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"!

Running & Blogging & Summary

Sunday morning means running for me! From the looks of things this morning, it means the same for hundreds of folks. It didn't matter that is was -12 C with a -19 C windchill and icy flurries flying about, we runners are tried and true. Not only were the flurries flying but we seemed to be and so was time! By "we" I mean Karen! She has been a Facebook Friend and Blogging Buddie for a couple of years and this was the first time we ran together. Blogging has been fun, I have learned lots from others and it seems like therapy at times. It's even more rewarding when you get to share face to face time with those you blog with. Thank you Karen for your company this morning! We met at Edworthy and did a back & forth, out & back covering 10km which was the plan. 1:11:43 later we completed the task. We had lots to chat about and going at a pace of 7:09 min/km it was easy to say what we wanted to say.

A month of 2010 is over already! Where did the time go? Well, I can show you where it went for me when it comes to my activity pursuits. Here it is!

I won't have anything to report on biking for a few months yet. I'm just not into winter biking. I am happy with my hiking and running. The snowshoeing kilometers will come but when you get the opportunity to hike in January you just have to go for it. It makes the winters seem shorter. I need to work on finding time to skate.

I'm looking forward to February!

No Need For Guns a Blazin

I arrived at the the trailhead of Gunnery Mountain prepared to have all my "guns a blazin" because I was going to get to that summit come hell or high water! You know when someone tells you not to do something it just makes you more determined to do it! Advice from supposedly those in the know was that this would be an unsafe place to go during winter months. Heck, there was no hell and there was no high water! There was no snowshoeing or scrambling either. It panned out to be a fairly easy mountain hike. Yet still, a most enjoyable day!

The weather was warm but cloud cover hoovered over us all day. It made for an eyrie experience! The area had been totally burned by a massive forest fire many moons ago. Signs of that still exist! The mountain scenery wasn't there today but was replaced with unusual tree growth which caught my attention.

Could those folks who are supposedly in the know and deemed this place unsafe, have been talking about being spooked by what lurks during a full moon? We did sight numerous cougar tracks and other undefined large animal tracks which appeared to be more deer-like than cat-like. Every now and then, I did sense an eyrie feeling when I saw scenes like these!

Even though there were signs of a massive forest fire, regrowth did exist! We saw bits of color here and there. Although, the brightest color today came from everyones' hiking attire. We lit up the place, where the sun didn't! Gunnery Mountain is alive!

I certainly felt alive! I'm thankful others are game to go where even others would not dare! We didn't have to take chances. There was absolutely nothing to deter us, to scare us or to put us in danger. We climbed trees and even played in the trees. We had fun in the deep snow at the top and we even accomplished a little bushwhacking which always delights my heart.

So, no guns a blazin for Gunnery! This mountain is open for business! When we finished up around 3:30, I felt sad that it was over but realize this one has to be over so I can start the next! I can hardly wait until I get that opportunity again to feel like I am "on top of the world!"

First Aid But Not For Running

Running

There I go, solo running again! But that is O.K., it was an out the front door of my home run. This was my first evening run in the neighbourhood this year. I went prepared with my Spikys on but was surprised to see the sidewalks were mostly cleared of ice and snow. After 1 km, I ditched the Spikys. Not only did I not need them, they were affecting my gait and compromising the springiness in my runners. I could really feel it in my legs. What I have to show for my first neighbourhood run of the year is 5.2km in a time of 32:51 which siphers out to an average pace of 6:25 min/km.

I am officially entered in the Centaur Subaru Half-Marathon on May 30th here in Calgary. Early bird entry comes to an end on January 30th and it is filling up. No marathon for me this year. I will see how I am after the Police Half in April and the Calgary Half in May before committing to any more races.


First Aid

This is the First Aid kit I carry in my backpack for emergencies that could crop up in the back country. I purchased it many many moons ago and thought it would be sufficient if ever needed.

That was until Saturday when I saw the kit a hiking buddy carries! I have work to do on mine. My "out there" seems to increasingly be more and more "away out there", and for that reason, carrying a more complete First Aid kit would be a smart thing. I found a few websites that suggest items that would come in handy. It's better to be safe than sorry!

In search of my way...

