Ice, Ice Baby!

The run streak continues, except now I am half way through the Advent Run Streak, and so far so good. I'd be lying if I said every run has seen me feeling absolutely fantastic - in fact, last Wednesday's tempo run was awful, and I hated every minute of it!

Things started off pretty well on Monday with just a nice and easy 6km. Mondays are usually a rest day for me, but given I would be running slowly and it was only a short run compared to my normal distance, I actually quite enjoyed it. The Advent challenge set by Sinister Sports for that particular day was to play our favourite Christmas song whilst out on our run. I don't tend to listen to music when I'm running as I like to absorb my surroundings, but when I arrived home, I did opt for "The Christmas Present" album by Robbie Williams, and with a mix of old and new Christmassy songs, it certainly put in the festive mood :)

Things got moved around a bit this week when it came to speedwork, and my usual Tuesday evening "oh my gosh, I hate speedwork!" was replaced with a nice and easy 12km run. It was ugly sweater time for the day's challenge, and I happily wore my wonderful snowflake sweater for the duration of my run. I certainly got some strange looks whilst pounding the local pavements but I didn't mind, and as I posed for a quick piccie at the Telford Lake light display, I got that buzz of excitement that I always get leading up to Christmas :) It was a good run, I was feeling great, and it really didn't feel like I had done two weeks of running already without a rest day.

Things took a turn on Wednesday though. It's usually group run night, but we had had some freezing rain and the roads and pavements were horrendous and covered in sheet ice. I had a tempo run on my schedule but really didn't want to do it, much preferring to do my usual Wednesday evening run with the pups. I hadn't ran with the pups for several days and I was feeling extremely guilty, but I knew that if I ran with Wilson - who was the one making me feel more guilt that the others! - we would both end up on the floor with an injury as he just runs so fast and I wouldn't be able to control things on the ice. I reluctantly left them at home and headed to the rec centre instead with the intent of doing the tempo run on the treadmill.

I hate tempo runs, and I aren't a huge fan of treadmills, so I was already beaten before I even pressed the start button. Usually I can do my tempo runs at around 7 to 7.30 miling these days, but I really had no motivation on Wednesday, finishing my run in a disappointing 48 minutes or something. I tried to speed things up, but every time I did, I felt tired and couldn't be bother, so I ran at a relaxed 7.50 pace instead and that was enough.

Of course, by Thursday I was back to feeling pretty good again - this running game really is a strange one! - and with 10 miles of easy running on the schedule, I was all set to go. The pavements were still treacherous with an inch of solid ice pretty much everywhere - there's a shortage of ice melt and salt right now, so nobody is able to clear the ice from around the houses, and there was no way I was prepared to run in residential areas at an 11 minute mile whilst navigating the icy conditions.

I decided to head out onto the range roads at the back of our house, and whilst they were still icy and covered in snow, they were far better than the sidewalks as there was at least some gravel underneath which gave some traction. I took my Fenix headtorch out with me as there are no street lights out on these roads, barely any houses, and it really does get dark, and I ended up having a fantastic run out there. At one point I was just merrily trotting along and heard a rustling in the bushes which did startle me. When I turned to look, it was just a cute little porcupine going about his business, and as my headtorch shined brightly in his little face, he let out a squeal and I'm sure he was none too impressed at the light shining right in his face. I left him be to do his thing, but it was great to see the local wildlife out there. Thursday's run wasn't fast, but I definitely felt much better, and I got home feeling more content.

Friday was another easy 6k, and tonight it was about getting off the beaten track. Unfortunately the trails are even more lethal than the sidewalks with the amount of ice, so I kept it local again and headed out to Telford. taking in the Christmas lights once again on a dark but relatively mild winter's night.

I was really looking forward to running this weekend. Andy has been away all week and things have been hectic with being home alone, and I haven't been getting back from my evening runs until close to 8pm. Being the weekend meant I would finally get to run in daylight, and with decent temperatures and no rain or snow, it has been pretty nice running outdoors. The pavements are still horrendously icy and I have still been wearing my spikes, but yesterday and today, I had some fantastic runs, getting a lovely 10 miler in on Saturday, and a wonderful 16 miles today. The legs are feeling tired but I'm also feeling fit and strong, and I have really enjoyed the running. My lower back and hips are a little tight and feel fatigued, but I  know that is from trying to balance in the icy conditions when I'm running, and all in all, it's been a great weekend of running.

