Trail Shoe Happy

Remember these?

They have carried my feet up/around Moose Mountain twice, PR'd with me on a 10k, 

and been with me through lake trails/swamps, and more-than-I-can-count morning runs.

Now

I'm not saying I'm leaving them for anyone/thing else, but I guess  I have to confess to two-timing.

I went Christmas shopping and came home with these new beauties:

*happy sigh*

I know you shouldn't base your happiness on material things,

but I can't help but smile when I pass my new Trail shoes.

Light as a feather, pretty awesome colors,

and just calling for me to take them out!

Yeah, I see Happy Trails ahead for me and my new~found partners.

I am finally finalizing my Race Schedule for 2012, 

and YES!

I clicked the submit button on a Half Ironman, an actual real-live Marathon,

and as soon as it opens, a 185km Tour d'Alberta cycle, and a Mountain Marathon.

There's a few more too...which can be found  HERE on my Journey To Tri blog.

Now that I bought my Christmas gift early....

(sorry, had to look at them again;))

...I guess I had better finish up for the others:D

{5 more sleeps my kiddos tell me.....}

The First Half

FOUR more days.

4 days until I run my very 1st Half Marathon.

And I'm a bundle of nerves.

I'm not worried about the race against others, 

for I only race against myself.

And that's where the problem lies.

I have a goal time set in my mind that I want to run that 21km in. 

And I don't want to fail.

I want to make that goal.

And if I don't...

Regardless of crossing the finish line or not...I'll feel unfinished.

Ridiculous?

Probably just one more thing I need to truly work on.

Another mind battle.....

~~~

In honor of this upcoming first Half Marathon Milestone, 

(and because I needed a new pair), 

I bought myself these:

(Before you look, you may want to don a pair of shades....really.)

Not sure they'll make me run faster or not.

But I'm thinking that every time I catch a glimpse of them, they'll inspire me to pick up the pace:)

~~~~~

{On this "Goal" note;

I have signed up for a 170km / 2 day Bike Tour in June in order to help raise awareness and funds for the Canadian MS Society. Click on the link  (top right corner) and it will take you to my Homepage~~where you can sign on to help me in my goal for MS research. 

Or if you feel so inclined, sign up to bike with me!}

Finish Line

So I opened my mailbox late last week to find a Government of Alberta marked envelope.

Remember the test he was going to take- the Entrance Exam into college?

He passed.

Really passed.

A 90% pass.

When I opened that envelope and read his mark...(the teacher and principal of the 

school is allowed access to his mark 1st- right?)....

I burst into tears.

{And I never cry.}

In that moment, 12 years of teaching passed in front of my eyes.

His learning to read, teaching him his numbers and how to add and subtract, story after story, writing his curriculum for each month and lesson plans for the year....

It flew through my mind in a second, 

and that 90% was the Finish Line.

In that moment, the sense of completion I got was the same I feel at the end of a race.

It's over.

And we crossed that line!

Through all the aches, pains, breathlessness, hills and trail....

we ran and kept on running.

And actually made the Finish!

And I am so proud of you Bud!

~~~

Now....a  new race begins.

[And maybe part of the tears were because this next race - you do on your own.]

But I promise...I will be on the sidelines.....

your biggest cheerleader!

Race on my dear son. 

Race on!

Bucket List -Check

Lacombe RV Charity Triathlon

September 6, 2010

~the "calm before the storm of swimmers"~

~The day started with  freezing temps...I scraped ice off my vehicle when I left at 6:30am. But as the day progressed...the sun melted it all away and it actually felt warm.~

The water didn't  though....

{~I feel like this should be a "Where's Waldo" picture:)~}

Here in the lake...probably when half of the distance was behind me- is where I battled my mind. The water was not only cold, but choppy, and anytime I put my head in to do front crawl I became disorientated and felt I was doing circles. I ended up forgetting my "practiced swim stroke" and did whatever I could to get to the end of the 750m.

~Running out of the lake, I felt that was it. Sure I was glad the water was behind me, but I couldn't believe I had to hop on my bike after that mental war.

But I did.~

{(Time-19:50...my lane swim usually is just under 15 minutes for this same distance:( I want to blame it on the lake...

but know I need to train in the lake next year!}

{It felt good to catch my breath in the transition:)}

I thought the run would be the easiest for me, but the bike was awesome.
Yep- there was a head wind almost the entire 20km.....but I felt I could breathe, and think of something other than staying afloat:)
It's funny the things that went through my head during that bike distance.
And I don't think I have ever talked to myself quite so much- out loud.
(Time-46:17)

After parking my bike, I realized I now had to run up this hill....I must have read the course route wrong:) Maybe it was better it happened "spontaneously". I felt like the entire crowd was watching....so I gave it up this hill...only to slow down to a fast walk to catch my breath when I knew no one could see me over the top:)
I DID pick up the pace after that...and the trail was beautiful. I think what made dodging trees and roots a bit easier was the Mountain Trail race the weekend before. I pretended I was in the mountains on a short 5k sprint. It was beautiful...I'd like to go back and enjoy the scenery when I'm not running for a time:)
(Time-31:49)

 THIS does not look like me...my running form looks all out of line. But my legs felt like lead, and climbing the hill to the finish almost got me.

Running to the finish line....

.

And I think here..I was just in disbelief I had done the thing:)

Total time:1:37:54.5

{7th out of 27 female div.}

It WAS an amazing day. Friends came out of no where to be there for me, and Thank You for that! I felt truly blessed to have people there that believed I could do this triathlon- even when I myself never dreamed I could do something like this! It's amazing what people having faith in you can do:)

This triathlon was on my "bucket list" so to speak, but it also made me want to put something else back on the list...maybe an Olympic Distance next July in Calgary.....

we'll see.