Great it snowed over night.... again

Carleigh is in need of coffee after our long run. I had enough at 16k and called it quits. I woke up late this morning and I knew that was a bad sign. I didn't get enough fluids in me before we started out. Once again snowed while we ran and the sidewalks and trails were snowy. All my energy was devoted to lifting my feet through the knee high snow (a little exaggeration). I didn't care about my time. I just wanted coffee. 

At least, I knew when to stop. I went inside Starbucks and waited for Carleigh. I finished my coffee and I started to feel guilty. Maybe I should go find her and then run back together. I ended my conversation with the lady at the table beside me.

I put my phone back in my car and started out again. I rounded the corner and there was Carleigh! We calculated our mileage and then, I suggested we run the last couple kilometres together. Thankfully, she said she was done and back into Starbucks we went!

Two weeks away!

Gosh time does fly by when you're not training. To be more precise time flies when you're not training as hard as you should be.

I feel good though. The Hypothermic will be my second half-marathon, and my first in the bloody winter. It's going to be a completely different experience than my first in Vegas.

The only thing remaining the same will be the distance (21k or 13.1 miles). That I can take comfort in.

I am going to be wearing lots of layers. I won't know the temperature until that morning. Not comforting. There's going to be snow and ice. I am going to be cold.

It's a given my pace will be slower with all those things thrown in the mix. I am totally okay with this. I want to embrace this experience and focus on finishing. I finished in 2hr in Vegas. I would be happy finishing around the 2:15 mark or so.

Don't get me wrong, I am not going out to finish slower. I just want to be realistic and finish without hurting.

Let the countdown begin. I am getting excited. I am happy Carleigh and Wendy are running too.

Elvis has left the.....

Elvis and I went for a roadtrip to my place. We went for a nice walk. Then I decided to take him here for a visit. He was a little confused at first. He is now snoozing by the couch. He's resting up for our big weekend together. 

Raising awareness in local schools

Two Grade 6 classes at a school in Wembley turned their classrooms into one resembling a Haitian classroom. The idea behind the concept was to raise awareness or understanding about Haiti. The students were taught in the dark and without technology. I spent a few minutes in one of the rooms. I ate some cornmeal. The kids also collected pledges for the Haiti for a Day experience. They collected more than $1500. Read my full story in tomorrow's Daily Herald-Tribune.

So I need to go grocery shopping

As you can see, I am down to the basics. On one hand it's nice when I get down to almost nothing. This way I know I am not wasting any food. I hate waste.

I made it to the Leisure Centre. It's been awhile since I ran on a treadmill. Soon enough I remembered how painfully slow the time goes. I squeezed in a half an hour run. Then 25 minutes on the bike. I am calling it my crosstraining day. It's back outside tomorrow. Did I mention it was -30 this morning?

I'm trying hard to convince myself to get off my ball chair, get out of my work clothes and change into workout gear.

It's -25. Undoubtably my care is an ice cube. I just made it home about 10 minutes ago. There's dishes piled up on the counter. The bathroom is a mess. I got my period this morning. I've been eating like a cow.

On all accounts I need to move. I am not running outside tonight. So it will be the Leisure Centre tonight. I really don't feel like hitting the treadmill.

So it will be stairs all the way. Wish me luck. Carleigh, enjoy your bon bons.

Mondays are never fun. Generally it's the start of the news week, as one reporter was on duty all weekend. He's undoubtably grumpy after little sleep and scanner duty. The rest of us are just sucked back into reality and we're simply going through the motions.

My day was pretty laid back. I had a few easy stories to pen. I had a photo-op planned for 1 p.m. This week is literacy week so there's tons of reading activities planned throughout the city.

One of the schools phoned me last week to tell me a few of the Storm players would be reading to the kids. Easy photo-op. No problem.

It was after I finished my assignment did my day go downhill. A scruffy looking guy comes into the school and announces, "Who owns a blue Nissan Versa?"

Great I thought. Maybe I parked where I should not have. Oh no, the guy backed into the front of my car. I get that it was an accident but I am so pissed.