We have been spoilt in both autumn and so far this winter as things really haven't been too cold and there has been very little snow. The freezing rain has been a pain along with the ice, but in general, things have been good. Overnight tonight however, things are really going to cool off, and we are looking at highs of -18 degrees celsius over the next few days with the potential for snow. From a running perspective, it really makes no difference to me as I will be out and about in whatever the weather brings unless I have a speed session scheduled. But the dogs aren't big fans of the really chilly weather, and certainly our two Mexican girls are not made for freezing temperatures, so much so that when it does get as cold as it is going to get, Tillie refuses to go outside, and April can only tolerate it for around 10 minutes or so.

I made sure to take the pups for some good walks at the dog park this weekend whilst things were warmer, and they sure had a great time. These pups are so good at keeping me happy and entertained when I am home alone, and I can never say enough about how much they really do mean to me. We were going to head to their favourite park in Edmonton this weekend, but I had read that it was a skating rink and the last thing I want is for any of them to slip and hurt themselves on ice - it happened to Brandy and it led to her having to had knee surgery a few months later. In the end, I kept it local, but with three great dog parks on our doorstep, I think the dogs were more than content :)

Andy should be home in the next couple of days, and with him being away, I haven't had time to be making any videos, so things have been on hold for a few days. I'm pretty sure that when he gets back, it will be all hands to the pump, and I will be getting some great videos out over the next few weeks. I have to admit that I am kind of missing doing the video work and whilst the break has been nice, I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.

So that's another week done, and it's now less than two weeks until Christmas arrives. I'm getting excited, and so, so looking forward to having that time off.

Have a wonderful week folks, until next time ..... happy running, and puppy snuggles to all our furry followers out there :)

It's a bluebird kind of day :)

This past week has been all about Runukkah, which if you've been following along in recent weeks, you will know it's the virtual event organised by Sinister Sports. Comprising of an eight day running streak in recognition of the Jewish festival of light, otherwise known as Hanukhah, I chose the longer distances for the week which started with the 3km last Sunday and increased in distance each day by 3km, finishing with 24km today.

My usual mileage for a week is around about 80km or 50 miles unless I am racing but taking part in Runukkah would mean around 108km for the week, or around 67 miles. Yes I'm an ultra runner and I have raced much further than this, but I have to say that running for 8 consecutive days without a rest day, and with the distance increasing each day, I have found it quite the challenge!

Things weren't too bad earlier in the week - a 6km run on Monday followed by a 9km on Tuesday wasn't too bad at all as I would typically run further than that so they felt relatively easy. Tuesday's run was scheduled to be a tempo run, I really didn't want to run indoors, so I decided to go to the outdoor track in the hope that some of the snow would have melted, and I could keep things flat to get a decent pace going. How wrong I was! 

Monday evening 6km

I had anticipated some lying snow and had therefore opted to wear my Salomon Spikecross just in case, but I was extremely disappointed to see that pretty much the entire track was still covered in a good couple of inches of snow, and that some of it was actually quite icy. I had no  intention of bailing on the session but I knew it wouldn't be as fast as I wanted, and I slogged it out despite much huffing, puffing, and maybe a little bit of swearing! I was frustrated as the pavements would have been easier to run on, but I was bored of dodging cars and having to stop/start for lights when I'm supposed to be doing a good speed session.

I actually didn't do too bad at all and ended up with around 47 minutes for the 10k - not brilliant, but I knew the effort was there.

Wednesdays are usually my night for running with the pups at the local running group, and as soon as I got home from work, both Wilson and April were hassling me in expectation of their usual weekly run. Unfortunately though, the group organiser had been feeling poorly, and with 12km on the cards for the night, it would be too far for the pups. They are more than capable of going that kind of distance, but Wilson is getting a little older now, and April can get a little lazy, and given the chilly night air, I certainly didn't want to be out for over an hour when I knew on my own I could get it done in much less time.

I'd gone out on the Wednesday aiming for the "fastest time" just in case that came up on the dreidel for a prize the following morning and there is no denying that I was feeling really good that night. After a couple of miles, I arrived at the train tracks and low and behold, the lights started flashing and the CPR was making its way through town. Now if you've never seen these trains, they are long - bloody long! - and it's not unknown to be waiting for a good 5 or 10 minutes before you finally get to cross the tracks. Wednesday was one of those nights, and given that results submitted for Runukkah needed to be elapsed time rather than moving time, I gave up the chase and eased off the pace. 

