My daughter ran a 1.5 km cross country run this fall, and I enjoyed walking the route as volunteer. Preparing for that run, my daughter came home with a booklet called the Roadrunner Club, complete with tiny footprint badges that she could earn at intervals. This was such a popular idea that a few weeks ago it was opened up the parents too, and I was excited as a school kid to get my logbook.
Twenty-seven days later, I have earned two badges and run a grand total of forty-two kilometres. I like that number! I averaged 1.5 km per day, and ran ten times with an average run of 4.2 km. Most of that was in my nearby trail in Terra Cotta Park. Two of those runs involved me breaking in a pair of traction devices that attach to my runners. I had them all last winter, but never used them. This has been my first year running in the snow, and it feels great! You just have to remember to take them off before you cross the cleared pavement!
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Sunday, November 20, 2016
THE ANONYMITY OF CYBERSPACE (VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED)
I started this blog six years ago as a personal journal of things I loved: travel, food and unique experiences. Over the years it has been many things, but for the most part it has been random thoughts that I was expressing to the universe. It was a testimony of some of the beauty and richness of my life. If my house was robbed or burnt down in a fire, it was a safe place to leave a journal. If my daughter grew up and wanted to hear some of my thoughts in the past years, she could, like the rest of the universe, take the time to peruse a few or all of my entries.
This journal was a personal voyage, but one of its best features was its anonymity. My ex-husband, and my good friends may or may not read some of my entries, but they had the good sense to know that it was a private space for my thoughts to go. If they had been at the restaurant, or I had mentioned a topic I had blogged about they would comment. But mostly this was just me talking to myself.
That all changed this year when I had an argument with my parents. What used to be a relationship
of conversations about weather was now no longer enough. So my mom started to read my blog religiously. Maybe my dad too, but he had the good sense or not enough interest to follow along in anything but an appropriately cursory way. My mom, however, hung on ever word, and mistook my ranting as personal intimacy with her. So while our telephone conversations were brief and superficial, she would read my blog and mistake this for a change in our very superficial relationship.
I finally could not write any more, so I took the blog offline to only a private few, but that was unsatisfactory too. Now the thought of a stranger gathering strength or hope or enjoyment was no longer possible, and I still couldn't write. So I didn't for a while. But this act of babbling to the cyber universe is important for me. I enjoy it. It is one of my happy places.
My blog is not under my name. I have posted no photo of myself or daughter unless from behind. For the most part, the comments are rarely personal. I can't unfriend you like I can on Facebook or block you from reading this site, but do not mistake what I say here as a conversation we have had. What we talk about on the phone or in person is our relationship. If it is bad, that may be for a myriad of reasons, not least of which is how you are invading my privacy using this blog. Feel free to follow if you enjoy what a stranger has to say. But I am not talking to you personally, not do I want any comments about how great or terrible my personality or life is based on what I post here. Please respect my anonymity.
This journal was a personal voyage, but one of its best features was its anonymity. My ex-husband, and my good friends may or may not read some of my entries, but they had the good sense to know that it was a private space for my thoughts to go. If they had been at the restaurant, or I had mentioned a topic I had blogged about they would comment. But mostly this was just me talking to myself.
That all changed this year when I had an argument with my parents. What used to be a relationship
of conversations about weather was now no longer enough. So my mom started to read my blog religiously. Maybe my dad too, but he had the good sense or not enough interest to follow along in anything but an appropriately cursory way. My mom, however, hung on ever word, and mistook my ranting as personal intimacy with her. So while our telephone conversations were brief and superficial, she would read my blog and mistake this for a change in our very superficial relationship.
I finally could not write any more, so I took the blog offline to only a private few, but that was unsatisfactory too. Now the thought of a stranger gathering strength or hope or enjoyment was no longer possible, and I still couldn't write. So I didn't for a while. But this act of babbling to the cyber universe is important for me. I enjoy it. It is one of my happy places.
My blog is not under my name. I have posted no photo of myself or daughter unless from behind. For the most part, the comments are rarely personal. I can't unfriend you like I can on Facebook or block you from reading this site, but do not mistake what I say here as a conversation we have had. What we talk about on the phone or in person is our relationship. If it is bad, that may be for a myriad of reasons, not least of which is how you are invading my privacy using this blog. Feel free to follow if you enjoy what a stranger has to say. But I am not talking to you personally, not do I want any comments about how great or terrible my personality or life is based on what I post here. Please respect my anonymity.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
A GOAL WITHOUT A TIMELINE IS JUST A DREAM
September 3rd, 2001, I ran my first and only marathon. My training was not ideal, but I was young, and enjoyed running 10k on Mount Royal, and an occasional long run of 20K at most. My fitter less trained brother joined me in Saskatoon to run a tougher race than I had hoped, but we both came out with personal bests. The trail was beautiful. Unlike Saskatchewan's reputation of being flat, the trail was along the beautiful South Saskatchewan river over bridges and on my beloved Meewasin trail. To make it psychologically harder, the race was two identical loops, so that what we did the first time we had to repeat to finish. Despite being lapped by my brother, we were both proud of our accomplishment. His time was 3:36:54, finishing #9 in the 20-29 men category and #50 overall. Mine was 4:01:09, finishing #2 in the 20-29 women and #98 overall. I won a vest which I was very surprised by, but after the dust settled, I was bothered by the idea that had I run a little faster, I could have been on the other side of 4 hours. Since then I have been dream of repeating the race with a sub-four hour time. I have been dreaming this for over a decade.
