tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60036481470217960942024-03-14T08:21:55.422-07:00 running gladLesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-86248755351654492682020-06-09T07:04:00.000-07:002020-06-09T07:04:25.779-07:00The Latest AdventuresMorning<div>The past couple months adventures. Random order.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinIR50aG1yVs35Sgx996r5D-OIP8xeT-xWTKLRudIDKfx6Zi2A4rZVH5BCkmKJthKCBFzIeepJAxSpj0jsml47-lcnWeg9eIP2vVyxzNQzPiCgEi2-4P3H9Uarx59fbSh5QHZPP9MW8d0/s640/IMG_1080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinIR50aG1yVs35Sgx996r5D-OIP8xeT-xWTKLRudIDKfx6Zi2A4rZVH5BCkmKJthKCBFzIeepJAxSpj0jsml47-lcnWeg9eIP2vVyxzNQzPiCgEi2-4P3H9Uarx59fbSh5QHZPP9MW8d0/s320/IMG_1080.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The start of tiering our steep slope<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueLvqyjLr5e030PU-BiTlOdpMqHreOVwDhJLZl9mmN3Fnetr8g6h4B8KbM3tAEmqf88Rxv7jFm1ldB8H31sGtI-uCBpgn6KBXqEpS5-ZKljMulCDiKrkC2cGs7JfAoa34jnh48eOj6vM/s640/IMG_1137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueLvqyjLr5e030PU-BiTlOdpMqHreOVwDhJLZl9mmN3Fnetr8g6h4B8KbM3tAEmqf88Rxv7jFm1ldB8H31sGtI-uCBpgn6KBXqEpS5-ZKljMulCDiKrkC2cGs7JfAoa34jnh48eOj6vM/s320/IMG_1137.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Bachlorette party.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_pA7t_l5xGwjwVtwEUYYumAblSXfM7vxPeyRTrNuGwGogIF3bo8Ev8B6a-jEvqfxC4AoaHRNZVeHYphVQ-1Adbo7pNeUS-PdpZJ-c5O5PoZU09X8kp_lPGXzEQpKD5SlWtShrGj6vSo/s640/IMG_1139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_pA7t_l5xGwjwVtwEUYYumAblSXfM7vxPeyRTrNuGwGogIF3bo8Ev8B6a-jEvqfxC4AoaHRNZVeHYphVQ-1Adbo7pNeUS-PdpZJ-c5O5PoZU09X8kp_lPGXzEQpKD5SlWtShrGj6vSo/s320/IMG_1139.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQx1ZM8ToZAA6_xF2htHJJLiZgkb-Np69-sf_wMT2TDuLWR_F_0OmEQTHbtBIrgptSn_GUaLHpi4uCNMWmrTmVtB8YP6H8oHWRy6bZVNcJzGCMDgxWWGfcBpw4Tk8jINeJYvb2xcN99CM/s640/IMG_1140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQx1ZM8ToZAA6_xF2htHJJLiZgkb-Np69-sf_wMT2TDuLWR_F_0OmEQTHbtBIrgptSn_GUaLHpi4uCNMWmrTmVtB8YP6H8oHWRy6bZVNcJzGCMDgxWWGfcBpw4Tk8jINeJYvb2xcN99CM/s320/IMG_1140.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Bit of golf fun.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvEGxM_sxH9G0NhFJ6aCRXTTLlG0C6I6YGe5WMCdPZqf2qLCuyq2jFCpdlfHy8ZNd4N0ZYtYV69uIewAU1TTdV2ZyhVidK5ww7pCWv8cDqH5-rMmmCUchHbW-PBN697Ct7hXOgUgj2IE/s640/IMG_1146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvEGxM_sxH9G0NhFJ6aCRXTTLlG0C6I6YGe5WMCdPZqf2qLCuyq2jFCpdlfHy8ZNd4N0ZYtYV69uIewAU1TTdV2ZyhVidK5ww7pCWv8cDqH5-rMmmCUchHbW-PBN697Ct7hXOgUgj2IE/s320/IMG_1146.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Waterproofing a rooftop deck. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnOJtc7WFEgyQbkwPuyfpWA3e9BPFcWrOIcXpCVS-rqwqwrpeR388BA8I4BeWtsuQYm2Lxxm-YoPaM2A5nRzQXZWRX-VGCUAPgmvJB6WpbFjxDB7MACMG_NCn7Dy-5hi7zbb9y-RkxUk/s640/IMG_1149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnOJtc7WFEgyQbkwPuyfpWA3e9BPFcWrOIcXpCVS-rqwqwrpeR388BA8I4BeWtsuQYm2Lxxm-YoPaM2A5nRzQXZWRX-VGCUAPgmvJB6WpbFjxDB7MACMG_NCn7Dy-5hi7zbb9y-RkxUk/s320/IMG_1149.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Helping the neighbours fight a grass fire.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rRlX4gYSrEWzw8bZm9P7QmE6LYeU59UgFJ18gWgSwobHNj9fmXCgZKI3fxgap2I1LmCursWeiE9UdZuB5dRCrdDHfgLn0yb9zkhLch_IjEOptYNMgcLtB_X1vg0-DHND0oaStl3iHfU/s640/IMG_1157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rRlX4gYSrEWzw8bZm9P7QmE6LYeU59UgFJ18gWgSwobHNj9fmXCgZKI3fxgap2I1LmCursWeiE9UdZuB5dRCrdDHfgLn0yb9zkhLch_IjEOptYNMgcLtB_X1vg0-DHND0oaStl3iHfU/s320/IMG_1157.jpg" /></a></div>The joys of picking rocks.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfRDOty_WYiZkS-07DGMViWQdAj4eL0cjkZpXMPSVPFmpVw915zJkTPjV70JGReZenc1wqCDoGLXcn3Wk043LlZuNkiflC-7whWJODmN7HY-dCHpjvCZvkVH0PrwhhZrl3QZd3wXAbsM/s640/IMG_1159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfRDOty_WYiZkS-07DGMViWQdAj4eL0cjkZpXMPSVPFmpVw915zJkTPjV70JGReZenc1wqCDoGLXcn3Wk043LlZuNkiflC-7whWJODmN7HY-dCHpjvCZvkVH0PrwhhZrl3QZd3wXAbsM/s320/IMG_1159.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Farm seeding 2020.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_5eyX-asP7dxTYN6gqYkP1YEWi0NtsorpMc8lyUiTMBaHqA1gZmUAZuuILuaH_Z3VbdyR_MbKHcLTMwTxRU5FIYqE-PytRBmE3CAHK1AJ_CYZwAjtID2_54FE3l9fsbMHrJfupPekHs/s640/IMG_1224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_5eyX-asP7dxTYN6gqYkP1YEWi0NtsorpMc8lyUiTMBaHqA1gZmUAZuuILuaH_Z3VbdyR_MbKHcLTMwTxRU5FIYqE-PytRBmE3CAHK1AJ_CYZwAjtID2_54FE3l9fsbMHrJfupPekHs/s320/IMG_1224.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wedding setup.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYleEuVVaH4wsdLk_s3FHdbSwbli7e5SHpEfDb8OlMPvYCx6cPArT7l3j-1Y1k8z7gG995rXcCSuPwF7oEfGf-13mMj21add26myR4XoGmyzmv2eYRZpeZ0SHAG66LgqLP6jEs5xVDDw8/s1024/5ad35c50-fffe-4dd1-be24-a5547c79b1e9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYleEuVVaH4wsdLk_s3FHdbSwbli7e5SHpEfDb8OlMPvYCx6cPArT7l3j-1Y1k8z7gG995rXcCSuPwF7oEfGf-13mMj21add26myR4XoGmyzmv2eYRZpeZ0SHAG66LgqLP6jEs5xVDDw8/s320/5ad35c50-fffe-4dd1-be24-a5547c79b1e9.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Drive by receiving line.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgct7fnfKnj_r5jqKUaRFi0HW7H0HZGTKO_NrwYOdS5pp_FTPVQoK_mHwC5kT7A77McTp5i2qLN9hA4tBh9YDEImOeziSmgaL3Q5wQpKeA0LzdduT4w_lpf8cb9FYmrUd_cm1AUMQn_HqA/s1024/b55e01ad-f535-4d96-bc99-0e4b44f918ae.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgct7fnfKnj_r5jqKUaRFi0HW7H0HZGTKO_NrwYOdS5pp_FTPVQoK_mHwC5kT7A77McTp5i2qLN9hA4tBh9YDEImOeziSmgaL3Q5wQpKeA0LzdduT4w_lpf8cb9FYmrUd_cm1AUMQn_HqA/s320/b55e01ad-f535-4d96-bc99-0e4b44f918ae.JPG" /></a></div>The newest addition.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbuE8mUcAjDxFH5jbYxRUJy27SApFM_luAoa8Ah647lLFKMc54H2Voyc68zkSlV5CE44a7Vz0X64cxzRinGqCyqElcPP_JRCYDYV3A4h56Ndp9lur4LY4klbgIedpb7vcwGqWqI7pwNQ/s640/IMG_1167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbuE8mUcAjDxFH5jbYxRUJy27SApFM_luAoa8Ah647lLFKMc54H2Voyc68zkSlV5CE44a7Vz0X64cxzRinGqCyqElcPP_JRCYDYV3A4h56Ndp9lur4LY4klbgIedpb7vcwGqWqI7pwNQ/s320/IMG_1167.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Exploring.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiS24ye2wkgOvMcHrl67W2JSdqMz7qX8HzpLvBFoDYOs_aaneWqiGr-5Wq7CAzWllktdpJ57yay-IUzqkXkZwzeRLiaU4aWOJyifoXOgzTg2hQRo99_NUwwyR93gKWIl64BUmGd-hNGwE/s640/IMG_1172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiS24ye2wkgOvMcHrl67W2JSdqMz7qX8HzpLvBFoDYOs_aaneWqiGr-5Wq7CAzWllktdpJ57yay-IUzqkXkZwzeRLiaU4aWOJyifoXOgzTg2hQRo99_NUwwyR93gKWIl64BUmGd-hNGwE/s320/IMG_1172.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_pGhQtExjDlDzyGepRZoa-ZsCMrDZwo7G92xrZkcm0LicNiYYDQWDShmug0jWWI0ClPk40NjbeqgU8Xqyjwuxn1te5OgEfT7HI_6M8fPZQ5P6Ss6jRBNU9oyZXKDmOFWtu0Kbw3Fz25A/s640/IMG_1180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_pGhQtExjDlDzyGepRZoa-ZsCMrDZwo7G92xrZkcm0LicNiYYDQWDShmug0jWWI0ClPk40NjbeqgU8Xqyjwuxn1te5OgEfT7HI_6M8fPZQ5P6Ss6jRBNU9oyZXKDmOFWtu0Kbw3Fz25A/s320/IMG_1180.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Incredible winds.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0u0lvfM9mGAtrwZdlBS-xB9OrzSAFuKHBoYrLygJyR9ZgaKOic0JqL5tMeWOep5sGaHZaHOWUOAunQe60FOGLzZbb844dPsBbOe9soGQ5dbxU8Q5tZK7E2iKwpz6rKd9117Sdg6E6GM/s640/IMG_1108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0u0lvfM9mGAtrwZdlBS-xB9OrzSAFuKHBoYrLygJyR9ZgaKOic0JqL5tMeWOep5sGaHZaHOWUOAunQe60FOGLzZbb844dPsBbOe9soGQ5dbxU8Q5tZK7E2iKwpz6rKd9117Sdg6E6GM/s320/IMG_1108.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>More exploring.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1WT9gcY0MeAFxsmkARSygcnE4ziAo90C8vmkguhrcSqPlvIRpER-himqvLwSohWrnioR24YxdeYbENbmwZrAOQE6z2rA-0U7B-PXyMBH7OKYrNO2PrQJR-tMUeXl4PQfIL1po31qgq4/s640/IMG_1112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1WT9gcY0MeAFxsmkARSygcnE4ziAo90C8vmkguhrcSqPlvIRpER-himqvLwSohWrnioR24YxdeYbENbmwZrAOQE6z2rA-0U7B-PXyMBH7OKYrNO2PrQJR-tMUeXl4PQfIL1po31qgq4/s320/IMG_1112.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMRSltDRNSjs7VbM0H-WZ45juUnU3E4yRqUXyo43_53RtpokneeIrBCa3sG1QVM46E156JMH2ESy9ct1jx1qigRBk2eHT4-weA5bqT-2u_nCQ0L4oZcP8jU8egZM4MA2F3zg1a5M4hyphenhyphens/s1024/d0e8e58e-8b11-460e-af51-eeda0febd44b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMRSltDRNSjs7VbM0H-WZ45juUnU3E4yRqUXyo43_53RtpokneeIrBCa3sG1QVM46E156JMH2ESy9ct1jx1qigRBk2eHT4-weA5bqT-2u_nCQ0L4oZcP8jU8egZM4MA2F3zg1a5M4hyphenhyphens/s320/d0e8e58e-8b11-460e-af51-eeda0febd44b.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Here comes the bride!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRH2OCUszWLqpzsqlBeL-UEl1VcbNuBv7RiYrWjrUA1VjyugceYdZgFf9XaNgIh1cAJZdc1XEfKkn_bO1q2vBsFbrfDr60bbJKYIODTpYxPUiFIvARPYvOsE8ATI-zhiD6RPqjIKydNfw/s640/IMG_1288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRH2OCUszWLqpzsqlBeL-UEl1VcbNuBv7RiYrWjrUA1VjyugceYdZgFf9XaNgIh1cAJZdc1XEfKkn_bO1q2vBsFbrfDr60bbJKYIODTpYxPUiFIvARPYvOsE8ATI-zhiD6RPqjIKydNfw/s320/IMG_1288.jpg" /></a></div>Taking a ride on a cereal box scooter he won when he was 10. Won't say how many years old it is.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3nfj0LbsRnHDN7euUfHcxCX6MLDbQDgBjJyJNZI3aLZ5baaMT7QAdmarqXoLS5tvruNcOMu-rFNbntVW9C5adNN8wqOu-bZ2wH6kxHbgIEmnjfvNL4eJPDm66j6P2dfhkyZaeibWzOA/s640/IMG_1291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3nfj0LbsRnHDN7euUfHcxCX6MLDbQDgBjJyJNZI3aLZ5baaMT7QAdmarqXoLS5tvruNcOMu-rFNbntVW9C5adNN8wqOu-bZ2wH6kxHbgIEmnjfvNL4eJPDm66j6P2dfhkyZaeibWzOA/s320/IMG_1291.jpg" /></a></div>Giving the big guy a bath- and yes, he doesn't much enjoy it.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHD30O_cfsdDENrRkwvnt0D4B4PIE9YtoQRDIvlPDgq2lgkak44I3xvEw3K9d5SBHSq__3_4GaYRNqHyMskHr-UyefysbRtrXjyb4pfU2gjfYooyuuSsnp5hyA6L64pVyfoBjy116bwk/s640/IMG_1293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHD30O_cfsdDENrRkwvnt0D4B4PIE9YtoQRDIvlPDgq2lgkak44I3xvEw3K9d5SBHSq__3_4GaYRNqHyMskHr-UyefysbRtrXjyb4pfU2gjfYooyuuSsnp5hyA6L64pVyfoBjy116bwk/s320/IMG_1293.jpg" /></a></div><div>But he sure enjoys exfoliating!!</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Have an awesome week. </div>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-56046232385218821842020-06-09T06:36:00.000-07:002020-06-09T06:43:55.653-07:00Embracing AdjustmentsMy mind has been overwhelmed lately with the speed at which time flies. I feel I do a pretty good job in staying in the moment. I work hard to soak up everything happening at each stage/time of life. But nonetheless, time dances along and I wonder if I could have done more to capture everything. <br />
<br />
When my oldest son was 2 1/2, our family was joined by another boy and a girl. 3 kids under the age of 3 was hard work to say the least. I slept more in a rocking chair than my own bed, changed more diapers than washed dishes, ate more mushy puréed baby food than “real” food, my social life was watching Winnie the Pooh and the highlight of the week was getting out for grocery shopping.<br />
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5 years later I was volunteering on 3 committees, helped out at the kids school, teaching part time, spent every evening of the week plus some weekends at the skating rink with hockey or figure skating and had added another child to the crew. Time at home was a scarce commodity. <br />
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The double digits years (for the older 3) was a time of more independence for them and me. Still there were lots of commitments but the kids could clean, helped with jobs at the farm and make simple suppers. A bit of breathing room in the schedule. Running and biking for me occurred more consistently. We tackled more home and yard improvements. <br />
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The past 5 years have been the launching years for the older 3 kids. Time to spread their wings. We have been to 5 different cities to date as their studies have moved them. Helping move, clean, cook. But mostly offering support and encouragement as they handle the steep learning curve of dealing with adult life on their own. Some hard knocks for them. A lot of joy watching them come into themselves; taking part of their growing up years with us and combining that with their each unique personality to discover the things they love, believe in and figuring out how they will pursue life. Letting them go and keeping myself restrained to not calling or texting continually has been pretty tough. I don’t think I was ready for this to happen, but in truth, I am not sure I would ever be.<br />
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The youngest child just completed her first year of university. 2 of the older 3 are getting married this summer. They are choosing to spend their time with extraordinary people and I am bursting with happiness for them as this is the start of another part of life. I am so very happy our family is growing! But I am reminiscing the trips and time alone with each one of my children and I know that time may be passed now or at least morph into something else.<br />
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We are also in the stage of life where aging parents need us more. Health problems and trips to the city for appointments started about 7-8 years ago. The past 2 years have been about extended stays in the hospital, paneling for long term care facilities, learning a lot about Alzheimer's and worst of all; funeral planning. Aging is part of life just like birth just like death. We teach, support and provide for our kids, like our parents did for us, so they will grow up and be able to do this on their own. Everything is happening how life is supposed to go.<br />
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I just never realized how much I would miss the little things. How tough it would be to roll with the changes of life.<br />
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It took effort to remember challenges from each stage of our growing family. It is true that the good time seems to completely overshadow the hard times. <br />
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I remember the sweetness of the sleeping baby on my shoulder, little knees pulled up, head nestled into me and the amazing sweet smell of baby. I remember playing “farm” on the floor for hours with the boys with little tractors and implements and playing house with the girls with Dora and Polly pockets. The years of outdoor hockey in the winter, soccer and hitting pop flies in the summer. The many camping adventures with the 6 of us in the tent, sharing stories, the best part of that day for everyone and then planning the next days excursion. Calling my mother in law on the phone and hearing her special way of saying "hello". <br />
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We now are operating as a family of 9 rather than 6. We are blessed beyond measure. <br />
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I remind myself daily of how blessed I am because for whatever reason the floodgate of memories of time gone past constantly assault my memory. I don’t want to get nostalgic and weepy but I do want to acknowledge these wonderful memories. We have lost quite a few aging extended family members this past year as well as my mother in law. My father in law’s Alzheimer’s has since progressed more rapidly to the point of conversation being very challenging and I mourn that he is now unable to remember the fond events of his past, or of having a conversation that makes sense and I am already mourning the day when he won't recognize us. 3 of the remaining 4 parents/step parents have huge physical issues. It has been interesting sending the kids out where they need us less and dealing with our parents who are needing us more. <br />
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So what is the point of my walk down memory lane? A reminder to myself to really enjoy every moment. We are reminded daily in the lyrics of songs, death and tragedy and the turning of the calendar pages that life is short. We know this to be true but our actions don’t always show this. I need to stop deluding myself that there will always be another time for whatever it is that is happening. There is a last time for everything. The last diaper, cuddling with a book on your lap, riding with training wheels,<br />
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No matter how old my children are, how busy my life is, how overwhelming things sometimes feel, I want to live fully and completely.<br />
Do not wish time away.<br />
Embrace the big and small moments of life. <br />
<br />Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-20040847276741134872019-02-07T12:39:00.001-08:002020-06-09T06:44:23.523-07:00La Quinta Indian Wells Ironman 70.3<br />
An inaugural season finishing event for Ironman on Dec 9th, 2018 in the beautiful Cochilla Valley in California.<br />
We registered back in the spring with the plan to start of a 10 day getaway with the triathlon then head to the coast for some ocean and biking. I was very excited about this event right from the get go. I like the distance and we have been to the Palm Springs area quite a few times so we were familiar with the area.<br />
Just prior to the event, my excitement was impacted by the busyness of life. I went right from very long days in the field to teaching in the classroom, as I took on a term position and life was very hectic. My training suffered. It felt overwhelming to be preparing to be gone from the classroom, pack up my bike and have everything ready for Christmas prior to leaving on Dec 6. Once we were on the plane though, I was very happy to be going.<br />
We arrived Friday Dec 7 in Palm Springs, got our rental vehicle and found our way to our condo unit. It was right across the road from the finish area so the location was ideal. Walked to race check in, bought a shirt and looked around. There were a few vendors but not a lot. Bought a couple Co2 cartridges (as you can't fly with them) as well as a new back tire for my bike.<br />
Friday evening was spent putting our bikes together and relaxing.<br />
Saturday we went out for a spin to ensure the bikes were working well. A coffee/breakfast stop at Starbucks then back to clean up and get our bikes to the manditory bike check in.<br />
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The start as well as transition 1 was located at Lake Cahulla. This lake is a private lake, 1 of very few bodies of water in the area. There is no practice swimming and our wetsuits needed to come along to bike check in to be submerged in a disinfecting solution. First time I have needed to do that.<br />
The water is reported to always be cool. I wasn't too worried about it before hand because being at Ironman Oceanside a couple times in 14-15 C water I knew I might be cold but I would be fine.<br />
A new development though was because of very poor, rainy, cold weather that was in the area the entire week prior, there was talk of shortening or cancelling the swim because of cold water temp. According to Ironman rules:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> Wetsuits will be compulsory if the water temperature is below 16° C. For Pro’s, wetsuits may be worn in temperatures up to 21.9° C. For Age Groupers, wetsuits may be worn in water with temperatures up to and including 24.5° C. As per WTC rules, the swim will be shortened if the water temperature is between 12.1° and 13.9° C. If the water temperature is below 12° C, the swim will be cancelled. See official "Race Rules."</span><span style="font-family: , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /><br />Originally from: <a href="http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/emea/ironman/south-africa/athletes/course.aspx#ixzz5cWwTHJs3" style="color: #003399; display: inline; font-family: Titillium-Medium, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;">http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/emea</a>l</span><br />
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An email said we would be notified race morning of any changes.<br />
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Bike drop off was according to last name. Our time slot was from 10-2. There was a lot of people there and parking wasn't easy but as we left, the vehicle line up went for miles. It felt like a full, busy day getting everything checked in at transition 1 and then taking our run bag to transition 2 (near the finish area) to drop off as well. Less to worry about in the morning but a busy day. Pasta for supper and feet up.<br />
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Race morning, no email with changes to the swim. We walked to the finish area to where buses were loading up racers and spectators to take to the lake. There is no vehicles allowed at the swim area, everyone needed to be bused in and out.<br />
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It was still dark for a bit after arriving at the lake. We pump up the tires and finished a few things in transition before heading to the tent where the wetsuits were hung up. Transition was closed at 6:30 and though there was a rule of having nothing beside your bike (you needed to grab your bike bag) there were quite a few with their gear under the bike. I also thought there needed to be a lot more portapotties. HUGE line ups. Luckily, with the wave start and our placement around the 40-45 min swim group, we were able to get a turn in the biffy and see the pro start from a nice spot on the beach. We were treated to an amazing sunrise. It was so beautiful; the mountains, palm trees, the lake and a glorious sun.<br />
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I wasn't really nervous about the swim. I knew I didn't get the swim training in that I wanted but I also knew based on the times of all my prior 70.3's, if it took a few extra minutes, I was fine with that.<br />
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All that changed as I walked into the water. Nothing could have prepared me for this. It was very, very cold. I had been watching for more than an hour so many athletes entering the water and some prepared wearing less than I was. I had neoprene booties as well as a neoprene cap on under the race cap. I felt confident I would be fine. The announcement that morning was that the water temp was 14 C. I knew without a doubt this could NOT be the case. I can detect small differences in temperature so easily, I had swam many times in water that was 14-15 degrees and this was in no way that temp. Regardless, on I went. I tried so hard to get a rhythm but struggled. My chest felt like a vice was around it, I wasn't gasping for air but I just couldn't breathe. But I kept going thinking it would improve. At the halfway mark, I was still rotating between 15-20 strokes of front crawl to flipping to the backcrawl. I was experiencing numbness in my left hand and cramps in my legs. It was a real struggle to get to the halfway mark as so many times I though about quitting. Once the half way mark is passed, I knew I needed to keep going to the finish.<br />
I was so happy to reach the finish. I knew I had been slow and I stepped out of the water with no troubles. But 10 steps in, my body shut down. I just lost my ability to stand and a volunteer caught me. Immediately I started shivering; deep, whole body, convulsing shivers. The volunteer immediately called for help. 2 others came with blankets and they surrounded me with their arms around me. The gentleman who first helped me was so calm and kept talking to me, assuring me that I would be okay. He held his arms around me, my head tucked into his neck. My eyes were closed as the shivering took control for more than 30 min and all I could think about was how good he smelled and how gentle and reassuring his voice was; anything to distract me from how scary this was. After about 15 min there was talk of taking me to the medic tent. I assured them I was doing better and would warm up on the bike. Biking the course was the part I was most looking forward to so I wanted to continue. They helped me get my wetsuit off and bike clothes on and again surrounded me and brought me 2 cups of warm broth. One of the volunteers then came forward saying I had passed the cutoff for leaving on the bike and she needed my timing chip. My race was done. I said I wanted to still finish and didn't care that it would show as a DNF. They helped me proceed to my bike only to be stopped by the volunteer manning the bike portion who, after talking to us and finding out about my hypothermia, told me he would not let me go out on a bike as he had too many incidents of racers falling on their bikes in cases like this. He said it takes time to regulate the body temperature after having hypothermia and he wouldn't take a chance on my safety. So just like that, I was delegated to the bus. Bike shoes and gear on, no extra clothes (my shorts and sports bra were still wet) and once again shivering. So discouraging.<br />