Wednesday evening fun :)

I headed out around the local reservoir and had a little fun taking some pictures in the dark with just the glow of my headtorch - it felt good to just have some fun and be a little silly. It was also day one of the Advent Run Streak, another virtual event organised by Sinister Sports that I had signed up for, and with a challenge set each day, the first day was to send a joyous message to somebody.  I arrived home after my run and had some fun just playing around with the Christmas decorations and hopefully passed on a joyous message to those that cared to pay attention.

A joyous message?

Thursday saw the mileage increase to 15km which was the norm for my usual Thursday night runs. I headed out on to the local range roads to try out the new Fenix headtorch and I have to say I was very impressed with the brightness and the comfort. I will be doing a headtorch head to head as a video on my YouTube channel in the next couple of weeks, so look out for that if you are interested and follow along on my channel "Del's Jogs with Dogs". The beam of the headtorch was so bright that I could pretty much see the other side of the lake when heading around Telford - it has definitely been a good investment, and I can't wait to use it during one of my races.

Thursday night 15km

The Advent challenge for Thursday night was to do a plank, and with the whole thing being just for fun with the choice of making the challenges as easy or difficult as you like, I decided to be a little silly and was happy to see that it paid off and made a few people smile :)

Holding a plank for 5 whole minutes!

Friday was a tough one for me. It's usually a rest day and I get to relax ready for the weekend. This week though I had to do 18km, and heading out after work in the dark after an already business few days was hard. By now, I had become focused on trying to get the fastest overall time in the ladies for Runukkah, so I headed out to the range roads and Telford once again to avoid road crossings and traffic, and to make sure that I spent as little time as possible waiting around. So far, I had been managing to maintain a decent pace of around 8.40 miling for every run so far this week, which given the ice and snow - and the darkness! - I was pretty happy with. 

I was chuffed to finish Friday's run with the same average pace overall, although my legs were for sure starting to get a little tired and I felt like I was missing those rest days I am more accustomed to! Meanwhile, the challenge for the day was to go plogging on our runs - basically to pick up any litter spotted whilst out on the route. I can honestly say that in the 90 minutes or so that I was out there, I didn't see one bit of litter which shows what a wonderfully clean and tidy city we live in.

21km on Saturday is once again typical for me on a weekend, and I was so looking forward to getting outside and running in daylight for a change. It was a beautiful day, and whilst not exactly shorts and t-shirt weather, it wasn't too bad for running. Yet again, I headed around Telford Lake with the intention of keeping my elapsed time to a minimum as I avoided traffic. It was still very icy around the lake and I was still running in my Spikecross which seemed comfortable enough, but I was missing that lovely cushioning provided by the usual road running Hokas that I wear!

Saturday 21km - beautiful morning :)

1 hour 55 minutes later, I finished my half marathon with tired legs but feeling great. Today's challenge was to get as much vert as possible on our run, but with this city being pancake flat and the highest hill only giving about 10 metres of elevation, I would definitely have finished in last place had it been a competition!

With all the longer runs over the past few days, I had been feeling really hungry and very dehydrated, and this was having an impact on how I felt towards the end of my runs. I tried to drink more water before bedtime, but it didn't really replenish the fluid that I needed, so each day I was setting out already quite thirsty. I could have taken drinks with me, but the weather would have resulted in them freezing, so I wasn't able to drink whilst out there either.

Sunday morning I really felt that dehydration and with today being the maximum distance for Runukkah, I was expecting it to be a tough finish for me. The weather had gone bitterly cold overnight, and when heading out on my run, it was still only -18 degrees Celsius, or -29 with the windchill. I was sure to wear my thermal layers and the merino wool base layer certainly kept me snug and warm, but the balaclava I was wearing started to freeze and kept slipping off my face, so much so that I was convinced my cheeks and nose were going to get frostbite!

I was still chasing the fastest overall cumulative time so once again I headed around the local lake in an effort to avoid all the road crossings and traffic lights. My legs were feeling much better today, and I was still knocking out the same pace that I had been doing all week, and it was feeling comfortable. It was such a gorgeous day with clear blue skies and bright sunshine, but the wind was horrendous, especially when it hit me full on whilst running along the south side of the lake. It caused me to walk a couple of times as it was so brisk and cold, but I knew I had to keep pushing forward if I wanted to retain any cushion on time gained over the past few days.

