Desolute Winter Desert

It was dramatic, desolate, destitute! Parts of today's snowshoe made me think, could parts of the South Pole look like this! The Ice! The Cold! The Blue!

This is what I have to show for 5 1/2 hours of snowshoeing and 14 kilometers later. This was not really what we expected to see when we set out this morning to visit Watridge Lake and Spray Lake. But, when you least expect it:

The trek across and along side Spray Lake was breath-taking! In total, I took about 60 photos of ice formations, each one looking spectacular in its' own way. The light blue in the photo above is actually a big piece of ice.

Lunch was at Watridge Lake. We tucked ourselves in the trees for protection from the wind and we had a show of snow swirls right in front of us. I checked in a tree stump for a note I left last year, but no luck in finding it. One of my favourite photos is where the water drops froze while dropping!
We smelled smoke so followed our noses and this is where we ended up! It is a pine beetle infestation burn. The fellow invited us to come close to warm up. We visited for about 10 minutes then carried on. He was getting paid by the piece, it was getting late and he needed to get back to work.I got to try out my Pelican SnowFlite 36! Today's trek didn't include much elevation but we did find a slippery slope steep enough and long enough to give it a whirl. I managed four slides and my fastest was 12.2 km/hour. It was a lot of work to climb up, that's why only four.

We did a fare amount of bushwacking, some of us taking turns leading to break trail. I would pick this way to strengthen the legs instead of the weights in the gym any day. I felt tired starting out today but was invigorated by the scenery and fresh air and being in the company of such fun and adventurous people.

We topped today off with hot drinks and snacks at a coffee shop in Canmore before heading home. I feel like the luckiest girl of the planet being able to experience days like these!

Toy Story

MY TOY!

It's a "Pelican SnowFlite 36", a fancy name for crazy carpet! I bought two of them just in case one of the others shows up carpetless. It rolls up perfectly to fit in the side pocket of my backpack. You see, sometimes once we snowshoe up the mountain, play around, dine, we then need to find the quickest way down. This could be it! Stay tuned!

MY STORY!

Runners' Lounge has a unique book project on the go! Check it out! It's a great opportunity for us runners to share our wisdom. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been working on something to contribute. After a few drafts, I came up with the final version of my story and emailed it off to Amy and Tom last evening. Here's hoping it's acceptable and they find a place for it in the book. Until then, I gotta keep it under wraps! Stay tuned!

It's A Mystery! It's Magic! It's The Marathon!

Here we are again, another Thursday! You know what that means! It's Runners' Lounge Take It and Run Thursday with this week's theme being "Why Don't They Get It - The Marathon Explained!" I have this to share on that topic:

After completing my first marathon in 2001, I said "never again"! Time passed, not too much time. We forget so easily. I signed up to run another one. After completing my second marathon in 2002, I said "never again"! Time passed, a lot of time this time around, life got in the way. Now I am signed up to run my third marathon!

I remember saying "never again" both times. I even remember the reasons why I said that. I remember I got many blisters on my feet. I remember hitting the wall. I remember my toe nails turned black and eventually fell off. I remember my legs hurt whenever I walked for a few days after. I remember being an emotional wreck. I remember every muscle, bone, tendon, ligament hurt!

But what I remember so vividly even more so, was how I felt when my foot landed on the mat at the finish line and I heard that sweet chirp! What I experienced mentally at that split second in time is why I am willing to go through all this (what some would call torture and agony) all over again.

Imagine how long a second is! Not long, is it! It passes with the blink of an eye! Packed into that split second in time when I hit the finish line of the marathon, I felt such a great sense of accomplishment. I felt like I could fly and like I could take on the world. I felt jubilation and triumph. I felt the confirmation of my strength, will-power, determination, fortitude and my ability to conquer. No other experience in my life, so far, as been comparable to this euphoria.

I want to live another one of those split seconds!

To truly understand what I am trying to explain, you would have to walk a mile in my shoes, or I mean, you would have to run 42.2 kilometers in your runners, cross the finish line and then watch out!

A Home Run!

