Photography Practice

With everything in life, practice makes perfect, at least we try to perfect through practice! With some things how perfect it is can be measured by distance, or time, or pace, or height, or quantity like speed skating, or hockey, or ski cross! Where as others, beauty is in the eye of the beholder like ice dancing or photography. I thought it timely to relate this to Olympic events.

Today a co-worker and I passed our lunch hour practicing our photography skills at Prince's Island Park. This is what I came up with!

NATURE

MACROS

ARCHITECTURE

MAN-MADE

I don't own the fanciest, danciest camera so options are somewhat limited. I am open to allowing my eyes to be caught by what I perceive to be unique or photo worthy. I do have IPhoto and Photo Impression which I can use to perk up the pictures. I am open to helpful hints and ways to improve.

Running and Hiking

Following a plan and making a plan, that's what has been occupying my time recently!

My running is going just fine and now it's time to make my evening runs a tiny bit longer and that should be easy with it staying lighter longer and the sidewalks becoming clearer and clearer. I found a hill close to home that is dry and would be perfect for hill training. I do realize it is still just February and this is Calgary but I can't help it, I have spring fever! I was happy with my average pace of 6:09 min/km yesterday.

I was reminded on my run last evening that drivers don't always see when they look to the right when making a right hand turn to merge into traffic coming from the left. I thought I made eye contact and started to run into the cross-walk only to realize that I thought he saw me but must have seen through me! He scared me and I scared him!

I have been having a wonderful year so far with hiking and snowshoeing. With running I am following a plan and with hiking I am making a plan. Well, the plan is made, I am working on the details. I have my hotel room confirmation number and my money is down on a place ticket to hike in Utah in May. Now I just need to arrange a vehicle rental, pick what hikes to do and then as time gets closer, start a count down on number of sleeps!

This hiking trip comes smack in the middle of two half marathons that are a month apart. I have no intentions of running in Utah but I have always found that hiking is a great cross-training activity, although that has never been the reason I hike.

I love the anticipation of plans and when plans work out!

Early 12

I was finishing up my 12km this morning as most runners were just getting starting! Yes, I was out there as the sun was coming up and mine was the 3rd car at the Edworthy parking lot. I headed east and at 6km turned back to cover my tracks and call it a day.

My pace was quicker, no chatting today. I missed Karen, she has life happening for the next couple of weeks. Even though I still felt fine going at the quicker pace, I still prefer a chat to go with the slower pace.

I came prepared to head off to Bowness to skate 5km after my 12km run but it didn't happen. I came home, cleaned up, ate then had some one on one time with my sofa and TV!

This is how I chalk up today's run: 12:05km in 1:21:19 at an average pace of 6:44min/km. Looking at my split times, I think I do very well at keeping pace.

Water & Ice

Spring and winter in one day! That's what it felt like when we hiked into the Ink Pots where it was sunny and bright and took a detour to see the Upper Falls where it was icy and chilly.

We started from the Moose Meadows parking lot and followed a hard packed trail with gradual elevation up through the trees. It was -5 Celsius but felt cooler in the trees and it wasn't until we reached the fork in the trail to veer off to the Ink Pots that we shed a layer. I have been to this area before and I was excited for what we would see as the sky was blue and bright and I knew the views would be gorgeous. As we got closer, I quickened my pace, I could hardly wait to get there!

It felt like a spring day feeling the sun beat down and seeing the pots not frozen over. The benches were even vacant of snow which made for a great dining spot and this was our lunch time view.

As you can see above, I wore my icers to this point along the hard packed trail but now it was time to strap on my snowshoes and explore the area. A few others came along. We had to cross a bridge to get to the other side of the partially frozen creek to where we had a wide open playground.

We explored, played, admired the views, took photos and took turns breaking trail! It was untouched snow that was above my knees when I did sink through. For us few, this added on about another kilometer to our day.

Spring turns into winter! On the return trip, we carried on past the fork to see what has happening at the Upper Falls. Near the ice, in the shade, it felt like winter. We watched the ice climbers for a short while as did the raven. See the raven in the upper right photo!