The cold weather seemed to have kept everybody at home where they were nice a warm, so I was able to just knuckle down and focus on the run without any distractions. I ended up finishing in 2 hours 12 minutes for 24km - I was happy enough with that, and it meant that I had successfully completed the Runukkah run streak with a cumulative time of around 10 hours 20 minutes for the 108km we had to run in the week. Whether this is enough to give me that overall ladies win in the 3km to 24km category remains to be seen, but I know I really couldn't have done anymore given how busy my life is these days.

Sunday sillies and 24km done :)

So whilst that particular run streak is now complete, as I mentioned previously, I am still doing the Advent run streak. The good news with this is that we only have to do 2km per day as a minimum - coach has me doing just 6km on my usual rest days, and as things stand, I think I can cope with that.

I didn't get to run with this pups this week due to the higher mileage required, but now that I have some 6k runs scheduled in, they will for sure be joining me subject to the weather conditions. I am extremely cautious of having them running in extreme temperatures whether hot or cold, although they do seem better able to cope with the cooler weather, especially if wearing their coats and booties on days such as today.

To make up for those lack of runs, we have been going to the dog parks for an extra walk, and yesterday we did meet up with a friend and their pup for a puppy playdate. Nike is still quite a young dog and is quite energetic, boisterous and playful, and I think our three were a little bit taken aback by his energy levels. They didn't play together as much as we would have liked but they still had a great walk together and I'm sure there will be more to come.

Video wise, we did finally release the parkrun video which you can find here if you've not already taken a look. Some friends had kindly provided photographs which are included, and I am truly thankful to them for that. We were hoping to film some more videos this week, but the dark nights meant the quality wasn't as good as we would like, and with my hubby having to work away this week, we haven't had the time to do what we had planned. There may be a delay in releasing our next video, but it is in progress and it will for sure be shared on my channel very soon.

For now though, I'm looking forward to a few easier days of running, of relaxing with the dogs, and getting things ready for Christmas which will be upon us before we know it.

Until next week, happy running, happy trails, and happy waggy tails to all the loveable pups out there!

Runs and Santa Parades :)

Another great week has passed by, and running is still going well. I'm still getting a little tightness in the old hamstrings and the glutes, but I am getting better at stretching on a regular basis as well as adhering to the weekly strength sessions that my coach schedules in for me.

As per the usual routine, Tuesdays are once again my day for speedwork or faster paced running, and given that we are currently in a melt/freeze/melt/freeze cycle with the lying snow, the pavements are a skating rink when it comes to completing my evening runs. I've mentioned numerous times my reluctance to run "fast" when conditions outside are less than ideal, so on Tuesday evening, I once again found myself doing my session at the local rec centre.

This week it was a 10km progression run. I was going to use the indoor track, but sometimes the track can be far too busy for the pace I need to do, and I'm not too keen on swerving around people on a 200m track with very little space for overtaking. I ummed and arhed about whether to just do an easy run outside instead, but as the guilt started to set in about not sticking to the plan, I opted to thrash things out on the treadmill instead.

I usually find treadmill running extremely boring, but I put in my headphones, turned up the volume, and just went for it. I started off at a slow 7 mph, (8.30 miling or there abouts), and finished the last 400m at 10 mph or 6 minute miling, completing the run in a little over 46 minutes.

For me personally, I much prefer a progression or negative split run to tempo runs. Tempo runs are hard for me and I never feel motivated to do them, and yet starting at a slower pace and gradually picking things up until I'm running my 5k pace - sometimes even faster - makes me feel more accomplished, and I'm sure it brings far more benefits to my running. 

 Wednesday of course was run group again, and yet this week I wasn't sure if I really wanted the company or not on my evening run. I desperately wanted to run with the dogs, but I knew it was still extremely icy outside, and knowing how fast Wilson runs, I didn't want to end up on the floor again. In the end I went to the running group with both Wilson and April in tow, and I had a lovely, relaxed, easy evening run with the lovely Jessica and her pup Nanook. It wasn't as cold as anticipated and the local pathways weren't too bad at all. We had a good chat, we had a good laugh, and I was so glad that I had decided on company rather than another solo run. 

