Quads…

… were very tender this morning, as expected. I had a hell of a day at work and had zero desire to go run. On the other hand I felt like I needed to go. I did; and it was really good. 7k, feet feel amazing, great to run BF again (first in a week). 

I am not running tomorrow as DW and DS are heading off to Pittsburgh on Thursday morning early, so I’ll be with out my home team until Tuesday afternoon. The boy and I have a date to go hang out and to go visit the new Lego store at Chinook Mall tomorrow evening. I have only been away from the little monkey for 5 days in the last 3+ years, when they went to Pittsburgh last summer. I have a pretty good plan to keep me busy for the 6 days this time, so I shouldn’t get too grumpy, but no promises.

 

This sky sort of describes my mood while the board of directors are gone…

And just because: A blooming rose with fresh snow on it, in the glorious sunshine… only in Calgary. Picture taken Sept 2009. Feel free to use it for your whatever! Click it to enlarge.

Anyway, I'll probably run a bunch this week and hopefully I’ll play a game of golf on Sunday once I get down from the mountain.

Oh yeah! Thanks to Anne  and Barefoot Angie Bee for Tagging me in a game of “You’re it”, I’ll put together my post on this in the next couple days.

Barefoot mileage since June 29th : 130km

VFF mileage since July 7th : 37.8km (12 on trails)

Shoe mileage since SOBF (start of barefoot): 5km (25:30 5k race PR on July 1st)

running product makers!! Please sponsor me!

HAHA, I almost forgot…

With about 2k left we were standing over a cliff having a look at the sights and we were talking about a little accident that happened to one of Lorne’s climbing buddies a few weeks ago. Our conversation started onto the fact that we were both carrying first aid kits and that was good. Lorne then says:

“I am pretty sure if anything happened to you, I wouldn’t be able to carry you out. I would just spray a ring of pepper spray around you and go for help”

HAHA, too funny. He went on to say than no bears would cross the pepper circle. Is that true Lorne?

DOMS update: my quads are quite sore today, not to the point of needing help to get up off the toilet, but some soreness going downstairs etc. My feet are nicely recovered, *score*, and I am feeling really rested.

After a day of reflection, here is what I think I learned on this run.

1. I can use my smaller hydro pack to hold the bear essentials… (see that, bear essentials, instead of bare…)
2. I can wear less fraking clothes
3. I can carry less food
4. I can leave the map at home (the trails in K-country are very nicely marked, even though the sign at the Prairie Link/Prairie creek junction said 4k back to the trailhead when it is 6.2kms)
5. I learned that I loved it. I want to do it again. Soon!

It was such an adventure for me. It felt like I was 8 years old deep in pretend playworld, but really doing it! Running through puddles, slip sliding in mud, laughing, jumping, and just not caring about sh- stuff.

Back to the pavement tomorrow. I am looking forward to being barefoot again. I kept dreaming about being barefoot on the trail run. Then I would scuff the bottom of my foot on a sharp rock (with no adverse effects, thanks Vibrams) and I would be ok with not being barefoot.

I hope I get to go up Mt Yamnuska on Sunday. If not I have a 16k loop around Glenmore Reservoir, and then a 5k race on Monday out in Okotoks.

Mt. Yamnuska. 45 minutes West of Calgary. Picture taken from a moving car on the Trans Canada Highway.

Another few trail pics!

I did my run story on this run, adding it to the earlier post that linked Lorne’s report. I put this up, just to point you to the previous post, in case you have already been there and haven’t read the updated stuff (includes a video).

What a super fun run!

… Lorne’s story about our awesome trail run today is here!

Don’t forget about the contest.

Here is my run report from today, that Lorne didn’t already cover:

I left the house, in an absolute downpour. I had packed my, er… pack, full of GU gels, 2 liters of NUUN (a first for me) and all manners of things that my gut feeling told me to take.