A spectator got on the bus just after me and after seeing me shivering, gave me his long thermal sports coat to wear. I was so thankful. Obviously, very disappointed to not be on my bike. It was the part I had been looking forward to the most. But I also recognized in myself as I continued to shiver that this was the safe and smart thing to do.<br />
What was a 30 min drive yesterday from the finish area to the lake was now taking us more than an hour on the bus. With the increase in traffic and road closures from the bike, it took longer. There was a few spectators on the bus but mostly it was filled with others like me who struggled with the swim. I have a ton of respect for the many athletes who got through the swim with little issue but the general concencus on the bus among the coaches and athletes was that the water temperature was such that the swim should have been shorted. Most heard reports of the water temperature being 12C or colder.<br />
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Measuring water temperature is such a subjective thing to me. Was the temp 14 C 2 feet from the shore? Where exactly do they take water temp? It would make sense to me to do a temp reading beside each buoy that is in the water then average them. Anyway, my 2 sense. Of course, this is still probably a bit of bitterness that my race was over and it maybe shouldn't have been. I think with this event being the first, the RD wanted it to happen as planned and that was that. Hats off to those who finished.<br />
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So I ended up in transition 2, no morning clothes bag with our keys or dry clothes to change into.<br />
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Luckily I was able to get into transition to put on my runners and visor. And fortunately, the morning clothes bags arrived within the hour and I was able to get my phone and track Terry. I decided to run with him. I wasn't going to just sit around.<br />
I called his name as he was coming into the dismount line and immediately his face fell.<br />
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He asked if I was ok and I told him to go change I would wait at the run out area and was going to run too.<br />
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My chest still felt tight but the run course is a 2 lap loop through a golf course and if I was feeling terrible after 1 lap, I could stop. Morning air temperature was 8-9 C and now is was a sunny, warm 19-20 C. I drank some gatorade and water at each aid station. I hadn't had anything to eat and just a little to drink as all my food was on the bike, I had no money so what was my option?<br />
We chit chatted, each relaying what happened since we entered the water together and the first lap seemed to go by pretty quickly. Second lap was a bit more difficult. The course was through a golf course and though it was nice and quiet with no traffic, there were also no spectators and constant rolling hills. But harder than that was the pebbled path. My feet felt like ground beef at the beginning of the 2nd lap and they just progressively got more sore. <br />
After a while conversation halted as we each entered that zone of waves where you have energy then you are tapped, you are tired and hurt and you are fine. Finally, we were rounding the final corner as we approached the finish area at the Tennis Gardens. I stepped out and swung around through the spectator area off the run course and headed to the finish area to hear Terry's name announced and see him cross the line. Happy for him and sad for me. Oh well.<br />
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I took a couple pictures, then we headed to the food area. Chips, bananas and tacos.<br />
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We grabbed a table outside the food tent and enjoyed.<br />
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After 15 min , we headed to transition to find our stuff.<br />
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A 10 min walk and we were at the vehicle at the condo. We checked out that morning so we loaded our stuff up, used some wipes to remove some salt and a bit of stink and changed before taking off.<br />
Picked up burgers then headed on the scenic Pines to Palms highway.<br />
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Terry asked if I would be returning to settle the score and without hesitation I replied "no". There are too many things/events to do. I don't want to repeat just to settle a score. Getting a DNF doesn't sit good with me but I am safe and healthy. What happened scared me a lot. I don't ever want to feel that way again and I am thankful nothing worse occurred. <br />
Even after more than a half dozen 1/2 ironman distance triathlons under my belt, there is still learning and growing. And that is good. <br />
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<br />Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-69735309664177678312019-01-13T14:02:00.001-08:002020-06-09T06:44:37.242-07:00Oxbow 50 Ultra<br />
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<img alt="Oxbow 50 shirt large redux" height="199" src="https://joelatoews.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/oxbow-50-shirt-large-redux.png?w=300&h=299" width="200" /></div>
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I broke most important rule of endurance athletes- DO NOT DO ANYTHING NEW ON RACE DAY and believe me, I paid a high price. Lesson learned.<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(252 , 251 , 249 , 0.9); color: #726b60; font-family: "lora" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18px;">The Oxbow 50 is a 50k trail ultra held on the </span><a href="https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Carberry,+MB/49.7292826,-99.2913528/@49.729282,-99.3015653,7866m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x52e7e26cdd092aa7:0xb96ffe98ef4c1720!2m2!1d-99.3601764!2d49.8677041!1m0!3e0" rel="noopener" style="background-color: rgba(252, 251, 249, 0.9); box-sizing: inherit; color: #83b6cc; font-family: Lora, Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Trans-Canada, Epinette & Newfoundland Trails of Spruce Woods Provincial Park</a><span style="background-color: rgba(252 , 251 , 249 , 0.9); color: #726b60; font-family: "lora" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 18px;"> .</span><br />
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Oxbox Ultra was held May 5, 2018 at Spruce Woods Provincial Park in southern Manitoba.<br />
We drove to Brandon, MB the evening before (Friday night), checked into a hotel and got our race gear laid out.<br />
Saturday morning's alarm went off at 5:45 am with the usual pre-event busy-ness. Picked up oatmeal and coffee from Tim Horton's and headed to Spruce Woods Provincial Park about 40 min away. I am not a big morning eater on the day of an event. Every other day, I eat a lot at breakfast but never on race day. I picked away at my oatmeal and drank only a few sips of my latte. (Hmm, if I could just go back and see the problems this was going to cause. BIG mistake.)<br />
I am NOT a coffee drinker and have only in the past couple years periodically enjoy having a Tim's latte or Starbucks macchiato. It really helps keep me perky while we are travelling, and I knew I could use a bit of help today.<br />
Check in at 7:30 with the pre race meeting at 8:15. Lots of energy and laughing. It seemed everyone knew each other. I have heard the ultra community is pretty tight and it was obvious. We ran into a couple people we knew from our winter ultra activities.<br />
The morning was partly cloudy and around 8 C with a bit of wind. It felt cool to me. I don't think I have every started an event where I haven't been cold. It was nice to get running.<br />
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<img alt="Oxbow_50K_Course_Map_2018_2" height="494" src="https://joelatoews.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/oxbow_50k_course_map_2018_2.jpg?w=775" width="640" /><br />
The beauty of this event in my opinion is that it was broken into 6- 5 mile sections in an almost completely looped course. There was an aid station at each of the approximate 5 mile intervals. The first 5 miles was an out and back but the rest was a big loop. I like loops a lot, new stuff all the time. We stayed about in the middle of the pack of the 88 runners. Advice from a long time ultra runner was to walk the uphills and run the downhills- stay steady. I was pretty gungho and ran maybe more uphills than I should have and a few times Terry (roaring runner) needed to tell me to slow things down. I was excited and having fun. <br />
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The first thing to interrupt my fun was the edema that started in my hands. This happened within the first few miles. It is so difficult for me to tell if the water retention is from too much/not enough water or too much/not enough electrolytes. I ate a pickle at the first aid station and hoped it would help. I used F2C glycodurance in my hydrapack and sipped periodically to keep my fluids and electrolytes up. I also know that edema can happen with changes in temperature and I was pretty cold when I started and quickly warmed up as the sun came out and the course made me sweat.<br />
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The course itself was very deceiving in terms of difficulty. There were no big hills, no brags of huge elevation gain but was difficult none-the-less with the constant rolling hills. Flat sections were rare; it was always up or down. There was various types of vegetation and trees but not many shaded areas.<br />
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In the second section, we met some new runner and visited, which made time pass by. Aid station 2 was stocked with chips, sugary candies, chocolate bars, pickles, coke, water and NUUN. I refilled the bladder in my hydrapack with NUUN, grabbed a piece of a kitkat and hit the trail. I carried Generation UCAN bars with me and I had eaten parts of it along the way so I finished it off.<br />
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Issue 2 came not long after departing from the aid station in the form of a complaining right hip. My pelvis doesn't seem to stay in correct alignment so the fundamentals of my hip/knee/ ankle are all affected. I get a lot of pain in my hip/butt/lower back area then my knee starts to lock up and become very painful. I hoped 2 advil would at mitigate the pain. <br />
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Aid station 3 had water only. We basically just said hi, thanks and kept going.<br />
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Issue 3 came very swiftly soon after. It was like everything was good then bang it wasn't. I was planning to run today; not have the "runs". Enter morning coffee. I will spare the details but it was relentless, exhausting and painful. 7 stops I think I counted. My stomach never settled for the rest of the run and my nutrition/water intake was very minimal.<br />
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I was on my own for a big part of the 5 miles between aid station 3 and 4 as when I stopped the first time to find a bush, I told Terry to keep going I would catch up. I thought it would be finished and done. Insert witch cackle.<br />
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The steepest hill was between aid stations 3 and 4. A few trickles of water, lots of trees, birds singing. I tried to focus on the beauty and not on my suffering. A sign showed the aid station 500 m away and my spirits lifted only to find another sign 500 m later that said "Not even close". Oh the humour of seasoned running volunteers!<br />
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Aid station 4 was a welcomed sight. 2 of the volunteers (Todd and Scott) asked right away how I was doing and what I needed. I said my stomach was really sick and I immediately had a can of coke in my hand. I was a bit nervous about this because I am also not a pop drinker and I feared the wrath of the coffee and pop would put me over the edge. Todd assured me it would be fine, asked if I was sweating and if I was peeing. My pack was taken off my back and filled with NUUN and I was given stern instructions to try to keep drinking. It was very comforting to be in the volunteer hands of those with tons of experience. It was evident they knew how to crew for a runner. Thanks so much Todd! <br />
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Terry was waiting for me at the aid station so from that point on he stuck with me. I noticed right after leaving the aid station and having drank the coke, I had more energy and was able to run more. This seemed to wear off after a mile or two and it was back to the run/walk thing. It was pretty sunny and warm (+18 C), light wind which was so nice to keep us cool. A perfect running day. If only I could have enjoyed it more and been sick less. I kept trying to drink and did feel really thirsty but my stomach would revolt so it was a real balancing act. Evidence of my lack of fluid intake came from a immobilizing calf cramp that happened when I stopped to tie my shoe. The yelling/howling/screaming charlie horse kind of cramp that needs to rubbed out and renders you useless until it is. Oh the fun just keeps coming.<br />
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Aid station 5 I drank a few sips of coke and was given a handful of chips from the volunteers to eat. I managed to eat a couple. I was overjoyed to find a real outhouse so I could actually sit and not hold myself up. If you have never experienced the pleasure of trying to squat numerous times on legs that were very shaky, you haven't lived. I have heard of the marathoner rule of not stopping to use the bathroom 1-2 miles before the end of a marathon and I know why. I at least had the foresight to pack a small baggie with a squirt of chamois cream and it literally saved me a whole lot of agony as the chafing from the highly acidic diarrhea was now adding to the day's list.<br />
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I have also read about how the final few miles seems like they are twice as long as the first few miles and it does seem true. It felt like we were in the middle of nowhere still even with 1/2 mile to go. A winter ultra friend, Pete, came riding up along side us. I think he was riding his bike, sweeping the course to check on everyone. He said I looked as fresh as a daisy. Flat out lying like that can't be bad right?<br />
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I was very thankful to see him as I was starting to wonder if we missed a turn. The thought of getting lost and needed to go farther than necessary would have sent me into a full out fit. Thankfully Terry was spared my tears as we were indeed on the right path. We climbed up a decent hill and all of a sudden there it was; the people cheering, the finish line waiting, the end in sight. Oh my. I survived.<br />
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Brandon Search and Rescue was at the finish to assist any racer who might need medical assistance. I have participated in a ton of events and I have to say this is the first time I considered that I may need medical help. I felt very unwell. People like me must have "I am in pain" written on our foreheads as they asked me how I was doing immediately when I finished. And it seemed that at every aid station, the volunteers came to me very quickly to assist. I guess suffering has a look of its own.<br />
Our vehicle was very close and I wanted to sit down and reassess. ( a big perk for this event is parking right beside the start/finish) I said I would return if necessary. I spread my towel on the ground and attempted to lay down on it. A video of this event would certainly have made it to the top of the funniest video list. I may have even become a youtube sensation. Especially if it included me removing my shoes, socks and calf sleeves while lying down and then getting calf cramps once again in both calves at the same time. Should have just cut the calf sleeves off. Clearly had some swelling in my legs as the sleeves were really difficult to remove without pointing my toes. If it didn't hurt so much it would have been truly funny.<br />
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A towel and water to wash my dirty, salty face felt heavenly. Flip flops on, shirt change, some water and we headed to the food truck Extreme Fries, to receive our complimentary meal. Hamburger, fries and a drink. I drank some 7-up but could not eat. Nor could I eat the ice cream at Dairy Queen we stopped for an hour later. A few rice crackers given to me by a friend was all.<br />
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Interesting enough, my stomach remained unsettled for 2 more days. Very little eating and still loose stools. This greatly impacted my recovery process. I was unbearably sore for 2 days and it still took 2 more days to really get back on my feet.<br />
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SO, my first experience in the ultra world was interesting.<br />
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1 week post run and my stomach is kinda back on track, my hip/knee is still acting up, I have 2 black toenails, I am somewhat caught up on sleep, my confidence is in the tank.<br />
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I have another 50 km in less than 2 weeks and I am not sure yet what is going to happen.<br />
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My conclusions:<br />
-my diet up until the event was good, whole foods, chicken, salmon, stayed away from fiber foods 2 days prior<br />
-stay away from coffee race day<br />
-eating and consuming proteins after an event greatly impact recovery: bring protein shakes next time<br />
-I ran in shorts, tshirt, calf sleeves, arm warmers -arm warmers came off after 2 miles so next time leave behind, calf sleeves felt very tight with swelling legs and I am not sure I liked that much so still on the fence about it for next time<br />
-mix the F2C glycodurance with nuun tablets to get more electrolytes<br />
-carry salt tablets<br />
-always carry minimum 4 advil as well as tums<br />
-this was without a doubt the worst I have ever felt to date during any endurance event and the worst recovery I have ever had. My stomach took days to settle and it made me see how very important eating properly after long bouts of exercise HELP recovery soo much.<br />
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So just to answer the question you are thinking: If it was so bad, why didn't I quit? Answer: during the prerace meeting, the RD explained that any racers who pulled from the event could do so at any aid station but they would need to wait perhaps quite a long time to get picked up or they would return to the finish area when that aid station closed up. I figured that I was more than 1/2 way when I was feeling really bad so it would be easier to keep going than sit at an aid station for who knows how long also feeling really bad.<br />
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My thoughts on the event:<br />
-though I had a crappy run (hahaha) the course was very nice. I never felt like I knew where I was and with so many turns, I was mixed up about what direction I was going in but the changes made the miles go by.<br />
-Race organizer Joel Toews, did an awesome job with everything. Good aid stations, shirt and patch at the finish area. It was an awesome event.<br />
-the weather was pretty much run perfect. Beginning of May with nice warm temperatures but this area even a month later could be very warm.<br />
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Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-57207873750928485562019-01-06T12:43:00.001-08:002019-01-06T14:24:34.319-08:00Tuscobia 160 Winter UltraSunday, Dec. 30 at 8:35 am after 26 hours and 35 min, we rolled into the finish of Tuscobia 160 mile Winter Ultra.<br />
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This was a tough ride. Sometimes I still need to look at the finish line picture to remind myself it wasn't a dream; that I really did complete it.<br />
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The course was an out and back that left Rice Lake Wisconsin at 6 am with 3 checkpoints. Ojibwa was at mile 45, Park Falls (the half way turn around) at mile 80, then back to Ojibwa for 115 miles to the finish at Rice Lake. Lots of riding before any checkpoint.<br />
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Tuscobia live tracker showed the following info;<br />
Rice Lake Ojibwa in out Park Falls in out Ojibwa in out Rice Lake<br />
6:00 12:07 12:31 17:15 18:13 23:26 00:14 8:35<br />
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Basically 6 hour ride the first 45 miles to the checkpoint 1. 30 min to dry the neckwarmer/jacket/change chemical warmers in boots/eat. 4 hours 45 min for the next 35 miles to the half way point with an hour there to eat/change clothes. 5 hours to cover the 35 miles back to Ojibwa where I spent 45 min.changing/fueling up. Then 8 hours to cover the 45 miles back to the finish. Though there was no designated checkpoint between Ojibwa and Rice Lake, a volunteer organization at the community of Birchwood (15 miles from the finish at Rice Lake) had a tent set up with cookies and hot beverages through the night and we stopped there for 45 min.<br />
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The long distances between the checkpoints was the most mentally challenging thing for me. Especially once I was at checkpoint 3 and needed to get my head around another 45 miles to the finish when I was already tired.<br />
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Start time Saturday morning was at 6:00. It was dark, a pleasant -15 C but very slippery/icy. There was very little snow in the area. It had rained Thursday with a sprinkle of snow in the evening. The 160 mile runners left Friday morning and reports were that the trail was slush. Temperatures were to drop from Friday to Saturday so all the slush and rain was going to be ice and ruts. And indeed it was. I fell within a couple miles after starting which only heightened my nervousness. The bikers with studded tires would have a big advantage. I would take another spill 10 miles down the trail.<br />
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The first 15 ish miles had lots of hills, exposed rocks and uneven trail. The community of Birchwood was at the end of this section where some riders stopped at one of the 2 gas stations for coffee or food.<br />
The next 15 ish miles was nice trail. Net downhill, away from the main roads through forest.<br />
The trail then got tough until the checkpoint. It appeared that a truck had drove down the trail while it was wet so there were 2 narrow ruts about 4-6 inches deep that took all the concentration I had to keep the bike upright in the rut. Outside the rut was soft snow so it was certainly easier to be on the packed rut trail but took a lot of straight arm handling.<br />
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Ojibwa was an tarp enclosed outdoor cookhouse. It was warm and cozy with tables and smiling volunteers ready to bring up some ramen soup or a hot beverage. I took off my jacket, vest, neckwarmer and toque and hung them all on the line by the fire to dry out. They weren't really wet just a bit damp. Soup was delicious followed by a few cookies. I put fresh chemical warmers in my boots but otherwise didn't change anything.<br />
The trail from the Ojibwa checkpoint on for about 10-15 miles was perfect. Packed, wide, pretty smooth for easy riding. This was followed up with 15 miles of very soft trail with unpacked snow. Lots of traffic through this part as we met the 80 mile bikers and runners that started at Park Falls that morning and were heading to Rice Lake. The final 5-8 miles until Park Falls had a good packed trail. It was getting dark and we were anxious to get there. Up until this point, any time we needed to eat or drink we stopped as trail conditions did not make eating/drinking on the go very conducive without taking a spill. So as we approached Park Falls, I couldn't stop thinking of all the food I was going to consume. I was so hungry!!<br />
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Chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese and hot chocolate was served to us at the Gastro Pub by amazing volunteers. I scarfed down a donut before starting my main course. And I don't even like donuts. We filled our faces and met new people and visited around the table. It was so nice to see a couple familiar faces and receive some encouragement from them. Thanks Scott and Sue!<br />