Come Thursday, i was back to feeling like a hermit again, not wanting company and just feeling like I needed  a bit of me time. I had the usual 10 miler to complete, so I grabbed my headtorch and headed out onto the local range roads where I knew there would be no people and no traffic, and I could have a good 90 minutes of peace and quiet. Running on those range roads was perfect and I thoroughly enjoyed running through the darkness of the night, the path being lit by the lying snow and the brightness of my headtorch - it felt like I had the world to myself! The legs felt good, the breathing felt good, and I finished my run feeling much happier and more content with the day.

I was really looking forward to the weekend this week - the local Santa parade was due to take place on Saturday evening, I was meeting a friend for trail run on the Sunday, and it was also this weekend that the virtual event Runukkha was due to start.

We spent most of Saturday filming the remaining scenes for the parkrun video that is currently on the go - it took up a lot of time, and the pups didn't get the usual dog park walk at Terwillegar or Buena Vista like they normally do. They didn't mind as they still had fun at the local parks, but I always feel guilty when they don't have a good couple of hours roaming free and doing dog things.

the filming also meant I didn't get out for my run until late afternoon. I had a 25km run to do, and the Santa Parade was due to start at 7pm. It was a race against the clock to make sure I didn't miss the parade for a fourth year, and I was slipping and sliding on some quite nasty ice for a good two or three miles before I was able to run properly and pick up the pace. The good news is that the legs and lungs were once again willing to work properly, and I got to the main street in town with 10 minutes to spare. Andy met me in town with a hot coffee, and we stood alongside the road watching the parade and feeling all festive, along with thousands of others that live in this wonderful little city.

Today - Sunday - marked the start of the my run streak which is due to last until the new year, and it began with a 3km run which kickstarted Runukkah.  This is the virtual event organised by Sinister Sports, where you have to run an extra 3km each day for the next 8 days. On this day last year, I did Turkeys on the Trail with all three pups, and we did it in memory of our beautiful girl Brandy, who suddenly left us three years ago. i wanted to run with all three pups again today in memory of our girl, so I took them with me for the 3km run, finishing at the dog park where they were able to go off-leash and have a play with all the other dogs there. I love running with the pups so much although Tillie isn't always that keen on joining us, but today I had the pleasure of Wilson, Tillie and April, and it made me feel very happy.

Today's real session though was a 10 mile easy run which I try to do on the trails each week, to make sure I get those climbs in and don't lose my trail legs. Today I met a good friend in Edmonton, and we ended up hitting predominantly single track snowy trails in the Whitemud Ravine area. It was beautiful running around there, it was nice to get some good climbs in and have a natter, and I am happy to say that whilst I am still far from being the best on the hills, I am definitely starting to feel less intimidated by the long, steep climbs that I sometimes encounter. We ended up with a shade over 10 miles in around 1 hour 47 minutes, and I was feeling good. I'm probably going to regret saying this, but I did successfully avoid another fall despite the icy stretches, and I'm looking forward to next week's wintry adventures :)

 

Outside of my running, things are ticking along quite nicely. We are still working on videos which will be shared soon, the daily dog park visits are still tons of fun, and we will hopefully be doing some winter camping trips again in the not too distant future. Andy will be heading off to Newfoundland for a few days soon which will put a delay on a few things, but with Christmas fast approaching, those few days off from work will be so valuable and I am counting down the days until I finally get some time off work after all these weeks.

Until next week, happy trails and happy running my friends!

A snowy week

On this weekend last year, I had taken part in the Barkakoo 55km Ultra at Chickakoo. It was an extremely snowy day on a tough, hilly, technical course, and I ended up finishing first overall in nine hours 4 minutes. It was a fantastic event and I absolutely loved the tough, challenging course, so much so that I had every intention of going back again this year.

The race was this weekend but I hadn't registered this year, simply because I wanted it to be just as tough as it was last year. Up until last weekend, we had had no snow whatsoever, and I didn't want to run the course on clear trails in mild weather. And then it came. On Tuesday this week, we had our first proper dump of snow with around 15cm falling locally. The organisers of Barkakoo shared photos of the course, and it looked just like last year. I now really, really wanted to go back again to do it all over again, but I didn't feel like I was in a racing mood so I grudgingly gave it a miss. 

The heavy snow earlier in the week did mean that I ended up at the indoor track for my speed session this week, which happened to be a kind of time trial where I had to run as far as possible in the hour. The track was pretty quiet on Tuesday night and I found I actually enjoyed the change of scenery, managing to cover just under 8 miles in the hour. I was pretty happy with that, and it once again made me hopeful that with another six months of marathon training, that sub 3.15 may be in my reach. 