I mean A Run Home! I needed to find something that works when it comes to mid-week running after work at this time of year. By George, I think I found it! Due to there being so much ice on the sidewalks in neighbourhoods, I need to run while it's light so I can see the ice to skip around it. I wasn't getting home early enough to get a good quality run in before dusk. Today I got one of those great runs in! I ran home from work! Well, to my car where I park and ride which is almost home. I took all my gear to work and I have a nice little pack for around my waist to carry essentials in to run home. I took the essentials (keys, money, ID, visa, cell phone, emergency transit ticket and of course, lip gloss) home and left everything else in my desk. That stuff will come home tomorrow. I am so happy this worked out and here is what I have to show for my great idea:

Time 56:53
Distance 8.26 km
Pace 6:51 min/km

I started my 305 at Eau Claire, so that was after almost a km of running to get there. The slower than usual average pace takes into consideration the 167 stairs I walked up to get out of Prince's Island and the numerous places where folks did not clear the ice from their sidewalks. As I get stronger and as the ice melts, my hope is the pace will quicken and the time will decrease. For now, I am tickled pink with how this turned out!

I Was So Wrong!

How could I be? How could I be so right on Saturday and then come Sunday be so wrong! Yesterday I was right on the mark in choosing the proper clothing for the weather conditions. For this morning's run, I was dressed for -20C when in fact, it was -26C and -30C with a windchill. By the time I reached CBC the board said -26c! At the 3km point, I was considering calling it a day and returning. My cheeks were already stinging as were the fronts of my legs. When I turned around, the wind was at my back and gave reprieve to my front. It felt better as I went on and as the sun came up! Yes, as the sun came up! I'm not sure what my issue was this morning but I ended up down by the river long before sunrise, I couldn't even see my garmin screen to be sure I had it set properly. I finished my run as most others were just heading out! I was able to turn the almost only 3km into a respectable run of:

Time: 1:10:37
Distance: 10:68
Pace: 6:36 min/km

In Search of Rummel Lake

I know from experience, that you just go anyway and then take it from there, once you get there! What I am talking about would be weather conditions! We had a gorgeous day of sunshine and -18 degrees C with not even a breeze! The forecast was for cold so a few others opted out at the last minute but six of us went anyway, in search of Rummel Lake!

One of the others had a Garmin Legend to point us in the right direction. As we followed direction, we took a few minutes to stop, turn around and this is what was behind us! We made significant enough climb that we could see the Spray Lake over the young forest.

This wasn't a marked trail, but we could see a resemblance of a trail made by others who would have ventured this way a week or so ago. I checked my 60CSX for elevation and distance and timing while the Legend owner didn't bother checking for direction for quite some time, then only to realize we were off track. That added some extra distance which was fine because the scenery was amazing.

Here I am at a rest break! If you click on the photo, my hair will tell you conditions were on the frosty side. The proper attire lets you enjoy the conditions without feeling them! A close to the skin Patagonia polyester No. 2 shirt, a tightly woven Eddie Bauer fleece and a Marmot windbreaker moisture wicking membrane jacket did the trick for me today! This is the Lake, yes there is a Lake there, Rummel Lake! 5.6 kms later at an elevation of 2230 we arrived at the Lake and choose this as our dining spot. We stayed on the west side away from avalanche area and in a nook that still was catching the sun's rays. Lunch was quick, time enough for a hot drink, a sandwich, a few photos and of course, a two bit brownie. The surrounding mountain range looked so pretty covered with snow and reflections. We took lots of detours on the way down! Detours = fun! Detours = deep soft snow! Detours = quicker trips! Although some of the trips were over our own snowshoes leading to face plants and such. I'm still learning the knack to getting back up on my feet. It's not easy when you fall forward or sideways into a couple feet of snow, with snowshoes on and a big backpack strapped on.

After bushwacking and tonnes of fun, we came out onto the Smith Dorien, further down the road from where we were parked and where the route started. The Legend was a bit off, but a bit off just means more fun!

All in all, we did 10.4 km in 3:58 with a total ascent of 491 meters. I wonder what kind of a run that would be equal to! I think I will leave my boots attached to my snowshoes at my front door. I can hardly wait to head out again!

My Best Half Is A Fun Half

Here we are again, another Thursday! You know what that means! It's Runners' Lounge Take It and Run Thursday with this week's theme being "How To Run Your Best Half-Marathon In 2009!" I have this to share on that topic:

My "best half marathon" rating would be based on how much fun I had! From someone who ran 6 half-marathons in 25 weeks, I say it can be fun, if you want it to be!

