Tag Archives: trail running

it’s baaaaaccckkkkk! thursday night trail running :D

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last night was the return of TNT runs! I truly love the trails around the Comox Valley but I am too nervous to run them alone…we do have cougars after all ;) 94608comox09A2cougar3x2_5cmyk

the weather could not have been better for the 1st night out, sunny and 10 degrees celsius and boy did we ever have a great turn out. I would estimate 70 people of all levels of running. I started out in group two, 2nd to slowest pace, with 12 other runners and managed 2.5K then realized that I was tiring too quickly. lucky for me group 1 was right behind us and I let the leader know I was dropping back<–extremely important that they know you’re dropping out as they do a head count at least once during the run and do not want to be worried/looking for you!!!

group one was a group of 3 men and at first I was a bit intimidated/shy…that quickly went away as these fellas were very nice! we spent a lot of time recapping our various runs/races and memories of those. two of the guys had done half’s and the other just started running this past January. I must say I really enjoyed the run and the pace was perfect for me. we talked injuries<–all runners do that right? ;) and ego’s and how that quickly gets thrown out as you realize your limitations!! ;)

i am very pleased with my time and comfort level. I had a great social after a trying day and released all the stress that was making my body feel like it was seizing up. a run, or any workout for that matter is a remarkable stress reliever!!!002

i so look forward to next Thursday’s run and if you’re local? well, get your runners on and meet us at Nymph Falls no later than 5:45!

do you trail run too?

 

in health

denise ♥

 

RECAP: Perseverance Trail Run 2012

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Signed up for the 10.5K…sciatica pain + not running much = switching to the 3K…then race day arrived and I was feeling good…switched back to the 10.5K!!! hahahha oh well, I never said I was great at making plans. In fact I suck at making plans!

YAY! 10.5K of fun :)

The day before the race I thought long and hard about how unsatisfied I would be if I ran the 3K. I ran it 2 years in a row and it’s over before I can enjoy it! So, on Sunday morning I picked up a runner friend and discussed it and decided to make the big switch. Thank goodness the organizers allowed it! :)

The best part about this race? I was not one bit nervous! Nope, notta! I am usually fretting about how hard it’ll be, or what if I come in last or any of the other silly, possible mishaps that us runners can come up with.

The vibe at the beginning of the race was, as always, positive and energetic :) . Once we were on our way, the only sound that could be heard was the crunching of 185 sets of trail running feet crunching on gravel, making their way up the trail for what would turn out to be basically 5K of uphill to the summit. The trails were very well-marked so my initial fear of getting lost were quickly dismissed. The trails were very narrow for most of the race and I pretty much stayed with the same people for the first 5-6K.

The view was spectacular at the top…the sun showed its face for a short time, just enough for me to take in the beautiful panorama of our gorgeous Valley. Then it was a mean decline with very steep areas!!!

Whoosh…by 7K my knees were starting to give me trouble. I seriously considered dropping out at 8K as they were really aching but I changed my landing to the balls of my feet rather than the hard land on my heels. It did make a difference for me but the last 2K were pretty taxing. Trail running can be pretty technical and steep decline trail running is even more so!

Almost at the end of the race the organizers thought it was a good idea to have a Halloween bat hanging from a tree…this is my reaction lol ;)

it’s good to laugh at yourself hahaha ;)

I have to admit it gave me a fright and a very good belly laugh as well :)

As I approached the finish line, after an hour and 37 mins of running, all I could think about is how I tend to limit myself by thinking I can’t do something when really I can! I was very proud of myself for doing what is known as a very challenging trail run and my finish time was 1:38! This was a goal for me, to complete the 10.5K race, as I have only ever done the 3K Perseverance for the last 2 years.

That’s it for now. My next race will be the Comox Valley Road Runner’s Jingle Bell Fun Run in December unless I can find a race nearby for November.

do you trail run?

what is your preference…trail or road running?

in health

Denise ♥

GutBuster recap and My 1st Virtual Fun Run!!!

