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.

Spring Is In My Step

I have been ready for this morning since Wednesday September 22, 2010. Spring may have not officially arrived when I woke up, but according to my calendar, Spring begins today, and that’s all the convincing that I needed.

What better way to welcome the vernal equinox than to go for a run in SHORTS. Spring signifies rebirth, so not just any old pair of shorts would work today, so I decided to breathe new life into my Groovy Run Shorts (it was a tough call, especially after seeing Soraiya in her pretty blue Run: Speed Skirt yesterday). And holy crap, are my legs ever white!

With sun shining, my running glasses on and just enough of a little somethin’-somethin’ to run out, it felt great to be on the move. The temperature was just above freezing, so my Spring run still required gloves, and it didn’t take long before my mighty white legs changed to ‘it’s a little chillier than I thought’ shade of pinky-purple.

Nothing crazy distance wise, no Jason Voorhees sightings, although his front door was open. Just me, the birds, a few dogs and a couple of walkers in puffy jackets who looked at me like I was a lunatic for exposing so much skin. And although I didn’t beat my breakfast back to the house, it was my quickest 5km run in almost a year.

How did you spend the first partial day of spring?

My Killer Run

It doesn’t matter where you live, everyone has that house somewhere in their neighbourhood, you know, the creepy house. I affectionately refer to that house in my hood as Jason Voorhees house, remember Friday 13th?

Funnily enough, the Voorhees residence is on my running route. When I first started running this particular route I would always run on the opposite side of the road for fear of ‘what if’. I guess in my old age I have become a bit braver and also a bit of a lookie loo, there always seems to be a lot going on in their yard and even when I think that I have seen it all, something else grabs my attention and makes me run a little bit faster.

Monday is not normally run day for me, but today it was so sunny and spring like, not to mention the rest of the week looks awful, I went for a lunchtime run. My muscles were feeling a little tight from the Fit Drills class that I subbed yesterday so my plan was for a relaxed 30 (15 out, 15 back) minute run. Before I left I put my lunch (Mum’s homemade manicotti…YUM) in the oven to warm while I was out, and hit the road.

The warmth of the sun felt fantastic, and although I could still feel my hamstrings, my gait felt relaxed, life was good, but it was about to change. As I neared the Voorhees house, I could see my turnaround point at the top of the hill, I changed my pace slightly to accommodate the incline and then it happened…I came face to face with Jason Voorhees, tattered mack jacket, camo pants, hiking boots, sans hockey mask but wielding an axe (insert shock/horror sound effect here), he was chopping wood in his front yard. He stopped as I passed by, our eyes met and what did I do? I smiled and waved at him and quickened my pace dramatically.

After shoulder checking several times, I reached my turn back point a little out of breath. I weighed my options, I could take the long way back, my lunch would be on the crispy side and I would have to run by the Doberman house or I could go back as planned the way I came using the downhill to my advantage. Really how fast can someone run in hiking boots wielding an axe (I have seen the movies as well, he just walks really fast and as long as I didn’t run through a wooded area and trip and fall over roots or get tangled in trees I would be fine)?

Wishing that I had Liz’s tool belt, I took a deep breath and back down I went, but on the other side of the road of course. Channeling my inner Kenyan I ran like hell, as I passed the house Jason was nowhere to be seen. Yikes, was he hiding behind a tree? Was I going to turn my head and run into him like in his movies? The storylines running through my mind were enough to get me safely back home and in record time.

I am sure that Mr. Voorhees is a very nice man (kind of like Boo Radley), he does have a nice roadside vegetable garden, and I would like to think that he wasn’t trying to mess with my mind and merely stepped inside for a glass of water, chopping wood with a very large axe can be tiring. I always tell my daughter, there is always room for another friend, but for right now I think that I will stick to just a cordial wave and not watching anymore episodes of Criminal Minds. I will miss you Shemar Franklin Moore.

I Couldn’t Resist

Fortunately for me, I was up and at ’em before the snow plow this morning. And even if I wasn’t I would have been because of an early morning phone call. Isn’t there an unwritten rule somewhere that you cannot call someone’s home on a Sunday morning before 9:00am unless it is an emergency?

With four inches of fresh snow that had fallen overnight, I had to get out in it again, and with my Yaktrax. I have been trying to use these babies since Christmas, the best I have been able to do so far is a quick run around my block in the slush-snow-guck at the side of the road. Even if Sunday wasn’t a run day, it would be today.

I love my music when I run, but today I decided to leave it at home and enjoy the peacefulness of the morning.

Being an idiot a snow rookie, I had to modify my run immediately because I wore the wrong pants (snow is cold on a bare leg and it also goes down your sock and into your runners, duh), quickly moving from the fresh powder to the tire tracks in the road (good thing I left my music at home).

Not every run can be a good run; today’s was exceptional. I wasn’t out for speed or distance; I was running because I couldn’t resist on such a lovely morning. Other than a couple of dogs, one car and a man out on his quad clearing his driveway I had the world to myself for 30 minutes and it was magical.

Tapering in Penticton

I spent this weekend in Penticton.  Between the schedule of events and The BC VQA Wine Information Centre (thanks to the fantastic staff for all of your help, and PS you can free pour for me anytime) sometime over the course of the weekend I had to get my taper run in.

I always look forward to running in new places, and being a bit of a type A’er, I had already been online and pre-planned my running route.  The forecast was calling for cold temps (dry cool air equals dry skin but also good hair) with the possibility of snow. Liking to come prepared, I packed winter wear, my Yaktraxs (I am just dying to use them again) and plenty of cold weather potions and lotions.

Eager to run, I bundled up, pulled out the hotties and headed out into the crisp Okanagan air. At first glance it looked like it had just rained, but one step out of the hotel I quickly realized that the parking lot was a sheet of ice.   I shuffled my way across and made my way out to the road, because of course that would be so much better.  I kid you not when I say that the town of Penticton was one huge sheet of ice, I needed skates not YakTraxs. I called my run less than a minute into it. I saw this sign later in the day that pretty much summed it up…

With my nose pressed up against the window, I patiently waited for the ice to thaw. By afternoon it was still pretty crisp out but dry (the only thing that was frozen now was my water bottle from the crazy fridge in the hotel room).

Taper run, take two.  I made my way towards the water and ran along Okanagan Lake, up Front Street and along Main Street and then back again.

Other than reaffirming my utter distaste for wearing a water belt around my waist (I really thought that bringing my Camelback would be overkill…coming from the girl who brings YakTraxs just in case, I know) and dodging the smokers on a relatively deserted Main Street I had a really great run. I didn’t push my pace, my music rocked and the scenery was fantastic.  Thanks for having us.

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