Up until the second before the gun goes off to start the race, I was in control of pretty much all the variables that went into getting me to the starting line. The variables range from my choice for fuel, when I ran, where I ran to who I ran with. The weather is a variable but that's a whole different story. I was the boss and what I said, went!

Once the gun goes off, the dynamics change! I am presented with an array of variables that are out of my control! My fuel and my pace are mine for the taking but that is about it. This is where my half marathon turns into a game which makes the time fly and me fly too!

I can't choose who runs with me! I pay attention to those around me looking for fashion and gear ideas. I take this as an opportunity to learn. As the race goes on, I look for those that may need encouragement and extend it. This makes me feel stronger and more powerful.

I can't choose the route we take! I pay attention to the scenery around me looking for that which may be unique trying to notice three to four things that I can include in my race report blog post. I acknowledge home made signs along the way and pass along a thank you here and there, after all, these folks are doing this for me, someone they don't even know!

The only time I ever appreciate a large number of people yelling at me all at once is when I am running down the homestretch to the finish line. I let their enthusiasm bring out the best in me!

How fitting on this "Take It and Run Thursday", I have the opportunity to tell how I am able to make my best half marathon a fun half marathon when I am thrown an array of uncontrollables, I just "take it and run"!

A Book Report

This was a book I ordered over the Christmas holidays and I just got around to reading it. It's a quick, easy, light read. I chuckled at times because I could relate to some of the author's experiences.

I have two favourite passages to share with you:

The first is "Still, as a fellow long-distance runner who'd encountered them day after day, I felt like we somehow understood each other. Even if the skill level varies, there are things that only runners understand and share." My other favourite is "No matter how long you stand there examining yourself naked before a mirror, you'll never see reflected what's inside."

The context in which the first was written was most unfortunate but the passage itself is what leads me to believe all those runners at the races or out on the pathway on any given Sunday, are my extended family members.

I leave with you to ponder, those two quotes from his book!

Squeezed It In

I raced home from work so I could get out and run before the sun went down! I found a new place to run! I wanted to try some place different to see what would show up on my 305 when I downloaded the information. This is where I was! I did some back and forth trying to reach 5km while it was light but I only made it this far:

Distance: 4.41
Time: 28:46
Pace: 6:32

I found a baby forest! Yes, a baby forest! This area was covered in new little trees with tags hanging from them. I remember an announcement was made that anyone who had a baby born in 2007 could come to this location and plant a tree for their baby. (I think the year was 2007). I got to run on a dirt road that was clear of ice and with only a few folks walking dogs off in the distance. I know coyotes can frequent the area so I was a tad nervous!

I Did It, But I Don't Know How

Today's run that is which turned out being as follows:

Time: 1:20:47
Distance: 12.29
Pace: 6:34 min/km

I spent about 45 minutes this morning debating with myself whether to run or not! I almost convinced myself that I needed to rest after yesterday's big day and came up with many ways I would benefit from the rest. But, the sun was shining, the temperature was warm and I just love running with my 305. My body felt tired and I was moving at a slow pace having coffee and breakfast and eventually getting into my gear.

Once at the curling club parking lot, I decided I would just do the 14th St Loop which is 5km. I felt not too too bad and once I reached where I would turn to make the Loop, instead I carried on and then decided to do the Crowchild Loop which would make my run an 8km distance. The sun was shining, everyone that runs was running, I was in a groove, a good groove, and once I reached where I would turn to make the Loop, instead I carried on and decided to run to 6km and then turn around, which I did and came back the same way I went.

I did it, but I don't know how!

Then I drove home and went to bed!

Double-Cross Turned Triple

Our adventure to the Ink Pots just west of Banff was to be a two in one activity day! Just to make it a little more exciting, we veered away from the original plan and threw a third sport into the mix! This made for quite a day of cross-training!

Twelve of us hit the trail around 11:00. This trail required our stabilizers for sure footing along the suspended walk-way that followed Johnston Canyon. You can see the lay out of the land, the purple being the route we followed. My Garmin 60CSX worked perfectly today, this is the report it turned in at the end. The maximum elevation we reached was 1756 meters and the total distance for the day was 12.7 kms, all this over 4 hours and 46 minutes.