I have his number. He's a 19 year old kid who was driving his parent's SUV. At first blush, the damage seems to be only scratches but who knows. I am going to get an estimate later this week.

Alberta is so bad on cars. Everyone body in my newsroom has had car accidents or something happen to their car. This is the third time someone hit my car. The first time was a hit and run. The damage was really bad so I had to get it fixed. The second time another hit and run.

At least time, the boy came forward and confessed. Good on him. I'm just really frustrated with stuff right now. This is all I need.

I have to go back out at 6 for photos. Otherwise I would go for a run. I finished my articles a little while ago and now I am taking a breather.

I wanted to take a picture this morning but I was too distracted after my run to do just that. We started at 8:45 a.m. We were supposed to start at 8:30 sharp so we could finish earlier but Somebody was late. It wasn't me.

It was a terribly long, cold, slow and wet  18k-run. I'm glad I pushed through it. I saw lots of runners out this morning. It was nice to see others suffering through the "pain." I really like doing these long runs alone. Carleigh is with me for part of it but mostly I run alone.

I can play my own shrink and work through stuff. I'm crossing my fingers, it won't be snowing in Edmonton during the race.

Canada For Haiti

Donate now

In Grande Prairie on Jan 23 at 9 p.m. A fundraiser for relief effort through the Red Cross. A dance and live music by local musician Adam Fancey. Silent auction items. $10 donation (admission) at the door.

So yes, I feel much better today. I ran 13k and it felt really good. Hypothermic here I come! I think Carleigh and I finally figured out how to run together ... sorta.

As our paces are very different, we had to tinker with our running. Neither one of us want to leave the other in the dust or feel like we are holding the other back. Because we want to train together, we have got it so the one with the faster pace will run the first 3k or so at the other's pace. Then she'll head off at a pace a little faster than the slower pace so the other person can keep the other person in sight.
It worked tonight anyway.

On Sunday we're planning on running 16k-18k. I am not telling Tymmarah though. She thinks we're just doing a short run. We're heading out 8:30 a.m. sharp from the Pavilion to Resources Road to Evergreen Park and back. I am hoping that will add up to 18k, if not we will circle the reservoir.

Come along if you don't have plans.

On second thought

I was sitting at my kitchen table looking at my recently rearranged living space. I have one of those big exercise balls. I looked at it and thought, why aren't I sitting on it now? It reminded me of the article I wrote about Janine Gummesen's Grade 5 class. Her kids sit on the balls all day. (Read here). 
We'll all read about the benefits of sitting on a stability ball so why not?  I removed a chair and I am sitting on the ball right now. My core muscles feel stronger already. 

I'm feeling much better this morning. I need to hydrate and hydrate. Carleigh does not know it yet but I am going to make her run at least 10k tonight. (Are you reading this Carleigh?) We made plans to meet around 4:30 to run.

It's snowing now. But sometimes that's the best time to run. It doesn't look too cold out. As long as it is not too slippery, I am good to go.

These last two weeks were not so good. I got out for my runs but they weren't quality. I am going to fight it though and come strong for Edmonton.

I can't wait.

Rolling with the Alberta Ministers

This was a first for me this week. I got to interview three Ministers. Two of them were at the school openings and another at a French Resource Centre celebration. It was a nice change than the usual 10-year-old kid interview.

My new friend! (Ignore the hair, please)

Lunch at Countryside South

Jaime is all smiles. She should be smiling because she invited me over for lunch. Then she poisoned me! I didn't suspect a thing.

We had tasty veggies with homemade hummus and falafels. Very tasty indeed. It's too bad I had to run to the bathroom an hour later holding my belly. Poor Threza, at the pavilion thought I was crazy.

Okay so maybe Jaime didn't poison me. In all likelihood, my food wasn't digested enough to run. I cut my run short. You live, you learn.

Good lunch! Next time, I am inviting Jaime over for a good veggie dinner ...

oh oh

Either I am beginnings of the flu or Jaime poisoned me. I ran around the reservoir (not even 2k) when I had the feeling I was going to puke. I knew it wasn't because I was pushing myself because sometimes that happens.

