Last hike of the season

We headed to the mountains this weekend for one last hurrah before the snow hit! (At least that’s what Kelly desperately hoped since he cannot wait for winter activities!)

My plan was to wake up and trail run on Saturday and then go for a hike. Good thing Kelly kindly reminded me I should choose either the hike or the run since I probably couldn’t do both. Otherwise I’m sure he would have had to carry me down the mountain 🙂

I chose to hike since it’s been a while since we went on a good one. We headed back to Mount Swansea, a hike we did at the very beginning of the year. It’s a perfect shoulder season hike and not nearly as challenging as some we tackled this summer but enough for me to count as a workout.

There was a crazy thick fog that morning, so some of the views were pretty cool since you could only see above a certain level.

the abyss

At the top, the wind was howling. The storms were blowing in.

The hike certainly wasn’t easy for me. I really depended on my hiking poles for the steep sections, and I took quite a few breaks! Since getting pregnant, I huff and puff a lot more when hiking than running.

But it felt SO good to be outside and moving for a substantial amount of time! (I forgot to mention in my last post that only my a handful of my runs and bikes have been over an hour.)

We woke up this morning to a snowy and cold forecast. I think the snow is here to stay!

What did you do this weekend?

Weekend camping in Radium

We spent the past two weekends camping, hiking, and just enjoying the mountains. It certainly is hard to come home when you’re surrounded by this beauty!

We’ve been going to Radium Hot Springs, a small village on the edge of Kootenay National Park in the Rocky Mountains in BC. The weather is typically a lot warmer there than our beloved Jasper, so it has been nice to hike in shorts!

Two other things stand out: the varied flora and fauna, and all the bighorn sheep! I think they’re Radium’s unofficial mascot, and they can be seen nearly everywhere from the trails to walking the streets.

On the first weekend, we went on two very different hikes. One was a typical mountain hike that started at Sinclair Creek and went up and up! We ended at the hot springs but had Harold with us so didn’t go for a dip…this time!

The second day we did a short hike around the hoodoos near Fairmont. I was terrified of going close to the edge, but Kelly had no fear!

This past weekend we went on two more gorgeous hikes. On Saturday we went to Mount Swansea, which is a downhill biker’s dream! They also have hiking trails. We ended up taking the long way up, but I’m glad we did as it was longer (got my sweat going) and had various lookouts!

We saw a bunch of hang/paragliders, and at the top we saw the launch pad. My stomach felt weak watching them floating in the air!

The next day Kelly went for a trail run in the morning; yup, my heart was broken! Then we went on a walk close to town along the creek. Harold was pretty tired, so it was nice to walk mostly flat ground. And my quads were trashed from coming back down the mountain!

The bears are out in full force. On our drive on Friday we saw a bear rubbing his scent on a tree, and one crossed the road right in front of us! They had a lot of hikes temporarily closed while the bears are predominately in the valley bottoms.

I can’t wait to get back out to the mountains and explore more of the area! I know Harold’s excited, too!

Are you afraid of heights?

Leg update & weekend workouts

Let’s just say my running/racing fever has reached an all-time high with spring weather {hopefully} here to stay, and a lot of major race weekends already behind us.

Despite my race fever, I’m happy I didn’t sign up for any races. I’m still really struggling with my left side. I’d be downright depressed if I had big races on my agenda!

But, I still want to have a summer/fall full of running- be it long or short, in the mountains or on local trails, or even a quick loop around my neighbourhood.

Leg
After a run a few weeks ago, my high hamstring and butt hurt to even sit on the toilet- not normal!

I’ve been back twice in the last two weeks for IMS (Intramuscular Stimulation, using a needle to activate a reflex causing the muscle to release) to ease the pain.

(If you’re curious as to what IMS/dry needling looks like- check out this video and don’t mind her sound effects!)

We think the major problem (right now) is actually an adductor (inner thigh) muscle right near the top attachment and sit bones. When he asks what hurts the most, it’s easiest to describe it as my crotch. Needless to say it’s quite an uncomfortable place to deal with but hopefully it helps! We also take care of my hamstring and muscles running around the top of my hip.

The physiotherapist doesn’t think my muscles are weak. For some reason they’re just really tightening up and not wanting to relax on their own. However, I’m still strengthening my hips and glutes like crazy!

I feel frustrated. Hopefully I can figure out what’s causing my issues since it’s definitely not distance or speed! I’ve been handling it remarkably well and haven’t been {too} moody while not running and figuring out what I can do pain-free. Thankfully biking doesn’t bother it and neither does any strength training.

Weekend
We had a quiet Mother’s Day weekend with my parents in Arizona and Kelly’s mom in Vancouver with his sister.

I attempted a run with Kelly on Saturday morning. I could definitely feel my muscles and didn’t want to push it so cut the run a bit short. Man, did I get out of running shape fast! I forget how hard it is to get back into running when you’ve been off for a while. Thankfully Kelly was patient with my slower pace and heavy breathing!

On Sunday Kelly and I hopped on our mountain bikes and rode to the river valley where we enjoyed the trails! We rode for almost four hours, and I was toast by time we got home.

If I can’t run much this year, I’d love to hit the trails on my bike.

I was lacking a lot of confidence and ran my bike on parts of the singletrack, but that just means I have a lot of room to grow!

How did you celebrate Mother’s Day?

Have you experienced muscles that just don’t want to relax? What did you do to help them?

Birthday weekend, a race and a certification

My birthday was a fantastic entry into a new decade. I realized, once again, how fortunate I am to have such a fabulous family and wonderful friends.

Kelly and Harold sure know how to make a gal feel special. They ran all errands, cleaned the house, and bought me really awesome gifts!

