Which way did he go?

Believe me Fabio. You had the right idea when you missed this sign.  You should have just kept on running and  running and never looked back. I sure wish we had.

nah, it was great, hard technically, and a monster of a climb, harder than Comfortably Numb, but well worth it in the end. 

Tuesday Night Running Club

So we finally got the nerve  up to go and train with the speedies that do the Escape Route runs held every Tuesday evening.  You get your ass kicked all in the name of improving your overall running ability. On tonights menu, we got to run a 1.6km  2 or 3 times at our Vo2 maximum,  uphill on single track. Thankfully we got four minute breaks in between. Even though this was tough and way out of the comfort zone,  and  bears no resemblance to our usual slow easy gabby pace, we all improved our times each time we ran it.  Went home tired and hungry and was delighted to sit down to the strawberry rhubarb pie I made for afters.  It really hit the spot afterall I think we deserved it don’t you?

Beauty Breaks

 

I needed to stop and smell the roses today, well wildflowers. School officially ended at 10am today and by 12 noon,  I’m bored. What do you want to do? could already be heard.  Peace and quiet promptly ended as my son and entourage came through the door singing School’s Out for Summer at the top of there lungs.  By 4pm I could stand it no longer, I needed my run. A month of what seemed like torrential rains and precious little sun does have it’s rewards and I was served up a new patch of wildflowers  everywhere I went. 

Beer Near

 

Hash House run last night through Lost Lake Trails.  What a Hoot

 36 runners divided up into Eagles (speedies) and Tortoises (me and the boy) set out on a run to who knows where.  We managed to take the long way round but happy to report that we did not get lost.

We then supped up beer and nachos at the Cinnamon Bear Bar.  Now this is my kind of running.!

PIZZA on the Run

 

We were running up a gruesome hill, trying to hang in there, I said to my son just pump your arms back and forth like a locomotive .  “Nah, I got a better way.  Do the Pizza? “

“ Do the What?” “  Yeh Mom, when ever you run up a hill pretend you have a slice of pizza in each hand and you take bites out of it”

It really works, it may not make the hill any smaller but it sure makes it easier.

Comfortably Numb – Boy Meets Trail

 

There was no stopping him this morning

 Not the heavy rain, nor the cougar sighting on the trail earlier in the week was enough to dampen his spirits today. He was

 going to run.

After a really fun trail run last week which lasted about 35 minutes around Lost Lake , Jack piped up that he wanted to run Comfortably Numb.  Since Hubby was doing a 2 1/2 hour run I half jokingly said ” Hey why don’t we run 2 hours too”  Sure was the response.  What?? I nearly tripped over a rock, surely he was joking.  Damn that meant I would have to run it too Big Mouth!

So we watched the 4 other speedies run off into the distance and  leave us in the dust (well mud)  and we settled in for our run.  Now Comfortably Numb is no walk in the park, from the moment you start it is up hill climb, I am guessing it climbs about 400 meters in the first 6km.  Jack was not deterred, he loves  running over rocks and roots, and uphills don’t seem to bother him – he was in his element.  I don’t think I have ever had more fun on a run. We paid our respects to El Presidenti and made our turn around, after travelling uphill for a hour we turned around and headed back. Ahh thank goodness for the downhill but wait. How quickly I had forgotten the downhill to the bridge and we slogged back up a horrible hill.  But as the saying goes what goes up must come down and after that it was smooth sailing.  Yee Ha that was fun.  Same time next week?

A Cougar on the Loose

Not this kind

 d.

This kind!!

 .  Ran  and hiked this route last week. Yikes!

Rider Chased by Cougar on Foreplay!!! JUNE 4.07

This is just a quick announcement for riders to take extra caution when riding in the area of lower Foreplay.  On Saturday June 2nd Steve Patterson not only spotted the big cat on the trail but experienced the ride of his life as he was chased down to the disc golf course.  Luckily he was able to out ride the cougar who gave up.  Steve’s version of the story is told below! If you see a cougar in the area or anywhere else in Whistler please let us know so that our riders can take proper care when out on the trails.”So there I was, five and a half hours into a solo Kill me Thrill me – Comfortably Numb loop. I had negotiated snow patches, windfall, exhaustion, and I was a little concerned with sunlight. I finally reached some familiar trail at the top of Foreplay, since I had ridden that trail years earlier. I crested the rock gardens just above the Disc Golf course, the village was in sight and I couldn’t be happier – All I could think about was tailgate beers and a big greasy burger.But then, I heard a crashing throught the woods. I had startled something, I figured a bear at first. No big deal, bears usually run away when you yell at them. The crashing continued, and got louder. It was then I realized something was actually running towards me. To my astonishment, a 2-3 yr old 125 lb-ish cougar jumps out of the woods behind me. I whirl around, since I was practically at a standstill I moved the bike between myself and the cat. It proceeds to run over to me.. within about ten feet. I slowly back away, talking, looking straight at it. The trail switches back so I bushwack down to the next swithback below, cat advancing with me the whole time! This went on for a couple hundred meters, and after shouting, standing up to appear taller, it was becoming apparent this thing wasn’t going anywhere. As soon as it looked like I could start descending, I whirl around, get on the saddle, and start given’er. The cat keeps following, sauntering at first, then galloping. It was a hummocky rolling section for a bit, so it was super intense, it was right on me and I was half expecting something to jump on my back – then, finally, it starts to drop a little steeper! I pin it.. two wheel drifting corners, sailing over everything in my path – I started to lose it, or more realistically, it was just getting tired of following me. The rest of the trail I couldn’t make myself slow down, at one point nailing a tree with my head and shoulder but managed to wobble out of it and keep going. At some point I got off Foreplay and fast tracked out through the disc golf course. I encountered a couple hikers on the lost lake main trails and yelled out that there was a large cat not far behind me, and to get out of the area. it wasn’t until I was alll the way down to the campsite that I actually felt safe. Anyways, I made it out unscathed, and the beer and splitz burger has never tasted so good!”

Shedding our Winter Coats

                              It’s been a long cold winter. 

                       La Ropa Beach  Zihuatanejo Mexico

                          We deserved this. We really did.

I’ve Been Unfaithful…….

I wasn’t planning for this to happen.

  I  thought I was happy,

 I  thought I was satisfied.

I didn’t think I wanted anything else

But I guess something was missing.

I didn’t really go looking for it

It started off innocently enough,

just something to do on those cold and rainy winter days

 but sadly something was missing, and I needed a new love

It just happened.

 Is it the thrill of the chase?

or the exciting new positions I find myself in. 

I am working muscles I never new existed.

It’s such a joy to play the game.

I am having to follow a whole new set of rules

and when time is up and I go home to my family

I go home breathless and spent.

I may have a new love

But running will always be my one true love and  surely their is room in my heart for more than one love.

I’m OK with Ugly

Which one would you choose?

The waxed and polished one with the fancy label, the shiny surface, the perfect shape and colour. Do you care if it is enhanced,modified and chemically laced and plumped to perfection? 

Or would choose the oldly shaped battle scared tasty little morsel that grew up naturally, with out any help or enhancements? Can you be content with less than perfect proportions,wrinkles and lines?

I like to think that lines,wrinkles, and imperfections go unnoticed if what’s inside is real. 

A shiny beautiful surface is nice, but it is what inside that makes us shine.