I made it to the Pavilion and I let it all out in the washroom. I apologize to the cleaning staff.

At least I feel lighter. Three weeks to Edmonton's Hypothermic Half-marathon. I am not going for time. I want to finish and feel good. Hopefully my body will be healthy and up for the challenge.

Happy 6th Birthday to yourfinesthour

I am sitting here browsing some blogs when it hit me. I've been blogging for six years. I can retrace the last six years of my life through my blog posts. Don't get excited. There's no gory details. I am smart enough to leave the intimate details out of cyberspace.

So happy birthday to me! I wonder how long I will keep blogging. I haven't lost the enjoyment out of it. What I have noticed is there are much more focused blogs than mine. That's fine with me. Because that's pretty much how I live, I am all over the map.

Lately, I've been yakking a lot about my running. This keeps me sane and eases my stress. Next month, I may move on something new like my hair. It's finally growing. Now that's something to write about.

Sunday morning sky overlooking Pete Egar Firehall

I took this right before our long run on Sunday. Just a quick snap. If it wasn't so cold I would have tried some fancy stuff. I think it turned out okay. I wanted to show the colours. Gorgeous, eh?

Free Hugs

Today was one of those days. It was one of those days, I really needed a hug. Aluk the Arctic Games mascot was there for me. I had a rough start to my day. I got up with a sore throat. I went into the office and the atmosphere was just as scratchy. I'm glad to have four days off to rest. These 10 days in a row, in addition to working overtime, is catching up to my sanity level.

Finding love in all the wrong places

Funny how I leave one of Canada's most accessible and beautiful plays to finally appreciate the joys of running in a city (ahem) that most people can't find on the Alberta map.

I was thinking about that when I was dragging my butt around the trails this afternoon. Funny how things turn out. I know this much is true. My old friend, Nick Chahal, would be so proud.

Back in my competitive ballhockey days, Nick and I would get the urge to run. I can't quite remember why. We were both already busy to the bone with outdoor pursuits. He with soccer. I with touch football, inline skating and ballhockey. Like we had the time and energy.

But we did. I admit we didn't run for long. For two people in great shape, running for five minutes was a chore. I kept talking. He kept listening. Within a few minutes, he'd have a stitch or I wanted to take a break. We were such wimps.

The best part of our runs? Heading over to the bar somewhere near Mooney's Bay. I can't remember. I do remember we usually ate like we ran a marathon and drank like we ran two marathons.

Oh the good old days.

Cooking with me

I love flipping through my recipe books. Just today I got a new one. I am really excited. It looks great next to my others. I am inspired to start using the recipes. If it ever happens, well, your guess is as good as mine. I love cooking. Really I do. But as you know, I am a bit of a spotlight hog. So if there's nobody here to tell me how fabulous the dish was, why cook it?  Just kidding. Seriously though I prefer cooking for people not just myself. I do whip up quick meals everyday. Rarely do I delve into my cookbooks. I must do something about this. Anybody brave enough to sample?

Yeah so I thought it was -1 when I left this morning. My damn phone said it was -1. I didn't bother turning on the radio or the computer to verify. I trusted my beloved Blackberry. Oh how I was wrong.
It turns out it was -18. So I had to return home and put on more layers. Not fun. I lost about 15 minutes of my day.

Funny how I looked at my phone hours later the temperature was bang on. Meaning, I verified. ...

I took a really nice shot of the sky this morning. The colours were fabulous but of course I forgot to download it to my computer, in addition to our work server. So look for that in the next couple days or not. I tend to forget things easily.

this is where the magic happens

Okay so this is the view from my desk. I get to look at the Snowman and the side door. I get distracted easily. The snowman is usually quiet. The door swings open about every five minutes. The smokers need to get their fix.

This is my second desk. When I first started (exactly two years ago), I used to face the door even more so. I had an island desk. I had no privacy. I hated it. Now I have a little more privacy. Damien sits across from me. Nick is beside me. On my left is a barrier which blocks a little sound from the rest of the newsroom.

It was really quiet today. I liked it. My phone didn't ring once and the fax machine was quiet. I like those type of weekends at the DHT.

