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.....}

Landscape Drive-Bys

Not liking the "flying method" as means for transportation,

(or being able to afford it that often),

I spend hours of time driving to places I want to be during holidays.

As I scrolled through captures over this past year of places we went,

I was amazed at the scenes one can view from the seat of a 4 wheeled vehicle:)

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 I also realize that I'm drawn to places with mountains 

and wide open sky.

And I swear that every time I see some sort of hill or mountain....the words that slip out of my mouth are, 

"I would just love to run up that hill!"

I think I'm going to need some new Trail shoes.

~~~~~

(And you can look HERE to read about last week's running race.)

My 29km of Trail~

~on top of the world~

~~~~~~

The race began at 8:30am...which was actually a late start compared to what I'm used to.

(It was nice to sleep in a bit.)

Race briefing was short, to the point, and only one mention of bear sightings around a carcass that was near the top of the trail.

Nice.

(my fear of flying equals that of my fear of bears)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The trail started off gently rolling....across a Texas Gate or 2, 

through trees, and over bridges with babbling creeks.

I decided not to look at my watch and pace for as long as I could handle it.

I ran~ 3km,

 without so much as a glance down, 

enjoying the fact that I was surrounded by those mountains and pine air.

My breathing space.

When I DID look down and saw only the 3km on my watch- it hit me.

I had gone only 10% of the run.

I still had 90% to go.

Then a double hit...I had never run more than 21km in my entire life- 

let alone a mountain run for 29.

From there on it was a mind battle.

Not to mention the trail began to incline.

But with that incline came beauty....and it took away the thoughts of knees not wanting to lift.

By the 9km aid station....I was in good spirits and so happy to be a part of the race.

(And happy the aid station had water and oranges:)

The trail would plateau in places and open up in to views like this....

And this.....

But for some reason.,.at about 11-12km?

It rushed over  me- the magnitude of a mountain run.

(Maybe it was the thin air...)

The trail turned form rocks and roots-

to shale.

Non-stop shale with an incline unfathomable to a flat-road runner like me.

Who's average run is about 10km.

And then I looked up.

It seemed as though the run had just begun. 

And unfortunately my body thought I was almost finished.

At one point my legs cramped- from my ankles to the top of my quads.

I just stood there...unable to comprehend what was happening.

A friendly runner passing by....heading DOWN the mountain asked me kindly if I was okay.

When I mentioned off-handedly my legs were cramping and stuck in one position...she asked me when my last gel intake was.

Darn!

I had forgotten the intake rule of "calories in" on a calorie burning run.

Within  a few minutes of downing a gel- my legs were in motion.

Again...plodding up the never-ending shale trail.

In the photo below:

Those tiny dots on the top of the rocks?

People.

People in my race way ahead of me.

Running.

And some of them were actually running DOWN!

I was still going up.

Talk about mind battle.

Maybe that's why the scenes like this below were positioned to the side of me.

(Kind of like distracting a crying baby with a squeaky toy.)

Although in this case....

it was calming a whining 30-something year-old with: 

"eye-level with the clouds" 

scenes.

Have you noticed I had my camera out during parts of this run?

I only dropped it ~twice.

It was during the last 2 km up to the summit when I decided that looking like my camera and I were here for just a scenery-capture was a good idea.

It gave me a chance to catch my breath.

Someone even called me a tourist.

So much for acting like a runner.

(Bet they can't even remember what the scenery looked like...

so busy were they trying to race against their clock.;)

I finally managed to reach 14.44km and turn myself around. 

Time was about 2 and 1/2 hours at this point.

Never had I run for that long in my entire life.

The run down took 1 and 1/2 hours....

which included consuming more calories at 2 aid stations,

feeling like I was in a dream, 

and at one point wondering where everyone had disappeared to....

(noticing that I wasn't even scared of coming round a corner to find a bear).

Oh...and I also asked a group of mountain bikers if I could borrow one of their bikes.

No one went for the idea.

I just wanted to be able to get down.

Without crawling.

There were times I wanted to sit.

Just sit.

And I also found it almost humorous that when I looked down and saw 19.9Km on my watch....

all I could say was..."Only 10km left!"

What?

ONLY?!?

10km is my LONG run on a good day~ on flat ground.

It's amazing what you can do when you have to.

And I did.

My feet carried me up and down and off the trail.

Last year I did 16km of this course.

This year...I (literally) tackled the 29km route.

The next distance?

I'm thinking about it.