The water falls were amazing! Some were partially frozen and you could see the water falling underneath the ice. The ice climbers were amazing too! At the Lower Falls we climbed into the cave to get an up close and personal view of the falls and pool of water right before our eyes.

At the junction, we stopped to de-layer because we had a climb ahead of us and that's when you warm up really quick. The trail was sheltered and tree-lined and as white as could be! The stabilizers were working well on the hard packed trail.

Finally, we arrived at the Ink Pots! Here is the story! If you click on the photo you can find out all about them.

This was our dining destination, sitting in pure sunshine for 40 minutes in just a base layer on top, sunglasses, bare hands and savouring lunch and the scenery.

The ink pots were so pretty! Each of the seven being unique in their own way. I really like the ice flowers on the partially frozen pot. On to the next mission! Time to ditch the stabilizers and strap on the snowshoes to carry on to the junction where we could detour to Moose Meadows. The junction was 3 kms away, and it was up and down to get to it. The uphill always feels easier on a happy full belly that adds the energy needed.

Once we reached the junction and carried on towards the Meadows for a short bit, was when the loop was thrown into the original plan. Three of us had GPS systems so we knew we could safely veer off track and not get lost. A quick left, and we were off to the left, bushwacking! This was my first time for bushwacking and I loved it! It was new untouched powder snow a couple of feet deep. Good thing it was downhill bushwacking. We were able to cut off 2 kms from our trip and have so much more fun. I'm in the bush here somewhere! We came to an opening and had to maneuver our way down a big hill to the roadside. As it turns out, we came out onto the Bow Valley Parkway and had about a km to walk back to the start.

For this kind of terrain back to the parking lot, the snowshoes got strapped to the backpacks again and on with the sure-footing stabilizers. The sun was setting as we tackled that last kilometer, it was a slow go with heavy feet and tired legs by now. We got in under the wire and didn't need our insurance headlights. After dinner and a drink in Canmore, we were back in the city by 8:00 and before long, I will be in bed wondering if I will even be able to move tomorrow!

They Caught Me! I Was Tagged!

I'm it! I noticed SoloRunningChick and BeachRunner tagged me! Funny thing, I didn't feel the tag! I'm glad I noticed, cause I don't like being left out, I want to play too! This time we are divulging favourite things and places and stuff like that! The game calls for listing four things for each category but I am going to put my own twist on this tag and list my top pick!

My favourite memory of 2008!
Climbing to the top of Rae Glacier and sliding down on a hot summer day!

My favourite movie of 2008!
I only watched one movie and I loved it "Spirit of the Marathon"!

My favourite food of 2008!
Hands down, it would have to be those two bite brownies shown in this post!

My favourite place in 2008!
On top of Sentinel Pass in the Rocky Mountains where you could see forever!

My favourite event in 2008!
Red Deer Half Marathon because crossing the finish line was a light bulb moment!

What I am looking forward to most in 2009!
When I have a stretch of time off work to hike, bike and run every day!

You should play along! It's fun! How about it Fit&Fabulous, Running Potter, Travels&Pictures!

Double-Cross!

Normally the words "double-cross" would evoke a sense of betrayal, something you would not go in search of. This time around, no worries, it is all good! Seeking to "double-cross" has been a well thought out, carefully considered, plan to attack!

Well, it can be all good as long as you are prepared! I added a BlackDiamond Cosmo to my collection of required gear. It is my, just in case, safety insurance. The plan is to keep it tucked away but when the itinerary calls for a 15km "double-cross" on Saturday who knows what artillery might be needed!

Stayed tuned!

5k and 10k's

Here we are again, another Thursday! You know what that means! It's Runners' Lounge Take It and Run Thursday with this week's theme being "5k and 10k's"! I have this to share on that topic:

For me the 5k and 10k races serve three purposes:

1. To stay true to myself on why I love to run, it's important that my suite of yearly races includes some fun runs. The fun ones tend to be the 5k and 10k distances.
2. The 5k and 10k runs are stepping stones along my journey to a half or full marathon. After a few weeks where my long runs are really long, a weekend 10k is much appreciated and my result will always be a faster time which tells me my training is working.
3. On the weekend before the big race, I like to find a 5k or 10k race and use that as my short, easy taper run. I savour the excitement that fills the air at these runs, knowing that in a week's time, for the big one, excitement will be tenfold!