In the pack was:

• Wilderness first aid kit (I added crazy glue and ‘splinter outs’)
• Trail map
• Emergency mylar blanket
• Swiss army knife
• toilet paper
• water purification tablets
• Bear spray
• Bear bells
• 2 extra shirts
• Extra underwear
• Extra shorts
• camera
• phone
• headlamp
• whistle
• 4 GU gels
• 1 GU Chomps (I ate these and LOVED them!)
• 2 Liters of Lemon Lime NUUN water

I wore the following items

• Running ginch
• Running tights
• Running shorts
• Long sleeve compression shirt
• Running Jacket
• Garmin 305
• Running touque (hat)
• Running gloves
• Injinji Socks
• Vibram Five Finger KSO’s

Lorne had a very small backpack and carried the following in it (best guess)

• Small bottle of water
• First aid kit
• Girl Guide(scout) cookies

He was wearing

• Dew rag
• Smart wool shirt
• Polar fleece shirt
• cotton capri pant
• Garmin 405
• Vibram Five Finger Sprints

Yep, I'm a keener/ run nerd. Oh well, I figured if I thought of everything, I would need nothing. And it was true, the run was very smooth as far as that stuff goes. My gear had to be worth at least 1 minute per km, don’t you think?

We started at 1524m / 5000’ above sea level at the trail head and in less than 4km we were at 1783m / 5848’. I felt all of it. I ran when I could and hiked the rest. I think I was moving faster hiking as it was STEEP! Lorne asked me a couple of questions about my pace in races and stuff, and I told him my records. I think he was a little worried I was going to huff my way to stop and he would have to carry me out. I had no illusions about my breathing, especially at the start of a run and ESPECIALLY at a vertical run, but when you meet a guy for the first time and the first thing you tell him is “I suck for the first couple kms” doesn’t instil a lot of confidence. So I didn’t say anything. (it’s true by the way. It takes me awhile in any run to get my breathing and rhythm under control)

The Summit

We spent a LOT of time snapping pictures and taking in the scenery. That will be my excuse for the 9 minute /km pace for this run.

Did I mention is was snowing. HARD!

We had some really slippery spots on some of the downhills, but neither of us took a digger, but there were some ‘whoa’ moments.

Here I had to climb up this rock face and make my way over a bears den that only had the cubs in it and a red wing . then I had to pull Lorne up with a branch that I chewed off a nearby tree. I created an ice pick from a old shoe I found on the trail , as we then had to traverse a 12’ wide crevasse in the glacier. Once we got over that we made a zip line from the dental floss I had in my backpack and we zipped over the top of the mountain to where we could climb up the fire warden tower so we could send out some smoke signals to let the crew know when to pick us up in a week when we get off this island. Once we found the turtles lair, we buried the coins in the coconut shells and hid them in the huts. I had to stop to get some food in me, but all we had were some tent caterpillars, but they were supposed to be there to keep us warm for the night. They tasted better at home. We woke up after hearing the elephants and jeeps, so we had to get moving again. The helicopter was across the meadow about 500 yds and we made a break for it. There were arrows everywhere and I got grazed in the ass with a poisoned tip. Lorne said he wouldn’t suck the poison out, but he was carrying his shopvac, so that was ok. By the time we ran past the helicopter, the car was there and we sped off. Margie was in there and gave us our next assignment. She handed me the envelope, I took out the letter and it melted before I could read it. Margie was pissed. Oh well, I think we know what we are supposed to to. Don’t you?

So after all that, I decided it was time to get into my groove and start huffing my way down the trail. We had an amazing time, but Lorne had to get to the old tyme fair back in Cochrane. The final couple clicks passed by in about 6min/km and I was feeling super. I had no idea at the start and during the steep hills how I was going to react to this new fun-ness, but I realized I had some gas left in the tank, so that was good.

Here is the unedited videos I took today out there. Fun stuff indeed!

My favourite shot that Lorne took is this one.  I love this… Lorne, send me the full quality version of this.

My feet are pretty sore. Just normal ‘new activity’ sore. I’ll let you know tomorrow how they are doing.

Here are a bunch of other awesomeness shots!

There was a new bridge just to my right… LOL

Fine form Lorne, fine form!

Hang on dude, I'm chewing this branch off as fast as I can!

 

Gratuitous VFF shot!

Apparently, Lorne is taking me to the top of Yamnuska Mountain on Sunday, then I have a 10k race on Monday! Fun.

Barefoot mileage since June 29th : 123km

VFF mileage since July 7th : 37.8km (12 on trails)

Shoe mileage since SOBF (start of barefoot): 5km (25:30 5k race PR on July 1st)

running product makers!! Please sponsor me!

First Trail Run Tomorrow…

I am really looking forward to it. Stopped off at MEC to pick up a few necessities including some Injinji socks for my 5’s. the Trail is called Powderface/Prairie Link and is the outermost trail in this picture.

