Happy Weekend!

DYN-O-MITE!

I'll be running with a few friends from downtown up to Grouse Mountain and then doing the Grind after. Can't wait! Join us! 8am meet at Georgia and Denman. We'll do a nice slow pace up to Grouse Mountain. Take a break at Starbucks. Meet some more people at the base of the Grind at 10am and head up the Grind.

Shit my husband says: Grouse Grind

Sunset at Grouse Mountain

After finishing the Grouse Grind, husband says,
"Now my co-worker can't bug me about not going to the gym!"
 "Oh? You went to the gym? You did 3 reps of some weights?"
"Oh, that's quaint."
"I just walked up a mountain!"

I think he was pretty happy with his accomplishment. From Couch to Cliff.

Timber wolf at Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife

Things I see on my running journeys: My first trail run

Pacific Spirit Park entrance

Apres my first trail run

I gotta thank Linda for taking me on my first trail run at Pacific Spirit Park. I loved the smell of the sweet, earthy air and the soft and often muddy trails. What a great run! Thanks Linda!

Things I see on my running journeys: Canada Day

Canada run top, check! 

Canada run cap, check!

Red Nike Frees to go with my Canada gear, check!

A giant Canadian beaver, check!

Canadian sled dogs hanging out, check! Ha, just kidding, they're not sled dogs but they are Canadian! Eh!

A run and chocolate chip pancakes

[12:07 PM] W: I'm thinking of doing a 10k on Canada Day in the trails at UBC :)))
[12:08 PM] W: (happy)
[12:31 PM] A: i'm thinking of sleeping in till noon and then eating pancakes with chocolate chips in them

Anyone running Run Canada Day? www.runcanadaday.com

So close to the finish!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I often feel guilty that my husband is always there to support me in my running journey. He's often with me at the start of the race, ready with backpack to take my extra clothes, water bottle, inhaler, etc. He's my personal bag check. He's often waiting with a funny sign somewhere along the race and sometimes he shows up at multiple spots to cheer me on! He's always waiting for me anxiously at the finish. He's also there to remind me that I shouldn't slack off today or no, today is a day for rest and my body needs it. He's always definitely there to make sure I get fed properly (because he wants to eat too!)

How do I get over the guilt? Well, I think something like this and start to sing in my lil' head, "Baby, I would run to you..." give a stronger kick and run a bit harder and bit faster.

Things I see on my running journeys: TC10K

New definition of a runners' high. From afar I thought it was a runner dressed as a palm tree but it looks like a few marijuana activists ran the TC10K too!

This weekend I ran the Times Colonist 10K in Victoria. What a great excuse for a nice weekend get-away! It was a great run. The race starts and finishes at the BC Parliament Buildings. What a grand way to start and end a race!

The last half was my favourite part of the race. It's a gradual climb from the 5km mark to around the 7km mark. This is where the crowds finally thinned out a little and I was able to pass a lot of people. I had spent the first 5km running into walls of walkers, people suddenly stopping and runners that run a much slower pace (but this is a fun run so it's a little annoying but expected) This portion of the course is also is along the seaside and passes Beacon Hill Park - so pretty!

Right around Oswego Street I heard music playing - Calvin Harris' "Feel So Close" and that made me feel so good because, Yes! I was so close! So close to finishing! Yaaaay! (I was so close to stopping and doing a little dancing right there!) But Andrew was waiting for me and I always feel a bit guilty that he's the one that wakes up early with me and waits for me at races (it's hard work being the support) so I just had to kick it a bit harder and get to him faster and finish! He met me at the finish with water, a fruit salad and coffee in his hands for me. What a great guy! I was so thankful for this as I couldn't even get anywhere close to the food and beverage tents at the finish. I finished at 55:07 with lots of energy to spare.

Point	Time	Time of Day	Pace
START	00:00:00	8:06:25 am	--
5K	00:28:00	8:34:25 am	05:36
8K	00:44:27	8:50:52 am	05:29
FINISH	00:55:07	9:01:32 am	05:21
		Avg. Pace	05:31