Alaska bound!

Heads up:  This is not a running post! 

After over a year without a break from work, the BF and I went on a 2 week road trip to Alaska.  I did bring my running shoes, but they only went on my feet when my hiking shoes got soaked.  I didn't run at all for 2 weeks (or the week before we left, or the week after we got home - eek), but we did a lot of hiking and walking and had a GREAT time.

Here's a little summary in pictures:

Bought some smoked salmon from these guys - grabbing them straight from the river in Moricetown, BC

Our first hike - over one of the original bridges on the Alaska Highway

Entering Kluane National Park, Yukon Territory

Who needs a campground when you can pull off the highway and wake up to this view?!

We made it!  (but I can't rotate the picture)

Our first stop across the border.  This town was "New Tokyo" until Japan bombed Alaska.

Another hike, and our first wildlife sighting: a beaver!

First glacier sighting!  Worthington Glacier

The sign said:  Caution: Proceed at your own risk.  The sign did not say not to proceed.

On the ferry from Valdez to Whittier (with views of the Columbia Glacier)

Exit Glacier near Seward - the glacier came this far in 1926

Up close at Exit Glacier

Muskox!  (At the wildlife preserve)

Identifying bear poop at the wildlife preserve

Traffic Jam in Alaska.  There was a fatal accident, so we just got out of line and went for a hike (traffic was stopped for 6 hours!)

Another hike in the rain...

...to another glacier!

As close as I got to running - there was a race in Anchorage!  I hadn't registered, or eaten, and food won.

Yummy, yummy beers at Glacier Brewhouse

The obligatory King Crab dinner

Uhh...

Heading north, we pulled in here.  Mike had everything - cars, antlers, Sarah Palin signs and...

A pickled hand?!

On that note...I'll break here!  More to come as we head to Denali National Park, Fairbanks, and chase down the Ice Road Truckers!

2 weeks :)

I have just come back from 2 weeks of absolutely wonderful, computer, cell phone, technology free vacation in Alaska.  It was also a run-free vacation, but I did do a lot of hiking!  I will post some pictures soon!

One Week Later..

...and I feel great!  Well, truth be told, I'm a little sore actually, but we'll get to that later.  I know I made the right decision about a fall marathon, and though I know I'll feel a twinge of jealousy reading race reports come October, I don't have any regrets about my decision.

I've decided that with a two week vacation in August, a realistic goal for me this month is just to be active every day.  No real mileage goals (except to keep up with my goal for the year), no key workouts, no plan. 

Monday:  90 min hike

I thoroughly enjoyed the holiday and the lack of pressure to run and took full advantage with a sleep in.  When I finally got up, the BF and I headed out for a hike along a nearby creek.  The BF was wearing boots, and I was in my trail shoes.  I killed about a thousand mosquitoes, got stung by some kind of nettle plant and crossed the creek about 4 times before I fell in and had a mini-meltdown.  Not my favourite hike.  :(

Tuesday:  5K run and abs

This was the week that summer finally arrived!  I got out a bit late and was HOT, but made it around my 5K route before getting home to do a 15 minute ab workout.

Wednesday:  16 hour work day + dancing + balance

Oh yes, I can get creative.  My day involved and hour and a half drive to a meeting, driving back, and then facilitating a workshop in the evening.  It was only day 3 and I didn't want to fail at my daily activity so soon.  To fit it in, I danced in the car.  You can work up quite a sweat with the right moves ;)  Then while facilitating, I stood on one foot for as long as I could, then the other, using my abs to balance.

Thursday:  5K run + back

The water on the river has finally gone down and after over a month of being under water, the river walk is available for running again.  Again, I waited a bit later than I should have to run, but there's lots of shade on this route, so I was pretty comfortable throughout.  When I got home, I did a 15 minute back toning workout.

Friday:  30 minutes walking

It was a busy work day, so I took work into town to combine with errands and did them all by walking.