Eating like a horse

I ate my weight in pasta. As much as I hate pasta, I've been making myself chow down for my running. The jury says to carb up before a race and longer runs. I guess we need the energy. It doesn't kill me. I just feel so heavy after eating a small bowl. I'll stick to my greens anytime.

Anyway, I didn't eat well this week. Too may skipped meals and not enough water. I need to start writing this stuff down. That's suppose to help. My energy level is low. Must consider popping a few iron supplements.

working this weekend

Okay so I like to get up super early on Saturdays when I work. I love the quiet of the newsroom. I usually am at my writing best when there's no distractions. I distract easily.

I have a pretty good schedule. I am aiming to get all the writing out of the way today. Then tomorrow I can focus on photos and prepping for next week's stories. Knock on wood, nothing blows up.

We're running 14-16k in the morning. I only got two runs in this week. They were quality runs so I am happy. I have to get pasta for dinner. I hate pasta.

Remind me never drive to the Wapiti Nordic Trails after 5 again in the winter. There's hardly any light. I haven't been out there since the first snow fall so it was a surprise. Not fun. I apologize to all those vehicles driving behind me. I know. I was the turtle on the road.

Plus, I second guessed getting there. I thought I was driving the right way. But midway there I freaked out and turned off the road. I drove back and took another route. Sure enough I was heading in the right direction. I hate when I do that. Sometimes I think I am going crazy.

It's been a long day.

I've had a long week and it's only going to get longer. I'm on call starting Friday at noon. I'm not sure what my schedule is. I hope it's light.

We're back to full staff (almost) so things are a little bit better. I haven't had to take the scanner all week (a blessing). But Friday is another story.... ugh...

Anyway enough of my bitching. .....

The weather is awesome. It was +3 today on Jan.11. You can't beat that in the middle of the winter. Some people are worried all the snow will melt for the Arctic Winter Games (early March). I don't care. Bring on mud puddles.

Just these few warm days have had an effective on everyone. Smiles all around. Keep it up Mother Nature.

Whoo hoo!

My good friend Terri, dropped off a few presents. I haven't seen her since before Christmas so it was a welcome surprise. One gift is The Complete Runner's Day-By-Day Log 2010 Calendar. I'm so excited! I was just thinking last night I should log my mileage to keep track of my training!

I'm not pretty when I eat. Look at my hair!

My friend and I ate at Prairie sushi for dinner. I had miso soup and avocado rolls. Yummy! I still miss Korean food so I made due with some good old Japanese grub.

And onwards and upwards

So here we are after our 12k run. Richard and I ran together while Carleigh and Karen kept together. Along the way, Richard and I met up with Mike and Lana. It kept things interesting. It was another balmy day -1. I could have kept going but I want to pace myself to do the half-marathon distance two weeks before the race.
Audrey met us for coffee at Starbucks after our run to show support! Poor Andrey is nursing a ski injury. She may not be back in the running game for a few months.

Shooting

I was asked to shoot college volleyball this afternoon. Although it was my day off, I jumped at the chance. I love shooting sports but I never get the opportunity.

I've never shot volleyball. But the key is, and this is the case with most sports photography, is to know where the action is going to be. Anticipate the moment and you'll be fine. That's in addition to getting it right with your ISO, shutter and aperture. Outside it's less challenging. Inside a dimly lit gym, it's not so much fun - especially the first time.

Knowing where to be is important to. You want to make sure you are telling a story with the home team or whoever. Faces are key. Expressions are key.

I had enough time in the women's match to get it right. My batteries died so I had to go back to the office to recharge and download the first matches. When I got back to the men's set, the first game was over. It only went to three sets so I didn't have as much time.

My photos turned out okay. You'll have to wait until Monday to see them.

Right now, I am waiting for my pasta to cook. I have a long run planned tomorrow so I have to chow down and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

If you saw my apartment right now, you would think someone robbed me. My clothes are all over the livingroom floor and everything seems to be disorganized. That's what happens when you are in a rush. I hate it even as I sit here writing. I'll clean it up before I got to bed. Then I can relax.