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So I had my first GutBuster experience this past weekend and it did almost bust my GUT! haha. I had an awesome drive down with another runner, talking up a storm and arrived to the event nice and early. By the time we got our bibs and chatted with a few people it was time to line up. I love the excitement you feel at the start line of a race. Runner’s nervous energy is infectious and really pumps you up to race.

so many happy people :)

Now, it’s one thing to be told it is an uphill climb from the start and quite another to actually have to do it! The first 1.4K was pretty much straight uphill a residential road then it was into the trail for an easy 1/2K then bammo, uphill and I mean uphill! lol I was seriously questioning my sanity and even convinced myself that I was pulling out of the next GB race in July because this was hard. I walked…a lot! I even considered not finishing for a millisecond. At the 3K point I fell smack onto both knees and since it was on a slight decline I did the old fall into gravity shoulder roll. OUCH! I bounced up, checked for blood and kept going. I looked at my Garmin watch at one point and saw that I was already 4.5K into the 9K race and was so surprised and happy that I was half way through. I then felt my positive energy return and started to just have fun.

feeling good here :)

Once I convinced myself that there is no shame in walking up the steep sections, I relaxed more and enjoyed the scenery which included an amazing waterfall. At 6K I was greeted by the angels holding cups of liquid gold aka volunteers with water ;) . Water never tasted so refreshing! The next 3K was a nice, easy downhill run where I picked up a lot of speed and bombed down to the same 1.4K asphalt road we started on. I felt like I was flying and my quads felt like they were on fire!

I finished the race with a time of 1:09 which I am happy with considering I was aiming for 1:30 :) . Gotta love that! I didn’t place in my age group but guess what? I won a prize…a North Face tech running T. Oh, and I won’t be pulling out of the next GutBuster race in July ;)

:) I won a door prize! :)

Next up? Well I signed up for a ‘Welcome to Summer’ Virtual Fun Run  5K/10K put on by running loving living. There are awesome prizes to be won and all you have to do is go to her website at http://networkedblogs.com/yToHI to sign up. I even printed up a bib:I will probably run the 5K on the weekend, you have from june 18 to June 25 to run it, and submit my time and cross my fingers that I win a prize ;) This is such an awesome idea and I am happy I follow her on FB and found out about it. I’ll keep you posted on my result!

 

I thank every volunteer I pass on the race route…do you?

have you ever participated in a Virtual Run?

in racing and health

Denise ♥

Photographer 1st 3 pics – https://www.facebook.com/denophoto?ref=ts

GutBuster webpage – https://www.facebook.com/denophoto?ref=ts

 

 

 

Running for the high of it :)

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Anyone who runs knows what I mean when I say ‘runner’s high’. That feeling you get after a run that makes you think you can take on the world and win! The endorphins coursing through your brain that make you feel spectacular, energized and down right immortal. :) I love that feeling beyond anything and it’s one of the major reasons I lace up my runners.

Laced up and ready to burn rubber ;)

This past Sunday, to my complete surprise and delight, I got that runner’s high DURING my run! Usually I am coaching myself to finish the run…reminding myself how great I will feel when it’s over.
I went for a training run for the upcoming GutBuster 9K trail race I am doing on Sunday, June 17th and decided to do hill repeats along with my running. I started with a 1.4K run along the ocean :)

ready to coast along the coast ;)

Then I did 10 x hill repeats from 1.4K to 3.7K. The hill was 1/10th of a KM. I had planned to do just 6 repeats but I was feeling so amped that I had to keep going!

see? I burned rubber! lol

That hill is much steeper than it appears! After the repeats I finish off with another 1.3K along the ocean to make it an even 5K.

slower time because of the hill repeats ;)

The whole time I was running all I could think was how good I was feeling. :) I was feeling in awesome condition during the repeats and it gave me the confidence to look forward to the Trail competition with excitement rather than dread. I must add that it sure does help to live in such a scenic part of Canada. It gave me such joy to hear the crash of the waves- I take my ear buds out when I run along the ocean- and to look up and see eagles circling in the sky. Kayakers were slipping their kayaks into the water, other runners were running, families were looking for treasures along the shore and several sailboats dotted the horizon.

beautiful :)

After this epic run, I went home to have a delicious recovery shake

skim milk, natural PB, frozen berries, avocado, greens and banana

and enjoyed the rest of the long, lazy Sunday with my husband, runner’s high and all.  :)

where do you like to run?

have you had the runner’s high during a run? or always after?

in running and health

Denise ♥

**Researchers at the Technische Universität München and the University of Bonn succeeded in demonstrating the existence of an ‘endorphin driven runner’s high’. In an imaging study they were able to show, for the first time, increased release of endorphins in certain areas of the athletes’ brains**

GutBuster!!!, Fresh halibut-Dockside, CPR ♥

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I must be out of my mind! I just hit send to register for the Gutbuster 9K short course! These are trail runs that apparently bust your gut?! I am doing the Ladysmith one which, I have been told is the least painful of them all. Not sure what the elevation will be but it will be gruelling!
http://www.gutbustertrailrun.com/
I can’t wait to do this especially after getting the confidence boost I needed from the 10K last Sunday. :) What’s the worst that could happen?