Saturday:  45 minutes cardio

I found a new cardio workout on an iPhone app and tried it out.  I wasn't too sure how much of a workout I could really get in my basement, but ended up discovering muscles I didn't know I had!  I was pooped by the end and sore for the rest of the day!

Sunday:   40 min Stretching and Foam Rolling + 6 hours gardening

I had planned on going for a run on Sunday, but woke up and could barely move.  I did some stretching and foam rolling, but was still hobbling about.  I hobbled into the garden and started pulling the weeds that have been accumulating all spring, and kept stretching while I pulled.  Maybe I did a little too much stretching, because stairs are an even bigger challenge today!  I also have an extra pain - from my first sunburn of the year!  I covered my whole body in sunscreen, but missed my lower back.  As I bent to pull weeds, my shirt went up, and my back went pink.  Nuts!

Dear Marathon,

This is hard to say, so I'm just going to say it:

I think it's time we took a break.

I don't mean I want to break up and never see you again.  I just don't think it's working out right now, and maybe if we spent some time apart, we could come back together when we're both ready to get serious.

I fell in love with you quickly.  I was enamoured, some might say obsessed with you.  After our first big date, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.  I was sure I'd met my match for life and was excited to start prepping for date number two. 

On that second date, I was really hurt.  I'd put so much into getting ready, and was really let down at the finish.  I thought if I jumped into date three, I would feel better, and our relationship would get better, but it's just not quite going as planned.  I keep putting you off, and making excuses.  It's really not fair to you, and I know I will only be disappointed in the end.

I admit, I've been flirting with the idea of shorter distances.  There's so much going on in my life right now, I need something fun and light in my life.  I know it's selfish, but with my two week vacation coming up, I really just want to be free to do as I please. 

As much as I love you, you should know that you are awfully demanding.  You make me get up early, restrict my diet, and tell me not to have that second glass of wine.  While you do make me happy, and give me a great deal in return, you also take hours of my time, and have caused me physical pain.  In a word, you are exhausting.

I am sure that we will get to date three eventually, just not this fall.  I know it won't be easy to reaquaint ourselves after I've been spending more time with 10K, half and even 5K, but I'll try to visit once a month or so with a longer long run so we can keep in touch.  When we do meet again, I promise I will be faster, stronger, and ready to commit.

Until the spring,
Amy
xo

Birthday Run and Foto Fun

Two weeks ago, to celebrate my 32nd birthday, I went for a 32 kilometer run.  I let myself sleep in just a little bit before heading out at 7:45am. 

It was foggy when I left the house, and I couldn't see to the end of the road, but it was warm.  I`d decided that I would think of as many memories as I could from each age as I clicked through the kms at a slow and steady pace.  It was a great run, and rolling through the memories was a good distraction, especially after my iPod died at the 13th km - just as I was remembering my Grade 8 teacher throw a stapler across the room, missing a head, and breaking a window. 

Here we go:

0-1
I obviously don`t remember anything from this age, but I can tell you this:  I was cute.  I`ve seen the pictures.  (I'd share if I had any, but they are all in storage).

1-2
No memories from here either, but I know I did what many babies do at their first birthday and put my hand in the cake.

2-3
I got nothin!

3-4

• One of my earliest memories is driving to visit my great-grandmother in Maine, and stopping at the Black Bear Inn.  I drew a picture for the waiter and he put it up behind the bar in the restaurant.  The next year, we stayed at the same place, and my picture was still hanging there. 
• Family trip to Disney World

4-5

• When we were back at the Black Bear Inn there was a woman with loooooooooooooooong hair like Chrystal Gayle.  I thought this was beautiful at the time.

Source

• I also remember that my Great-grandmother ordered off of the kids menu because she preferred smaller portions.  I thought this was awesome.
• At age 4, I started ballet, I was also in gymnastics and nursery school.  On the first day of Nursery School, my mom gave me a present:  Michael Jackson`s Thriller album.  It was my first tape.

