Those special days

Tomorrow shall I see it? Most likely and it will be an adventure, as they all are now. 4 years ago today my program of recovery from addiction started to work, it was actually easy, compared to life before, it took work, change and most of all help.  Today I offer that help back, free.  3 years ago I was re integrating into my family, lost a couple more friends kind of a trend unfortunately. Went on the most amazing hike life couldn't get better really, or could it. 2 years ago I stood a small crowd who knew by now I had cancer and on the 28th would go for a scan that revealed a source. 1 year ago I cant really remember that well but the outcome was pretty good and in my favor, I had even run a race for fun, need to show I was getting my health back, my brain was a little slower responding. So tomorrow who knows today right now I am healthy, amazed with life and my body, running and lots of yoga has given me something that proves change is possible, and everyone and anyone its possible, even if its a miracle because I know a miracles happen!

Face life head on!

That's with your head on, ON, not on mute, not on numbed, ON!

Not doing a very good job of keeping it updated.

Life is my foot on the mend, trying to find balance, mental emotional physical and spiritual balance. Its about life now so precious and beautiful. I realize so much after getting my health back, I have no real shoulder pains unless i aggravate it, and ive been running, doing yoga, and about to add swimming to my roster. But the beauty of having motion back and having had a taste even tho many years ago it rekindled fast. I have a passion for human powered and taking care of my body which is what gets me around. And a good brainwashing with a solid program to keep me leveled, so ive alot to share.  Writting on here I wish were as easy as my journal,  will try again.  Ive got alot of distance planned for the summer and alot of work to do between now and spring. Dont forget...and eat your veggies!

Ive been asked to keep this blog updated so...

Alot,s been going on, and I like to journal so a blog is redundant, except for sharing and exploring, something im always doing.

Recently a sore foots kept me from running, at the same time the EMR course has captivated my attention, it was really tough, i did well on paper and the practical is Monday.

Running came with a sweet unexpected gift, a award for trail runner of the year from Ceevacs  Cowichan Valley Athletics, pretty sweet, I thought considering ive had more bad days at the race than good, its gets better all the time.

Whys my foot sore and the Victoria Goodlife Marathon

Wow this sore foot stuff is a real pain and I am struggling letting it heal, oddly it does not hurt at all on the road so I can at least run still, will see how to sort this out maybe a trip to docs and to physiologist. Thinking about getting a couch, cant hurt and right now a lil input will help if I can pay attention and do the work.

I pulled off the Victoria Goodlife marathon and finished 5hr 11 min, I did not eat proper day of and kinda bonked but not used to that type of running on the pavement but its 11 minutes slower that what i hoped for so next years goal a sub 4:30:00 marathon.

Finlayson Arm 100 or 53.8 which ever comes first

I am having trouble even writing about this one, super awesome race, everything about is was amazing, except me, my lungs oh yea I'm gonna run 100km with the nastiest cough, I ever so tried denying, by 5km I knew I was having troubles that weren't gonna go away, maybe they wouldn't get any worse, which they didn't but it brought a whole new world of trouble, most of which I tried to ignore, night running helped, knowing the next aid station was in reach maybe and well death had a good lead on me by the half way point and I knew I was done. So tail between my legs I sulked off home. And to the Dr's Monday for Anti biotics. I just ain't that tough!

I don't have alot of pictures from this race and seem to have lost the one of the guy who dressed as the Grim Reaper, at the 5k he was behind me yelling my name was starting to appear on his list I was coughing so much.

Silly me!

I used to feel like I was running to death, just so I could run from death.

Today I ran with death!

2019 Black Spur Ultra 54k

Well one thing I'm finding with racing is the total lack of photos. Oh well eh!

So this was a pretty important race to me because it had alot of personal bests in it and alot if knowledge was gained. A new respect for my body, grateful to have discovered this sport at a time when the competitive nature has nothing to do with winning and if there is a podium it's just a bonus that leaves me wondering where all the fast ones are, being in the 55yr old group competition, well I'm a mid pack runner who does it for fun and health not competition, the competition environment is the toughest training run with others and what really draws me to it it ??? Because I can, because it's there, because my body sayes it can and because they said it would be fun.