The scenery was amazing today! What a difference a large blue sky can make. I couldn't stop smiling the whole time and these seemed pretty happy too!

With the added exploratory trip in the valley, and myself and a buddy taking two trips to see the ice climbers, the total distance tallied up to 15.2 km, which was more then I was expecting but when it came down to getting near the end, I wanted more! I wasn't ready for the day to be over. Yet, for now, today has me feeling "on top of the world"!

Prairie Girl

I was so indecisive on whether to hike up Prairie Mountain today, right up until the moment I took my first step towards the trail. I wanted an easy, short day with mountain views.

I got the easy, short day but no mountain views. The reasons for being indecisive were first of all the weather was not looking that great. I just finished reading that vehicles were broken into in that area on Saturday. I was soloing! I had hoped there would be a few cars already there which meant folks would already be ahead of me on the trail and that, in fact, was the case. Although I ended up passing them as they were slip sliding all over the place and smart me had icers on. I was long gone!

The sky was totally overcast with a few flurries flurrying around. Like I said, I had no views. But once up top, I had the mountain to myself for awhile. Thankfully it was warm. Once I reached the summit, I carried on down the backside for a short stretch as you can see in the photo on the right. Being alone, I didn't want to venture too far but I'm curious to know how far one could go.

I came back to the cairn to get my summit shot and by the time I got there a soloing fellow and his dog showed up. He took this photo. He didn't stick around long. He took my photo and was gone, running! Yes, running, him and his dog!

I sat on the edge of the mountain to dine where I had somewhat of a view of Canyon Creek down below. This was as good as it got for me. I'll take it! I think sitting on a mountain side like this with hardly any view still beats laying on my sofa with a fantastic view of the TV.

There is something to be said for solitude on a mountain top! I thoroughly enjoyed it. As I started my descent, the sky began to clear so my timing was off for weather. But, during my descent, I met half of Calgary ascending. So my timing was right for finding solitude. The total trip took 2:48 and that includes stops for photos and for lunch. I was pleased with myself for just going ahead and doing it and would definitely consider hiking that one again solo. I was surprised at the number of solo hikers I met as I was heading down.

It's been a busy, active last few days! My extra long weekend is coming to an end. It's back to reality tomorrow but just for four days!

Running & Photography

I'm working on my running and I'm working on my photography!

Running

I met Karen for the 3rd Sunday in a row to do a 10km, slow, 10&1s run. The stats show we are getting slower, although it doesn't feel that way. Time: 1:14:11, Distance: 10.05 km, Pace: 7:23 min/km. This may have to do with us taking a few moments along the way to acknowledge Mother Nature and my watch not stopping like it should. A couple minutes passed when I realized so then I did a manual stop. The distance just flies by and the run is over before you even know it. That's the way it feels to me! I'm looking forward to the longer ones gradually getting longer now. I like that the number of daylight minutes are gradually getting longer too!

Photography

Seeing that our run was over with early and I was home before 11:00, with the weather being nice and still having energy to spend, I drove out to Cochrane just west of Calgary to work on my photography skills. I love how the hoar frost looks on the trees along the Bow River and Cochrane was the perfect place to see it. I was happy with how these turned out.

I took 112 pictures and only kept 17 of them. I guess this is the norm for photographers. I need to practice more with the macro function, position of me in relation to the sun and how to capture running water. I spent two hours taking photos and covered 6 kilometers. That was quite a workout itself!

Saturday Skate Instead

I had all intentions of another Solo Saturday hiking up Prairie Mountain but when I woke to frosty, foggy conditions I changed my mind.  I hiked Prairie Mountain on November 11th in a blizzard and would like to do it again when there is a view.  My instead was still a solo!  A solo skate bright and early this morning at the Bowness Lagoon.   This was my view as I started out! I had the place to myself!  What a canvass!  

The conditions were perfect, both ice and weather.  Lady GaGa, Black Eyed Peas, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry,  Coldplay and The Weather Girls showed up and kept me company the whole time.