!!!

Last week-end we went down to the dock and bought fresh halibut. Oh Man was it good. I love to buy fresh as often as possible and this was just hours old.

Halibut!

It is so neat to see the fisher who caught the fish in the morning, slickly fillet the fish in the afternoon so that we could cook it in the evening!

:)

Next up was to prepare it in a way that kept the wonderful freshness apparent while adding a little zip to it. I used a recipe from Janet and Greta Podleski’s Looneyspoons Collection,https://www.facebook.com/JanetandGreta?ref=ts, and it was perfect.

Ingredients

> in a small bowl mix 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, and 2 tsp’s horseradish

Pistachios!

>grind 1/3 cup shelled pistachio’s

>in another bowl: add the pistachio, 3/4 fresh bread crumbs, 1/4 parmesan cheese-grated, 1 tbsp parsley(i didn’t have any), 1/2 tsp lemon zest, dash salt/pepper. mix together.

>add wet mixture and…mix until just moistened.

>set fish onto parchment lined pan and press crust onto tops of each. Drizzle melted butter (I used 1tbsp) sparingly onto each fillet. Bake for 12-15 mins then broil for 1 1/2 to 2 mins to crisp crust.

fresh Halibut with Pistachio crust

I guarantee you will be making this more than once! ♥

This recipe was shared at http://www.ameessavorydish.com/ for her Fit and Fabulous friday #34 :)

I also did my recertification for CPR for Health Care Workers. I may need it to resuscitate myself after OR during the Gutbuster race!

Have a fit and happy day. Until next time…

in health

Denise ♥

 

 

 

Pamper yourself sometimes…it feels healthy ♥

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Another week has flown by! Time sure does pass quickly doesn’t it? I had a great week of good, healthy food. Tried new recipes from my new cook book The Looneyspoons Collection by Janet and Greta Podleskihttps://www.facebook.com/JanetandGreta?ref=ts.

"Eggplant Hollywood"

Decided to put yoga back into my fitness routine and I must say this a very good way to slow down your mind.

Had a fantastic trail run last night which seemed to be all uphill! (I’m in the purple) which was capped off with a beer in a local pub with new friends. :) I'm in the purple :)
and enjoyed a few Bodyrock.TV workouts. http://www.bodyrock.tv/

Then today I decided to get my eyebrows waxed for the first time…ouch! When I was there the esthetician asked if I had considered getting my eyebrows tinted!?! She said that it helps give the eyes a more youthful appearance…OK I am not very vain but I am turning 47 next week and she had me at ‘youthful’ ;)  But, ummm, I am so not a girly girl that I had never even considered that this was a ‘thing’ to do. I’m not that tomboyish that I don’t color my hair…that I do, but eyebrows? After carefully considering the cost…$18…I decided what the heck, sure, go ahead! I am usually very sane when it comes to money and don’t indulge too often in ‘extras’ so I felt I could afford to do this. I am happy to report that it does look good and I do appear more ‘youthful’…lol. Call it psycho-samatic, whatever, it made me feel good. That’s when I started thinking that sometimes we need to pamper ourselves, ‘girly-girl’ or not! I don’t mean that you have to go to a spa and spend oodles of cash you may not have…please, no credit card bill, but even something as simple as the eyebrow wax and/or tinting. If this is still out of your price range or you simply do not want to spend money on this type of thing, there are plenty of at home treats we can do for ourselves. I for one color my own hair as I cannot justify spending $100 + on a color. I also will buy those single pack face masks occasionally or have a good old fashioned soak in the tub. Whatever it is I think it’s important to slow ourselves down and pause in our life to give ourselves a moment to enjoy just ‘me-time’. Our world is a bit crazy these days and I fear we are spinning out of control, so jumping out of the fray is more important than ever. We know we will be pulled right back into the insanity so why not indulge for an hour!

how do you pamper yourself?

in relaxation and health

Denise ♥