After eating, we grabbed our drop bags and went upstairs to use the bathroom and change clothes. I had a full change except for my bike shorts. A mistake to not have fresh shorts as chaffing and blisters were already formed on my inner thighs/ butt area. I covered them with bandaids and hoped it wouldn't get much worse. My clothing choices seemed really good up until this point as I thought I wasn't really wet or sweaty. Slightly damp shorts would have contributed to the chaffing but unfortunately there were more players in the game.<br />
After leaving Park Falls with a temperature of -12 C, we stopped a couple miles down the trail so I could remove a top layer and another biker caught up to us, stopped also and asked if he could tag along with us. Introductions were made and the 3 of us stuck together until the finish. One of the best parts of doing events like this is meeting up and riding with other people. It was really hard to converse while riding single file added to the noise of the bikes but we stopped frequently (20 min) to get a drink or pee or eat something. At times, we walked/ran our bikes to chase away the sleepies. The soft part of the trail was much more driveable now after being packed through the day. We reached the well lit Ojibwa checkpoint at midnight to volunteers flipping pancakes, a warm fire and a packed tent. Us 160 mile bikers had caught up to some of the 160 mile runners. Lots of tired, happy people. The outdoor biffy was cold on the butt and I knew I needed to increase my fluids. I had only used the washroom at the checkpoints and no where along the trail.<br />
Though we were 3/4 of the way, I was so overwhelmed by the distance yet to the finish. Something was wrong with my bike set up (though I had changed nothing from what worked in the past) however a sore back had plagued me since around mile 30 and I knew my seat chaffing was due to me trying to sit more comfortably on the saddle to alleviate my sore back. My right hip and knee were now both complaining very loudly and the thought of needing to withstand the constant pain for another 7 -8 hours seemed inconceivable. I took a few walking breaks along the way as walking seemed to reset the hip and it wouldn't hurt for awhile again. I also took a couple rest breaks. I'm sure Mark (the rider with us) thought I was crazy but I just stopped, plopped my bike down and laid down on the trail with my eyes closed for a couple minutes. Secretly, I think both Mark and my husband were feeling as tired as me, they just didn't admit it. I am not as comfortable following especially in the dark. I like to see everything and like a bright front light. So the gentlemen with me obliged and let me lead for a lot of the 80 mile return trip. I think it is harder on the eyes being in front, paying close attention to the trail, finding the right place to drive and watching for the ice spots but I was happy to be able to see more. <br />
The good part about the return trip from Ojibwa to Rice Lake was the trail was in better shape than it had been on the outgoing trip. More packed down, evened out. But the ruts weren't nearly so bad. At times I thought I was hallucinating, not sure what I was seeing ahead on the trail then all of a sudden a runner pulling a sled was there. Thank goodness for the blinking red lights.<br />
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Reaching Birchwood was a monumental feat of victory. The trail was slippery and though we had kept a decent pace up until this point, I was slowing down and the boys behind me weren't yelling at me to pick it up so I knew they must have been tired too. The tent had a heater, homemade cookies and warm broth! I was abruptly overtaken by spells of shivering to find after taking off my jacket that my 2 shirts were soaking wet. I took one off and put on my puffy coat. Socks were soaked too. Also put on my down mitts and sat by the heater downing cup after cup of broth. We were in no hurry to leave, enjoying the conversation with the few others there, resting and preparing for the final 15 miles that sounds like not much but in reality was still probably close to 3 hours of riding.<br />
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If possible, this section of trail that was hard going out seemed much worse heading back. Very rough, so slippery, uneven and tons of hills. I worked hard to turn my mind off and concentrate only on a mile at a time. Keep moving forward.<br />
The final 4 miles was the only section not on the Tuscobia trail system but utilized local trails. It seemed like it kept going on and on. I have so often heard how the final few miles before a checkpoint or the finish seem considerably longer in mind than they are in actuality and it is true.<br />
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All of a sudden, I could see the parking lot where our vehicle was and I knew the hall was just in front of us. Mark's wife was outside by the finish cheering for us and lining us up to take pictures. It appears I didn't even have the thinking ability or the energy to turn my headlight off and take my goggles off.<br />
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We were greeted and congratulated inside the hall by Helen, the race director as well as other volunteers and fellow competitors. And it was over, just like that.<br />
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I was so thirsty and drank cup after cup of water. We changed our clothes, unpacked our bikes and loaded everything up.<br />
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McDonald's pancakes were calling our name.<br />
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photo credit http://www.gregorytphotography.pixieset.com/<br />
and T.Schnorr<br />
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Many thanks to the race directors Chris and Helen for a superbly organized event. Doesn't get much more personal than when a race director (Chris) comes past us on a snow machine at 4 am letting us know the Birchwood tent was 3 miles away. Or when Chris and Helen make special arrangements for us to pick up our drop bags. Many thanks.<br />
Also so much appreciation to the many volunteers that gave up their day and night to help us achieve our dream of completing Tuscobia 160.<br />
Thanks to the communities of Rice Lake, Birchwood and Park Falls for your support of this event. And a special thanks to the other racers- your "hello" and "good job" as we passed in the darkest hours of the night and conversations at the checkpoints were a constant encouragement.Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-53256439892639120482018-06-18T08:45:00.001-07:002018-06-19T13:30:18.351-07:00Epic East Gate Ultra<br />
The final couple miles of an ultra I'm told are the longest. The trees and forest surrounded me and seemed without end. It was hard to imagine that somewhere soon my eyes would view the open prairie and I would run through the East Gate to the finish line just beyond.<br />
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The day began at 6 am to the singing of birds and the smell of open air. There is such a peacefulness to camping and even the excitement and preparation for the day couldn't mare that. Our arrival at Riding Mountain National Park the night before was late and we got the camper set up quickly with the help of a million mosquitoes. The campground was very quiet and we slept well.<br />
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Quick shower, prepared my nutrition of NUUN with F2C glycodurance in my hydrapack. A couple UCAN bars packed along with the other necessities- kleenex, bandaids, lip balm, advil, tum. Breakfast was oatmeal and later an Ensure drink and some UCAN drink. We were on the road before 7 for the 45 min ish drive to the East Gate entrance.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just parked and walking to East Gate entrance.</td></tr>
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Thick, morning fog impeded our drive but we had glimpses of the rolling hills, farm land and dense forest as we made our way around the south part of Riding Mountain toward the east gate. We arrived with time to register, use the washroom and attend the race meeting before the start of the day's events. The 50 km event start time was 8:30 and the 25 km event at 10:30.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terry and I, Sue and Manon.</td></tr>
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All runners were herded out of the park (toward our vehicles parked on the road) so we could run through the East Gate as our official start.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race start</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And we are off! Terry is bringing up the rear with a wave.</td></tr>
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The first 30-45 min was all uphill. Serious, constant climbing. Morning temperature was 12 C and the heavy fog/high humidity was keeping things from heating up too much, it was the perfect temperature for running.<br />
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It was also the perfect recipe for some heavy sweating. My clohes and hair was soaked very quickly and I was hoping the liberal amount of anti-chaffing cream I applied this morning would work its magic until I was done. Others around me were commenting on how hard it was to keep their eyes clear from the steady stream of sweat pouring down their faces. Thankfully, the hard effort of constant climbing was mostly walked. I was sweating like crazy but not overheating.<br />
The trail took us to a gravel road with outdoor/seasonal bathrooms. Racers slowly started to spread out a bit now. Most of us were all packed together on the single track trail up until this point but now had more space. We ran along the road for about 15 min before heading onto a trail once again. Aid Station A came soon after.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aid Staion A</td></tr>
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I filled up my hydrapack with NUUN and ate a couple amazing power balls. They were soft, oozing with peanut butter and tasted fabulous. There were also perogies (both balls and perogies were homemade by the race director's mom) as well as the usual stuff; coke, pickles, chips, candies, bars.<br />
I was running with 2 ultra friends from another community and hubby ran with us sometimes, ahead of us at others or sometimes behind. This part of the course seemed easier; double track, lots of talking and laughing and not as technical for awhile gave a break on concentrating on our feet and the ground.<br />
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The course was like a figure 8. Start was at the bottom, with the first section going left and up and around to aid station A, from A heading straight down the middle to aid station B then to the right and around and up back to A then back down the middle to B and 3-4 miles out to the finish. The middle part had 2 out and backs on it. So generally, the first section until aid station A was increasing in elevation, from A to B aid stations felt like running on an escarpment that was an elevation loss. Aid station B back up to A was elevation gain and then back downhill.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkwRY_BqTSd_Zf5xlzlbKEiTUvDJt2UfT1pZ4ECqHb3Xpi9oNBAnCP9woum7gOBnhiOXOGduuV0AVIc0LwJ-u5iS8LfVzpUepFvsjmSESQd5Gk0lNaVnz2pBF0R5kaUmc-n0_BMnzmGk/s1600/IMG_7662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkwRY_BqTSd_Zf5xlzlbKEiTUvDJt2UfT1pZ4ECqHb3Xpi9oNBAnCP9woum7gOBnhiOXOGduuV0AVIc0LwJ-u5iS8LfVzpUepFvsjmSESQd5Gk0lNaVnz2pBF0R5kaUmc-n0_BMnzmGk/s400/IMG_7662.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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The first out and back was more spectacular than I have words to describe. Lots of elevation change in a very short distance but so amazing. I have lived in Manitoba for a long time and had no idea there were views like this! There was a hole punch/stamper that we needed to punch on our bibs so we didn't just run to the lookout but all the way along a very small escarpment to the edge. I was very pumped and excited. It was running on the edge of a mountain what's not to like?<br />
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The second half of the middle part was single track down hill and decently technical meaning I needed to pick up my feet or I would end up on my face. Aid station B was a welcome sight with the same goodies as at the other aid station. I satisfied my hunger with a couple more energy balls and refilled my hydration once again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgwhCKKQakYg9iIu87zZDPiS1wyCmSTppQVtUMQ5iRUvOblus8FDeaYmvl62OScMoIA1dIXkW8iQnzR4-lZmNERmQukhtXAOidpddTwdZn5BoV4qVN6SXoeoTrN1ncTay_g7tYX7umjY/s1600/IMG_7659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgwhCKKQakYg9iIu87zZDPiS1wyCmSTppQVtUMQ5iRUvOblus8FDeaYmvl62OScMoIA1dIXkW8iQnzR4-lZmNERmQukhtXAOidpddTwdZn5BoV4qVN6SXoeoTrN1ncTay_g7tYX7umjY/s320/IMG_7659.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sue and Manon doing a great job setting the pace.</td></tr>
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The next section after leaving the aid station was uphill. A lot of uphill. There was some rocks jumping through a small stream. A group of us (5) helped each other get across with only 1 booter. This section I found the hardest. It was warmer temperature wise and the uphill climbing was relentless. The spring water runoff had carved trenches into the path so footing was tricky in spots. You could never get into a rhythm.<br />
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Once we reached the top and headed left toward the aid station, it was flat and double track once again. We were still in the bush but there were more open areas, some swampy spots and hotter as now the cloud cover we were lucky to have had up until this point was gone.<br />
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From aid station A, there was a short 3km out and back so we left our hydrapacks and ran naked. Well, not quite naked but we sure felt lighter without our packs. It was just Manon and I running together now but 2 other runners started the out and back same time as us and making new friends and chatting made the 3 kms fly by.<br />
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Hydrapack filled up once again back at the aid station along with a couple more balls and a pickle. I put ice in my hydrapack and drinking cold NUUN for the next 45 min was heavenly.<br />
This was the last section before the aid station B and from there, the homestretch to the finish. It felt as though we were running this section faster than the previous time. There was a few of us running together off and on and again, meeting and talking with new people makes the miles go by. I could tell I was getting tired though. My feet were hitting roots and stones more often now.<br />
Manon's daughter was at the aid station and they shared a hug but it was a quick in and out.<br />
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The final stretch. So exciting but very challenging mentally. More stumbling and tripping. Caught myself twice from falling. Manon not so lucky. The single track gave way to a more groomed trail with boardwalk paths, bridges and plant identification signs. A runner behind us pointed out the poison ivy along the trail which kept me busy trying to avoid it. She gave us instruction to not touch our legs and feet until washing off well.<br />
And suddenly, the trees gave way to a road. We cheered in excitement which was very premature as it was back onto the trail 30 seconds later. Then all at once, back onto a gravel road.<br />
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If you have ran road races, the finish line is so visible. You can see it, hear it from quite a distance away. Not so in trail running. It literally feels like I am in the middle of nowhere, no civilization, no finish line, nothing.<br />
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All we could see is a 1/2 to 1 mile of gravel road with a stop sign in the distance. No finish line no indication that we were anywhere close to the end. I felt myself somehow slipping into an emotional state where tears were threatening. I wanted to walk, maybe have a fit or melt down, but Manon said in her stern teacher voice, "let's go" and she wouldn't slow down or stop. I knew she was in some discomfort as she mentioned she has back/hip troubles and I also knew she got a good jolt when she tripped. So, I told myself to suck it up and stop being such a crybaby. I wasn't really hurting, just tired. With new determination, I picked up my feet and picked up the pace. <br />
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And then there it was. The East Gate we ran through to start was right before me now again to finish. One of the race directors (Clayton) was standing there cheering, gave a high five as I crossed the line and told me I was epic! I was given a great looking trucker hat as well as a special finisher item for completing the Manitoba double of 2- 50 kms in May.<br />
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My husband was also there with the go pro recording my "epic" finish. As usual, I got pretty wobbly when I stopped running so I was weaving in and out, walking for a couple minutes then plopped myself on the ground to lay down.<br />
A cold bottle of water went down really quickly and I was anxious to go to the truck to get my shoes and socks off and drink my cold recovery shake. A hamburger (included in the race fee) was devoured soon after.<br />
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Overall, this was an amazing event. The terrain, views, aid station nutrition, volunteers, organization was the best. Big thanks to Kevin and Clayton and the Hound Sports Services team for a great run. You can find the events they organize<a href="http://www.houndsportservices.com/runrmnp" target="_blank"> here</a>.<br />
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I was worried leading up to this event. The Oxbow 50, 3 weeks ago was a nightmare for me personally and I couldn't shake my fear of the same thing happening again. I was very adamant to do everything I could to set myself up for a better outcome.<br />
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What I did:<br />
-a couple days after the Oxbow 50 I went to a ART specialist (Active Recovery Technique) who found that my right pelvis was rotated in and down 1 1/2 inches. He also found significant posterior displacement of the tibia. This accounted for the incredible pain and locking of the right hip/leg. The beauty of the active muscle release is that as you move the body part through the range in motion, pressure placed in specific areas releases the muscle which then allows the body to regain its correct alignment. The pressure was applied on the muscle was in 5 different locations and it wasn't painful but was uncomfortable in certain spots. The pain in the hip ceased immediately and no longer did it hurt my knee walking down stairs. A repeat appointment 10 days later found the pelvis in the normal spot and the knee once again a bit displaced but much better than the prior appointment. I highly recommend ART treatment. This was the best thing I did.<br />
-a physiotherapist applied K tape to the IT band and knee to give it more support while running<br />
- I kept my nutrition very simple the day before and the morning of. No coffee this time and more liquid calories (Ensure or Boost)<br />
-used more NUUN in my water to boost the electrolyte concentration (as opposed to taking in salt tablets which I have never tried) as I wonder if I sweat salty<br />
-worked really hard to drink more while running. I wanted to have my hydrapack close to empty by each aid station.<br />
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What actually happened during the race:<br />
-very little hip/knee pain (the only time it hurt was after a lot of constant uphills where the calves worked hard and then immediate downhill sections)<br />
-I did take advil 1 time when my knee started to hurt as mentioned above. This was around 13 miles in. I know advil is dehydrating so I wanted to avoid taking this if possible.<br />
-the powerballs were very well liked by my stomach. I am trying to get the recipe. They were soft and would be hard to carry along in a pack but if I get the recipe, you can bet I will find a way to carry them. I needed to eat more. I have to work on this.<br />
-being able to eat and drink after the event made a world of difference. I use the F2C vanilla recovery powder. Mix it with ice and water in a big shaker and I love it. Hubby loves the chocolate flavour so I mix one for each of us after any long race or training session.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAekeaSkZuF5ca3Uu9U-0KB5z96Zjac1MozvDAERccBs0PDeVx1SRyh_b8uNcckeWhtgM06P1kBw_pZc-AWA4YFgNIMD2_PF0jHcLnLoJ6CKEfo4TsoFLv53FwMlPBLoOEBNww57aPEPw/s1600/IMG_7679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAekeaSkZuF5ca3Uu9U-0KB5z96Zjac1MozvDAERccBs0PDeVx1SRyh_b8uNcckeWhtgM06P1kBw_pZc-AWA4YFgNIMD2_PF0jHcLnLoJ6CKEfo4TsoFLv53FwMlPBLoOEBNww57aPEPw/s400/IMG_7679.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Air Relax Recovery Boots on in the camper</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Replenishing electrolytes and figured to top up our calcium levels as well.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recovery ride on the fat bikes the next morning beside Clear Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A great way to end a fabulous weekend at the White House.</td></tr>
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Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-33637262561262709502018-02-23T18:30:00.000-08:002018-02-23T18:43:03.973-08:00Actif Epica 200 kmThe first checkpoint at Ridgeville was at mile 23. I was at mile 15, sprawled out on the gravel road after a fall on an icy patch, shaken, bleeding a bit, and in a full-on suffer fest with a mental battle that was threatening to overtake me. I was in a bad place and was not expecting nor prepared to be at this spot so early in the day.<br />
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It was unthinkable to consider quitting but utterly overwhelming to imagine suffering for another 100 miles.<br />
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The alarm went off at 3:30 am but I was ready for it. I saw every hour since crawling into bed at 9:30 pm the night before. I just couldn't shut my brain off. The next 45 min were spent mixing up the liquid calories (F2C glycodurance) that was going into my hydrapak, getting myself dressed and putting the final gear into a bag that was coming along with me (garmin, bike lights, extra nutrition, extra mitts).<br />
A 10 min walk to the bus pickup and we encountered... no bus. There were a bunch of vehicles in the parking lot with participants who were being dropped off, those who were leaving their vehicles there for the day and others like us who had a short walk from a hotel.<br />
Long story short, the race directors were unable to make contact with the transport company to find where the bus was and it was evident that by 5 am, it wasn't coming so they made arrangements to transport us to either St Malo or Emerson (depending on which distance you were doing) by vehicle.<br />
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The bus was to leave Winnipeg by 4:45, arrive in Emerson by 6:15 and the event would start at 7:00. I planned to eat my overnight oats and hopefully catch a few minutes of sleep on the bus. With 3 of us in the backseat of a vehicle, making small talk about events, bikes, nutrition and gear, sleep was not a possibility. I did eat a bit though. <br />
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Our arrival at Emerson was then very rushed. It seemed to me that we were the last to arrive and most of the others were almost ready and anxious to get going. Rushing is not ideal. Bathroom, final bike preparations, checked the air pressure, moved nutrition around. With all the changes, sitting, then rushing, I was feeling a bit harried but was thankful the start was only mildly delayed.<br />
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We officially set off at 7:20 after a group photo of the 14 of us taking on the 200 km route. Temperature was around -16 C. We were instructed to stay close together for the first few miles.<br />
