Winter Cross training, eh?

Last week after a huge dump of snow, we decided to go snowshoeing for my friend's birthday. As we go closer and closer to Saturday, those darn Chinooks came in and gobbled up our snow. Fearful of having to mudshoe, we waited until the last minute to rent and then headed way out of town to Kananaskis. After nearly an hour of driving on dry pavement past brown grass towards what looked like snowless mountains, we finally saw the white stuff...

We did a 4.5K loop of Hogwarts in the Peter Lougheed Provincial Park and it was glorious! The sun was shining, it was warm enough to skip jackets and there was about 4 feet of snow to tromp around in.

I'm not kidding about the 4 feet of snow

So far so good...most of us go the shoes on...

Climbing this hill = exhausting

Jumping in showshoes is way harder than in regular shoes

Total success! We stayed on the correct path (a first), met a lot of fun snowshoers and dogs, got in a great workout, and ate a LOT of Butterfinger easter eggs. I didn't realize how much work it was until we were done and I realized how sore I already was...it took a couple of days to recover, but I can't wait to go again sometime!

Everybody! Socks! Socks! Socks-socks-socks!

So Palm Springs was a complete success!  It was gorgeous and sunny and I managed to get up at 730 on a Sunday to run 5K in the desert before the thermometer hit a billion. It sure was a refreshing change to run beside cactusaii and sand without a coat on, even if my persistent cough slowed us up a little.  Our post-run Jack in the Box breakfast sandwiches never tasted so good!

We also went to the outlet mall and Target, where I got all sorts of deals (on non-running shoes) and a pack of sports socks that have turned out to be totally awesome...padded in the right places, absorbent, and with those little thingies on them that keep them from slipping down into your shoe while ensuring you don't get a funny ankle tan if you run in them all summer. Plus I got a range of colors in the pack---OK, black, white and grey are colors, it just means I don't have to throw white socks in with dark loads all the time...

Came home to back-to-back dumps of snow, so we were forced onto the treadmill a few times. This means we did some speedwork AND hillwork in an effort to not die of boredom. Hey, look at us, we sound like we're training for something!

In like a lion...

We're at the end of the first week and still totally keen!  We ran three times this week-once on the treadmill and twice outside...in the morning, in the dark, in the snow, by the airport...with a few walking breaks.  But we did it! Winter here in YYC has been unseasonably warm, but both runs this week were in -10C through icy shoulders of the service road or the unplowed running path of the NE. Chilly, but it sure felt nice to be back out there...

Yeah, but I'm still blowing him off this weekend...

Still, I'm heading to Palm Springs for the weekend to catch some REAL sun and enjoy the 25C they're forcasting for the weekend. I'm bringing my running stuff, so I'm going to get in at least one run somewhere warm, sunny and at sea level, which should certainly help with my training! Plus since I'll be near a Target AND an outlet mall, I'd say the chances of buying some snappy new running gear are pretty good...

Can't wait to see you Mr Sun!

Happy Leap Day!

According to a study conducted by Harvard in the late  70's, new graduates who wrote down their goals and plans to accomplish them were something like a bazillion times richer and more successful than those who did not. I'm starting to think that this is true. If I write something down I am WAY more likely to stick to it than just saying or thinking it. So here goes my LEAP!!

In 2012, I am going to run FOUR Half Marathons. We've been searching for suitable options and here are a few of the really fun looking ones...

-Calgary or Edmonton Half Marathon (TBD)
-Kelowna Half Marathon (TBD)
-Chicago Rock and Roll Half Marathon
-Lululemon's SeaWheeze
-Nike Women's Half Marathon (TBD)
-Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon

We're trying to space them out every couple of months which should hopefully keep us in shape and motivated all year long. We're also trying to find a balance between "fun" and "affordable"...I recently figured out I spent over $500 on race fees last year, to say nothing of the trips I took to get there! But I just can't say no to those awesome Disney races!

Any suggestions?

Even though it's nearly March, this is like a New Year's Resolutions list of sorts.

1. Start blogging about running again (check!)

2. Pick a few runs to do this year to keep us motivated (check!)

3. Start running.....*crickets, crickets*

Yes, it's been months since any updates, and the truth is, there hasn't really been any. Pretty much a full stop on running, and I for one have filled that void with pizza. Needless to say, taking up running again won't be easy....but I'm happy to report Princess Chris and I went for our first run together this year yesterday at the Reservoir in spite of -5C, snow and howling winds. While it might not have been the most pleasant run ever, it sure felt good to be back on track and getting some running goals together for the year. Yes, it was a very difficult 5K as we gasped along the icy trail, but we DID IT. And we have concrete plans to run twice so far this week. And compared to so far this year, that's a pretty good start.