...my running way that is! I have been struggling with motivation and direction for some time now when it comes to a running routine. One of my resolutions for 2010 is to be a social runner. I use to be a great one! The past two years it has been predominantly solo. I'm questioning if solo is what works best for me!

Yesterday I met up with a new group for my Sunday 10&1 run. I picked the slower group to run with which was suppose to be over a 10 minute mile which would be a 6:10 to 6:20 minute kilometer. After all, this is suppose to be my LSD (long slow distance) as I start to build for the Police Half Marathon the end of April. I started off with the slower group and kept up with them for maybe a minute. That was about it! They bolted like there was no tomorrow. After a few minutes I caught up with them, I was curious what their pace was. It was an 8:50 minute mile which equates to a 5:30 minute kilometer. Holy! To non runners it may not sound like much of a time difference between an 8:50 minute mile and a 10:00 minute mile, but believe me, it is significant! Very significant!

I could not keep up and I didn't want to keep up. I decided I needed to do my own thing if I wanted to be capable of going on. I ran my pace and can keep it very consistent which is easy to do when I'm wearing my 305. The pacer for the slower group ended up waiting up for me and running with me and didn't mind sticking with me when I said I don't mind running alone and I didn't want to hold him back. I ended up being the pacer for him and I.

Today's run was 7.8 kms in 49:02 with an average pace of 6:17 min/km which is about a 10:04 minute mile. This was my intention for today's run right from the get go and what I had thought would be the slow groups pace. I am not sure if this group is the route to go for me but I may try it one more time. I am very particular about my pace and may find solo will be the route.

Attacked an Outlier and Won

It appeared menacing! It came across as unapproachable! It was gigantic! It looked scary! It intimidated me! I'm not talking about some kind of animal but of North Kent Outlier! I have been on mountain tops, reached peaks, hiked along ridges and even stood on a col. This was my first attempt at an outlier. In simple terms from the dictionary, an outlier is something (as a geological feature) that is situated away from or classed differently from a main or related body. This is it! The star marks North Kent Outlier, our destination for today.

We snowshoed for the first portion of the trek.  Once out of the trees and onto the wide open space, we dropped the snowshoes and put on our traction devices.  These suited the conditions of lightly snow covered loose rock slabs.  This is the closest I have ever been to a cornice. In simple terms from the dictionary, a cornice is a horizontal molded projection that crowns or completes a building or wall. When it comes to winter in the mountains, the snow is the projection over the edge. What a learning experience today was! This is as close to the edge as one should go. At one point along the route, we could see the fracture line in the snow of where the mountain ended.

The distance to the summit was only 3.3 kilometers over 741 meters. Such a steep ascent was another first for me. Our average pace ascending was 1.3 km/hr. Scrambled Legs led us to a perfect dining spot on the summit which we reached after 2 1/2 hours.  I admire all my friends' mountain knowledge and skills.  We spent some time here enjoying lunch, the scenery and taking photos.

We had blue sky, at times, we had crystal-like snow falling that sparked and even when there was total cloud cover, the view was still amazing. All these conditions made for great photo opportunities.

This was another graduation day for me! I graduated when I went to serious Stynger hiking boots and when I didn't cry after falling down Tent Ridge. I only whispered "I'm nervous" once today. I asked for a spotter on the way down but didn't need one. As you can tell from all my photos, this Outlier was all show! It didn't beat me! I beat it and I won! My summit shot is my proof and I'm smiling!

I need to have a little more faith and confidence and not second guess. My original intention was to pass on even attempting something like this. Adventure Designer seems to be in tune to my limits more than I am and I'm thankful for being encouraged to come along. Today was an Everest for me and when we reached that North Kent Outlier Summit, I felt like I was "on top of the world!"

My Brush with the Olympic Torch Relay

Today I ended up in the right place at the right time! My only intentions were to find a place where I could see an Olympic Torch Bearer run by and come away with a few snap shots. I checked out the scheduled times and routes and found a place that would work for me. I took this photo along the way. Gosh our city is growing and look at that blue sky! Perfect!

I found a good spot and just stood my ground, socialized with others and waited. Someone pointed out this was a torch bearer change over spot. Perfect! CTV showed up, parked their vehicle, got out and milled around and I thought, somebody who is a somebody, must be gonna show up if CTV is hanging out here. Perfect!