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Soon after, the sun crept over the horizon in breath taking fashion. Though the distance and the length of this journey was a bit intimidating, I was committed to enjoying every moment and I knew this amazing scene of the shining sun dancing on the stark white landscape would be etched in my memory. And I was very thankful I could have an adventure like this with my husband right beside me.<br />
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Riding right on the international border between our great country and that of our neighbour was surreal. It was a 8 mile ride and it was nice to able to ride as the minimal snow combined with the strong winds that Manitoba had experienced for a couple weeks prior to this day made for very hard drift that were ride-able. Very jarring but no pushing. In hindsight, I probably should have let some air out of my tires and it may have made the ride smoother and easier.<br />
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The first 20 miles were basically riding hard drifts or pushing and it took around 3 1/2 hours.<br />
Ridgeville check point was at a small cafe in the very small town of Ridgeville with very nice people who offered drinks or food and any other assistance. I was planning only to fill my hydrapak but upon taking off my jacket to get to my pack, I saw my shirt was soaked and decided to grab extra shirt #1 from my bike to change. I ate part of my cinnamon bun and a banana and 15-20 min after arriving, we left.<br />
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The fall I had was like the straw that broke the camel's back. Everything just added up. I kept telling myself that I knew I needed to eat and I would only look to getting to the first check point so I could get some food in me. I was discouraged. The ride so far seemed much harder than I expected and my legs were sore already. While the stop didn't fix everything, it helped. I wasn't great but I was better.<br />
I'm not certain why I hit the bottom so quickly. A crash and burn is expected but all my experience up until this point, falling into the hole has happened at a much later point.<br />
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15 mile to checkpoint 2 Senkiw. That was all I was going to think about. Looking at the cue sheets, it seemed this would be a nice leg and I was very excited to see the swinging bridge. The cue sheets show only around 4 miles that are not on gravel. Looking at this even now, I am still stumped because this leg was anything but easy. I was told by a fellow rider behind me that he thought this was the toughest leg. Though the pushing seemed to go on forever, the scenery was beautiful along the river and the sun was bright and warm. <br />
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We were greeted at the Senkiw checkpoint by a couple cheerful ladies who offered us a hot drink from their tent. We declined and continued to the bridge. It was interesting getting my bike up the few steep steps under the guide wire to get on the bridge. The bridge did indeed swing and it was better than I imagined.<br />
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There was another mile of pushing then gravel roads. A few more clouds now, a beautiful temperature of -9 C but a strong NW wind that came as a surprise to us. I was sweated up again from so much pushing and was now getting cold.<br />
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Check point 2 Senkiw to St. Malo, checkpoint 3 was 11 miles. We decided that though we probably had wet gear, we didn't want to stop for anything more than a bathroom break and a hot drink. The offer of hot chocolate sounded so nice and I asked if it could have a bit of coffee with it. I am not a coffee drinker but I thought it would help to have some. I had been drinking water with Nuun energy and it works very well for me. No big energy surges or crashes and no jitters.<br />
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There was a feeling of relief arriving at St Malo. This is the start of the 125 km distance, which is what we did last year. There is some comfort in the familiar.<br />
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St Malo to checkpoint 4 at St Pierre Jolys was 18 miles; one of the longer legs. We predicted we would be there around 5:30-6 so it was the perfect time to change, eat a warm meal and get ourselves and bikes ready for the remaining ride in the dark.<br />
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This leg has an amazing beginning as you ride across a lake beside the town. Last year, the ride was rough as the lake surface was deeply rutted from the warm temperatures and lots of traffic. This year, there were vehicles, snow machines, ice fishing huts and quads all over the lake and the path was smooth like a highway.<br />
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There is a mixture of gravel roads, a bit of highway and trails on this leg. Last year, there was a bit of pushing across a field and along a trail. To our surprise, we were able to ride pretty much the entire way. Some slower spots but minimal walking. We picked up our pace as much as we could- both of us starting to get pretty cold.<br />
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I have a love/hate relationship with pushing the bike. Pushing is much slower, usually tougher going and hard on the back, legs and shoulders. But, pushing warms up the feet and butt when constant riding will get them colder faster and it is a nice change to sitting.<br />
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Arriving at St Pierre Jolys was a welcomed sight. My feet were cold and I was hungry. We were treated like royalty by the ladies there. They were very happy to see us, congratulated us on making it this far and set about to help us with anything we needed. We plugged our garmins and lights into a wall outlet first, got our boots and socks off, changed into dry clothes, reorganized our bikes getting the wet things packed into the back bags, bringing fresh stuff to easier access. A couple ladies were getting us split pea soup with homemade bannock, another used a blow dryer to try warming/drying my boots. (they are supposed to be waterproof but my outer layer of socks were slightly damp so I assumed with all the pushing and walking through the snow, some moisture got through) We were also approached by the medic who checked how we were doing and she cleaned my hand and knee scrapes and bandaged them up. We didn't rush like crazy but didn't dawdle either. They told us we were #5 and 6 to check in which was a total surprise for us as we thought we would have been at the back of the pack.<br />
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I had a moment of "oh my there is still so far to go" as I knew at this checkpoint we were at mile 67, only half way there, but those thought were quickly extinguished. I had hit the bottom, slowly crawled out of the hole and could feel myself getting stronger. My legs no longer hurt, my energy was good and I wasn't the least bit tired.<br />
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I sent a quick text to our kids to let them know we were doing fine and out we went 40 min after arriving.<br />
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The next checkpoint at Crystal Springs was 10 miles away on almost all gravel. We arrived to ribs still warm from the barbeque and a friendly welcome. Used the bathroom and back on the road.<br />
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Checkpoint 6 Niverville was 11 miles away but we were very reluctant to assume it would be easy or fast to get to based on the experience we had last year. There is a very long stretch of pushing followed by the dreaded Crown Valley Road that consisted of the worst Manitoba mud/clay/goop you can imagine. It was beyond anything I've every experienced. I knew it wouldn't be muddy but wasn't confident it would be ride-able. The field was rough with drifts but we rode the entire way and the Crown Road was just like any other gravel road. Wow!<br />
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The only problem we now had was Terry's garmin stopped working and my light was already needing a charge. The only navigation we now had was the cue sheets and the blue signs marking the path (if you could see them). Fortunately, this happened only a couple miles from Niverville and we easily found our way to the arena. We were not planning a long stop but plans changed. It was a mistake to only load the maps on 1 garmin. Next time, both will have them. <br />
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This check in point was manned by men with lots of tools, helpful advice, great stories (the pictures of Dallas's frostbitten toes being an exception) and perogies. Garmin and light plugged in. I removed my boots for a sock change as my feet were getting cold again. Thanks to a couple gentlemen (Lindsay and Dallas) for fixing my front bag up for me as it was rubbing on the front tire as a strap had come off. I mixed up my final bag of glycodurance in my camelback water bottle 1/2 full of warm water and drank it all while there. Also enjoyed a couple perogies (who could resist) as well as a cup of soup. Terry's garmin wasn't charging, seemed to be a problem with the connection. A couple more riders came in a bit after us. They weren't staying long and we decided to ride together to check point 7 at St Adolphe.<br />
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There was still some wind and it help with everyone taking turns in the front (except me for some reason) but I was very thankful the wind was much quieter than it had been in the afternoon. The temperature was around -17C and the 8 miles to St Adolphe went pretty quickly. A quick in and out stop, grabbing a drink and a GORP bar. Terry tried again to get some charge in his garmin. We were ready to leave and the other 2 riders decided to stay for awhile. We had to decide if we wanted to go by cue sheets or wait. Within the minute, 2 other riders (Pete and Tom) walked in and they were just checking in and leaving so off we went with them.<br />
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There was excitement knowing we were heading to the final checkpoint before the finish but also a sense of dread as it is a long 18 mile ride and the unknown conditions of the floodway could easily extend the time (estimated time 2- 2 1/2 hours in decent conditions) it would take to reach the U of M checkpoint. Last year, the tough part was from Schapansky Road until the Floodway was crossed, a distance of about 6 miles. It was a pushing, pole-holing in thigh deep snow experience.<br />
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Incredibly, this year, we walked almost nothing. We were met by some volunteers just before this section and then at the top of the Floodway, both offered assistance and hot chocolate. It was also in this area that we caught up to some of the 100 mile runners. My heart ached and rejoiced with them. They must have been so very weary. The 100 mile on foot distance started at 10:00 pm Friday night and it was in the early morning of Sunday so those we were passing had been running for 28-29 hours already.<br />
I had to stop once to change lights as my front light died but the spare was in my pogies so it took very little time and I was rolling again.<br />
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The next 7 miles until the U of M checkpoint was now in the outskirts of the city on sidewalks, trails or residential streets. I was truly chilled to the bone and was worried about my right foot. I made a list of all the things I was thankful for from the last checkpoint until this one. Was very happy to ride with others and it was great that Pete knew the entire route by heart.<br />
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So glad to arrive at the U of M checkpoint. I took my bike right into the foyer (as did the others) and sat right on the floor to get my boots off. I put on my insulating jacket to warm up my core and while pulling it out of my front bag, found my half froze cinnamon bun. Mmm, a delicious snack.<br />
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I was filled with excitement upon leaving the U of M. 9 miles and we would be done. Just as we were leaving, 2 runners whom we met Friday night at the pre-race meeting, Andrew and Kelsey, came in. They came to this event from New Brunswick and I was curious if it was what they expected. Kelsey said the wind was unbelievable but they were doing good. I wished them well.<br />
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Sidewalks, streets, cross a bridge, more streets and before we knew we were crossing the St Vital Bridge. I wore my insulating layer under my jacket so I was toasty warm and truly enjoying the quietness of the city and the company of my riding companions. We rode at a nice steady pace and for once, the miles seemed to fly by. Upon crossing the St Vital Bridge, we had a steep bank to descend down to the river (I planned to walk but actually slid) then onto the river ice trail. The river trail was so much longer than I expected it to be. It was very peaceful. I was cautious of the bare patches of ice, nothing like falling 10 min before the finish and breaking your arm or something stupid like that.<br />
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All of a sudden, there it was.<br />
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The Forks<br />
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On Friday, before bike check in, we rode down to the river and it was a very busy place. People everywhere skating, walking and enjoying the outdoors and now here we were- not a soul to be found, lights twinkling, a train heard in the distance, the winter air crisp and my heart so glad.<br />
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We were there. 4:33 am, 21 hours after starting but we were there.<br />
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This was a big challenge. It was tough in ways that are hard to describe. Every big event has its own challenges. There are the uncontrollable factors that change sometimes hourly in an event and no two years can you exactly predict what you will be facing that day. It's not a case of if you will need to dig deep, it's a matter of when. <br />
I massively hit rock bottom very early in the day. But an amazing thing happened; I forced myself to stay in the moment and not get overwhelmed by looking at the end and in doing that, I slowly emerged from my deep canyon and got stronger and stronger with each passing mile. I was very happy to reach the end but honestly could have kept going. I had changed, gotten stronger, learned a lot and emerged from a tough challenge a better version of me.<br />
When you dream big, there is always a chance you could fall. It is a long way down and then a long climb back up again but taking the chance is always worth it. Adventure is always worth it. <br />
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Part 2: Gear and Lessons Learned coming soon</div>
<br />Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-47988209422668832632018-02-14T16:56:00.002-08:002018-02-14T16:56:52.706-08:00An Unplanned BreakI haven't published a post in more than 2 months.<br />
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I don't know how it happened. I do remember the months of Dec and Jan, I was alive, I was having adventures. I guess I was too lazy to blog or maybe I was uninspired to share, or maybe I just needed a break. Who knows.<br />
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The speed talking highlights version of the past couple months:<br />
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1. Went to Vancouver for a week to visit my son. Had lots of bike rides, runs and hiked the Grouse Grind (dare you to google it!) Oh course also did the usual filling his fridge and cupboards, cleaning the apartment and cooking and dishes. Had a great time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WPxioDXjlPnjksyEbdmmfFlwlyox6orT0jfFqHnFPzbLmTZgtuNB6YObJZUlmy7VXlJhu37WJsIotj-obag2EJgzDIGdKXyNxIVZh-vxPQt3WnhoBPth3S0ak6ZCWdr_fO9DRRE5sSM/s1600/IMG_6444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WPxioDXjlPnjksyEbdmmfFlwlyox6orT0jfFqHnFPzbLmTZgtuNB6YObJZUlmy7VXlJhu37WJsIotj-obag2EJgzDIGdKXyNxIVZh-vxPQt3WnhoBPth3S0ak6ZCWdr_fO9DRRE5sSM/s320/IMG_6444.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Downtown Vancouver</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxbhcF1BmdGZ3JbC-MUGnY6osieRkb2zX5fwEexg3usE362AHUhBffBZHpVLVlt0k2IXbAjX8aFm53V0RmC918YqVtvV0KS_-_7d5T6HkrxhyjxcdkfGXTVZUDtKEsG76BcYe6D5wDu4/s1600/IMG_6457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxbhcF1BmdGZ3JbC-MUGnY6osieRkb2zX5fwEexg3usE362AHUhBffBZHpVLVlt0k2IXbAjX8aFm53V0RmC918YqVtvV0KS_-_7d5T6HkrxhyjxcdkfGXTVZUDtKEsG76BcYe6D5wDu4/s320/IMG_6457.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Biking at Pacific Spirit Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4F3s5-47yotMjnJFrCNTMjyG8CmA0b00vWojMIxQqsH9Y5MIDf4k1_NRPcEy5oJ1gX-ypEzLcEwqfjte6z4JfxHOFJqHqtTs796OB8TJNmSF_Jw60iAXi3gdCL2t5XZroLBco-v5ruUk/s1600/IMG_6416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4F3s5-47yotMjnJFrCNTMjyG8CmA0b00vWojMIxQqsH9Y5MIDf4k1_NRPcEy5oJ1gX-ypEzLcEwqfjte6z4JfxHOFJqHqtTs796OB8TJNmSF_Jw60iAXi3gdCL2t5XZroLBco-v5ruUk/s320/IMG_6416.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Starting the Grouse Grind</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXznXU8GhixjFDIPa_Qc1tR4ZNz4NSwjsBRdOTUJ0Z-S1f5ACY-TvVtR7f3OS84fu2OvrVRyBHvCctXAGVl7ZTaxpNKyGAVG_Tlc8wtQLpJGG6Cxnvf6YYhPVZlthyphenhyphenc3O8IhRZn4MSw1w/s1600/IMG_6421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXznXU8GhixjFDIPa_Qc1tR4ZNz4NSwjsBRdOTUJ0Z-S1f5ACY-TvVtR7f3OS84fu2OvrVRyBHvCctXAGVl7ZTaxpNKyGAVG_Tlc8wtQLpJGG6Cxnvf6YYhPVZlthyphenhyphenc3O8IhRZn4MSw1w/s320/IMG_6421.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Steps all the way up!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFoS_P-sf3LU-aBpoQQt1uAlyHwCPtB1oRCtCLKYVSm7ZHKCC-YskZ2_0HF5Dwwn-8BHyradDxbv2lqqtgqQSoZQlLxS1d_st5m5jMKj_MjR8jH5SjpwYYRXfB85oJOGjn3jKwRBKK1C0/s1600/IMG_6425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFoS_P-sf3LU-aBpoQQt1uAlyHwCPtB1oRCtCLKYVSm7ZHKCC-YskZ2_0HF5Dwwn-8BHyradDxbv2lqqtgqQSoZQlLxS1d_st5m5jMKj_MjR8jH5SjpwYYRXfB85oJOGjn3jKwRBKK1C0/s320/IMG_6425.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Found some ice at the top.</td></tr>
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2. The 6 of us, hubby and I and the 4 kids, escaped the desperately cold weather at home to spend 8 days in one of my most favourite spots doing one of my most favourite things. Left boxing day and come home early Jan. It was a perfect time to get away.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfC8XaYMgrI_6d5furGPWopCeKEnyRLRa6-oowNxYfFIOtdILBDAn2jPxKsZv_j30vmxeKu87_13M5SF0UtFvaQu1K0NBQpG8j2rOSJhwZZqPiV2fsBR5XNaSbap_qZK7l-sm1fKhXNtg/s1600/IMG_6726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfC8XaYMgrI_6d5furGPWopCeKEnyRLRa6-oowNxYfFIOtdILBDAn2jPxKsZv_j30vmxeKu87_13M5SF0UtFvaQu1K0NBQpG8j2rOSJhwZZqPiV2fsBR5XNaSbap_qZK7l-sm1fKhXNtg/s320/IMG_6726.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">My favourite place on the PCH south of Carlesbad California</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_X1OwBnwOEtg8feah2sw8ymL-96CezPkp19Wvr4Z2Fak9kPaRZXR1vj1AJw8fpGwjoaCE8pt65-iItKpBKXpi8WtngwS3RP6wAZRzpqJXyimlPNUPMnDaoRV6Ov-wuQizq7dPnwxlVk/s1600/IMG_6735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_X1OwBnwOEtg8feah2sw8ymL-96CezPkp19Wvr4Z2Fak9kPaRZXR1vj1AJw8fpGwjoaCE8pt65-iItKpBKXpi8WtngwS3RP6wAZRzpqJXyimlPNUPMnDaoRV6Ov-wuQizq7dPnwxlVk/s320/IMG_6735.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A foggy morning on the PCH</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Lisilowhv14dEmutVsORaH7Q3OOgokbxw6XZUag-_IAPYYRxfGYMUmSaGQmFbE9GFkts4amcj8uy9M6rc1Yd5uh0D-uczSAMJIRUtBnJHj7N1lqx1oCt7elZTqI1nIejXBKoKw3rJdA/s1600/IMG_6788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Lisilowhv14dEmutVsORaH7Q3OOgokbxw6XZUag-_IAPYYRxfGYMUmSaGQmFbE9GFkts4amcj8uy9M6rc1Yd5uh0D-uczSAMJIRUtBnJHj7N1lqx1oCt7elZTqI1nIejXBKoKw3rJdA/s320/IMG_6788.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Hiking at Annie's Canyon</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZeM1sDSmsXz328EncI2qwdgvZgtUwRC2aiF8JnO54n7noMmYjgvK4X5H8cC4Pa-ELqP8z2NCzK8ciSFU0iXFnpZBGlo5b5pmdAMlgU4Dm5mKWUXR4rwlefUkgnn7pAS3XiyTF4Qoxg8/s1600/IMG_6795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZeM1sDSmsXz328EncI2qwdgvZgtUwRC2aiF8JnO54n7noMmYjgvK4X5H8cC4Pa-ELqP8z2NCzK8ciSFU0iXFnpZBGlo5b5pmdAMlgU4Dm5mKWUXR4rwlefUkgnn7pAS3XiyTF4Qoxg8/s320/IMG_6795.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg67nZZAuM5-VqQ6wRx1aqGU0R_bN6e9K1NNhmyNAszq8JGd5KLnmarnumD6qy2ixNkzJQL0E9dGIWPFG3_FKQ41fMEsL9RKXz1WB0cH0qzGXIrWD769Y6pSs7y4kLM-4R6mdMC82P0-AE/s1600/IMG_6796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg67nZZAuM5-VqQ6wRx1aqGU0R_bN6e9K1NNhmyNAszq8JGd5KLnmarnumD6qy2ixNkzJQL0E9dGIWPFG3_FKQ41fMEsL9RKXz1WB0cH0qzGXIrWD769Y6pSs7y4kLM-4R6mdMC82P0-AE/s320/IMG_6796.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9SgA8gwgycozZe0u8uyHfVdreYtS5L3TOEb5x8j_a4dI26VJR6RpnoBgfUR4nwgNiYETp44csuBtyxyS_phBTzEWOrx-8GLBcmd8q_JVtbDWDFaWW1V_cV-SijAToJfrQvtG1MajTdw/s1600/IMG_6802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9SgA8gwgycozZe0u8uyHfVdreYtS5L3TOEb5x8j_a4dI26VJR6RpnoBgfUR4nwgNiYETp44csuBtyxyS_phBTzEWOrx-8GLBcmd8q_JVtbDWDFaWW1V_cV-SijAToJfrQvtG1MajTdw/s320/IMG_6802.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Last day on the beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil75U8BSJUpFL1dmXJNEEsxqL2QwBXIrrg9PIHWavzd5GKt1b34FDf1ncADuKcQ8_wC0gjZY9C5VlcgA4AGi99dbwk3dx1YGGiBu72loCQZbZRnEgpVDOltijrMBb_StNnS1mNrmGVlNY/s1600/IMG_6748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil75U8BSJUpFL1dmXJNEEsxqL2QwBXIrrg9PIHWavzd5GKt1b34FDf1ncADuKcQ8_wC0gjZY9C5VlcgA4AGi99dbwk3dx1YGGiBu72loCQZbZRnEgpVDOltijrMBb_StNnS1mNrmGVlNY/s320/IMG_6748.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">On the strand in Oceanside</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeEL8ylom2Z5mDJCbqubDUMVcjkbYwmWwztUV2wE-6_EClwFGD-JrgAM6RXGC0G09KqRUDcDAsYftFQA7IIAQXWq61uAMjIChkmSDAsY7VjjeXQ35YOa_DyLsU4u8FOhPLCAoVpuKUKk/s1600/IMG_6767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeEL8ylom2Z5mDJCbqubDUMVcjkbYwmWwztUV2wE-6_EClwFGD-JrgAM6RXGC0G09KqRUDcDAsYftFQA7IIAQXWq61uAMjIChkmSDAsY7VjjeXQ35YOa_DyLsU4u8FOhPLCAoVpuKUKk/s320/IMG_6767.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Annie's Canyon Hike</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYZ_uRqZVRurzCGxJMXCkT7ry76dF3OQeLMIFFN-479sqSqrtd0ifezcGzH2q8N20x0qWrxgTN6Nk3u5GmmRAIUG-D8KYiHw7dM56u1Wrk2HkJVblvcaWto4WaB9pkWvC3MNBhrf9ttQ/s1600/IMG_6781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYZ_uRqZVRurzCGxJMXCkT7ry76dF3OQeLMIFFN-479sqSqrtd0ifezcGzH2q8N20x0qWrxgTN6Nk3u5GmmRAIUG-D8KYiHw7dM56u1Wrk2HkJVblvcaWto4WaB9pkWvC3MNBhrf9ttQ/s320/IMG_6781.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Annie's Canyon Hike</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8e1z7bc99wGc_0hCMEixmtZ-ObIsvknp5AmnDXa5JpXkA2-a47GVAooyv69uRpQDHf4TtyaBGOO1oXmhU9wsO-OR5AYl6JBcMjJt7RvPlkNwe5pinHv3GXU5wItpU-tZOGxaDHUWwCk/s1600/IMG_6792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8e1z7bc99wGc_0hCMEixmtZ-ObIsvknp5AmnDXa5JpXkA2-a47GVAooyv69uRpQDHf4TtyaBGOO1oXmhU9wsO-OR5AYl6JBcMjJt7RvPlkNwe5pinHv3GXU5wItpU-tZOGxaDHUWwCk/s320/IMG_6792.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Acai bowl in Solana Beach</td></tr>
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3. Spent most of January cleaning every nook and cranny in the house. Lots of sorting, giving away, purging of unnecessary things and selling a few things. Goal is to purchase more adventure type equipment (tent, stove, bike trailer, heavy duty sleeping bag, maybe a jacket or two:))<br />
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4. Spent 4 days in Regina 2X with my other 2 kids. Lots of fun: movie (The Greatest Showman- it was amazing!), watched University volleyball, cleaning, cooking, fixing and dishes. None of the kids have apartments with dishwashers. Hard to believe in this day and age but yes it's possible. It has been a good thing. They are much more appreciative when I visit and they get a couple days relief from doing dishes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgzr-TwAgzh15GrgkMykCxAsKz7gyaWN39pdcCBUuWkxva_Ggl78FM_MYGZeaj_hX9imZeZyjQ1p0YtErpOSkIiUigNxymbCFC446mNXR0WrrjA48QdgIcOn1Oeu3vH2LBdW96J90WWs/s1600/IMG_6901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgzr-TwAgzh15GrgkMykCxAsKz7gyaWN39pdcCBUuWkxva_Ggl78FM_MYGZeaj_hX9imZeZyjQ1p0YtErpOSkIiUigNxymbCFC446mNXR0WrrjA48QdgIcOn1Oeu3vH2LBdW96J90WWs/s320/IMG_6901.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Walking our way around the city.</td></tr>