It is a very popular trail for bikers, hikers, horseback riders and runners alike, so there should be a good number of people out on a Sunday Morning. I will be meeting Lorne at 8am to get started. Lorne and I haven’t actually met yet, but we have built up a bit of a rapport on Blogger and Facebook. I saw him in the VFF facebook photo album and requested to be friends for obvious reasons. (well not that obvious I guess. He is from here(Calgary Area) and ran the Powderface 42 in 5’s) that was the reason.

Here is the trail from a Mountain Bikers perspective. LOVE this video.

And this weather report is why I bought the Injinji socks… AND i’ll be wearing a cap, gloves, long pants and my running jacket…

I will be baptized by chilly into trail running won’t I? Am SOOOO looking forward to it.

Stay tuned for a report tomorrow night!

New Balance Minimal Shoe

I badly want a pair of these for this winter… New Balance… Are you listening to me? Tester, right here!

What would you get me…

… with the $55.00 from www.CSNstores.com?

… is one of the questions you can answer to get an entry for the contest.

So far here are the results.

Keith says: A foot massager thingie might go over well. (ed note. Probably)

Barefoot Josh says the Trail Run I'm going on this weekend should sport these:

My Mom figures I’d like one of these:

And Zoe thinks I’d enjoy these:

Um, well… oh ok…you guys are so right. I love all of it! *blush a little*

Non-run side note. I have a blogging buddy in a different blogosphere who is a National Parks Ranger in Lake Louise. Here is a shot of Ivan at work, tranquilizing, tagging and removing grizzly bears from campgrounds and other public areas! Yikes.

back to our regular scheduled [contest] program…

… where I run barefoot and talk nonsense and give stuff away!

I ran last night and had a great run. 11 club runners will do that for the mojo! I ran 7k and I have no idea how long it took. It was just a great run. I came home right after running and heated up my dinner that DW had saved for me. I popped the Corelle dish into the microwave and presto I had my BBQ chicken and teriyaki noodles ready to eat. 

Speaking of Corelle, have you ever shopped online at CSN stores? Me neither! CSN Stores are a huge collection of online shops where you can purchase just about anything! I personally am a huge fan of the kitchen and house wares found at www.cookware.com. It is an online store with an amazing assortment of gadgetry and kitchenware from your basic needs right up to the highest quality dish sets and cookware.

Yesterday I was contacted by the amazing people over at CSN Stores.com  telling me I have been selected as one of the kids that are cool enough to give stuff away for them! I have in my grubby mitts a $55.00 gift certificate for one of my followers! Check out the cool teapots from Corelle. for some reason I just like the style. Sort of reminds me of my Gramma a little bit.

Now you ask, how are you eligible to win this awesome prize of $55.00 to spend at CSN Stores.com? Well, let me tell you.

There are 2 things that are mandatory for entry:

1. You must be a follower of this blog, either new or already, but a comment has to be placed in the comment box below either way.
2. You must reside in Canada or USA. That’s right Canada, you get to play! *Woot* I even asked CSN - If a Canadian won the prize, that the international fee be covered on your order of $55.00 or less inc. shipping. They said Yes! The international fee is the brokerage and duties that they take care of for you when shipping across the line. I got curious as I was a little disheartened by that fee. I shouldn’t have feared anything as when I went around and did some price checking CSN is right in line with Canadian Based retailers on their pricing, even with the fee. I guess everyone has to pay that fee no matter where you sell the stuff from!! Great Job CSN… Thanks for the fun giveaway!

Ok, here are the ways to enter

• Comment to confirm that you are a follower still or now +1 entry.
• Go to CSN Stores.com have a look around, and tell me in comments what you would like to buy with your $55.00 +1 entry
• Go to CSN Stores.com have a look around, and tell me in comments what you would like to buy ME with your $55.00 +1 entry
• Go to CSN Stores.com have a look around, and tell me in comments what you would buy for your favourite person in the world, and who that person is +2 entry
• Go to CSN Facebook or CSN Twitter and ‘Like’ or ‘Follow’ them, then tell me in comments + 1 entry each (separate comments)
• Tell me in comments, what you think would be a cool, fun and different way to host contests and give away sponsor prizes in the future! +1 entry

Contest will run from now until Aug 1st Sept 1 with the winner being announced on Aug 2nd Sept 2. (<<< whos the new guy.. sheesh.)