The excitement starts with police vehicles paroling, the 2010 official vehicles driving by, Hawks flying overhead and people yelling, waving flags and beating the tambourines handed to us by RBC. Yes, I was beating mine! Perfect!

The estimated time of arrival of the Olympic Flame was 11:21. Approximately 10 minutes before it was due, the Van carrying the Runners stopped beside me and who should jump out but Stephen Ames. He was all decked out in a Torch Bearer uniform carrying a torch. We exchanged pleasantries and then I asked to have a photo taken with him. As you can see, he obliged. I didn't get to hold the torch but I did get to touch it. Perfect!

It was time to move aside and watch what I will probably never see happen again in my lifetime, the torch bearer running along, meeting up with Stephen Ames then passing along the flame to light the torch.  I am having issues downloading my video to blogger so this is a still from the video.

I applied to be a torch bearer but was not picked. This has got to be the next best thing! This turned out being much more then I expected. Like I said before, I ended up in the right place at the right time! How perfect is that!

All in a Day's Work

When you are asked to show up with a smile and to come ready to explore, you have to know you are in for some kind of adventure!  This was what Adventure Designer asked of us and we delivered and she delivered!  We headed southwest of the city in the general direction of Longview which just so happens to have a wonderful playground starting at the Sentinel Day Use Recreational Area.  Just 500 meters down and across the road we began our adventure up Grass Pass towards Bull Creek Hills. 

I picked the title of "All in a Day's Work" because at times it felt like work.  Although, you can't really call hiking in mid January in Alberta with a temperature of +5 degrees Celsius, work! While enjoying the heat from the bright sunshine, we did have some attacking and conquering to do.     

I certainly worked up an appetite and was very thankful by the time we reached a high point, with views where we could see forever, as our choice spot to dine.  We all needed to refuel for what work was still ahead.  Although our work, and our attacking and battling and conquering was nothing like other battles that obviously took place on this playground.  Or should I call it a battle ground!

When you come out the winner on a day like this, I can't help but jump for joy.  I still need to work on getting physically higher off the ground.  My mind was certainly at the right height though.    

How could you not be on a natural high when you are surrounded by scenery like this!  We could see Holy Cross Mountain, Banded Peak and Mt. Head plus other ranges off in the distance.

Today's adventure took a full six hours with the last few kilometers finding us scurrying, bushwhacking, slipping and sliding to make sure we were out into the clear before the sun set.  Every one delivered today, us, Adventure Designer and even Mother Nature.  In this part of Kananaskis, the mountains are not the highest but that didn't make any different because I felt like I was "on top of the world!"

Revisit to Rawson

I can't let a season go by without a visit to Rawson Lake! Along with each season comes a different mode used for our movement. Although the trail was packed pretty firm and we could have conquered it wearing hikers or icers, today we went with snowshoes. That's what winter is all about anyway! Rawson is not the most challenging trek out there but it felt like loads of work for me which tells me I am not quite up to snuff on my fitness yet.

My last vist there was in September, just a mere four months prior. I thought it looked pretty spectacular that day! Wouldn't you agree?

In my opinion, I thought it looked quite amazing today! This is what I love about living in Western Canada. Spring and autumn can bring totally different looks then these. One place! Four looks! These are just two!

Every now and then, I took a detour off the beaten trail to feel the deep, soft, spongy snow. I tried to get others to follow but they were reluctant. Near the end I did convince a few to live on the edge with me. I hardly ever keep my eyes on the trail in front because you never know what you might see and I don't want to miss a thing. Sometimes it is the scenery peaking through the trees and other times it could be something lurking in the bushes. If you let your imagination run wild, you can spot some sights. I see what others don't! One of my buddies said its like in that movie The Sixth Sense where the character says "I see dead people!" Well, I saw a horse today!

On the return trip, with about 500 meters to go, we meandered off trail and followed the shoreline back to the trailhead. I'm glad the others came with me because we got to share in watching this fellow whiz across the frozen Upper Kananaskis Lake. I would love to try this one day!

This snowshoe trek was a short and sweet one and we had enough time to go for drinks and snacks afterwards to celebrate before driving back to the city! We had sunshine, no wind, the temperature hoovered around -3 Celsius which all contributed to what I forecasted to be a fun and fabulous day!