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5. Training as I feel inclined to. Which has been a lot sometimes. Many days of getting in 2 workouts a day just because I felt like it. Strength training, running (all on the treadmill), biking on the trainer, cross country skiing and outdoor fat biking. My body is feeling good right now. A lot of people like structure and sometimes I do too but freedom felt good right now and I didn't sit around and get lazy but actually did more.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLM8ekUMx0zPd0Fg9vL0ZRiaQkGT_aQjH4Qh9hTX6a0AtHsTiNBnTFUB4tbXc5YP-NerbjVnZTkCqBR9lq_0qPUSaJ1MgnvgHvyVvVSx1TQMuPUR6y_Iv05ZmTeCZdhE6sSVtLjyWqWTc/s1600/IMG_6596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLM8ekUMx0zPd0Fg9vL0ZRiaQkGT_aQjH4Qh9hTX6a0AtHsTiNBnTFUB4tbXc5YP-NerbjVnZTkCqBR9lq_0qPUSaJ1MgnvgHvyVvVSx1TQMuPUR6y_Iv05ZmTeCZdhE6sSVtLjyWqWTc/s320/IMG_6596.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Hiking on the river with a load of wood</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuIzy4GKsA1FjnGiPdndzGgNNIq5eIEWFiwF0EwViIXcZfHSaN25Ym4NqzqkxR5uj8bqkZYeFhZ4fYH1VvlCjFuTunwwM7eW4U-VYdvhyphenhyphenNm3yHLNSJxOpwKHn0pkAFy3TBWFfBJA_XaI/s1600/IMG_6626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuIzy4GKsA1FjnGiPdndzGgNNIq5eIEWFiwF0EwViIXcZfHSaN25Ym4NqzqkxR5uj8bqkZYeFhZ4fYH1VvlCjFuTunwwM7eW4U-VYdvhyphenhyphenNm3yHLNSJxOpwKHn0pkAFy3TBWFfBJA_XaI/s320/IMG_6626.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Skiing in my backyard- I am so lucky!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgr2vkGVuVSwyaROhtbzkazs_feYLrCyBDKQiydNnHYFDicP2Y3YoddTMf1m7nHVCA36rZbjw9NDq1ClU7zHn9MvvfuFoxv9IeLtmr2dP_sPTwkj-bN1Y36fjdaOlykSGhgg0Y0ljm9u0/s1600/IMG_6849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgr2vkGVuVSwyaROhtbzkazs_feYLrCyBDKQiydNnHYFDicP2Y3YoddTMf1m7nHVCA36rZbjw9NDq1ClU7zHn9MvvfuFoxv9IeLtmr2dP_sPTwkj-bN1Y36fjdaOlykSGhgg0Y0ljm9u0/s320/IMG_6849.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Riding the trail on the fatties. -10 C</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Xigf-zlF6tlk9SGTan1tZC0VlL7bEO6PZvsEvgJ4JZlzA4bQWY6pFgoDXD4bbqhl1SLVt2a6DPzVjLs9IzpCjjo1A-guVptF8W4OdMtf_C2bOkolZP45kqaRvBN1272-_20JsjV3ZaI/s1600/IMG_6911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Xigf-zlF6tlk9SGTan1tZC0VlL7bEO6PZvsEvgJ4JZlzA4bQWY6pFgoDXD4bbqhl1SLVt2a6DPzVjLs9IzpCjjo1A-guVptF8W4OdMtf_C2bOkolZP45kqaRvBN1272-_20JsjV3ZaI/s320/IMG_6911.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Trying some cold weather gear -25 C with wind and my face was toasty warm.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfl-yIBwrZu2-vB24UodU6VPet3XfgrF0oy1HHh4e-5slhQI5vUA1wsHCJdxmStQx1pnjgMtzfij3fwJAouuLqkj5pjI4m8iaSTaNGNtznROqcEgBI-j3lZd6xc8pDZgL_TgGha2oaog/s1600/IMG_6916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfl-yIBwrZu2-vB24UodU6VPet3XfgrF0oy1HHh4e-5slhQI5vUA1wsHCJdxmStQx1pnjgMtzfij3fwJAouuLqkj5pjI4m8iaSTaNGNtznROqcEgBI-j3lZd6xc8pDZgL_TgGha2oaog/s320/IMG_6916.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">What our Manitoba winter has been like- cold temps and lots of wind.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MH9ZoEhgU_I5i3Z1gKSJrwmtmjGOYYXarz9vlFCyTTRmsN8zk_KeoOTFGQcf0AG8_1uF9PGF1T9sE9i7mOmtQsMXVM2TzlxYrHyyx3TW3BfH8lpy1J0dU7q9uAnRa0pffX20f1KOMqA/s1600/IMG_6571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MH9ZoEhgU_I5i3Z1gKSJrwmtmjGOYYXarz9vlFCyTTRmsN8zk_KeoOTFGQcf0AG8_1uF9PGF1T9sE9i7mOmtQsMXVM2TzlxYrHyyx3TW3BfH8lpy1J0dU7q9uAnRa0pffX20f1KOMqA/s320/IMG_6571.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A chinook blew in for a few hours. Got some fresh air on the trainer</td></tr>
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That's the nutshell version.<br />
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Have a great week!<br />
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<br />Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-78292703482292480732017-11-22T17:17:00.002-08:002017-11-22T17:17:55.990-08:00Try Everything<br />
Good Morning<br />
Heat wave in LA for the World Series and winter has said hello here on the Canadian prairies. Don't you love the unpredictability of the weather!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieazXOY6WcREb_IwgpQ1mvz5eCc8ESlwT7deSi6ZsXyeXVTDb5RUE3hA16sVTWDgy3s3kpMhTNv7l0U2zc7M6GIrhx2drzRryJQ3kSkmvcjzZFHVIS4NB-rdkN8PX8iQjKJyfdwLpPyWY/s1600/IMG_6321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieazXOY6WcREb_IwgpQ1mvz5eCc8ESlwT7deSi6ZsXyeXVTDb5RUE3hA16sVTWDgy3s3kpMhTNv7l0U2zc7M6GIrhx2drzRryJQ3kSkmvcjzZFHVIS4NB-rdkN8PX8iQjKJyfdwLpPyWY/s320/IMG_6321.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today's agenda was making homemade Borscht Soup. 2 big pot fulls using fresh beets, carrots, celery, cabbage, onions and dill. Lots of cutting and chopping but it sure tasted good. Lots to put in the freezer for the winter. <br />
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I am doing some last minute packing for an event we are heading to tomorrow. We are driving to Grand Forks ND to attend the END TOMBED and END TRAILS events on Sat and Sun. 12 hours of biking on Sat and 12 hours of running on Sunday. We attended the END TOMBED event last year and you can read about it <a href="http://www.runningglad.com/2016/11/end-tombed-recap.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Finished 8 laps and the goal was 10. Hoping this year I can pull off the 10 laps. Going to be riding a more suitable bike and have a better game plan as well as a light for in the dark. Weather is supposed to be around 0 - 9 C so should be nice. Had my fat tire bike at the city last weekend to get my tubed tires converted to tubeless. Fastest 5 lbs I have ever lost! <br />
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Changing gears a bit- with having 4 children in 6 years, I have seen my share of animated shows. Disney everything around here for awhile. I thought maybe as the kids got older their love for those types of movies would give way to real life type shows. BIG misconception. Lots of animated movies still showing over here. Truthfully, great messages in these shows. Oh of course there is always a villain but isn't it refreshing in today's world to somewhere know that good always comes out on top? <br />
On the way back from our camping trip this past summer I was driving and my daughter was riding shotgun, playing her 50 million favourite songs from her phone. " Try Everything" by Shakira was one that instantly became my favourite too. This was less than a week after completing Ironman Canada and I was still high on mountain air and ironman love. But I was also reminded how important it is for me to have goals, dreams and plans and to keep challenging myself, putting my feet at the starting line and striving to achieve these goals even if it means getting shut down, run out of town, falling on my face results. Keep trying. <br />
Watched the movie Zootopia a week ago and loved the song even more. If you have not seen it, kids or not, watch it. At least watch the video clip below for the song. I bet you will enjoy it. <br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/c6rP-YP4c5I/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c6rP-YP4c5I?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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Had to also include the lyrics- motivating and positive.<br />
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<div class="kp-header" data-ved="0ahUKEwi70rvO-o7XAhVI04MKHeXKAcIQ3z4IJygA" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<div class="kp-hc" style="display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 12px; padding-top: 12px; position: relative; width: 632px;">
<div class="_tN _IWg _HWg mod" data-hveid="40" data-md="16" data-ved="0ahUKEwi70rvO-o7XAhVI04MKHeXKAcIQhygIKDAA" style="border-radius: 2px; clear: none; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="_fdf _odf" style="margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 16px; padding-right: 16px; position: relative;">
<div aria-level="3" class="_Q1n" role="heading">
<div class="kno-ecr-pt kno-fb-ctx" data-local-attribute="d3bn" data-ved="0ahUKEwi70rvO-o7XAhVI04MKHeXKAcIQ3B0IKSgAMAA" id="rhs_title" style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); display: inline; font-family: arial, sans-serif-light, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: -3px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; transform-origin: left top 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
Try Everything</div>
<div class="_gdf kno-fb-ctx" style="color: #777777; margin: 4px 0px; overflow: hidden;">
<span data-ved="0ahUKEwi70rvO-o7XAhVI04MKHeXKAcIQ2koIKigBMAA"><a data-ved="0ahUKEwi70rvO-o7XAhVI04MKHeXKAcIQMQgrMAA" href="https://www.google.ca/search?rlz=1C1LENP_enCA517CA517&q=Shakira&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgVuLSz9U3MCzPMrTIAABc2NJzDgAAAA&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi70rvO-o7XAhVI04MKHeXKAcIQMQgrMAA" style="color: #660099; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;">Shakira</a></span></div>
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<div class="_G1d _wle _xle" style="background-color: white; border-top: 1px solid rgb(235, 235, 235); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<div class="_RBg">
<div class="_tN _Gtj _Wtj mod" data-md="113" style="border-radius: 2px; clear: none; padding-bottom: 16px; padding-top: 0px;">
<div class="_ARr" data-hveid="44" data-ved="0ahUKEwi70rvO-o7XAhVI04MKHeXKAcIQsEwILCgBMAE" style="padding-left: 16px; padding-right: 16px;">
<div class="_UZe kno-fb-ctx" style="margin-top: 4px;">
<div style="line-height: 1.24; margin-bottom: 13px;">
I messed up tonight<br />
I lost another fight<br />
I still mess up but I'll just start again<br />
I keep falling down<br />
I keep on hitting the ground<br />
I always get up now to see what's next<br />
Birds don't just fly<br />
They fall down and get up<br />
Nobody learns without getting it won</div>
<div style="line-height: 1.24; margin-bottom: 13px;">
I won't give up, no I won't give in<br />
Till I reach the end<br />
And then I'll start again<br />
Though I'm on the lead<br />
I wanna try everything<br />
I wanna try even though I could fail<br />
I won't give up, no I won't give in<br />
Till I reach the end<br />
And then I'll start again<br />
No I won't leave<br />
I wanna try everything<br />
I wanna try even though I could fail</div>
<div style="line-height: 1.24; margin-bottom: 13px;">
Oh oh try everything</div>
</div>
<div class="_UZe kno-fb-ctx" style="margin-top: 4px;">
<div class="_Nvn" data-mh="-1" style="line-height: 1.24; margin-bottom: 13px;">
Look how far you've come<br />
You filled your heart with love<br />
Baby you've done enough that cut your breath<br />
Don't beat yourself up<br />
Don't need to run so fast<br />
Sometimes we come last but we did our best</div>
<div class="xpdxpnd" data-mh="192" data-mhc="1" style="line-height: 1.24; margin-bottom: 13px; max-height: 192px; overflow: hidden; transition: max-height 0.3s;">
I won't give up, no I won't give in<br />
Till I reach the end<br />
And then I'll start again<br />
Though I'm on the lead<br />
I wanna try everything<br />
I wanna try even though I could fail<br />
I won't give up, no I won't give in<br />
Till I reach the end<br />
And then I'll start again<br />
No I won't leave<br />
I wanna try everything<br />
I wanna try even though I could fail</div>
<div class="xpdxpnd" data-mh="48" data-mhc="1" style="line-height: 1.24; margin-bottom: 13px; max-height: 48px; overflow: hidden; transition: max-height 0.3s;">
I'll keep on making those new mistakes<br />
I'll keep on making them every day<br />
Those new mistakes</div>
<div class="xpdxpnd" data-mh="16" data-mhc="1" style="line-height: 1.24; margin-bottom: 0px; max-height: 16px; overflow: hidden; transition: max-height 0.3s;">
Oh oh, try everything</div>
</div>
<div class="xpdxpnd kno-fb-ctx _Rtn _ECr" data-mh="58" data-mhc="1" data-ved="0ahUKEwi70rvO-o7XAhVI04MKHeXKAcIQycMBCC0oADAB" style="margin-top: 16px; max-height: 58px; overflow: hidden; transition: max-height 0.3s;">
<div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.54); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 13px;">
Songwriters: Tor Erik Hermansen / Mikkel Storleer Eriksen / Sia Kate Isobelle Furler</div>
<div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.54); font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 13px;">
Try Everything lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company</div>
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Well on that note, get off the couch and go try something. Have a great adventure!Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-9393750458105687112017-10-05T13:21:00.000-07:002017-10-05T13:21:37.286-07:00My Happy Things #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">These happy moments are things might be things I am digging right now, events that are happening or a past memory that is on my mind.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85EyBs_dQP8TIYvlLNH3kjA_OhoCiTMjj6i2yaOghFleVLO2b7VJdbk02v-zW0qYaqlWgaNLYRwCRA5DGB9Cm3pD-XpdfDdHY2ZflRmXXSQq9mFY8ySwdTNSspppNIixH4TUhNrgSGmo/s1600/IMG_5590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85EyBs_dQP8TIYvlLNH3kjA_OhoCiTMjj6i2yaOghFleVLO2b7VJdbk02v-zW0qYaqlWgaNLYRwCRA5DGB9Cm3pD-XpdfDdHY2ZflRmXXSQq9mFY8ySwdTNSspppNIixH4TUhNrgSGmo/s320/IMG_5590.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our treat after Challenge Peneticton's 34 C 1/2 Ironman triathlon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1mFlDqJ8FC3yOD4RMMBLjAmp5HrDYjBCmgh7UWmKtSSiQ1xh-f6-vGRwPTe6HAFPGnxwo1NAMLbCRQ_c5Xxn9KwXMY-tv_rLDbPaqUFmbBzFZznLhBzXQOajlupJ227xE6KKKb21IiE/s1600/IMG_5651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1mFlDqJ8FC3yOD4RMMBLjAmp5HrDYjBCmgh7UWmKtSSiQ1xh-f6-vGRwPTe6HAFPGnxwo1NAMLbCRQ_c5Xxn9KwXMY-tv_rLDbPaqUFmbBzFZznLhBzXQOajlupJ227xE6KKKb21IiE/s320/IMG_5651.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vancouver, you took my breath away!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLXBZ6oNXzAi4JcdBuXAyYvj7xpzD6lhh32loz9alRXqSGJSf6balIB_5LYoyLzoEDpReWfCPBd90fzjDTpfcFPFyyNjnBAH25OhBfCwCZmPrN_HIjfPoR3YcPkEpE7JRqXc3SyQeFvI/s1600/IMG_5665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLXBZ6oNXzAi4JcdBuXAyYvj7xpzD6lhh32loz9alRXqSGJSf6balIB_5LYoyLzoEDpReWfCPBd90fzjDTpfcFPFyyNjnBAH25OhBfCwCZmPrN_HIjfPoR3YcPkEpE7JRqXc3SyQeFvI/s320/IMG_5665.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch with my guy at Jericho Beach. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgPfsq7blRtKejy4IllAVUf52YiWW35VEY_4n5fcPXg_ZRab4Lr96-KT4AjZqj7PCsQB1j_qItJZVAor6G4xmBAADp_XQrC6BDMfAy2-NKfmuPgCy2RZqa2XINq7tk4lfje4GrXGZjF3g/s1600/IMG_5717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgPfsq7blRtKejy4IllAVUf52YiWW35VEY_4n5fcPXg_ZRab4Lr96-KT4AjZqj7PCsQB1j_qItJZVAor6G4xmBAADp_XQrC6BDMfAy2-NKfmuPgCy2RZqa2XINq7tk4lfje4GrXGZjF3g/s320/IMG_5717.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ironman Canada- what a day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAnDutYEHEbwqONX0cztNNA_t3EYm1fGZCf2NQOhkqvPrvd4Fenva9mG9kxdUBi97XJyIDxNoWfxQLMynSwe9wtyGUVoky6iySrTnZaL_lbxD0byNDARw9KMuqd9Co7uDAJk02pj5eRE/s1600/IMG_5962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmAnDutYEHEbwqONX0cztNNA_t3EYm1fGZCf2NQOhkqvPrvd4Fenva9mG9kxdUBi97XJyIDxNoWfxQLMynSwe9wtyGUVoky6iySrTnZaL_lbxD0byNDARw9KMuqd9Co7uDAJk02pj5eRE/s320/IMG_5962.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River fun</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQNwSZIM2EYLscLMHfoPadPT5l8xheI4k48gkn747cqOhWJuDV_iPosf8F70ATye5JsnizaRF2LeFda0ea8d_Dh8odyjA0xwq30itbeUX8s3w1s-QuhmCWPG73ooNIzGdBJXhbNouYx4/s1600/IMG_6017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQNwSZIM2EYLscLMHfoPadPT5l8xheI4k48gkn747cqOhWJuDV_iPosf8F70ATye5JsnizaRF2LeFda0ea8d_Dh8odyjA0xwq30itbeUX8s3w1s-QuhmCWPG73ooNIzGdBJXhbNouYx4/s320/IMG_6017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supper in the field with the kids and Grandpa and Grandma out visiting from the hospital.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllAb4d5ui4qPMPRceNAKJTwdp_zURdyNLozH4Cxrew38Mrsl7WUj3KU4jOC1aLxm7XwfY-KUCJmGRo445LF8hW8uYdeSNqD5xIPMNNaoZUUjO8085AVjvCxdPEctJBASXrpavHhwC8ZM/s1600/IMG_6021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllAb4d5ui4qPMPRceNAKJTwdp_zURdyNLozH4Cxrew38Mrsl7WUj3KU4jOC1aLxm7XwfY-KUCJmGRo445LF8hW8uYdeSNqD5xIPMNNaoZUUjO8085AVjvCxdPEctJBASXrpavHhwC8ZM/s320/IMG_6021.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A family pic before the 3 older kids left for school.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33SrtdpIjUKkeT98YRr8O1HuXUhVFm6mM3QzVoXO1Ovk6vs1waojZSg3rYF5lVgm2DW90iWmD_FuL4xpBwOazNonWu7H8KUz0D0JbP47W2A40qK3qmVA2pRUYzGBl6jYM78rpviqosQ8/s1600/IMG_6063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33SrtdpIjUKkeT98YRr8O1HuXUhVFm6mM3QzVoXO1Ovk6vs1waojZSg3rYF5lVgm2DW90iWmD_FuL4xpBwOazNonWu7H8KUz0D0JbP47W2A40qK3qmVA2pRUYzGBl6jYM78rpviqosQ8/s320/IMG_6063.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apple pie making day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQbfV1oh9gqmYVNbkIjHzIq0ODEzH-z1PD2tgCsS-Ew0l2-nAITVxPKGsasfM4rLiW3wM-yjCEpWcj_Z46Qbn9QwibItXwE79Z6fhRpJMDKNgkXxPz0Wmg4X4-n-Q1aZ_UjNYVeYzNag/s1600/IMG_6088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQbfV1oh9gqmYVNbkIjHzIq0ODEzH-z1PD2tgCsS-Ew0l2-nAITVxPKGsasfM4rLiW3wM-yjCEpWcj_Z46Qbn9QwibItXwE79Z6fhRpJMDKNgkXxPz0Wmg4X4-n-Q1aZ_UjNYVeYzNag/s320/IMG_6088.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An easy Sunday morning fat bike ride with my husband.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2CS5KJqD3uiF6eMVtGLyhPra5cjMeoPOF-NOu1jEgB0-uJsjomtwm7VXrPldX9LOoC2JMGhPCzlyywEGwuJ4uDBhkANEf-7toGE1THdxKgUkmK3_5VYnWm3keE23tFL-Fi0zUYEt4Zk/s1600/IMG_6125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2CS5KJqD3uiF6eMVtGLyhPra5cjMeoPOF-NOu1jEgB0-uJsjomtwm7VXrPldX9LOoC2JMGhPCzlyywEGwuJ4uDBhkANEf-7toGE1THdxKgUkmK3_5VYnWm3keE23tFL-Fi0zUYEt4Zk/s320/IMG_6125.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking in the backyard, enjoying the fall leaves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjG3WQmBjFi56hni19EG1tO_KBAOguEjVEs3PKHhqxR1V6vLyJRYwwt6hTJoYhhEr_Ozd3oBC1pR0kOsB5tiV6J187R8yt9pQjdYrhWOsijJ15j9bCU-uohBmxOrQq46-Y4Mawj1D7Lk/s1600/IMG_6127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjG3WQmBjFi56hni19EG1tO_KBAOguEjVEs3PKHhqxR1V6vLyJRYwwt6hTJoYhhEr_Ozd3oBC1pR0kOsB5tiV6J187R8yt9pQjdYrhWOsijJ15j9bCU-uohBmxOrQq46-Y4Mawj1D7Lk/s320/IMG_6127.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spent 15 min in 12 ish C water helping get the dock out at the lake. So peaceful.<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-23431099256263942242017-10-05T06:14:00.001-07:002017-10-05T06:14:20.941-07:00A Thankful Heart<br />
I have missed this little cyber space of mine. Posting, blogging, journaling, expressing myself, making connections. Corny but true. My whole social media life has taken a ride in the back seat the past while.<br />
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Change, going with the flow and adapting have been front and center. This September was the first time in 13 years I have not returned to the classroom (as a teacher). This change has been on my mind for a couple years and this past June, the decision was finalized. Many reasons for this and it didn't come easy as anyone who leaves a steady job they enjoy can atone to. But it has been the right choice for me. The simple story- I just couldn't be superwoman anymore. A leap of faith, scary and some fumbling involved as I find a new normal. I am planning to pick up some teaching days when things around the farm right now so I won't be entirely out of the classroom.<br />
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So my office view looks a bit more like this these days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uYS4HZLnBsox5CQskb8A4IR1Aee-WrRZBqEgztr_cyEPULSWZlpy8Gxpbh7_8pjv3wFL2vdOe5bLRD5ZtoAyZEBkMUgkKBzE6D86wjeo8kkyeDz6864wXrJCf9QMfsxJ4lYPIRQ9sOc/s1600/IMG_5982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uYS4HZLnBsox5CQskb8A4IR1Aee-WrRZBqEgztr_cyEPULSWZlpy8Gxpbh7_8pjv3wFL2vdOe5bLRD5ZtoAyZEBkMUgkKBzE6D86wjeo8kkyeDz6864wXrJCf9QMfsxJ4lYPIRQ9sOc/s400/IMG_5982.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5eHERPn09DTz74fieLehTo2F5NdKW50w8pL8zcXJVXMjRFYooQrK4qg_2kBGqSwov4lRl4z0OdwphjJLE4uN2U_7pBmu4VNIb-reZWLXLofXTi9pJfSLlON8oyny6sGwpFUtOU4J_us/s1600/IMG_5986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5eHERPn09DTz74fieLehTo2F5NdKW50w8pL8zcXJVXMjRFYooQrK4qg_2kBGqSwov4lRl4z0OdwphjJLE4uN2U_7pBmu4VNIb-reZWLXLofXTi9pJfSLlON8oyny6sGwpFUtOU4J_us/s400/IMG_5986.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Using straight cut header to combine wheat</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Using pick up header to pick up canola swaths</td></tr>
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I'm certainly not the clean up hitter but have been promoted from pinch hitter to being on the batting list full time. It has been different.<br />
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I had full intentions of sharing a few of my frustrations on how long it has been since my last post, complain about my internet that doesn't seem to work with MY computer, whine about how exhausted I am -<br />
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but I won't. <br />
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Compared to the people who have endured terrible hardship and have lost everything in one of the many hurricanes, compared to those who are recovered from injury and those who lost a love one after the horrific shooting in Las Vegas, compared to the troubling incident in Edmonton Alberta and compared to my aunt and cousins who are just down the road, grieving the sudden loss of my uncle yesterday -<br />
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there is a bigger picture and it doesn't have anything to do with my small inconsequential inconveniences. <br />
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In a few days, Canadians will be celebrating Thanksgiving. Despite the difficulties we face and the turmoil in our communities or countries; we are blessed, we have many things to be thankful for. <br />
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A couple weeks ago, my husband and I came up with an idea for Thanksgiving Bags to anonymously leave for our neighbours. (I'm pretty sure none of my neighbours read this blog!) We will be putting these bags together in the coming days and plan to deliver them on our bikes (no noise) very early Sunday morning (like 4-5 am). <br />
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So, in tough times I am choosing to do what I always do to get me through.<br />
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Run, trust and do good<br />
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and then repeat that tomorrow. <br />
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<br />Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-49228591355543500432017-08-20T20:55:00.002-07:002017-08-20T20:55:53.574-07:00Quick Catch UpOh my gosh has it ever been a long time since my last post! Vacation, training and races, lots of catch up when I got home then moving 3 kids off to the city. So just a few words about each as teasers. <br />
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1. Vacation was a 2 week, 25th anniversary trip, with only me and my guy to British Columbia. Lot of fun in the mountains and by the ocean: 2 of our favourite places. No kids for about 9 or 10 days- I love my kids but it was heavenly.<br />
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2. Races kept us busy for 3 weekends in a row. A tad bit ambitious I know. Maybe common sense missed me when it was being handed out. Maybe even a bit more unbelievable is the fact that we didn't really taper for any of them but swam, biked, ran, hiked everywhere and anytime we wanted to. So hard to let an opportunity to explore pass me by. Challenge Pencticton for a half ironman triathlon the first weekend followed by Ironman Canada then Spoke 'n Hot Grand Fondo. Race recaps for each of them coming soon. <br />
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3. Catching up. Funny how the weeds in my garden didn't go on vacation like I did. Nor did the grass stop growing or the house stay clean. I always think it is a good thing I have a mental break from the everyday when I go away. A bit more vigor and enthusiasm to handle the challenges when I return. We also took over a rental house from my in-laws. A lot of cleaning, painting, removal of trees etc. I am pooped just remembering everything I did. No criticism intended to anyone in terms of cleanliness but man it sucks to have to clean up someone else's grime, grease, dirt and junk. <br />
