#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. 

Snow Day

Dedication? Insanity? Nope, this morning was all about bragging rights, photo ops, Susa’s first run in the snow and Boston…we may not all be running it, but we certainly all seem to be training for it!

However you spent your morning, I hope it involved playing in the white stuff.

Cold November Rain, I Mean Snow

When the snow started falling on Thursday night it didn’t make me happy. When I awoke on Friday morning to several inches of it I got a little cranky, it was just too early for winter and all of its debauchery. But after I made my way out of my driveway I found that the snow was exactly where it was supposed to be for once; on the grass, in the schoolyards, on the mountains and not on the roads, which made for a fantastic running weekend.

On Saturday, the ½ Marathon Training Clinic got to pull out their winter woolies and headed out on a beautiful run through Pitt Meadows and across the Golden Ears Bridge. Joining us for our adventure was Kathie from Peninsula Runners who is also the Race Director for the Golden Ears ½ Marathon and 10km, coincidently the race that we are training for. Not only is this a local race (and everyone receives a medal), it supports local programs, giving 100% of net proceeds to the School Meal Program in the Langley School District and Friends in Need Food Bank in Pitt Meadows – I love that!

I think that this run went down in the books as one of those memorable runs (and stretches) that will make us think back and say “ahhhhh”.

Sunday was equally chilly and surprisingly sausage free. The Speed Clinic hit the track for 60 minutes of caterpillar, 400 metre repeats and cadence turnover drills. Not quite “ahhhhh” but still very effective.

How did you spend your weekend?

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.

Tuesday

How can something hurt when you walk but not when you run? It seems to be a bit of a pattern for me lately…maybe it’s this whole aging thing, I don’t recommend it!

I met Conny bright and early this morning, left my aches and pains at the side of the road and ran one of the most fantastic loops of Hayward Lake to date. The sun was shining, the air was warm, the pace was right (except when running through the construction zone on the dam, it quickened to the point that I felt a little left behind), the trails were peaceful and the water was a degree or two above refreshing.

Ahhhhh, I love summer runs.

Today Was The Day

Summer thus far on the west coast has consisted of 3 days, 2 back to back a couple of weeks ago and last Sunday. But this morning the sun was out, the temperature was above 17 degrees and I decided that today was going to be the day.

Conny and I had made reference to this day on several occasions over the last few months, but because of the lake drawdown in June and the crappy weather in May, June and July, the remarks were really only wishful thinking. So when I arrived for our run this morning and waved my pretty pink towel at Conny, her grin was a bit hesitant but it was definitely there.

The plan was for an hour run, but today being the day (and also a work day for Conny, the poor thing), this changed everything. Our run plan was quickly amended to 25 minutes out and then back. For the second time this week I took one for the team and got the honour of breaking the spider webs (I hate the feeling of spider webs on my bare arm, I guess it’s better than in my mouth). I have a sneaky suspicion that this was all part of Conny’s plan because when we hit our turn back point, Conny took the lead…

The trail was fantastic; it really felt like summer, still a little mucky in spots, but dry for the most part and even starting to get a little overgrown. We skipped our last water break and blazed down to the floating bridge. I kid you not, before I even had chance to take my camelback off, Conny was already in! She let out a little yelp and said it was refreshing.

Conny’s and my entrance to the water completely differ, she is graceful and slips in without getting her hair wet, I on the other hand am not so graceful and need to be fully submerged. I was told that my dive today was pitiful. I hesitated once and nearly went in anyway and knowing full well that the water was refreshing, dove so shallow that it was more like a skim the top of the surface dive.

REFRESHING???? IT WAS FREAKING COLD! It was glacier water! I couldn’t catch my breath for a moment. She didn’t say it but the look on Conny’s face told me that she thought I was being a bit dramatic, whatever. At the risk of looking like a cold water wussy, I was out within a minute.

Not quite the beer commercial swim that I had in mind when I left my house this morning, but never the less the first swim of summer and the water can’t get any colder, right?

Visiting The Capital

It’s always great to get out of dodge, and there is no better way to explore a new city than go for a run!

Hope that you had a fantastic weekend in the sun.

Desperately Seeking Summer

Could somebody please tell me when summer will arrive?

It is not right that I considered wearing gloves for my run yesterday morning, that I spent the evening watching some fantastic ball at the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship wrapped up in my Nana blanket (yes, it has a name) and that I turned my heated seats on, and didn’t turn them off, on my drive home.

Weather for Vancouver, BC

16°C | °F

Fri

Sat

Sun

Mon

Mostly Cloudy

Wind: SE at 16 km/h

Humidity: 82%

20°

14°

18°

13°

21°

13°

19°

13°

Since there is absolutely nothing that we can do about our springter, I guess we should look for the positives:

• We all have lush weedy green lawns.
• We are reducing our risk of skin cancer, but don’t forget your sunscreen.
• Our forests aren’t going to burn down.
• Going to work on a rainy Friday isn’t all that bad.
• No 6am runs to avoid the heat.
• No chicken ranch air conditioning units hanging out of my windows!

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.

End of the World Run

I had big plans for my end of the world run tomorrow. Since I am avoiding hills right now my run was to include the ocean and blue skies. Plans change and so does the weather, so I ran this morning instead. And if this morning’s run is in fact my last, I couldn’t have asked for a more lovely morning or nicer shoes!

Ooooooh Yeaahhhhh (that was for you Macho Man) my new Salomon XR Crossmax shoes. This wasn’t a retail therapy purchase either, I really did need new road/side of the road shoes, really, and I am assuming that the world will not end until at least after the Vegas ½ marathon.

photo source: Shopstyle.com – Salomon website didn’t show my exact colour combo.

I wasn’t entirely sure of them at first; the back height of the shoe didn’t seem as tall as my Wings. Once I stopped comparing them to my Wings I found that they did have that same Salomon fit that I love, and they were less bulky. They are keepers.

Oh, and my IT band felt great  .

Wishing you a safe and fantastic Victoria Day long weekend. And hey, be on the lookout for wildlife.

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