Maybe after I can walk up the stairs at home here without crawling, 

I'll sign myself up for the 42km Mountain Marathon leg of this race.

Maybe.

Hitting the Trail

My 2 most favorite places on earth would have to be:

1.  the sandy beaches of anywhere overlooking vast bodies of water,

and here....

2. the majestic Rocky Mountains next door.

I'm heading out into these this weekend to run a 29km Trail Race.

Completely unprepared to race,
but because I feel I can breathe out here...it doesn't matter.
It may turn into a fast sort of hike.....which is fine by me.
 Maybe I can stop to take pictures instead of feeling the need to set a record;).

Regardless....I'm hoping these dusty old Trail shoes hold up for another trek up the mountain.

I'm in need of the head~break before another season of football, school, and

 running in all directions for the kiddos schedules.

Happy Trails to you....wherever this weekend takes you!

morning fog

(Besides strong, black coffee every morning),

 there isn't anything I enjoy much more,

than a run into a new day of sunshine.

And your favorite way to break through the morning fog?

super six mile run

I woefully looked out my window, staring sadly at my vehicle.

Poor thing.

He hadn't been able to run yet again today.

Stuck in snow, 

a drive-way full of drifts, 

roads inaccessible.

No trips to town for morning swims.

No bank runs to cash cheques and pay bills.

Not even a venture out for milk.

Drifts are piled high, snow plows haven't come around to our neck of the woods for almost a day, and snow piles up even higher as the hours pass.

Then I realize....

I CAN RUN.

He may have to sit in the drive, but I have my shoes.

With running treads no less.

I hastily yank back the door,

knee my way through the drifts in the walkway, (boys better shovel later....),

and I decide a mile will be mine.....

.....a mile where No Vehicle Has gone before!

(or at least not in the last 36 hours....)

And I'm off!

Dodging snow piles at the speed of lightning. (snort)

Passing telephone poles like a rocket.

On fire.

(snort, snort)

The fence posts may be up to their ears...but me?

I'm running by it all.

Flying up hills~ I run, 

not a care in the world.

It's impossible for me to get stuck in a rut, or a bank of snow.

(as it looks as though some poor sucker...ummm...vehicle did.)

The road is mine.

Even the much needed signs ~ belong to me now.

(Hidden intersection?! No kidding!)

One giant leap took me over a drift..

Bounding over banks of snow~I was now onto my 6th mile...and I couldn't even remember how I got there.

I flew. I'm sure of it. (Ha!)

{Funny what you're capable of when you pretend to be a Super-Hero;)}

(oh brother....eye roll)

My feet knew no boundaries.

I was running. 

Where no other vehicle could.

But then, like all good things....an end has to come.

In this case....my kids were probably needing supper.

And dark was falling. 

Like the snow. 

As I passed my vehicle, still sitting sadly in its parking spot, I gave it a pat.

"Maybe tomorrow, little guy. You might get your turn tomorrow."

(Super six-mile smile.)

~~~~~~~~

(now where the heck IS that snow plow?!)

Defying The White

 

I have been trying to defy each new winter day that shows up here.
This is my favorite method.


I walk out my back door,
don my skis,
and slide away as fast as possible...hoping to put winter behind me.


Don't get me wrong.
I love seasons- all of them.
But it does seem as though our winter tops them all.
For length.
And darkness.
And cold.
And that white stuff which is never-ending.

When your "colored pictures look like this:

       And your "black & white" like this:

Well....it's sometimes hard to think that my world isn't just black and white.
(If we were talking about moral issues.....black and white is the way to go.)
But when it's my "walk-out-the-door" world.....sometimes black and white gets old.


And it doesn't seem like I'm alone out there.
A wonderful person, Heather~~~(from Bellarosabikes), who I've met through blog~land, 
is somewhere out there trying to defy these winter months as I. 
And her, if "you can't beat it~~~join in" attitude is one I hold on to.


So for the next, oh.....3 or 4 months.....
(***given Alberta's past record on winter-longevity, 
  **the looks of the piles of snow out my door, 
    *oh- and the 40km winds that are to begin this morning bringing more snow       
      and a cold front through....)
we have this white stuff to defy.


Bring on the ice skating......

  









Good hockey games down at the lake.

{Let's defy another

long winter of white.}

Mile runs down my gravel road, 

watching yet another winter day make its appearance.....

Each day can be a beautiful thing.

{Regardless of never-ending white.....}

(sigh)

Dog Run

Duke~Great Pyrenees~10 weeks

Have you ever tried to train a puppy to run?

You wouldn't think it hard, but putting him on a leash and expecting him to follow doesn't just happen.

(Really...who wants to be led around on a leash?)

We must look pretty funny....

me pulling on his leash as he drags and slides along the slippery snow covered road, 

all while he sits back on his haunches and determinedly pulls his head back.

I bought Duke to have as a running partner.

And my watch dog.

 {I don't want him running away on me when I need him to stay.}

When there is another dog approaching I want him to stand guard.

And when there's a moose in my way, well....sorry Duke, but I want you to be my soldier.

(all this after he grows a bit first;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I pretty much have left the Running Practice up to my "older dog"...

After 10 miles of this, he seemed to be playing Follow-the-Leader pretty well.

"Ever wonder where you'd end up if you took your dog for a walk and never once pulled 

back on the leash?"

  ~Robert Brault

(of course, 

I'll wonder this AFTER he learns how to walk using a leash...)

Endurance in Race {life} Running

I was going through photos of all the races I have participated in over the past 2 years.

This was my VERY FIRST 10km race in Summer of 2008....

I seriously thought I was going to die.

The temperature that day was in the high 30's.

I had NEVER run 10km before this, and I don't think I had eaten properly the day(s) before.

(No..I KNOW I didn't.)

This race was done completely unprepared.

But I did it.

Time:

1:09:36