The sky was quite grey which made the trees stand out even more.  As I was finishing up my 14km, the sun was trying to burn through.  I was amazed at how this photo turned out!  I am loving my 9000 even more.

My legs felt heavy and tired near the end which I am sure I can contribute to yesterday.  Just over 14km on my blades in 1:15 was a great cross trainer and proof that I did it is right here.  

Our Own Olympics

February 12, 2010 is a very special day in Canada, the opening of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games!

It's also a long weekend in Alberta with Monday being "Family Day". A few of us arranged to take Friday off work to make an even extra long weekend. It felt like it was a Friday to celebrate with my snowshoeing family of friends. What better way to celebrate with friends, doing something sporty in recognition of the Olympic Games. We had our own games!

Event

Crazy Carpeting

Venue

Taylor Lake

Athletes

Making Waves

Sunny D Light

Adventure Designer

Ms D No Stopping Me

Stealth MD

Our games are a fun and friendly competition! Yet, like all athletes, there is that drive within to compete against our selves. My goal was to beat 26.9km/hr which found me in 3rd place at the last race. I wanted to do better today. When I glanced around at my competitors, I knew there were a couple I could beat. One though, I was suspicious about! Stealth MD showed up with a black carpet (equal to a black belt in karate) and he lived up to the name Stealth! He was long gone never to be seen again until we reached the finish line. I think I may file a grievance as there was talk he may have treated the bottom of his carpet with furniture polish. Like "doping", I am not so sure "polishing" is allowed!

As you can see, our equipment comes in many different colors and also there are many different carpeting techniques. We are fortunate this is not an expensive sport! Carpet= $4.99, Venue Rental=$0.00, Transportation to Event=$60.00/4, Experience=Priceless!

The race took place over a 6 kilometer stretch on the trail leading down from Taylor Lake. The course was narrow with lots of curves and steep drop offs in sections. It was a challenge to stay on course which most of us did most of the time but there were occasions when we needed help being hauled out of tree wells and pulled up slopes to get back on the track. My speed was no where near what I had hoped for. My maximum was only 12.9km/hr, as you can see in the following chart.

Final results are as follows:

Stealth MD-Gold

Adventure Designer-Silver

Making Waves-Bronze

Sunny D Light/Ms D No Stopping Me (a tie)

In my books, we are all winners!

Note: Stealth MD may be stripped of his Gold medal if the results come back positive for "polishing"!  Another note: Be sure to check out my snowshoe report for Taylor Lake leading up to the competition which is below this one. 

Leading Up To Our Games

Today was tops at Taylor Lake! It rated up there with regards to scenery, snow conditions, weather and fun, friendly, folks. You could say it was a tall day too! These trees certainly look tall as did so many others along the trail. The snow was new, so very white and it looked absolutely gorgeous.

Speaking of tops! I was amazed at the tree tops and how the snow accumulates and just sits there. You just don't want to be underneath when the ball drops!

There were lots of places one could get into trouble if you went off the trail. There were lots of places one could just get into! If it looked like you could, then I did.

The snowshoe to the lake was just over 6 kilometers most of it in the trees so afforded no scenery except for the white trees. Just before the 6 km mark, we came into the opening and had views of Mount Bell to the left and snow covered Taylor Lake.

We picked our dining spot and settled down to refuel and rest a bit before the crazy carpeting competition. It was imperative we leave our snowshoes on in this area because the snow was deep. Knee high with snowshoes on so probably waist high without.

Let the games begin!

Be sure to check out "Our Own Olympics" report above this report.

Saying Good-Bye Before I Run

It was time to say my final good-bye today to a friend who lost his life to cancer. He lived quite the life! It wasn't an easy life yet an interesting and valiant one. It amazes me to think what he accomplished in his 42 years considering where and what he came from. It puts things into perspective for me. He lived life full of zest, enthusiasm and gusto, not to forget being very courageous too, more so over the last few months as he dealt with his illness. Final good-byes like these are difficult! Having wonderful and funny memories help!