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4. Kids moved to the city. We have always tried to get the kids settled in the city mid to late Aug. Later than that is really busy for us on the farm and it is so much nicer to get the moving out of the way a bit earlier. A weekend of loading, hauling, unloading, cleaning, organizing, more cleaning. But it is done. Normally, in my part of the world, school in the public system as well as most post secondary starts the beginning of September usually after labour day weekend. Now we can get home and concentrate on the start of our farm harvest.<br />
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Have a great week, enjoy some sun and laugh. Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-58372189372627810922017-07-17T09:28:00.000-07:002017-07-17T09:28:07.960-07:00Training UpdateHappy Monday!<br />
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Another wonderfully sunny day here in the Canadian prairies. I'm in the process of packing the camper to head out sometime in the next couple days. 2 triathlons in the next 2 weekends. Hubby and I getting away for a bit without kids was our anniversary plan. Always makes me both excited and nervous at the same time. <br />
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Nailed the last long ride of the training plan this past weekend. Didn't nail my hydration/nutrition plan though. Big bonk that took me almost 20 miles to get back on the good side. But I covered the 100 miles I wanted to, it was hot and I needed to find a way to pull myself out of the bonk. Lots learned and experienced. And as always, lots of mental hurdles to overcome.<br />
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<br />My goal is always to empty my hydration bottle every 1- 1/2 hours. It has a combination of Generation UCAN Hydration, HydraMag and BCAA powder. I also planned to empty my nutrition bottle of Generation UCAN Superstarch 2x for the ride. I had a banana, peanut butter honey sandwich and quest protein bar. So what did I actually do and what would I do differently? <br />
I didn't feel like eating before leaving in the morning and I should have had something. Terry ate some overnight oats. Should have had some too. I also needed to get on the hydration right away until the first stop almost 2 hours into the ride so that bottle was empty. I didn't eat my sandwich until the 1/2 way point and that was also too late. Needed that second stop sooner. <br />
I did bring along a cooling cloth for the back of the neck and it worked awesome. It really helped me from overheating during my slump. It didn't get me over the wall but it did keep things from getting worse. We stopped 4 times to get water/bathroom. I did eat at each stop but needed to have had more right from the beginning I think. I should have also had a gatorade at our last water stop. I think that would have helped also. <br />
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Still planning to get 1 last long open water swim in today or tomorrow. <br />
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With my health being so uncertain the past couple months, I wasn't sure what to expect or hope for going into these next 2 weeks. I felt like I turned a corner to the good side about 10 days ago and so far it has been holding. For the first time, I have felt like being able to race both these triathlons is a very good possibility. I use the term "race" very loosely. In some ways, I am better prepared this year than for the ironman last year and in other ways, I feel less prepared. I do feel very confident though that for me, I am better a bit under trained than over trained. My energy is good, obviously there will be tough moments mentally; this is Ironman Canada which has 5000 ft of elevation change. My ride on Saturday was 3000 ft, pretty good for a prairie ride. <br />
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My goal is what will always it: enjoy the journey. Savour every moment and not wish time away and not let what is before me get the best of me.<br />
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<br />Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-32180272173699801622017-07-10T08:24:00.000-07:002017-07-10T08:24:37.129-07:00Dear DiaryAnyone else out there want to confess they kept a diary like me when they were younger? I found those old diaries years ago in a box of my old stuff and tried to read some. I repeat tried. It was painful. The melodramatic ups and downs of teenage-hood of who was being rude to who and what guy was looking especially good or bad that day. I lasted 5 min. Decided to burn those books. They served their purpose I guess in the younger days of getting my thoughts and frustrations out but they certainly seem to have no purpose anymore. <br />
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Today's diary version looks a bit different. Most nights, just after I have crawled into bed, I reflect on my day. I have encouraged all my kids to do the same. In your heads I say to them start with "Dear diary, today I ........"<br />
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I have grown to love this 2 min conversation with myself. There is so much to gain and I am appreciative of how it has centered my thoughts and made me grow as a person.<br />
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Last night, this was my conversation with myself.<br />
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"Dear diary"<br />
What a fantastic day today! Warm breeze from the lake blowing through my window and a gentle early morning 1/2 hour rain to lull me back to sleep a bit longer. No regrets that I wasn't on the trails somewhere running or biking, I am thankful to be up getting breakfast ready saying good morning to all the kids as they got up. So much fun to sit on the dock all together eating our breakfast and shooting the breeze. The lake was perfectly calm. I am thankful we have a cabin.<br />
Had a great swim then just soaking some sun. Swim feels good after the gravel bike ride yesterday. Legs feel good and that makes me happy.<br />
Hard to not get too sad about the fact this is the last time our family of 6 will be together for awhile. Precious moments. I am so thankful for these times with the kids. They are supposed to move on, take life by the horns and find their paths. I just miss them. <br />
Said goodbye to some friends of ours from out of town, here visiting. I had a blast last night at their cabin (invited for supper). Friends like this, where you see each other 1 time a year and can pick up so easily where we left off- those are great friends. I think the dull ache in my side today was from so much laughing last night. Good pain.<br />
And speaking of pain- today is the first day in a long time that I haven't had pain in my stomach. My ongoing fight with the intestinal infection and now just this week, a bladder infection has made for constant pain and discomfort. I am frustrated with my physical barriers, of being tired, of being in pain and most of all, of feeling I will not get past this and get better. The weight mentally feels overwhelming. But today, I feel so much lighter and happier mentally and physically. Worried it will not be like this tomorrow but thankful to have a reprieve today. Thank goodness I haven't also had my period this week:)<br />
Reminded of how precious life is while visiting Terry's mom in the hospital this evening. She is so weak and secretly, I can't imagine how she will ever be able to go home. Home is such a safe place for all of us. I have to think of things to do or bring her to keep her spirits up. Also found out Terry's uncle was in emergency dealing with some difficulties after an accident he had a few weeks ago. Internal bleeding is never good. And on the congratulatory side, I marvel at another Aunt and Uncle and their celebration of 60 years together. His health has been really poor for a few years and yet has persevered. <br />
My list of things to do tomorrow runs through my head:<br />
people to call<br />
emails to send<br />
things to do<br />
kindness to share<br />
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My internal diary entry once again fills me with gratitude. I am thankful that despite the fact things aren't always going the way I want them to go, I am undeniably blessed. There are so many hurting people and the trials don't pick and choose only some. I need to take care of business items, daily chores but more importantly, I am once again confirmed with the decision to love and take care of those around me. Touch others with kindness, enjoy every moment and live fully no matter the circumstances. I think ahead to the camping trip my husband and I are taking together in a week to celebrate our anniversary and I am filled with excitement with the adventures we are going to have. The desire to live a life abundantly and overflowing is all my eyes can see. <br />
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I know having teenagers and young adults means they have their own ways and thoughts and there is a good possibility they think their dear old mom has rocks in her head, but I hope they have the "dear diary" conversation with themselves and look at the day with gratitude and thankfulness and then choose to live the next day with purpose: to not waste time nor take it for granted. <br />
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Remind me to sometime share with you my "food analogy for dating story" that is a popular eye roller among the kids around here. Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-81945142810036436802017-07-10T04:02:00.001-07:002017-07-10T04:02:18.039-07:00A Big Weekend with a SurpriseBig weekend in triathlon training in our house a couple weekends ago. A few days later and my legs were still screaming for mercy. Actual, my butt might have complained louder. It's was a toss up.<br />
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Rain, rain and more rain meant a 6 hour ride on the trainer on Friday morning. Hmm. I found the first hour hard then I seem to settle down and get into a rhythm and the final hour was also tough because I was sick of being on the bike, didn't want to watch anything or do anything except get off. But at least the last hour has the promise of a job completed. That feels good.<br />
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Watched 2 of the early Kona Ironman videos; 2005, 2006. They are about an hour and a half long each, were very interesting, totally captivating and engaging in their entirety. The age group coverage matched the pro coverage and the stories of so many athletes and their cause was very motivational. At times I found myself pedaling faster with motivation and other times, I was fighting back the tears. People crossing the finish line get me every time. Especially the story of Jon "Blazeman" Blais who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease and competed at Kona 5 months later to then return the following year in a wheelchair to cheer on Brian Breen, who was carrying the torch of awareness for ALS.<br />
If you want to read about his story <a href="http://www.triathloninspires.com/jblaisstory.html" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br />
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During my 6 hour ride, I consumed 4 bottles (20 oz each) of electrolytes (Generation UCAN electrolyte mix with 1 scoop of HydraMag). My goal is 1 bottle in 1 1/2 hours. I also used UCAN superstarch 4 scoops in a 24 oz bottle. I mix the lemon and pomegranate flavours together. I also had a cookie dough Quest bar, a banana and a 1/2 p b and honey sandwich on flatbread. I drink and eat mostly to thirst/hunger but I do try to take 3 mouthfuls of the UCAN superstarch every 45 min.<br />
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Oatmeal with nut butter for recovery as well as a 26 oz bottle of phytoberry and another 26 oz bottle of HydraMag through the next couple hours. I was tired and legs were a bit sore, but I seem to get sore muscles after an effort and then the next day feel fine. Just over 90 miles in that 6 hour effort. On the roads, I think it would be very close to 100 but the trainer is a hard workout in my opinion.<br />
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Saturday morning was another trainer ride, still raining. I wanted to get 50 miles in and anything more would be a bonus.<br />
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Good ride. UCAN superstarch, UCAN electrolyte with HydraMag and a Quest Bar in just around 3 1/2 hours.<br />
Watched a lot of House Hunters on HGTV. Did some reading and time passed.<br />
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Got gussied up Saturday night for an evening out with the kids to celebrate the many achievements in the past few weeks. Wallet was lighter, belly heavier.<br />
I so badly want them to remember the moments and not take things for granted. I want them to have memories of suppers together like this to remind them that we care and support them and want them to know how proud we are of them.<br />
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Sunday started with a 2 1/2 hour run on the backyard trails. Wore my hydration vest with my usual UCAN electrolyte/HyraMag mix and UCAN superstarch for fuel. Day was beautiful: sunny and warm.<br />
Plunked myself down in the river after to soak my legs. Water was cooler than I thought it would be and my feet hurt for a little while- you know that brain freeze kind of hurt when they are really cold. But I got used to it.<br />
The surprise part of the day came a few hours later when our youngest daughter insisted that we go driving with her (practice for getting her license) and when we returned, our driveway and backyard was filled with vehicles and friends and family. The kids had planned a surprise anniversary party for us. Our anniversary wasn't for another 10 days but with the kids jobs this summer, it would have been very hard to coordinate something closer to the actual date. <br />
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25 years- yep and he still makes my heart beat faster.<br />
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I am NOT a real party kind of girl. To be honest, wished the marriage would have started with an elopement instead of the big shin dig that it was with 300 guests and me on display. So if the kids would have asked if we wanted a party, I would have most certainly said absolutely no. But in reflection, having a few of our closest friends and family over to celebrate with us was kinda nice. Thank goodness the majority of people invited (extended family and other acquaintances) couldn't come due to another event. Sounds bad but is the truth. I was really happy with the small gathering. <br />
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It was a beautiful day, especially more so with the bad weather we have been having so we spent the evening sitting around in the backyard just enjoying. <br />
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<br />Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-44989535249936684032017-06-26T10:18:00.003-07:002017-06-26T10:18:40.935-07:00Things I am Loving Lately- Food EditionMorning<br />
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I wanted to share with you some of the things I am loving lately in the food/supplement world. I am all about building my body stronger and keeping my immune system healthy. But I have a budget, like everyone else does and I want to enjoy what I am eating/drinking too so nothing too expensive nor ugly tasting. <br />
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1. <a href="https://www.progressivenutritional.com/products/phytoberry/" target="_blank"> Progressive's Phytoberry</a> is the grand slam when it comes to building the immune system. I mix 2 scoops full and put it into a 28 oz Popeyes bottle (where I buy phytoberry). It has a delicious berry flavour and mixes in really easily. It is totally my jam. Can't get enough, can't say enough good about this product. After hard training sessions, I always hydrate with a couple bottles of water with phytoberry.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"</strong><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333;">PhytoBerry</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> is a highly concentrated berry based whole food supplement that is loaded with natural antioxidants. Featuring over 40 high ORAC value fruit concentrates, phytonutrients, essential fatty acids and herbal extracts, PhytoBerry is specifically designed to offer whole body antioxidant® protection. A single serving has the equivalent nutrient content of 6 to 8 servings of fresh fruit."</span></span><br />
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2. <a href="https://www.bulletproof.com/brain-octane-oil-16-oz" target="_blank">Brain octane</a> can be mixed into anything. I have put it in my oatmeal, in smoothies, my husband uses it in his bulletproof coffee and I also add it into my water/phytoberry mix. <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white;">Brain Octane is your go-to fuel source for performance. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Brain Octane is naturally found in coconut oil in small quantities, and we concentrate it to provide you with the purest energy source possible. Brain Octane rapidly provides mental and physical energy, powering your day by keeping you satisfied and free from food cravings. Add it to your daily routine, and experience the state of high performance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As soon as you consume Brain Octane, it is rapidly absorbed and changed into ketone bodies – providing instant energy to the brain without breaking down glucose from sugars or carbohydrates. Brain Octane produces 4x the ketone energy of plain coconut oil, and also supports healthy digestion and immune function.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Experience the power of using quality fats for fuel, keeping you full and focused for hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Contains at least 10x the (C8) Caprylic acid (14g) per Tablespoon as in one tablespoon of Coconut oil (1.4g).(+)"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. <a href="https://www.moxilife.com/products/hydramag-featured" target="_blank">Moxie HydraMag</a> is a very soluble, smooth, fresh and light tasting beverage that can be used before, during and after exercise. It's pomegranate flavour is amazing. It can be added to your favourite electrolyte mixture or used by itself. I use it mostly after I exercise and I have most certainly noticed an improvement in my recovery in terms of muscle tenderness/soreness and energy right after and the next day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am an ambassador for this company so go order some for yourself and use code LB15 to save 15% off your purchase. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arapey, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">HydraMag® is formulated specifically for endurance athletes, and any athlete or individual questioning their Magnesium intracellular levels. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Magnesium enhances exercise performance via increasing glucose availability in the blood, muscle, and brain during exercise. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">HydraMag® is a strategic solution for increasing your magnesium intracellular levels.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Intracellular magnesium deficiencies contribute to; leg cramps poor digestion, low energy, tight muscles and twitchy eyelids."</span></div>
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4.<a href="http://greatlakesgelatin.com/storefront/buy-products/hydrolysate-single-can.html" target="_blank"> Great Lakes Gelatin Collagen Hydrolysate</a> is added to anything and everything; smoothies, oatmeal, water/drink powder, warm beverages. Anything. It does not congeal but mixes in smoothly although it does take a little more shaking to incorporate it into water. I also use this after hard workouts to give my body more amino acids to make me strong like bull😉 I usually buy this product through Amazon or Iherb as it is easier for me in Canada. <br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Beef Hydrolyzed Collagen is the unique combination of amino acids in concentrated levels that can promote healing and conditioning over other proteins especially for bone and joint health care. This low molecular weight protein is easily digested for healthy enrichment in minutes after ingestion. It will not congeal because it has been hydrolyzed for quick assimilation and improved hydration to the connective tissue. Collagen is important to nitrogen balance, now considered an anti-aging product as it supports age related cartilage damage, and collagen loss."</span></span><br />
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5.<br />
5. <a href="http://www.sambazon.com/acai-powder/" target="_blank">Sambazon Acai Powder</a> delivers all the benefits and taste of acai in the convenience of a powder. I have tried the Sambazon frozen packs to make my acai bowls but they aren't the easiest to find nor transport with long distances. Instead of the frozen acai packs, I either freeze the almond/coconut milk in ice cube trays or use more frozen strawberries and blueberries. Just thinking about it is making me crave one. <br />
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6. Quest bars- oh boy. Chocolate chip cookie dough and I have had a passionate love affair for more than 2 years and it doesn't seem to be fading. It is such an easy thing to grab as a snack or for whatever. It is always in my back pocket of my bike jersey on bike rides, always have 1 in my purse and usually in my desk at work also. The taste is so much like cookie dough but isn't too sweet. It is soft and some people say they put their bar in the microwave for a few seconds to really soften it like an out of the oven freshly baked cookie. My problem is that I love it so much right out of the package, I can't wait the 20 seconds for the warming process.<br />
And along the line of bars, I also included the One bar in salted caramel flavour. It is really good also though nothing yet has outshone the Quest. It does make for a nice change and is my daughter's bar of choice.<br />
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7. I LOVE hemp. In everything, all the time, straight up and this Hemp Granola has totally hit a home run. Granola typically goes on my yogurt and since dairy and I are on a brief (I hope) hiatus, I wasn't sure I should even buy this. Holey cannolie- ate it right out of the bag. I tried it a couple times on my morning oatmeal and it was very tasty but gosh darn it tastes good right out of the package. I found this product at Costco.<br />
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8. This product is also a Costco purchase- Coconut Clusters. Coconut, chia seed, pumpkins seed goodness. A addictive but satisfying snack. <br />
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9. Nuts for Nature Seed Butter has been a nice addition to my morning oatmeal, in homemade protein balls, in a smoothie or in a sandwich. It has a nice mix of flavours of cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds and chia. Mild and tasty. <br />
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That's the countdown of my 9 most popular favs right now. What's yours?</div>
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<br />Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-91369252394045524782017-06-20T13:43:00.001-07:002017-06-21T07:15:55.080-07:00Our Visit to Victoria, BC<br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Triathlon brought us to Victoria but we left with far more. Victoria is a smallish city with a outdoor, classy style with a bit of
artistic vibe thrown in. It is really easy to get around and has amazing
history and architecture. There is clearly a British influence as many buildings have a European look to them. There is a lot of modern
influence as well, and many multi million dollar gated estates.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Great restaurants with amazing seafood. I ate salmon,
halibut and other local fish every chance I got. The beauty of the area is
spectacular. And I really mean spectacular. It has it all;
mountains, lush vegetation, trees, amazing flowers, ocean views at every turn.