Source

5-6

• I started kindergarten.  Amanda Adams and I stayed in at recess one morning and cut our own bangs.  I had bangs already and just turned them into more of a fringe.  Amanda had waist lenth hair and bangs to match, and was still growing them out when we were in the same class again in grade 5.  It's the first time I remember getting in trouble.  :S

6-7

• I read Little House in the Big Woods and was OBSESSED with Laura Ingalls Wilder.

7-8

• I remember, in vivid detail, an indepth conversation with my friend Veena Moser about reincarnation.  I had never heard of this concept, and yet she was certain that death meant a new beginning.  I remember asking my teacher, Mrs Stewart, to help us to get to the bottom of our disagreement.  She said that when she died, if she came back, she would come and let us know.

8-9

• Heidi and I were in the same class for the 3rd year in a row.  We were no longer allowed to sit together.  Though we were always in a school with multiple classes for each grade, we were in the same class from grade 1- grade 8, and had a permanent case of the giggles.  By the time we were in Grade 3, our parents were friends and we both got knee boards for our birthdays to be towed by behind the boat and started competing to see who could do the most 360s on a spin around the lake.  There are some pretty funny pictures of the two of us, but they are in Ontario, and I am in BC :(

9-10

• Family trip to Disney Land

10-11

• We had a boy in our class that misbehaved so badly and so often that at one point our teacher had to carry him, kicking and screaming, to the principal's office.  The last I heard, that guy had become a pilot for Air Canada.

11-12

• Family trip to Arizona and my first ride in a hot air balloon

12-13

• I was dancing competitively at this time, and our group qualified for a competition in Las Vegas.  30 girls and their moms made the trip!

13-14

• Family trip to Hawaii

14-15

• High School started and so did my friendship with a group of girls who will be my friends forever.  Here is a picture of all of us (plus a couple of others) at our friend Roxanne's wedding in 2009.

15-16

• I joined the cross country team (at least in part because of a cute boy).

16-17

• Learning to drive

17-18

• I spent the entire summer at my cottage, with my mom, working at the little bakery in town.

18-19

• I started working at a summer camp where I would work for the next 5 summers, and then again after returning from overseas, and again after returning from overseas (again).

19-20

• My first year at McMaster, and the start of another great friendship with Lizaroo!!  (Would you believe I don't have a single picture with my best friend that I like???)

20-21

• This was the year my mom died, and I don't have many happy memories.  Here's one of the last photos I have with my family.

21 -22

• Lizzaroo and I went to ate our way through Europe. 

22-23

• I graduated from university.  Lizzaroo and I spent 3 days driving for 2 days on the beach in a spontaneous road trip to Myrtle Beach.

23-24

• New Zealand! Lots of hiking, good friends and fun in the year spent at Teacher's College.

A little late for the tide crossing in Abel Tasman

24-25

• Australia!  More friends, more fun, and a lot of beer!

25-26

• After a brief return home, I was off again to China.  Here I am with my "Baby" Class:

At the language mill

26-27

• Travelling in China:

Minority group in SE China, celebrating a festival as I passed through.

and Vietnam...

Halong Bay

and Cambodia...

Former French Resort

and Laos

After a moto-mishap

and six months teaching in Thailand:

My Kindergarten Class at Melodies International Kindergarten in Bangkok

27-28

• This was the year my dad died, and I left soon after for India where I volunteered at a children's home for 3 months

Me with the "older boys" on a field trip to the museum

28-29

• I moved to BC and started working with youth.  Our staff team was known as the "Love Cluster" that year

• I met the BF and we road-tripped to the Yukon.

29-30 (I was getting close to home at this point, and decided to call it a day at 30K)

• I ran my first 1/2 marathon

We drove to Yellowknife, but couldn't go any further:

At 31, I ran my first marathon:

What will 32 bring?????

Just a little walk...