I’m not a big birthday person and prefer them low key. But I knew I wanted to do something special for this one.

It just so happened there was a small local race on Saturday morning put on by our Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) location. As a bonus it turned out to be a warm morning!

Birthday race

It was a small race, only $15, and you could register race morning.

Kelly and I ran the 10k, and he ran it with me instead of speeding ahead, allowing me to set the pace! My parents walked the 5k, and my sister and her family surprised us and came out to watch and cheer us on. (Kelly’s parents are on holidays and walked 10k for me the day before!)

I haven’t run with a Garmin in months and the only time I know my pace is on the treadmill. However, I haven’t been following any schedules or tracking any activities. It’s been good! I went into this race with the same attitude and didn’t wear my Garmin or even start my watch.

The first lap was at a modest pace, so I tried to turn it on the second lap. It was two loops and there was a little turn around so I knew at the halfway mark I was fourth female with the first girl way up front.

Passing my parents with Kelly a step behind!

I was back and forth with the girl in third a couple times. I finally turned on the jets and passed the third and second place females. With 2km left, I held on pushing as hard as I could until Kelly and I crossed the line together. I ended up finishing second place female in the small local race and having a lot of fun doing it. It was such an enjoyable way to celebrate my birthday!

(Embarrassing story though- when they called the top three girls up, they didn’t call me! So I went up and thankfully the girls in third and fourth vouched that I was ahead and finished second. Awkward situation though!)

From there we went for lunch with my family before I had to get to my next engagement.

Test time

I’m going to write another post about it since I haven’t mentioned it here, but I took my practical exam for my personal training specialist certification and passed! It was the last stage of the process and I was beyond relieved when I walked out of there successful.

I was pretty wiped from running and the nerves of my exam but the day wasn’t over yet!

Party on

One of my closest friends is my birthday twin and was having a 30^th birthday party. So Kelly and I got gussied up and had a blast at her ‘say goodbye to the roaring 20s party’! It was so much fun, and I was super impressed with everyone’s outfits!

R&R

I slept in on Sunday. I ate ice cream cake for breakfast (if you can’t do it on your birthday, when can you)! I stayed in my PJs most of the day and lazed around (my cardio consisted of moving from the couch to the floor to the couch again with Harold following me to each spot). I finally got dressed before going to a delicious dinner with my family.

Yup, I agree with most of your comments from my last post about turning 30. I have a feeling my thirties are going to be great! #thirtyisthenewtwenty

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Would you speak up if you placed in a race and they made an error?

Winter wonderland – cold in Canmore

We spent this past weekend in Canmore, the picturesque mountain town just outside of Banff National Park.

The reason for the trip? Kelly was taking an ice climbing course and I tagged along. He had two full days of learning how to ice climb properly, so  I had two full days to enjoy the mountains.

Thankfully we’re used to harsh weather so have the proper gear to withstand the cold. The temperature ranged from -35C (-31F) on Saturday and warmed up to -23C (-10F) on Sunday, with a cold wind chill making it feel much worse!

I went on glorious runs both Saturday and Sunday mornings. My mom asked how running in that cold can be fun, but I swear it was magnificent.

Once I got out of town and on the river path, there wasn’t a soul around. The trees were covered in hoarfrost, steam was rising from the river, and the mountains towered around me. My hand braved the elements to snap a quick photo.

Taken with a phone and totally unedited

On Sunday, I didn’t take a camera and just embraced the beauty of the run. Despite numb toes, the two runs were a reminder of why I love running so much and the simplicity of it.

After my runs, I went back to the hotel to thaw out before heading out for excursion number two: cross country skiing at the Canmore Nordic Centre.

It was the venue for all cross-country and biathlon events at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics and continues to host world-class events. They have miles of groomed cross-country ski trails and in summer they open for mountain biking and hiking.

The cross-country skiing did not disappoint. I fall more in love with it each time I go. (Even when it’s so cold I turn into a snowman!)

On Sunday I left my camera again to just enjoy the ski and breathtaking views.

We ate dinners and walked around both Canmore and Banff. The only thing better than mountain towns are mountain towns decorated for Christmas! It was such a fun weekend getaway, and Kelly was thrilled to take the course and learn how to safely ice climb.

Do you run outside when the temperature dips? Tell me about your last run that reminded you why you love it so much.

Thankful – Thanksgiving 2013

Canadians celebrated Thanksgiving this weekend. Of course it’s nice to have a long weekend from work, but it’s also nice to stop and appreciate all you have to be thankful for.

Plaid nerds

I was lucky enough to have four days off (very thankful for that!) and spent the first two taking care of our little man.

He had his teeth cleaned and a lump removed so is sentenced to the cone and some pain medication. I quite enjoyed having an excuse to laze around, sit on the couch, and watch lots of movies!

On Saturday I spent hours watching the Ironman World Championships. I am in awe of all the athletes and their incredible feats, especially Mirinda Carfrae’s run, which was the third fastest of the day—out of men and women.

Kelly and I went for an amazing trail run on Sunday.

We ran trails that were new to us, crunched on fallen leaves, and enjoyed the peaceful morning.

From there I ate my weight in cabbage rolls at my grandma’s house!

I looked back at my Thanksgiving post from last year and I can basically say I am thankful for all the same things: my husband and Harold, an incredibly supportive family (both mine and Kelly’s), health, and travel.

This year I’m also going to add in warmth. I am so thankful to be able to flip a switch to turn on our fireplace or turn up our furnace. Being perpetually cold, I realize this is a gift many people in this world aren’t given.

Happy Thanksgiving! How did you/do you celebrate, and what are you thankful for?