Two of my favourite 10k's would be the St. Patrick's Day 10k and the Mother's Day 10k. They both also have a 5k, support great causes and are unique in their own way. The St. Patrick's Day Race is my first race of the year with a few hundred runners participating and I am able to place well in my age category. This race is where I earned my one and only placement medal. The Mother's Day Race on the other hand, is as grand as they get in Calgary, with well over 10,000 participants. Even though I am not a mother, any reason to celebrate Moms is A-1 with me!

How appropriate on this Take It and Run Thursday to blog about 5k and 10k's when I just got home from an almost 5k:
Distance: 4.74 km
Time: 30:56
Pace: 6:31 min/km

Short & Swervy!

Squeezing in a short and swervy neighbourhood jaunt!

Being quick before the sun set!

That's what tonight's run was all about!

It was a swervy one trying to avoid the ice patches!

My graph depicts the sidewalk conditions!

My numbers depict my run:

Distance: 3.69 km

Time: 23:43 min

Pace: 6:25 min/km

Inching Upwards

I was excited to go running today! My favourite runs are the ones where I am out there for awhile and each weekend I have been adding on a little distance so my whiles are inching upwards. Today's while turned out to be:

Time: 1:23:40
Distance: 13.02 km
Pace: 6:25 min/km

I was pleased that I felt fine with this effort after yesterday's snowshoe. The way I felt last night, I thought I might not be able to move today.

I ran on my own! I like it that way at times! Today I did!

Favourite Way to Cross-Train

These days I am having more fun cross-training then actual training and that has been taking priority! We can snowshoe for only a few months of the year whereas we can run year round! Chester Lake is where we ended up today. This is the meadow we reached after a steady climb for close to two hours on our way to the Lake. You can't get lost with all the little red snowshoe signs marking the trail. We carried on past the Lake up to the Elephant Rocks which added a little more elevation bringing us to about 2211 meters. I am still getting use to my new Garmin 60CSX so I don't have all the details.

What a difference five months makes! I consider myself fortunate to live in a place where the difference in seasons is extreme. With all the snow, this time around we were able to easily maneuver our way up onto the elephant rocks to a great dining spot. The temperature was -5 C which made for a pleasant time sitting in the snow munching away. My two bite brownie never tasted so good and this is me on the way down with a full belly and re-energized to play in the snow.

The Rocky Mountains are not called a playground for nothing! With an amazing abundance of new fresh soft snow, we couldn't help ourselves from making the most of it and letting our inner child get the best of us.

We cross-trained for four hours today then cancelled it all out by heading to the Pub in Canmore for beer and pub food! Now how great of a day is that! I can hardly wait to do it all over again!

Virtual Race

I'm entered! How exciting! My first Virtual Race!

"RuntotheFinish" has organized a Virtual Race on February 7, 2009! It's open to everyone, so I thought I would enter. After checking out my competition, I noticed "RunningLaur" designed her own bib. How cool is that!

Better get busy training cause it's looking like a tough field!

See you at the start!

Running Room Run

That's what I did this evening, a Run with the Running Room! It was their usual 6:30 Wednesday run! It was usual for them, but it was unusual for me! I have not run with them in many years but thought I needed to shake things up a bit so gave that a try! It is the beginning of their clinics, which I am not a part of, so their mileage was low to start. Tonight was short and quick at:

Distance: 3.07 km
Time: 19:19
Pace: 6:17 min/km

This Running Room location is in Country Hills but when I downloaded my data to MotionBased, it showed our place of running to be in Balzac! The only thing I know about Balzac would be, that is where Billy lives. He's the ground hog! Have you heard of him, Balzac Billy!

I gave more money away today! This time I gave it to the Tech Shop as they are the organizers for the Calgary Police Half Marathon. On-line registration opens this Friday at noon but 500 in-stores spots are available now and I went that route to register. I have that race as a minor goal to accomplish on my way to the bigger goal! It will soon be time to start thinking of rewards! Hmmmm!

To Be Exact!

I am so enjoying not having to make guesstimates! I can report that today's actual account is:

Time: 1:12:57

Distance: 11.1 km

Pace: 6:34 min/km

I have so much to learn about my Forerunner 305 and this was today's lesson. The blue shows my 11.1 km running route.