Two weeks ago, I had the energy of a sloth, and the BF was feeling a little under the weather.  It was a rainy day in town, but we both wanted to get out of the house, so we decided to do some exploring in his pick-up rather than on foot.  Armed with the Backroads Map Book, we headed out down a familiar road, looking for a less familiar road to check out.  It wasn't long before we found one that would do a big loop around and end up at Bowron Lake Provincial Park. 

As we drove, the sun came out and we both perked up a bit.  The map noted a trail off the road and we agreed that a little fresh air would probably do us good and decided to find the trail and go for a wee walk, maybe 30 minutes out and back.

After one miss, we turned around and found the trail that had clearly not seen too much recent use.  Once a road up to a forest fire watch tower, the path was well grown in and for the first 20 minutes, we were battling branches coming out at all angles.  Once we got out of that mess, we were battling swarms of mosquitoes, but we kept walking.  After a while we thought we heard a river, so we kept going to check that out.  When it turned out to be a big run off stream from the snow, and we were still swatting mosquitoes, we kept going uphill.

And up.

And up.

At the bottom of the trail, it had felt like summer.  It was warm, and the dense brush made it muggy.  As we went up, it cooled a bit, and the plants were smaller.  It was like we had gone back in time to spring.  And then to winter.  It was July, but we were walking around snow for awhile.

And then there was no going around it, we were going through it.



Still, we kept going up.

The view was great.

And then it got very windy.

And very cold.

Remember that we had left not planning to hike, so we were definitely underprepared for the change in weather seasons.  I know this is a silly mistake, but we lucked out when we came across the old forest fire lookout.  The cabin was actually in quite good shape, and we were able to get inside for a break.  And just in time!  We waited out a quick, blustery, blizzard!

As quickly as it came, the snow stopped, and the clouds cleared, and we hiked back down. When we arrived back in summer, we'd been hiking for 6 hours.  We'd seen moose tracks, groundhogs, and bear poop, and discovered a cache of supplies on a side trail part way down. 

It was a great hike!

11.5 weeks to go!

I haven't posted in a while, so here's a little recap of the past two and a half weeks:

Busy.  BUSY.  BUSY.

Without going into too many details, I will say that my workload has increased, a support person has been hired, but hasn't started yet, and I have been trying to do my own job plus play the support role for the past month. 

I made it through the first two weeks of marathon training, fitting in all of my runs, and in complete denial.  Yes, I was working 12-14-16 hour days, but I was doing ok.

On the third week, I missed my Monday recovery run, and my Tuesday track workout, so I added the two distances together and went for a 16K hill run on Wednesday morning, by getting up at 5am and then working until 10pm.  I somehow still managed a tempo run on Thursday, before a work day that went until catching a late bus home at 11:15pm (getting me in at 1am).  Friday was a rest day workout wise, but no shorter of a work day, so I think it's understandable that when my alarm went off on Saturday to get up at 5am to get ready for my long run, I pretty well tossed the clock across the room before rolling over and going back to sleep.

I was pretty sure I was coming down with something and spent the day laying low, telling myself that it was still early in the training plan, and if I was going to miss a long run, this was a good week to do it.  On Sunday, the BF and I went out for our usual hike, which will have a post of it's own when I get around to it.  *Hint: Think white.*

I wanted to get back on track with my training for week 4, but it just didn't happen.  The previous week's long days were catching up to me, and there was no end in sight,work wise.  I managed a track workout (which felt great) and a 5K.  No tempo, no extra miles, no long run.  Poop.

I was beginning to wonder whether or not I should just pack this training in all together, or maybe train for a half rather than a full, when along came Monday, and all of the hard work finally seemed to pay off.  My support person started last week, and everything is finally falling into place. (Knock on wood, quick!)

I fit in a short run on Tuesday, and had a house visit planned for Wednesday about 10K from home, so I dropped a change of clothes off on Tuesday and ran there on Wednesday.  I fit my track workout in today, and will be running 32K on my 32nd birthday this weekend.  If I can get that in, I'll be back on top of this plan!