I dont even know how to describe this even, beautiful, not super technical, great mix, also my first ultra.  I was looking for another event as one I had entered got canceled, internets a great place to stumble across things. So I entered.

I started way back in the pack as I figured it would help me slow my pace in the begining. I've only run if I'm lucky 28 to 30kms by this time, so alot of new ground would be explored inside and out. And after 55 years theres still a hell fo alot to discover both inside and out, and that made for a very entertaining run. Back of the pack yes that's right, pacing with the crowd, passing people,  fun.  And chatting for a bit  and even getting past, it takes a bit to sort itself out and I don't think it does but the whole process again, very entertaining. And a bonus for me is listening to people share their knowledge and bits of there story, the bonus part is their secrets are always pretty much new to me or at least good reminders.

Another thing for me as far as entertainment in a run is the dreamy state, where my mind drifts off, usual trying to pace back a bit, then not paying attention my body goes for the lazy approach to stride efficiency, or dust regard of, till my toes hits a rock and I wake up from said daydream entering crash protocols.  Only once this race.

The second loop was a faster loop and less elevation, I had finished up loop one more comfortable going fast downhill again and this would  also help me in loop two, I really did not know how much energy to use up or how to use it but I added a little bit more speed work to it overall, or so it seemed,

Loop 3 favored the fast approach as it was down to the lowest point of the race and then back up, a seemingly gentle climb, I favor the climbs, my heel by this time didn't, blister management during the race paid off as did knowing loop three was not only well into personal record mileage, but also put a finish line in a very attainable reach.

I never had to use my drop bag, I fueled with what I carried and at the aid stations, my water consumption was about 5l  and a lot of that was in loop 3. I went a little harder here and there throughout the race but tried to back off and save the miracle for the third loop, by the 3rd loop it was a miracle I was still moving.

The finishers Spur and a Beer printed with my name and 9:18:59

My first Ultra: Black Spur Ultra 54km  9hrs 18min 59sec, it was also the Canadian Trail Running National Championship race and had some of Canada's fastest 50k runners,  I gratefully showed up 70thish of the 120ish runners.

After race excitement!

Crowsnest 100 -10 or so

It's really difficult writing about a
100 km mountain bike race when I only finished 90km and why not the last 10km. To me it seemed at the time a lack of caring, by all means it was definitely a challenge I had put a lot of myself into it, enuff anyway for a bike race 2 weeks earlier I never knew existed.

I had come to a point slightly beaten and battered and I made a bad decision and took a wrong turn, I knew to check my gps but it was a downhill and I realized at the bottom what I had done,  even without this off course tour I was not going to make the cut off. I actually knew two days earlier from a ride that my times on muddy trails were gona put me 30 minutes over the limit. So i was gona have to hustle the whole course,  the distance didnt bother me but I've only a very limited time to re figure out muddy trail riding. Its been over 20 years since I rode a bike till a few months ago and iI have not been in the mud at all except for Thursday.

O.K. here it is the thing about mud, might be dirty heavy slippery mean but bottom line is it's so much fun.

Oh and my sons loaner bike, apparently old technology from what I was led to believe at the start line faired me well, the shifter up front quit working on the lil ring but I managed without it fine.

So back to my DNF, by choice, I just didn't care enough knowing I missed the cutoff and having to climb up the hill to get to where the last course marker was; sore from crashing, and just had enough. It was over.

Would I do it again, yes I would not hesitate, it was a super nice event in between two other events out here.

It taught me alot, I dont kniw why my neck is not nothing me after or now but I'm just gonna go with it.

Carpe Diem

On course the previous Thursday, which was far worse than race day.

All cleaned up

Bike on Thursday O-hagen turn off prior to the cloud burst.