Amazing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Can you see the hearts in my eyes? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Looking forward to returning someday soon. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Here is my rambling recap with coles notes at the end so you get to choose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Thurs morning we left home at 5:30 am, drove to Saskatoon to catch
our flight to Calgary then to Victoria. Arrived early afternoon local
time. Flying is amazing! It would have taken us almost 3 days to
drive this distance. Got checked into our hotel Cherry Tree Inn.
Just a small, family run hotel with no bells and whistles but was very
close to Elk Lake where Ironman Victoria 70.3 was occurring. We really believe
in staying as close to the race venue as possible. The times we have had
a long distance to drive from hotel to race was really tough. Though this hotel was clean, affordable, had a fridge and microwave, it was very small and sparse and I would only recommend this if someone was coming to race the triathlon. If you visit to Victoria is a holiday, stay in the downtown area not here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It was a last minute (meaning 1 1/2 days prior to leaving)
decision to rent bikes while we were there instead of bringing our own.
Haven't done this before but we were really pushed for time and
basically got our packing done after supper the night before we left.
Terry just finished seeding that day so taking the bikes apart, packing them in the bags, hauling around to, through and from the airport, re-assembling
then doing the whole thing over again on Sunday after the event was just too
much to handle this time. Plus, for us who are geographically challenged
with limited resources, the bikes are never quite exactly the way they were
when we put them back together again and there is no bike shop close by to help us out with the small adjustments. A real pain in the butt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">So pedals were the only thing coming. Didn't even take our
own saddle, though we considered it. Tried to keep things easy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Had our first glimpse of downtown Victoria as we drove to pick up
our bikes. I loved the drive through China town with the hanging lanterns
on all the streets. Wish I could see it in the dark. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Rented our bikes from a North 48 Bike Shop which specializes in
bike tours. We had excellent service with David Ley, the owner. He wanted our measurements from our road bikes and he set up the rental bikes according to these measurements. Not exactly like your own but at least adjusted to fit better. Saddle did feel different and I was wishing that I brought my own, but it didn't take long and my butt adjusted. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Loaded the bikes up and went exploring the downtown area on foot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Fresh seafood at Earl's on their outdoor patio, a quick stop at
the grocery store for a few essentials then to the hotel to settle in.
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">With the 2 hour time change, we felt ready for bed early in the evening.
I knew that we would wake up super early so heading to bed sooner than
usual tonight was perfect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Indeed, we were up at 4 am and hit the roads not long after with
our runners on to explore. Our goal was to find the easiest way to get
across the main highway to Elk Lake on the other side. We wanted to run on the path around
the lake, which was the triathlon run course. Found our way to the beach
then continued to run on the path around the lake. It was almost magical
with tall, towering trees, deep and thick foliage, ferns everywhere, constant
glimpses of a breathtakingly calm lake. I loved every minute of it.
I think when we set out for the run, both of us were thinking around 4
miles maybe 5. Finally called it at 8. Just having too much fun.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Cleaned our selves up and set out to explore again, this time on 2
wheels. We took the Lockside Trail to downtown Victoria. It is a
trail that travels both streets and trail with a couple traffic lights but a mostly
straight through journey to downtown. We found a Starbucks and had our
usual; 2 plain oatmeal, 1 coffee, 1 peppermint tea. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">I had an appointment for an hour and Terry went exploring.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Lunch was on the patio of the Days Inn restaurant. It faced
the harbour so the views were awesome. It is a cool corner right in the heart
of the downtown area with the harbour on the west side of the street, the
magnificent Embassy Hotel on the east side and the Legislative Building on the
south. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The entire afternoon was spent touring around, following the scenic
road (Beach Drive) from the downtown area through James Bay and around the east side of the
island. We had ocean views 80% of the time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">It was spectacular.
Lots of parks, 2 harbours, the ferry station, residential areas with
gated homes. Tea at Starbucks a time or two and many bathroom breaks from too much peppermint tea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Mile 1 where Terry Fox started his journey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">We went straight to Ironman Victoria check in and got ourselves registered. There was very few exhibitor booths set up but we checked them out and listened to a speaker talk about having a successful swim event. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Headed back to our hotel to clean our selves up then grabbed a burger from Boston Pizza. We had an errand to run on the west side of Victoria toward Langford.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> Lots more hills and rocks. The mountains of the USA seems so close, only a few miles to the south. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Saturday morning included another early morning bike ride with plans to go directly to the event location to drop our bikes off for the </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">mandatory</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> bike check in. Breakfast was at Starbucks again though a new location. We biked part of the triathlon bike course that took us back into transition. Lots of athletes riding the same area we did. It was quiet country type paved roads, narrow and rolling hills. </span><span style="font-size: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">I realized we didn't put our stickers on our bikes. So back we went to the hotel to sticker our bikes, and helmets.</span><span style="font-size: 18px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">We walked the 2 miles back from the transition area to the hotel then showered up to go have lunch. Bought a few groceries and decided to drive some of the bike route which went from Elk Lake, north to Sidney and along the west side of the peninsula before heading back to Elk Lake. A very nice scenic route with coastal views. Took a couple hours by the time we made some stops but it was perfect for some of the afternoon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><br />Got everything set up and ready for the triathlon. Pasta for supper and feet up for the evening. I wasn't feeling so hot and was getting a bit worried about how my body was going to handle the triathlon tomorrow. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">Alarm at 4 and first thing my husband said to me was that he thought we shouldn't go to the triathlon. There have been a couple events that have had undesirable weather conditions or other tough issues that have given us a moment of thought of not participating but never before have we seriously considered it. But truth be told, after 10 min of discussion with the premise being that we were both worried I would get really sick, it was decided to go pick up our bikes and have our own day. I was ok with spectating while he participated but he said it wouldn't be the same and he wanted to spend the day with me. Couldn't argue that. I was both relieved and disappointed at the same time. My heart and body were both talking to me sending opposite messages. Which do you listen to? In the end, health is more important. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">So, walked to transition and picked up our bikes just as the triathlon was going to start. We started biking from there, making a big circle from along the coast to the downtown area and across the harbour bridge and back up to the Elk Lake area. It was so wonderful to bike a huge part of the day, touring around, stopping when we wanted to and just enjoying the ride as tourists. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't beat the ocean view</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A park nestled in a residential area</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in front of the Legislative Building</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Embassy hotel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFe0d4TNfMN1ddxFdlg9j3ZcxLyaBs12sZ3dLAF_c2NfaG949OdRA0amApFU43rO_N-3YEBE5Ef_KJhgZlqeJN7RCZh2X7pMaTLxApa0HGPZ_r52_PoOQI7Z1BUin_5rr6IiO4olLZvK0/s1600/IMG_5196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFe0d4TNfMN1ddxFdlg9j3ZcxLyaBs12sZ3dLAF_c2NfaG949OdRA0amApFU43rO_N-3YEBE5Ef_KJhgZlqeJN7RCZh2X7pMaTLxApa0HGPZ_r52_PoOQI7Z1BUin_5rr6IiO4olLZvK0/s320/IMG_5196.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bell that rang at each hour and played a song</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watched a bike race event that was held right in front of the Legislative Building. 1 Km loop that these bikers needed to do 42 times! They just whizzed by.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late afternoon lunch- McDonald's cheeseburger each and shared a McFlurry</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">We came back to the downtown area to return the bikes and for supper (our last fill of fresh seafood) and overheard a lot of triathletes (also eating) about how great the course/day was. I was so glad for them. I hope I can come back sometime to complete unfinished business. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">Monday morning we were heading back home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b>Coles notes version of Victoria - you should go!! like now!!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">-very scenic and totally worth visiting</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">-it has the tropical plants and flowers like California but the coniferous trees of Canada with cedar trees, mountains and of course the ocean</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">-weather was challenging for me to dress for; hot when you weren't in the wind but needed a sweater or jacket in the wind but lots of people were wearing more "summer wear" I guess more adapted to the wind/sun hot/cold thing</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">-we were only there from Fri- Mon but visiting at this time of the year (beginning of June) we had cloudy weather each morning with possible mist and a bit cool 7 C with more sunny skies in the afternoon and temp around 17 C</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">-I took a windbreaker and arm warmers for biking and used them every time I was on my bike and only took the windbreaker off once</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">-we stayed close to the event at Elk Lake but most people choose to stay in the downtown area and I would also do this when I return again</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">-rent a bike and hit the trails; there are too many paths and too much to see to not do this</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">-eat the fresh. local fish - like lots of it</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">-walk around downtown, the harbour is very cool, many places to window shop or spend some money, very interesting architecture and waffle shops everywhere</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">-didn't see an ice cream shop anywhere we were</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">-we had wondered if we could get by without renting a vehicle and though Victoria is only 26 kms away, it would be very difficult to just go with a bike but buses run every hour back and forth and it is an hour ride between the 2 so that is doable</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">-we considered taking the ferry and going either to Olympic National Park, Oregon to the south or Salt Springs Island to the north but needed another day or two in Victoria to make it work, $2 to take the ferry on the bike</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"> bike rental: https://north48bikes.com/</span><br />
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<br />Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-65077768553486830102017-05-31T13:24:00.001-07:002017-05-31T13:24:35.191-07:00Reminders of Our StrengthLike many other fitness/endurance/adventurer enthusiasts, I confess to loving my active wear. <br />
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If you need to borrow a pair of runners, I have you covered. Dress shoes not so much. It would be really hard for me to find more than 2 "dressy" combinations of clothing from my closet. <br />
I have embraced the fact that I am a jeans wearing, hiking boots, leggings, wicking shirt kind of gal.<br />
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My favs come from many different companies. I will try to put together a post of my favourites. I love looking at what other people can't live without. <br />
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While we were in California a couple months ago and my husband and I were engaging in our favourite pass time- riding south on the PCH and stopping for coffee where ever we please. One day, I stumbled upon a new brand of active wear. I noticed this business a couple times riding past and today was the day to stop in and check things out. <br />
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I enjoy knowing the beginning of a company and especially how the name was chosen. There have been a lot of new and interesting retailers I have discovered in California; Coeur Sports, De Soto, Wattie Ink, Oiselle, Betty Designs, and Soas to name a few. <br />
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GRACEDBYGRIT is a company started by 2 women who wanted women to feel empowered and safe. What I love the most though is this quote that comes directly from their <a href="https://www.gracedbygrit.com/about-us.html" target="_blank">website</a>.<br />
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"<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 14px;">Every woman has experienced that difficult moment that she thinks might just break her. How we make it through those moments defines us. We have realized that our grittiest moments give us our grace. Every woman has been</span><span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 14px;"> </span><strong style="color: #252525; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">GRACED</strong><span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 14px;">BY</span><strong style="color: #252525; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">GRIT</strong><span style="color: #252525; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 14px;">." </span><br />
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Does that hit real close?<br />
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You hear a lot about having a mantra to get you through tough times. I don't exactly have 1 mantra that follows me wherever I go. Most of the time, I get my encouragement from the things surrounding me right then and there. My GRACEDBYGRIT <a href="https://www.gracedbygrit.com/shop/tops/tanks/delicious-tank.html" target="_blank">delicious tank</a> helped me muster up some grit and determination at mile 18 while running my marathon last month.<br />
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Or how about <a href="https://www.oiselle.com/about" target="_blank">Oiselle</a>.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #231f20; font-family: "Gotham A", "Gotham B", "Helvetica Neue", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">"But perhaps most powerfully, it's been about celebrating a sense of freedom. And thus the name Oiselle (pronounced wa-zelle). A French word for bird, it alludes to that feeling of weightlessness that most athletes know and love. That sense of flight - when the legs go fast and the heart goes free."</span><br />
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When I wear my <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/shop/running-bottoms/running-shorts-and-skirts/roga-short" target="_blank">Roga</a> shorts, I remind myself when my legs are tired that they are free, not tied down and they can fly. I see myself running with high legs, barely touching the ground as my feet fly. I swear, I find new energy. <br />
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My most favourite<a href="https://www.coeursports.com/collections/triathlon/products/womens-triathlon-shorts-cold-black-with-5-inseam?variant=32658195719" target="_blank"> tri/biking shorts</a> are from <a href="https://www.coeursports.com/pages/about-us" target="_blank">Coeur Sports</a>. They are just plain awesome. <br />
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1369712706257_2263" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #020000; font-family: "Century Gothic", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0px;">"Coeur is French for heart & the root of the word courage. And that’s what we put into our collections and our sport. As an athlete, you know that athletic performance is about <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">so</b> much more than genetic talent. Its also about heart. Heart is about digging deep and being mentally tough. Heart is what gets you to the finish line when all the body wants to do is lay down. Heart is at the center of the community and the friendships you find in sport. Heart is what makes you give back to the community that has given you so much. Everything we do at Coeur - from our designs to how we play a role in our community - should reflect our values and how we aim to conduct ourselves.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #020000; font-family: "Century Gothic", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> "</span><br />
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Most miles during an Ironman triathlon need a reminder to be courageous and brave; to have heart. <br />
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These are just a couple of my favourite companies that produce awesome athletic wear that don't just perform well and fit right, but they make me feel empowered, strong, brave and remind me that anything is possible. <br />
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This is what I need to reflect on when I am in tough moments. This is what pulls me along when I want to slow down; what helps me get up when I stumble; and what keeps me thankful for the strength of my body and what it can do. <br />
<br />What are your favourite reminders of strength?Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-77949629718793134952017-05-25T10:06:00.002-07:002017-05-25T11:00:11.838-07:00Randomness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello warm temperatures!😊<br />
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and I guess hello mosquitoes😞<br />
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Hope everyone had a great long weekend. May long weekend is the official kickoff to camping in Canada. All you lucky people that got to enjoy the great outdoors, camp fires and smores, I am so jealous! I hope to get to the lake one of these days to get some cleaning done before summer so we can really just go enjoy ourselves when we are there.<br />
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#farming2017 has been in high gear getting our crops in the ground, harrowing, picking rocks and such and we couldn't have had nicer weather.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTHgF0rm2jliX4E42G2WVcwpiNiSbDeIEMNLskHAuDxS3f0u59oin94Bep0QPlQoRx7fTfACTIvJEnIEy-7g__6AW39p1DQHVEBHo6l7eCF5HRVrD3NUj3hoHb8Z74N-aDa6t590T9YA/s1600/IMG_4958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTHgF0rm2jliX4E42G2WVcwpiNiSbDeIEMNLskHAuDxS3f0u59oin94Bep0QPlQoRx7fTfACTIvJEnIEy-7g__6AW39p1DQHVEBHo6l7eCF5HRVrD3NUj3hoHb8Z74N-aDa6t590T9YA/s400/IMG_4958.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filling the seeding tank with seed and fertilizer<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me taking a water break while picking rocks and boy did I need it. </td></tr>
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The "baby" of the family got her learner's license. So proud of her but also sad for me for the reminder that I am getting older. <br />
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She was also involved in a huge high school drama production of "The Lion King". What an amazing job they did and what a huge undertaking it must have been for those organizing. <br />
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This drama and farming is what conflicted with our tentative plan to attend Spruce Woods Ultra. It was the right thing to miss the ultra this year. Really still hope to run it sometime. Need to get this body of mine on the right track first.<br />
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On that note, the training has still not been going well. Thankfully, I am kinda past the point of pure and complete exhaustion. The kind where it is so very difficult to get myself out of bed so obviously have no desire, energy or ability to do much activity. I have had a few short bike rides and a longer ride on gravel on Sunday. I was feeling a bit better but as per our usual, we get exploring and the miles tick along until I pretty much hit bottom. It was a day that was meant for riding all day- warm temperature, few bugs, not much traffic, low wind and a chance to unwind and spent time with my husband. I felt very unwell the rest of the day as a result of my overexertion though. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmAv836oMNBhq1qK5BQIgV0op2fN0iqOedTPnUP5MzK4aidaUI4VQWFZjEJ1TNDkPjghrwClmy05pj7BT1vNueUwtYjADeqtVgVCREvyYUVC-MCkAOKbGy3pFIGywGuV2QPvIEdmBdEw/s1600/IMG_4970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmAv836oMNBhq1qK5BQIgV0op2fN0iqOedTPnUP5MzK4aidaUI4VQWFZjEJ1TNDkPjghrwClmy05pj7BT1vNueUwtYjADeqtVgVCREvyYUVC-MCkAOKbGy3pFIGywGuV2QPvIEdmBdEw/s400/IMG_4970.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love this old barn</td></tr>
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I captured this picture on Mother's Day- who could ask for more? <br />
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Any safer suggestions on how to get magpie's to pack their bags and move out?<br />
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And finally, a really nice evening in the back yard with the dog. <br />
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With seeding soon to be complete, hopefully, I will posting a bit more frequently. I am planning to share what has been happening to me health wise and the plan I have for the near future. I hope that if anyone else has also been on a lost train of confusion (in terms of weird health issues) that I can share my story with the goal of helping one of you.<br />
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Have an amazing week.Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-77750697045712581472017-05-11T13:40:00.001-07:002017-05-11T13:40:39.376-07:00Rocky's Motivational PunchI hate to start anything out on a negative note because I am a really positive person but I need to get this off my chest. <br />
I have been pretty discouraged.<br />
In the dumps in fact.<br />
<br />
The stomach infection that took me YEARS to figure out and then months to get rid of is back.<br />
Insert big, heavy sigh. <br />
<br />
This is way more complicated than a 2 week dose of antibiotics. It affects my entire body in so many ways and takes a ton of effort in a lot of areas to get back on track. It will change my training and affect my day to day life in pretty big ways.<br />
<br />
I wasn't going to bring this up. I thought I would just bide my time until things starting feeling better and my emotions were a bit more in control before I shot out a blog post. Like who really wants to spend their free time reading a blog post about someone who is scraping the bottom of the barrel? Heck, I don't think a day goes by that we all aren't faced with some conflict and negativity. No one wants more of it.<br />
I changed my mind about staying quiet about it when I realized there is more to this story than me being a debbie downer. <br />
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I have a challenge to face, a mountain to climb, a demon to fight, a wall to bust down. And I <b>will</b> do it one step, one stone and one brick at a time. With that will come a soul that will be empowered, a new sense of awareness, more strength, courage and determination. I will find more pieces to my puzzle. This part of the journey might not be of my choosing but I am confident that there will be many gains along the way.<br />
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<br />
In 2016, I had the most amazing year as I could train, race and live "like a normal person" having energy, health and a body that did what I wanted it to do. For the first time in a long time. And it was awesome. <br />
<br />
Some of my recent discouragement was thinking that would be gone. I love adventures and have a few of them planned for this year and I was already mourning the loss of them or maybe what they could have been. <br />
