rolled the ½ marathon.

Wanting to beat the dreaded Seattle rush hour traffic we started our trek Friday morning. We arrived at our hotel with only one extra loop around the block (Seattle has lots of one-way streets), checked in, freshened up and went in search of the Expo where we would pick up our race packages. Before leaving we asked our concierge (or at least I thought he was) how to get to the Expo and he said that there were things to do in town other than the marathon, like the Avatar: The Exhibition…huh?

Unfamiliar and a little frustrated with the city’s public transportation system, we got back in the car and fought rush hour/Mariner tailgate party traffic to Qwest (pronounced “quest” for idiots like myself) Field and the Health and Fitness Expo.

The Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon Series is the most organized racing event hands down, yes, even more organized than mine. We posed on the red carpet, checked in, changed races, changed corrals, picked up our schwag, all in less than 10 minutes, giving us plenty of time to take in the rest of the Expo.

The official race shirt was a little plain, I was also disappointed because it is navy blue. Race Organizers around the world, nothing goes with navy blue other than navy blue. If you want people to wear your race shirt go white, black, red…anything that you can pair with black pants, black and navy blue don’t work.

There was plenty to see and sample at the Expo; protein bars, juices, pain relievers, recovery drink and deodorant. No Sugar Ray sightings this time, but you never know who you might see.

Continuing with the Rock ‘N’ Roll theme, we decided to have our pre-race dinner at the Hard Rock Café. We sang a little Britney Bitch, harmonized with Spandau Ballet and hair tossed with White Snake. The food was good and our waiter rocked.

You would think that being in Seattle with a Starbucks on nearly every corner, finding an after dinner decaf wouldn’t be an issue. We were shocked to find out that Starbucks closed at 9:00pm and that they only brew decaf in the morning.

We moved from coffee withdrawal to pre-race breakfast. We hit Walgreens and then found an IGA right in the middle of downtown Seattle. It was like it was meant to be; bagels, fruit, plastic cutlery, even single serving sized packages of almond butter, we were good to go. With the bagels divy’d up we headed back to the hotel and retired to our respective rooms.

Attaching the timing chip wasn’t nearly as stressful as it was in Vegas, even after a glass 2 glasses of wine. I laid out my race outfit and everything that I would need for the morning and was in bed for 10:00pm.

I don’t think that I could have possibly had a worse nights sleep, it wasn’t a noise or comfort issue, it was just me. And with slightly less than four hours of sleep it was time to get up. Thank goodness for coffee and Visine.

We had heard that some friends that were also racing left their hotel at 4:30am. Why so early we thought? The race started at 7:00am, we were less than 20km away (most of it freeway), so we met in the lobby at 5:50am took a couple of pics and piled into the truck with our anonymous driver, a little over capacity.

At 6:20am we were a mile away from our exit, and the freeway came to a complete stop. Hmmm. We could see other vehicles unloading their runners who were now walking down the side of the freeway and down an embankment to join a sea of other runners who were also walking. We were well over capacity, had no idea where the start line was and were under the watchful eye of Washington’s finest, we decided it best that we stay in the vehicle and follow the map and the traffic.

The race started at 7:00am and we had only just exited off the freeway.

At 7:25am we finally made it to the racer drop off point. Leaving only a PBOP (ask Colin) we left our patient and anonymous driver and joined the sea of people, who were also late to the start line. Along a couple of walkways, under an overpass and we were exactly where we had seen the sea people from the freeway…SMF!

Through a McDonalds parking lot, an industrial area and finally we could hear the music. We wished each other well, sang a verse or two of “Life Is A Highway” and instead of going out with corral 8, instead we joined corral 30.

My race plan was simple, hydration/walk breaks every 30 minutes and a PB.

With so many people ahead of me, I spent the first hour weaving, stop-starting, with no real pace at all. I had been running along the edge of the roads/freeways/train lines so by 1:15 the outside of my left foot had started to bug me, and not from my injury either, it was from the camber of the road. I tried switching the side of road that I was running on, but it didn’t help much.

Running along Lake Washington was quite beautiful and made for a great distraction. There were so many encouraging spectators along the side of the road with fantastic signs.

• Best signs: “Chafe now, brag later” (that seems to be my running story lately) and “It’s not sweat, it’s your fat cells crying”.
• The worst:  at the 5km water station read “It’s not too late to turn back”. Placed  at the 18km point of the ½ marathon or the 40km point in the marathon it would be ironic and somewhat funny, but at the 5km water station…fail.

The 9.2 mile mark was the ½ marathon/marathon split. I knew I easily had another 4 miles in me, but another 17? After 8 weeks of second guessing my decision to pull out of my marathon training I was finally at peace with it, and happily veered to the left with the rest of the ½ marathoners.

Just past the 10-mile marker we were able to see our first glimpse of downtown Seattle and also when I ran up on a familiar smiling face. I knew that several of the ladies from Lululemon Coquitlam Centre were running the ½ marathon, but thought that the chances of actually seeing one of them in the crowd of 28,000 was pretty slim. It was so awesome to see Mariah. We chatted for a few minutes and then started talking time goals (nothing like doing math to get you through those last few miles), Mariah’s time goal was in our grasp so away we went.

As we entered into the downtown core the streets became lined with cheering spectators. I had lost my GPS satellite in a tunnel earlier and wasn’t sure if what I was reading on my watch was completely accurate but I knew that the end was very near. We passed along a road that I recognized only by smell of the hotdogs from the day before (they smelled so good the day before, today they made me feel nauseous). We as we rounded the corner I could see the finish line, I love that feeling.

After 13 of these, you would have thought that I would have already learned everything that I needed to know, turns out that lucky 14 taught me a few new lessons:

1. Don’t expect to PB when you show up to a race 52 minutes late.
2. Stick to black bottoms unless you want to look like you pee’d yourself…why did I have to relearn this lesson?
3. It is what it is. Forget about what could have been or what you think should be; appreciate what you have, what you can do and do the best with it…no regrets.
4. Carry ID. Even free race beer requires picture identification.

Congratulations to my running family and everyone who ran this weekend, we rocked! Big woo-hoo for Barry completing his first ½ marathon. So proud of Conny, Colin and Soraiya for running the full meal deal. Thank-you to all of the volunteers for keeping us safe, fueled and hydrated and also to my family for putting up with me especially since May 3rd.

When our group ran the San Francisco Nike Women’s ½ Marathon in 2009 we made a pact to run one destination race per year. Although this trip did require entering another country and three hour car ride I am going to say that it was more of a road trip than a destination. Who’s up for a night run in Vegas, say December?

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