At the track - how far can I go in an hour?

 It was Thursday before I finally managed to get outside properly for a run, and the snow was still present when I headed out after work for an easy 10 miler around the local lake. With being dark by 5pm, I was looking forward to seeing the Beaver Moon that everybody had been going on about, and maybe even catch a bit of the lunar eclipse. Unfortunately the skies were partly cloudy, and whilst the moonlight was still filtering through and lighting the trails with a silvery light, the clouds were obscuring the views that I was really hoping to see. I still had a great run though, managing to stay upright despite the snow and ice, and I got back home feeling happy about how the run had gone. 

Night of the Beaver Moon

 

Saturday was the 50th running of the River Valley Park Run, and with wanting to get to the park run far more frequently during my marathon build up. we ended up heading to Edmonton early on Saturday morning to take part. It had gone quite chilly the past few days and it was once again snowing as we headed north to the city. We would be filming the park run today in an attempt to promote it via my YouTube channel, and with not wanting to run fast or hard today, I made the decision to take Wilson and April with me. Tillie seemed keen to join us, but having stood around waiting for the start for around 10 minutes, she did start shivering and so we put her back into the warm car where she was much, much happier to wait patiently for our return. 

The River Valley park run is never cancelled due to the conditions and in previous years, I have taken part when the temperature has been at -40 Celsius. It wasn't that cold on Saturday, but it was snowy and icy which made it pretty dicey running with two crazy pups. I found myself having to walk some sections whilst trying to restrain Wilson who was eager to race the other pups in attendance, and with the filming, I already knew it would be a much slower run that normal. We ended up finishing in just over 30 minutes as the snow really started to come down - park run number 9 completed for me, and number 3 for the pups :) 

Doggy park run - River Valley :)

 

I actually had 25km on my schedule for Saturday, so later on in the day after another visit to yet another dog park with the pups, I headed back out for another 20km on my own. I once again went around Telford Lake where I encountered some hefty snow drifts that were around 2 feet deep. It was a slog running through them and it really sapped the energy out of my legs, but i was happy to get the miles done and I was feeling very happy and content, and looking forward to hitting the trails the following day. 

Come Sunday, I had another 10 miles of easy run to do. I really wanted to head out to the Devon trails to get some hills in but we had an appointment at 3.30pm and I wasn't sure I would get back in time. It usually takes me well under two hours to do my usual 10 mile route out in Devon, but given the snow, I suspected it would take a little longer. I ended up driving out there anyway, and sure enough, the snow was soft, deep and hard work, and with 1600 ft of ascent, my legs were definitely buggered, especially after yesterday's slog through the snow drifts.

Snow covered hilly trails but a fabulous run :)

 

Despite being a hard run, I really did enjoy the run and the trails looked so pretty covered in the snow. It was pretty quiet out there too with very few people, and I only saw a couple of red squirrels chattering away as they scurried up and down the trees trying to find food. I did wonder whether the cross country skiing trails would be groomed and in use but it looks like it'll be a couple more weeks before they will be ready, so I was able to enjoy the trails to myself, being able to run wherever I liked.

It has been another great week of running with around 80km of running completed. I still have a long way to go in terms of getting some pace back, working on my strength and flexibility, and of course loosing a few pounds so I get back to my racing weight. That will come though, and I just have to be patient.

This week has also been good in that I now have more of an idea of my race plans for next year. My current itinerary looks like this right now:

February - Frozen Ass 50km

May - Red Deer Marathon

June - Rundles Revenge 50km

July - Outrun Backyard Ultra

Then in October, I am hoping to do another 100 miler, and maybe a 72 hour or a 6 day event at the end of the year.

It helps to have races scheduled in as it feeds the fire and passion I have for running with having goals. I think the backyard ultra will likely be my A race as I really would like to qualify for Team Canada again - but we shall see as there will no doubt be lots of competition and I do think the bar will be set high.

I have also released another video on my channel this week - just a simple, feelgood video of a trail run with the pups back in October. This coming week, we should be releasing the park run video if we can edit things in time, and then we have lots of others in the pipeline.

The pups of course continue to keep me smiling and happy, going for walks and runs, and enjoying their evening and bedtime snuggles. Life is certainly good right now, and here's hoping that it continues that way.

 

Winter's Arrival!