It's warming up! I think it's only -20 right now. Carleigh and I write 4k together then I ran another 4 by myself. I had a headlamp on so I could see the path ahead. The trails were quiet. It was a nice way to end a busy week.

So my plans fell through. I did get up at 5 a.m. Actually I woke up an hour before. But I checked the temperature and it was a chilly -33 with the windchill. I texted Carleigh and went back to bed. So much for an early morning run.

This weekend, the weather gods promise sunshine and warmer temperatures. I hope so because I need to get a long run in on Sunday.

I had a super busy day. Although I didn't have a lot of output, I was completely on the go. It's quarter to 10 right now and I have only been home for about an hour. I took too many projects on today. Never again. ha ha ha

The plan is to get up at tomorrow at 5 a.m. That's right, get out of my warm (not so comfy) bed and run BEFORE work.

Don't ask me how I got sucked into this endeavour. You twisted my arm. I will tell you.

So I am really stressed right now. I wanted to run tonight but I didn't finish work until 6:35 p.m. and I had already missed most of the first period of the Gold Medal game. It was dark and I wanted to watch the rest of the game.

Tomorrow is going to be even more of a nightmare. I took on way too much. But I am hoping an early morning jaunt will get my day off to the right direction.

Feb.14 is going to come fast. That's the Hypothermic half-marathon in Edmonton. Ughh!

My phone starting ringing just as my head hit my pillow. Who would be calling me at 9 p.m.? It was Lisa! She had a date last night and she wanted to share all the juicy details. We had a nice chat for about an hour and a half.

I miss Lisa. I miss Ottawa. I miss my life in Ontario. But it's a new year so I am not going to get too sentimental or depressed. This is where I live (for the time being) so I have to make the best of it. Sometimes though a phone call or holiday triggers my desire to move on. Not this day, though. I am heading to work full of coffee. Watch out newsroom!

I just realized I haven't worn my wristwatch for 11 days. Funny, I didn't miss it at all. You'd think I would feel slightly naked. Nope. Not at all.

My mini-vacation is drawing to a close. Gosh it was so nice to have time off to do whatever I wanted. All this ends in a few short hours. Actually I am looking forward to going back to work. I feel all refreshed and motivated. I finished my first column of the new year so I am ahead of the game.

And so we ran in -21

This is Carleigh. She is so dedicated to running that she drove all the way from Edmonton this morning to run with me. Actually she lives here too but she hasn't run in weeks. She was pumped to start her 2010 running season off with me. How cute is that?

My late lunch

I whipped up a nice salad with leftovers. Dig this: spinach, radishes, medium-firm tofu, and tomatoes. I added some Flax Seed Oil and balsamic vinegar. Yum!

I'm writing my first Running with Rhyno column for 2010. I resolve this year to be ahead of the game. I will not leave my columns to the last minute. Because I have a big deadline, I usually leave them to the last minute. Mostly because, I admit, I haven't a clue what I am going to write about.

But this year is going to be different. I have lined up a few interviews and made a schedule for the next few months. Awesome, eh? Thank you.

My first run of 2010 was a chilly 10k. Actually it felt really good. It was only -19. The hardest part of the run was the unploughed trails. Snow was falling all morning so I should have expected the deep snow. Snowshoes would have been more appropriate than my sneakers.

And speaking of sneakers, I only realized once I climbed the stairs to my apartment, I wore two different sneakers. Oops! As well, I wore two different gloves. Okay I noticed this once I fished the gloves out of my pockets. But the sneakers were not expected. At least they were on the right foot.

So much for starting the new year off on a good foot.

I overslept and missed the Resolution Run. Actually it is starting right now but there's no way I could go without breakfast and coffee.....oops!

Things are already looking better for 2010. I've already snagged a few more freelancing gigs and pursuing a few others.

My running is improving... meaning... I actually like the hard work. I've signed up for a few more half-marathons this year. I want to hit the sub 2 hour mark. This shouldn't be too bad since the theory is you can only get better. Granted I have to put in the work.

I'm hoping to get back to Ontario this year or at least a larger city or another province. Cross your fingers!