Don't do that. It's stupid to mourn something that isn't dead yet. There is time and things can change. It might not but it might. I need to remain positive and concern myself with things coming up when they come. <br />
<br />
Life doesn't come to us without obstacles. I sometimes used to wish for that red easy button you see on the Staples commercials and could just push it and everything would be good, done, just how you want it. It would be that easy. <br />
But life doesn't always deal cards fairly and add to that a mixture of genetics, environment, stress, relationships and other factors and you sometimes get the perfect storm. <br />
A storm that changes it's appearance steadily; to some it is a physical storm like an infection, autoimmune disorder, cancer, or heart troubles. To others it may be a relational storm that leads to divorce, estrangement, issues with your kids or troubles at work. Or it may also manifest in an individual as unhappiness, anxiety or depression. <br />
<br />
A few things through all this tie us as together as people; <br />
1. we are not alone, people <u>everywhere</u> are experiencing difficulties (even if it looks like they have their crap together) so take strength and comfort in number. <br />
2. we all have the same questions to answer- "Will I let this ______define me? I may fall but am I getting back up? Am I going to remain positive and thankful or become jaded and bitter?"<br />
3. the journey continues and our choice in how we live will influence and affect countless numbers of people<br />
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My favourite words of encouragement have always been from Rocky. <br />
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<img height="640" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/5b/11/0d/5b110da0d0a86fff2f32e1aee557fe70.jpg" width="451" /><br />
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I have watched the Rocky movies years ago. I can't remember that much about each movie and I it has been my plan to spend some winter trainer rides re-watching. It hasn't happened yet but will someday. He can pack quite a motivational punch (no pun intended) about the tough moments in life, about choices in life and about being a fighter. <br />
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<img height="400" src="https://www.fearlessmotivation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Sylvester-Stallone-quotes.jpg" width="400" /><br />
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<br />Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-50296926543612442962017-05-01T14:00:00.001-07:002017-05-02T08:13:01.305-07:00Weekend Roundup and a Weird AnniversaryHello May! and holy mackerel where did April go to? <br />
<br />
We had a smashing good weekend. Had all 4 kids home together for a few hours, celebrated my husband's birthday, went on my first road bike ride this year early Sat morning, did a bit of relaxing and made a good dent in the yard/house spring cleaning. <br />
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It was fantastic to get back on the road bike again. It was only a month ago while away on vacation that I rode it almost everyday. In fact, I rode 500 miles in the 2 weeks while I was away.<br />
<br />
My bike missed me I could tell. <br />
<br />
The ride was a bit cool with temp just over the freezing mark but with little wind. I wore gloves instead of mitts- bad decision but I survived and still have all 10 digits. Toes got pretty cold on the way home even with toe covers but they survived too. I have 2 black toe nails from my marathon a couple weeks ago so maybe they are toughening up.<br />
<br />
Hubby's birthday cake was a <a href="http://detoxinista.com/2014/11/no-bake-peanut-butter-cup-pie-vegan/" target="_blank">peanut butter cup</a> pie. It was the first time I made this particular recipe and I was skeptical about the filling but after licking the spoon and then the bowl, I knew it was a winner. I will be making it again. <br />
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On the training front- I have to confess, things have been pretty sporadic. I feel like I am just not on my feet again and recovered from my cold. I am still blowing my nose endlessly and just feel so tired out a lot of the time. It has been just over 2 weeks and quite frankly, I am getting tired of being tired. I need my energy back. <br />
I had some nice runs and bike rides but they have been easy and I have stayed pretty close to home.<br />
<br />
I was pretty darn serious about running in the Spruce Woods Ultra held on May 13th but my daughter is in a major drama production "The Lion King" at school and they are performing that weekend so we will be opting out of the ultra this year. I was a bit unsure about it at first but was truly disappointed when I found out the date of the drama and knew that I couldn't run. The drama is typically the 3rd weekend in May so I had not even thought about it interfering. Oh well. With the way I have been feeling, sometimes things just work out the way they are supposed to right?<br />
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A couple days ago marked the anniversary of my daughter having her wisdom teeth removed. Normally, this isn't really an anniversary to remember but later that day (2 years ago) after the extraction, she lost consciousness and suffered a concussion that has had lasting effects. The worst of these effects has been chronic migraines. She has had a headache everyday since her concussion and usually about once every month or so, suffers with a severe migraine that takes up to a week to break. Interesting enough, she is in bed as I write this, waiting for the migraine to break. It has been painfully hard to see my child suffer and have to rearrange her goals and plans for post grade 12 and her future. We have sought out medical assistance in every imaginable way to find few answers and no solution to her headaches. Last year alone, we travelled almost 11 000 kms to attend various appointments. Only to really be told to give it time. <br />
A weird anniversary to think about and when she reminded me of it the other day, I told her I didn't want to talk about it or think about it. It was a horrible time and I still can't think of that 24 hours of stitches, ambulance rides, testing and her unbearable agony without getting really upset. I try to forget and here she is asking me to remember. I began to understand that in her mind and those who have also suffered injury, loss, rehabilitation or other life changing event, the anniversary marks something very special. She has had to fight really hard. Lots of appointments, constant road blocks and dead ends. Not to mention the loss of friends (who don't understand), the loss of her planned future and the loss of the the joy of young adulthood. It has been a real roller coaster. And somewhere deep inside, she has had to dig real deep, many, many times to stay positive and upbeat, to have patience and faith. The burden has been many times overwhelming and in her words she said "I have had a headache for 730 days but I have also been courageous, shown perseverance and been tested to my limits in those 730 days and I have survived." <br />
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So for those of you who are in the trenches and those fighting along side their loved ones- don't give up, stay strong and celebrate the victory of courage and determination. I think I will take her flowers and a Dairy Queen blizzard tonight and tell her how proud I am of her.<br />
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Hope you have a great day!Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-90693447650394864262017-04-24T11:29:00.000-07:002017-04-24T11:29:05.421-07:00My Happy PlaceIt is April 24th and it is snowing here today 😩 and it is really windy and cold and it's Monday and I am really tired from a long weekend of cleaning and moving furniture and ......<br />
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It's not only during events that I need to dig deep and show determination, be positive and thankful and take each moment as it comes. <br />
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Sometimes life feels tough and you need to say your mantra a few hundred times.<br />
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So I go to my happy place. A spot that makes me feel free, content and alive. A place that makes me smile.<br />
<br />I have a few "happy" places. Some just in my memory and some in picture form. <br />
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So despite the external factors surrounding me today, this is where I am in my mind.<br />
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And I smile😃<br />
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<br />Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-88900847972179420592017-04-24T09:59:00.001-07:002017-04-24T09:59:59.427-07:00Recovery and What I Don't Know<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recovery is a tricky thing. Everyone's body reacts in different ways so how do we know exactly how to recovery properly from endurance activities.<br />
This is what I noticed, what I did and what I don't know about recovery.<br />
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Friday<br />
-marathon from 7 am-11 (UCAN, NUUN water and a bit of gatorade)<br />
-drank gatorade, chicken noodle soup and had a protein bar immediately after run<br />
-slightly swollen fingers part of the day<br />
-slept for an hour 12:30-1:30 (the real definition of tired and gross when the sleep happens before a shower)<br />
-protein bar and water right after nap<br />
-compression socks on the rest of the day<br />
-legs didn't feel sore but just a bit tired<br />
-supper of ham, potatoes and green beans<br />
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*My thoughts- I didn't drink enough water or fluids of any type or maybe it was that I was getting sufficient water but didn't have the correct electrolytes to be able to utilize the water (before, during and after event). Probably took in 32-40 oz when it should have been double that. The nap was good. Compression socks a good idea but could have brought compression tights. Should have ate more but didn't really have an appetite.<br />
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Saturday<br />
-slept really horribly the night before<br />
-legs hurt EVERYWHERE<br />
-very puffy eye lids and face but not swollen fingers<br />
-stairs were agony<br />
-walked 4 miles in the morning and 3 miles in the afternoon and walked in between while doing errands<br />
-compression socks again all day<br />
-less than my usual amount of food consumed but still no appetite but what I did eat was very nutrient rich (protein, good carbs, good fats)<br />
-drank water but didn't make a good enough effort to have the bottle right by my side always<br />
-extremely chapped lips<br />
-early to sleep<br />
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*Bad sleep negatively impacted my recovery but not within my control. By the evening, my legs were tired from all the walking but I am certain that walking (gentle cycling would have been better) was very beneficial to flushing out the lactic acid. Still didn't drink enough to offset the constantly running nose and the general fluid requirements of my body. But also still sure the balance of electrolytes and water is not what it should be. Not looking forward to how much I will be hurting the next day<br />
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Sunday<br />
-better sleep but cold even worse<br />
-amazingly legs not sore in the least, anywhere I squeezed had no tenderness, good range of motion, no tightness and good flexibility<br />
-4 mile walk<br />
-food wise same as Sat.: didn't eat much but choices were good foods<br />
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<b>Good Recovery Tips for Me </b><br />
-nap the day of big effort<br />
-fluid with electrolytes (I have to find the balance)<br />
-eat within 45 min after effort<br />
-nutrient dense food, lots of protein<br />
-easy walking or cycling (active recovery) for next 2 days after big effort<br />
-compression socks and tights for leg recovery<br />
-more sleep than usual at night<br />
-branch chain amino acid suppliment<br />
-vitamin C<br />
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<img src="http://onlineri.com/sites/default/files/u128/nutritionrecoveryonlineri.jpg" /><br />
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<b>What I Don't Know</b><br />
-why my eyelids get so puffy for a couple days after a big effort (has happened before to me)<br />
-why my finger get swollen many times while I am exercising (imbalance of what specifically and how to find the right combination)<br />
-why I seemed to be so dehydrated through the run and for days after (can blowing your nose a thousand times a day do that?) or was I over hydrated and my body couldn't utilize the water<br />
-sometimes after a run or bike, my legs will ache, not hurt but ache; I need to figure out what they aren't getting that they need<br />
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I found this neat chart (encouraging the consumption of milk after effort) that shows the role and purpose of some micro and macro nutrients. Thought it was interesting and gives me a starting place to find my balance.<br />
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<img height="480" src="https://image.slidesharecdn.com/presentation-120409012434-phpapp02/95/the-use-of-milk-as-a-postexercise-recovery-mechanism-5-728.jpg?cb=1334185617" width="640" /><br />
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I had hoped by thinking through what I did and felt I would be able to see what to do or not do a bit better but I still have some learning and investigating to do. <br />
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I tried Poweraide Zero when we were just recently in California and in the short 2 weeks of use, I had less swelling, bloating, aching legs etc and I did some long, pretty hard efforts many times. It seemed like it was a good choice for me to use for hydration. I was planning to use it before, during and after this marathon but we couldn't find it anywhere in the city. Maybe not available in Canada. Very disappointing but will look at the label online and try to match the ingredients and their proportions. <br />
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If you have any suggestions, tips, ideas or if this happens to you, please share.<br />
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<img height="293" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/1e/01/50/1e015016a266045808f3c301db60732d.jpg" width="400" />Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-22230532497266767502017-04-19T08:54:00.001-07:002017-04-20T11:15:08.093-07:00Angry Gopher Marathon Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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April 14, 2017<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I was toeing the line at 7 am as a minority in my tank top, arm warmers and shorts. Most people were wearing long sleeve shirts, pants, capris, jackets in some combination but a few others in shorts. It was +8 with a cool, strong wind and a possibility of rain. I know my run performance is hindered by my overdressing so I chose to try and dress appropriately for when I was warmed up running. Yes that meant I would be rather cold for the first couple miles.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I was a bit concerned about the head cold I was getting and my leg had been acting up for a couple weeks, but I had mapped out a race plan for myself and was trying to think as proactively as possible. I knew I could hold the paces I wanted. It would come down to how things played out as the miles progressed.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I waved to my cheering husband as I crossed the start line and was off for the first out and back of 5 miles. Not even a mile in I realized my hand held bottle of UCAN was still in his jacket pocket. I was wearing his coat to stay warm until the start and forgot to take it with me. Obviously, this was gong to mess up my (very professional) race plan but I figured out plan B and went with it. I didn't need fuel until mile 6 anyway. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP2voBUjzrxJvWyTthEISjYhR_acQbZI8jaCUkgTNAXsfokphDxOCqwemyRk-h30NoP_OcFBvMFK3jy8S86IkG24_4M7iaD-oV0ykeiq2xniigvl-CT75w5huLfcLRJ8sekzGZerS-U8/s1600/IMG_4864+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFP2voBUjzrxJvWyTthEISjYhR_acQbZI8jaCUkgTNAXsfokphDxOCqwemyRk-h30NoP_OcFBvMFK3jy8S86IkG24_4M7iaD-oV0ykeiq2xniigvl-CT75w5huLfcLRJ8sekzGZerS-U8/s400/IMG_4864+%25282%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My professional race plan showing directions to race start, morning breakfast, time schedule, nutrition plan and pace plan. </td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Relax, stand straight, run, check my pace. Over and over. It is hard to get into your groove in the beginning because everyone wants to really giver. Full and half marathoners started at the same time so a lot of different paces represented in the couple hundred participants. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Just over 140 half runners, just over 40 full runners.</span><br />
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The Course:<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The course started on the north side of Wascana park. The first out and back was 5 miles in length and returned to the starting point to continue on to the second 8 mile out and back. Repeat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><img src="https://gopherattack.com/img/blog/2013/f345030c3cede144f255077accc05da1.jpg" /><br />
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The Game Plan:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">My goal was to keep my pace at 9 min miles for miles 1-3. I was under my goal pace at each mile but not by a lot so I was happy with that. The turn around for first out and back was 2.5 miles in. There was an aid station w water and Gatorade. I didn't stop. This out and back was toward and around the university of Regina. Quiet streets, quite a few turns to keep things interesting.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">From mile 3-18 I planned to pace at 8:45-8:50 min miles. This was closer to what I seemed to be running anyway so I just kept it up. Surprisingly as I turned the corner to run past the start/finish to start the second out and back, I saw Terry. He ran with me a bit asking how things felt. I told him I needed the bottle in his pocket and was glad he stuck around. He brought his bike and was planning to ride around a bit and plan to meet me back at the start/finish when I started the last out and back at mile 18.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I was fueled up ready to tackle the next out and back of 8 miles. There was a ton of corners in this part, some without volunteers so I tried hard to remember where I was going as I knew this loop included all the half runners so there would always be someone to follow but next loop would be very quiet.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I was feeling good at the turn around, 4 miles into this out and back. It had been lightly raining since quite soon after starting and though I wasn't cold (though I was asked that numerous times) I was decently damp. Thank goodness for the blister protect on the feet and body glide on the body. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Terry then appeared on his bike, offered his encouragement and Nuun water or UCAN. I finished my hand held bottle of UCAN and gave it to him to carry. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> I carried on alone on the second lap of first 5 mile out and back with plans still to meet up for the last 8. I continued to feel pretty good, held pace consistently and generally have no troubles.</span><br />
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And the wheels fell off:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I know any endurance activity will have ups and downs. It is to be expected to be riding waves one moment and sometimes in the next to be dragged down by the undertow. And so it happened just like that. Mile 16 was great, 17 was tough. Just all of a sudden it felt like I couldn't breath, my chest was in a vise being squeezed. I met up with Terry a mile later and was still really struggling to breath. We kept going, hoping the rough patch would pass. Mile 20, I stopped briefly at the bushes thinking I was going to vomit and by mile 22, I was weaving and unsteady. I downed 2 cups of Gatorade at the mile 22 aid station, still hoping I would snap out of this mean streak. There was emotion tucked just beneath the surface once I realized I was not going to make my goal time but now a finish was the goal, and I continued to run.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The last 1/2 mile stretch before the finish was a welcomed sight but the disappointment so strong, I could taste it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Line crossed 4:07.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> Lap 1 time 1:55</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> Lap 2 time 2:12.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Goal time under 3:55.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">18 great miles pace 8:40-9:00 min mile</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">8 tough miles pace 9:00-11:00 min mile</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">A medal placed around my neck and we headed in to grab a drink. I drank 3 glasses of Gatorade and 2 water immediately then had 2 cups of chicken noodle soup. We sat for about 10 min then headed to the vehicle as I was now getting cold and I certainly didn't want to get chilled. I changed shirts in the car, put on the seat heater and covered with a blanket.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Back at the apartment, I slept off and on for the next hour before showering and going out with the kids.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">So what went wrong? I have had a few days to consider this and my conclusion is 2 things.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">1. My cold was worse than I thought. I have suffered the past couple days with a very tight chest, constant running nose, congestion, sneezing and a horrible cough. My hope it doesn't get worse. Running 26 miles didn't help but considering NOTHING got me out of the rough patch leads me to believe it was something I could not control. I wasn't mental, it was physical.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">2. From the little I have peed throughout Friday- Sunday, it appears I was dehydrated. I thought I was well-hydrated going into it but the evidence points shows otherwise.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">My husband asked what would have happened if he wasn't there for the final 8 miles? I think he thinks I fell apart a bit because he was there and maybe if he wasn't I would have done better. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I don't know. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> I know my mental tenacity can improve but I also know I was very confident I could accomplish this goal and though I don't usually count seconds and minutes in my endurance events, I had a plan and was very determined. I was expecting to dig deep and I knew how I was going to handle it. I was expecting a sore leg, blister, etc. not this kind is head swimming, chest squeezing stuff.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">So all in all, I am proud of myself. This wasn't my race to meet my goal but I did my best and being a person of faith means I know when the time is right, it will happen. It feels to me like the things that caused the bus to lose its wheels were kinda out of my control. Everything is a learning experience. I yearn for adventure and I had one that morning. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">For the final few miles my husband kept repeating that the day couldn't be any better for him; a great run in a beautiful city with nice people with his woman on Good Friday.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbVo0wRzLocyTFE2xK6eHYB4CI7L2_fwmB_NS_q2ff4lzw4Ef9ho0Lt9mjIizfTPr4k5HfoPCJCBDgslPutt3x_rYvfFntm4MMPpQpKRoMDd50qVRtpx9oro7CRIgIhpUN-2OeMXNlgE/s1600/Lesley+Angry+gopher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbVo0wRzLocyTFE2xK6eHYB4CI7L2_fwmB_NS_q2ff4lzw4Ef9ho0Lt9mjIizfTPr4k5HfoPCJCBDgslPutt3x_rYvfFntm4MMPpQpKRoMDd50qVRtpx9oro7CRIgIhpUN-2OeMXNlgE/s640/Lesley+Angry+gopher.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">We don't always reach our goals in our first attempt and I will be considering if I have the time, venue and physical capability to try again. My first thoughts are to try in September (got venue and it's a good time) but I will see how the next few months go with my other events. </span>Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003648147021796094.post-848877917878264862017-04-17T13:15:00.000-07:002017-04-17T13:15:17.237-07:00I Did It and I Didn'tHappy Monday!<br />
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Marathon done!😊<br />
<img height="200" src="https://alloflifesquestions.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/photo-285.jpg" width="200" /><br />
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But the time goal I wanted not done😞 I did my best but it wasn't in the cards.<br />
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Best wishes for those running Boston Marathon today. Wish I could say that was going to be me next year but not yet. Still thinking about whether I want to try again to qualify in the next few months or not. Race recap coming tomorrow. <br />
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Have a seriously awesome day!!Lesleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13245452883703605721noreply@blogger.com0