~~~~

Fast forward 2 years later.

Another 10km race...and I think my outlook was a bit different.

(Of course- it wasn't 36 degrees out;)

(you may have to enlarge to see the silly grin:)

And I did it.

Time: 55:21

~~~~

There are things I have started and wished I hadn't.

There are things I am involved in now and wish desperately I could quit.

But I keep looking back to this running thing.

And to a thing called Perseverance.

No one said it would be easy.

And why should it be?

The things you want  most in life are usually the hardest (and most work) to attain.

Quit now- there's not even a chance of getting there.

Persevere....and even if you never quite make it- at least you aren't bored:)

Endure....and one day it's yours.

14 minutes off my 10km run isn't an accomplishment that is of great eternal importance.

But it did teach me to take the other parts of my life and treat it in the same manner.

I don't want to give up.

{There are still some other things I want to knock some time off of.}

~~~

"....let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

Necessary Baggage?

I'm starting to wonder about my running.
Not so much the running part- but what it is I don before I run~
What I drag with me when I do.

I of course have the basics....runners- running pants-breathable running shirts and windbreaker.
But then there are all the other things I top it off with.

Gone are my carefree running days when all I did was grab the well-worn runners off the shelf and take off with a wave...not knowing (or caring) how long I'd be gone or how far I would make it that run.
Those were the innocent days.

But now!

Now....

(And add head lamp for the night, 

my phone when I'm going a distance...)

Is all this necessary?
Really?


Not only does it feel I am running with extra weight- the time it takes for me to get ready to run is a workout all on its own.





Makes me think about the other stuff.
The stuff I drag with me day to day.
Failures, disappointments, hurts, ......dragging it on.
And on.
Feeling a tad heavier than I was really made to feel.

Why do we (I) do this?
Does it make you feel you'll handle the run of life even better if you drag it along?


Yeah...there is the necessaries you need and of course...what would a run be at times without music to pump your feet a bit faster.
But Why?
Do I need a watch beeping out my times/pace/distance/rate- every 10 minutes?


On the other hand.....
I Do like knowing my times.
I do appreciate water every few km's.
And of course I should wear my reflecting bands so that driver coming down the gravel road at breakneck speed will maybe have a heads up that I'm out there.
~~~~~
I think when it comes down to it....it doesn't matter what you're carrying...it's how you wear it.
And make adjustments here and there so it becomes PART of the running experience.
All  that baggage can make you into the person you're supposed to be if you only use it properly...(and once in awhile take it all off-get back to the basics- and remember who you are and what you're supposed to be doing without it!)


It doesn't have to be ME!
It's just assisting me into becoming the runner I eventually dream of being.
Training and assisting tools.


Because hey.... the past is always going to be part of you.
It's what you do with it that matters.
~~~


Think I want to run without my stuff today.
I need to remember why it is I run.
Then maybe tomorrow.....my "necessary" baggage will once again take up a spot- and I'll turn around and use it to make me someone I should be growing up to be.

~~~

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, 

it probably doesn't lead anywhere."

~Frank A. Clark