Non run fun-note - On a roadie for work today, we saw these 3 awesome black bears. Momma and 2 cubs!

Barefoot mileage since June 29th : 123km

VFF mileage since July 7th : 25.8km

Shoe mileage since SOBF (start of barefoot): 5km (25:30 5k race PR on July 1st)

running product makers!! Please sponsor me! Thanks CSN Stores.com

First of all…

… Thanks!

What an awesome group of people, that share and motivate and inspire like you do! If you haven’t read the comments from the last posting about my Mojo gone missing, then you are doing yourself a disservice. I thank all of you who commented and I am going to highlight one of the comments, as I think everyone should read this advice.

Barefoot Angie Bee writes:

In my opinion running should help and not hinder. Use it as a tool to escape. To burn off that stress from work or that extra helping of a meal.
It takes the edge off and lets you just be for a while.
In order to do that you have to let go of any expectations you might have put on yourself about running. It shouldn't be a source of stress and if it has become that its time to fall in love with it again.

It is freaky how ‘in my head’ she is. She continues:

So what, you missed a long run. You made the schedule, you can change it or do whatever you want.
you may just need a break for a while. You may need to change your perspective.
That book Josh suggested sounds good. I think I will check it out too.

Right. Yes! I am choosing this. why should I feel so guilty about something I myself have created, and have the wisdom and ability to alter for life changes too! Angie then goes on share her struggles and what her plan is to stay positive:

I am coming to a crossroads. I am getting a bunch of work and I need to take advantage of it when it comes around. It is interfering with my marathon training. I am coming to the realization that its just a race and if I have to work instead then thats ok. I can run a marathon. Maybe it wont be an actual race but I know I can do it and thats what matters.
I like having goals and they do help with motivation but sometimes goals need to change because life is not static. Go with the flow :)
Move gently and lightly through life just like you would run.
I wish you all the best and you will find your mojo again. Probably right when you stop looking for it. Kind of like lost keys, It will show up :)

What an awesome lady. If you don’t know her, you should definitely go have a read. What’s really cool, is you can see and hear her too! She did a segment called “Your AHA moment”. She is as personable and passionate in Real Life as she is here on the blogosphere!

Second of all. I feel like a petty whiny jerk after all this. I follow a blogger called Ironman 101. James is an incredible individual that has written (in his last couple posts) of an unimaginable family tragedy that happened exactly 5 years ago. James, you are a rock, you are a mountain of a man, thank you so much for sharing your story with us. It shows that you can’t say “I Love You” enough to the people around us that mean so much. I was a blubbering sobbing mess after reading this story. Don’t read this at work, they will send you home on sick leave.

So, thanks again for everyone. I am inspired! I have a 7k easy on the docket tonight, and I guarantee it will be a good one!

How about these pictures for a pick me up, hey?

woo! yur a biggen…

I am speed! Float like a puggerfly,

Look at me leapin!

Ps. There are a couple of awesome quotes that were, well.. quoted, and one that reminded me of one I came up with myself when we were waiting for the birth of our only son.

Don’t always be wishing for the future, because when that future arrives, there is always another future to wish for. You’ll then be longing for the past you missed.  Neil Z.

Kinda poignant when we train so hard for a fall race, and then wonder where summer went. Look around while you run! take it in!

Mojo-a-No-no…

Sometime between last Wednesday and today I have lost my mo. I feel like a big bag of poo. I am tired, listless and many other words describing tired and listless.

My list of really incredibly good reasons to be tired and listless

• Summer is over
• Summer never came
• I like food more than running
• I like sleep more than running
• I have a TON of business related stresses to deal with
• I am tired and listless
• my shoes don’t fit
• I lost my shoes
• do I have shoes?
• my feet are really happy and un abraded right now, do I really want to go back out there?
• I missed my long run this week, there is no point now.
• I am other words for tired and listless
• I kinda feel like these guys look. Is there any point? really?

Does that fly with you guys? will you let me get away with this? How do you shake a ‘mind’ slump when you get in them? What other parts of your life affect your running the most? for the good and for the bad?

Thanks!

A non run tangent Saturday/Sunday…

My tangent last Saturday worked pretty good, so here is another one.

We are camping again. We are really ruffin’ it. We don’t have hookups of any kind, however, a couple months ago, we upgraded to 2 ‘deep cycle’ 6 volt batteries and are on day 5 of this camping trip without having to connect to any type of shore power.