After saying good-bye to my friend, I said hello to the pathway! I let my memories of him join me for a short run from home. Under a bright blue sky and a sun shining warmly, I covered 5.4 km in 35:00 at an average pace of 6:28 min/km. In comparison to this time last year and what my average pace was, my pace is slower but I feel it will improve.

Running for Another Reason

It would have been so much more pleasant and easier to just stay at home wrapped in a blanket this morning! It was cold out, snowy, frosty and foggy! I had to run for another reason today. The plan was to meet Karen and Ken and Ken's side kick Skeemo for a 10km slow run at a pace of approximately 6:40 min/km. We set off at 8:00 am and very easily got into a groove and went with it.

I made sure to admire the beauty of winter along the way. This morning especially! The frost on the trees looked so pretty. What about the frost on our hair? We are both brown-haired ladies!

This is what my 305 spit out once I got home. Distance: 10.1km; Time 1:12:00; Pace 7:07min/km. Not the average pace we planned on but this includes two stops of a sort, one to take a couple of photos and the other to chat with another runner. My watch normally stops when I stop but it didn't today. We did the 10&1 program and our 10s measured like this: 6:43, 6:35, 6:34, 6:55, 7:34 (pictures), 6:41, 7:50 (chat). So all in all, we were right on target.

This morning I didn't run because I had a 10km scheduled training run, or that I was committed to others who were counting on me to be there. Just a few short hours prior to my run, I was reminded how valuable life is! I was reminded to be thankful for my health! I was reminded how short life can be! Last night we lost a friend at the very young age of 42. He lived a very courageous life even more so over the last few months. I ran this morning because I can run and I am so very thankful for that!

By Way of the Letter "S"

Today comes by way of the letter "S"!

I knew I made the right decision to venture to Lake Louise today as soon as I hit the main highway at 7:15am and I had to merge into a long string of traffic heading in the same direction as me. We couldn't all be wrong picking today to head west! It's Saturday and it's sunny!

My original plan was to hike with Adventure Designer and a cast of characters but I just had this need to be deeper into the mountains and I really wanted to skate on Lake Louise and see the ice sculptures. This meant I would be going solo.

Lucky for me all the other folks along the highway were veering off to ski hills along the way and when I arrived at the Lake Louise parking lot at 9:15, it was near empty. The first thing was to get photos of the ice sculptures before they were surrounded by people. They are only two weeks old but looked not over a day.

I noticed about five people skating and it looked so inviting I couldn't wait any longer. I laced up my skates, tuned into my IPod tunes and put 5.5km on my blades over 33 minutes. I took snapshots while I skated and also a couple of videos. I can't imagine any place more beautiful to skate. After a half hour it got busy, I had my fill and felt fulfilled so moved on to the next item on my agenda.

I changed gear and set off to snowshoe up to the Lake Agnes Teahouse. I started with my stabilicers strapped to my boots. The snow seemed hard packed. It was a quick trip up, going solo, no one to talk to, in the trees so no reason to take snapshots. My timing was right on with everything today. I originally hoped the snowshoe trail would be busy, seeing as this was the first time I snowshoed alone but as I was going, I was glad it was quiet. I met one fellow and that was it until the return trip. Once I got into the open the scenery was amazing. This is Lake Agnes.

I had a view of the Chateau down below. The Teahouse is closed but the veranda is open for business. I sat up there to dine. The Big Beehive looks even bigger when it's covered in snow. I spent about 30 minutes at the Teahouse before heading back. I took a quick little detour towards the Little Beehive following a trail others had made.

Once back by the Chateau and the Lake, I took one last trip around to view the sculptures. I was travelling solo but did find someone to hold my hand. I'm not so sure he was into me, I felt he was giving me the cold shoulder.

It's nice to have a mate to share special times with and to keep you warm on cold winter days.

Even though I travelled solo, it was still a great sunny Saturday. I enjoyed skating and snowshoeing (although I wore my stabilicers mostly), and viewing the sculptures. The scenery was spectacular and was prime for taking snapshots. Yes! Today was brought to you by the letter "S"!