Snowshoeing was Heavenly

We even saw an angel! When I was "really young", my Mom use to call me her little angel. Now that I am all grown up, I can still be a little angel when I want to be! Finding time to be a kid at heart keeps me "really young" in spirit! Third time's the charm! Finally after two failed attempts, I got out snowshoeing! Nothing was going to hold me back, not even the forecasted day's temperature! Today's destination for the ten of us was Rawson Lake. We passed by the Upper Kananaskis Lake on the way and if you look closely or click on the photo you will see the ice fishing hut on the lake.

It took about 90 minutes to get up to Rawson Lake. We were the first folks on the trail today but good thing the trail was packed with only a bit of new snow so no trail blazing was needed. This was quite a sludge on it's own, just going up hill, so I think I earned the right to call today a cross-training activity! I hiked to Rawson Lake in August and here is a then and now comparison.

We stopped to dine once we reached our destination. We found a nice spot to stand, socialize and try and eat what was not frozen. I checked my thermometer and the mercury had disappeared so that told me it was below -30 C. As long as we were moving we were fine, but once we stopped for lunch it didn't take long to get cold, so our reservation on the Lake Side lasted a mere 30 minutes.

The trip back down went very quickly as we could see sunshine through the tall trees and it was calling us. We migrated towards it and it happened to be on the far end of the Upper Kananaskis Lake. Upon arrival time, we played and basked before the sun set behind the mountain telling us it was time to move on!

Then it was off to the information center to sit on the sofas by the fireplace, share well deserved treats and recap our day! I was absolutely exhausted by the time I got home, but you know what, I love when it's the fresh air, the exercise, the great people and the fun time that exhausts me!

They Have My Money!

I'm entered! I am officially on the list to run the 2009 Calgary Marathon on May 31st! The countdown is on! UGH! What have I done!

Well, what I did do is call it a day at work late this morning and hit the pathway for a 14th Street Loop short run. It was mighty cold at -26C with a windchill of -39C! What I have to report is:

Time: 33:27
Distance: 5.11km
Pace: 6:33min/km

My run needed to be short and easy to save myself for tomorrow! That is all I am saying because I don't want to cause a jinx! Stay tuned!

In Search of Ice...

...and WOW did we find it! With ice cleats on, we ventured down Grotto Canyon to reach this view at the end! It's not a long hike and didn't take long to get to the end, so shall we say "short and sweet!"Here I am at the base of the falls! It took about an hour to get to this point and that included some stops along the way to take photos and to admire the walls of the canyon and search for the pictographs. Here is one!

We were not as adventurous as some folks! If you click on the photo to enlarge, you can see the serious footwear needed for this type of activity. This was a great spot to stop for hot drinks and snacks. My two bite brownie was frozen so I had to do without but did enjoy my black forest ham sandwich, snap peas and Havarti cheese while we watched the climbers.

After an hour of entertainment here, we took a detour in another direction which brought us to a cave up in the mountain. This seemed a little more at our level. I made it to this point, almost to the cave and I lost my footing and slid to the bottom. The rocks were covered with snow so it was a smooth slide. Funny thing, I checked the stats of our trek on my new Garmin GPS 60CSX and it listed the maximum rate of speed was 14.1 km/hr. That would have been my slide!

This was a great way to spend the first day of the brand new year! We are already talking of other places where there could be lots of ice!

...hello 2009!

Here we are again, another Thursday! You know what that means! It's Runners' Lounge Take It and Run Thursday with this weeks theme being "your favourite blog post from 2008!" I have this to share!

In a year where my New Year’s Resolution was to run two half marathons (a spring half and an autumn half), I took a big chance in running my second half only three weeks after my first. This second half marathon was one of my best race experiences ever. I had that feeling even at the half way point in the race. On the drive home from the race, I passed the time by visualizing how my blog post might read and also thinking about when my next race could be. At this point I began to wonder what are the possibilities! Oh Dear, I have opened a can of worms! Once I put my post in print and shared it with the world, I realized I needed to "walk the talk" well, I mean "run the talk". I went on to complete six half marathons in six months. This running experience gave me the confidence to realize possibilities in other aspects of my life too. For this reason, my favourite blog post of 2008 has to be "Red Deer...Oh Dear!"

On a "take it and run Thursday" I’ve got to grab a tight hold onto this new found confidence and "take it and run"!