Yep, were ruffin it. Notice the Garmin being charged!

 

This battery revelation opens up a whole new world for us and our camping adventures. As long as our water tank is full and our waste tanks are empty, we figure we can go ‘Boondocking’ for at least 6 days at a stretch with no requirement for connections. That is super-duper news. Imagine all the mountain meadows, prairie lakesides and music festivals that this opens the door to us!

We are exactly 30 minutes west of our house. Right now we are pretty smothered in forest fire smoke from all the fires in British Columbia, but it sure makes for some nice photo opportunities.

It a really cool sight to see, when you look straight up, and there is blue sky, but anywhere else and it’s like the thickest fog. These pics are on the way to the camping area.

   God’s country. truly.

On Saturday we were supposed to go to Millerville for the Farmers Market and Fair. Nope. The line up of cars was at least a couple kms long and we were in NO mood to get stuck in some ‘city folk’ crowds. We ended up in Okotoks for some breakfast and then back to the house (because we were so close) for showers.

After a stop at the house the board of directors were anxious to get back on the road and back to the mountains. Pump gas (as Andrew says it) first, then gone again!

Long time ago back story: 17 years ago I went to Saskatoon from my home in North Battleford to upgrade my high school Math and English marks so I could get into Architecture school. I got there and the first thing I had to do was look for a job. I found one, and it was a position selling coupons door to door. The story of the coupon sales cult company is probably a whole nother marathon of blogging to tell that story, but the one thing that did come out of this job was I met my good friend Randy. I have not seen Randy in 17 years, but we reconnected and have kept in touch through Facebook (He moved to England 13 years ago), and I just happened to know that he was back in Canada on a family camping trip. Turns out he was one mountain range to the north from us.

I gave Randy a call and we headed out to Bow Valley Provincial Park, just east of Canmore. He had moved from his campsite over to a day use picnic area on the banks of the mighty Bow River.

It was like we saw each other yesterday. Yammer yammer yammer… yakkity yak. The bonus is Traci and Randy got along very well and Andrew, after a little bit of shyness, was all over Randy t0o! It was good to see you Randy. I remember being very good friends with you back then and this little hour long visit confirmed why. I sure hope it isn’t another 17 years before we get to re-connect again.

If you click on the photo below, it will come up much larger (settings in Livewriter are very user friendly like that) . It is a pretty nice shot and if you want to download it for you desktop background or anything, feel free! The mountain on the far right is Yamnuska. I am going to climb it before the summer is out.

  

My DW enjoying the day

 

My DS enjoying the day

 

My DW and DS enjoying each other!

Randy and I…

And being it’s my running blog, here are the 5’s enjoying some mountain air as well!

I was going to run the Prairie Link trail today, but I couldn’t find anyone to go with (there are lots of bears in the area and DW didn’t want me to go alone), so I am going to run 10k tomorrow in my Neighbourhood when we get home. I do have a date with follower and regular commenter Ellorneo to run this trail next Sunday. I saw a photo of Lorne’s VFF’s on the Vibram Facebook page and I requested a friendship with him. We have commented back and forth as well as facebooked, but never met yet. Should be a fun run! Here is the original Facebook exchange.

I thought it was a funny exchange. Glad I friended him now!

Camping Sponsors, Please sponsor me! I will camp and run in your name!

Quick and painful…

A quick post tonight. I have a high speed connection in my mountain paradise campground, however I have no power to plug the laptop in. I got about 45 minutes to do what I got to do. I am going back to the city tomorrow for a while and I will bring my inverter. I’m sure i’ll have lots to say then.

I got the boy to move all the firewood. Isn’t that why we have kids?

My legs ache today. wow. Hills really beat them up. It’s just aches, no injury, but boy. My soles are tender, and my calves constantly tell me they are there! I was feeling a little low this morning, what with the achy feet, so I put a pair of socks on and went and found my new pair of NB 1063’s. I wore the running shoes for 3 hours and thought my feet were going to fall off. My heel actually started to get really sore and the pressure on my arch was almost unbearable. When we got set up in the campground I took them off, and had the most enjoyable feeling of well being float over me.

Am I becoming a bit of a zealot?

Me in a bit of a melancholy mood.

Anyway, I put the 5’s on for some walks and I am much better now. thank you. Oh yeah. Thanks to all my old and new readers. You guys and gals and the regular commenter's make this blogness super fun for me!