As time passes, I wonder if there will be a moment that this may not be possible. So this fall I have set out a plan to run a marathon in September 2017. My current run is a total of 4.6 k, that is about half on the street, and half on a trail. My goal is to run on odd days, but so far it has been more like ever other odd day! Still, I am happy that my toe is entirely healed after 6 month of impatient waiting, and that my plantar fasciitis is burning out, making it possible with a brand new pair of Saucony runners to feel very little foot pain, at least until after the run! I have about twenty pounds to lose, and I will most likely have to be better trained this time around.
My goals are as follows:
4.6 km Terra Cotta run 3-4 times per week. When I am doing this consistently, I will run this 3x/week and will add a long run, increasing to 10k over 1-2 month.
then add in 6.5 km loop to Lakeshore (Pointe-Claire village to St. Jean) 3x/week with a long run, increasing from 10-20 k
then 10 km loop to Beaconsfield Yacht club 3x/week with long run increasing from 20-30 k until the week before the marathon, when I run terra cotta route.
I should be able to run a marathon if I can run for 2 hours and average 3-4 hours of running a week.
May 27, 2017 Xtrail (sutton) 6.5 trail (if I have managed to succeed AND do strenght traingin) vs
May 28, 2017 Scotiabank Ottawa 10k
Sept 24, 2017 Oasis Rock N Roll Montreal Marathon!!!!! (FASTER IN MY FORTIES)
Now, go for a run!
As time passes, I wonder if there will be a moment that this may not be possible. So this fall I have set out a plan to run a marathon in September 2017. My current run is a total of 4.6 k, that is about half on the street, and half on a trail. My goal is to run on odd days, but so far it has been more like ever other odd day! Still, I am happy that my toe is entirely healed after 6 month of impatient waiting, and that my plantar fasciitis is burning out, making it possible with a brand new pair of Saucony runners to feel very little foot pain, at least until after the run! I have about twenty pounds to lose, and I will most likely have to be better trained this time around.
My goals are as follows:
4.6 km Terra Cotta run 3-4 times per week. When I am doing this consistently, I will run this 3x/week and will add a long run, increasing to 10k over 1-2 month.
then add in 6.5 km loop to Lakeshore (Pointe-Claire village to St. Jean) 3x/week with a long run, increasing from 10-20 k
then 10 km loop to Beaconsfield Yacht club 3x/week with long run increasing from 20-30 k until the week before the marathon, when I run terra cotta route.
I should be able to run a marathon if I can run for 2 hours and average 3-4 hours of running a week.
May 27, 2017 Xtrail (sutton) 6.5 trail (if I have managed to succeed AND do strenght traingin) vs
May 28, 2017 Scotiabank Ottawa 10k
Sept 24, 2017 Oasis Rock N Roll Montreal Marathon!!!!! (FASTER IN MY FORTIES)
Now, go for a run!
Friday, November 4, 2016
81 OF MY FAVOURITE ACTIVITIES
1 Kayak
2 Walk on the mountain
3 Boardwalk at Ile Bizard
4 Museum exhibit
5 Botanical gardens
6 Rock climbing
7 Movie
8 Hiking
9 McGill basketball
10 Riders football
11 MTL Canadians at sports bar or live
12 Ice skating
13 Ballet
14 Theatre/opera
15 Jazz festival
16 Guitar hero
17 Dance mania
18 Ballroom dancing
19 Yoga
20 Cooking class
22 Fly a mini kite on a beach
23 Settlers of catan or Cranium with a crowd
24 Metro stop exploration
25 Tennis
26 Cross country ski
27 Spa
28 Down hill ski
29 Watch sunrise/sunset
30 Read a book/ go to book club
31 Playground
32 Bus tour
33 Karaoke
34 Paint/al fresco painting
35 Bowling
36 Bake and bring to work
37 Rooftop pool in the winter
38 Crossword puzzle
39 Paddleboat
40 Segue
41 Toboggan
42 “Activity Triathlon” e.g. foosball, pac-man, pizza or skating, connect four, m and m’s
43 Board games
44 University tour
45 Comedy club
46 Soup kitchen/feed the homeless
47 Wine tasting
48 Bookstore/coffee
49 Drive in
50 Fair rides
51 Email/text someone
52 Picnic
53 Get caught in the rain
54 Stargaze
55 Walk a neighbourhood
56 Rollarblade
57 Camp/s’mores
58 Golf
59 Write poetry/songs
60 Treasure hunt/geocache
61 Visit a sacred place (church, cemetery)
62 Surprise someone
63 Go out with family
64 Go out with friends
65 Reno something
66 Plant a garden
67 Train for an event
68 Go on a trip and make a photo journal
69 Drive and stop spontaneously
70 Waterslide park
71 Visit a zoo/aquarium
72 Massage
73 Firing range
74 Craft
75 Tour Montreal like its another country
76 Laser quest
77 Oka hike and ferry/Hike Sutton, White Mountains, etc etc etc
78 Watch a storm come in
79 Find a view
80 Snorkel
81 Swim
78 Watch a storm come in
79 Find a view
80 Snorkel
81 Swim
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