It's been another hectic week with barely any time to take a breath at work and then crazy evenings trying to catch up with things when I get home. The good news is that I'm still making time for all the things I enjoy doing - walking the pups, making my videos, and of course my running. 

The pups tend to go for at least three walks a day, one of which is early morning before I head into work. I love these early morning walks as they set me up for the day and always put a smile of my face before a busy day in the office. The weather has started to turn much cooler in the mornings, so Tillie tends to stay home snuggled up in her bed rather than wandering around in the dark with me, Wilson and April, but I will admit that I do miss her not joining us on those morning walks. Thankfully though she is always keen for her afternoon visit to the dog park, and I get to spend that special time with all three of them for a good hour or so every evening when I get home. 

Dog park fun with the pups :)

Dog walks make me very happy :)

The other morning, we encountered the most beautiful sunrise, and the sky was looking resplendent with all the different shades of red. I captured a couple of pictures as such picturesque views are usually short lived, and sure enough, the magnificent scene soon changed as the colours faded and the sun rose higher in the sky. Having been treated to splendid displays of the Northern Lights recently and of course, the recent full moon, Mother Nature has certainly been showing off her beauty, and I certainly have no problems with that whatsoever. 

Beautiful sunrises :)

My other passion of course is my running, and with the dark nights now here, I'm back to running by the street lights and somewhat restricted on the routes I can take given that the city we live in is fairly small. Tuesday night was a negative split run and I set off all fired up for what I knew was going to be a good one. I was about five minutes into my run, admiring yet another beautiful evening sky, when I tripped on some uneven pavement and fell flat on my face. My poor right knee took yet another battering - seriously, there is so much scar tissue on that knee, I really don't know if it can take anymore - and of course my right hand and right arm also bore the brunt of the fall. I was sore and bruised and contemplated heading back home, but I was feeling good and didn't want to give up on my run. Despite the scrapes and bruises, I was able to have a fairly decent run with the second half of the run being done around 3 minutes quicker - result! 

Bruised and sore, but had a great negative split run!

I may have already mentioned that I am doing a marathon again next year, so at present, I am trying to get back some of that speed endurance I used to have as a road runner. My coach gave me a half marathon to do on Saturday which was meant to have been done on the trails. Unfortunately life gets in the way sometimes, and so I did the run around town on the roads. I felt a little pressured to maintain the pace and did find it a little tough at times, but I was very happy to maintain a relatively comfortable 7.40 minute miling, giving me a half marathon time of 1 hour 40 minutes. That is definitely far from my best, but I was still happy as I never thought I would be able to keep that kind of pace going any time soon, and it bodes well for the marathon given I still have a good six months before I actually do it :) 

Today's session was just 10 miles easy and I was hoping to hit the trails, but winter finally arrived and we had light snow for a couple of hours this morning and it was pretty slick outside. I did drive to Edmonton with every intention of running there, but having got to the hill that would take me down to the parking lot, the police were turning people around as the road was too slippery and dangerous, and people were struggling to get up the hill in their vehicles. I was disappointed, and given that I hadn't got a contingency plan, I headed back home and ended up running local again. The run turned out to be lots of fun, although I had forgotten how running in the snow makes my hips ache due to having to grip on the slippery sections. But it was a recovery run, so I really wasn't too concerned, and it was nice to take things easy. 

First snow of the winter :)

I don't have any races planned for quite a few weeks right now, although I did sign up for a couple of virtual events which will hopefully keep me motivated into the new year. Sinister Sports, organisers of the Canadian Death Race, have a couple of events - Rununka and an Advent Run leading up to the festive season. I've signed up for both simply because the swag includes an ugly Christmas running shirt, and I really do like Christmas jumpers. I'll also be doing a video vlog of both of them, so if you follow my YouTube channel, please do look out for them to see how things go and what the events are all about. 

Talking of videos, I have some ideas and will be making the videos over the coming weeks. There is going to be one celebrating the 50th River Valley Park Run, I'll be doing a head to head on head torches to see which is the best one for trail running and all things outdoors, I'll be sharing some tips about winter running and the things you need to keep you safe for running during the darker nights, we have another winter camping trip planned, and of course, there will be something special for Christmas. If you've not yet checked out my channel, you can find it here.

So that's the week in a nutshell - work, dog walking, running and videos, winter's arrival and more snow in the forecast - I have absolutely no complaints whatsoever :)

Races, Camping Trips and Planning!

It's been another amazing and busy month with more camping trips, more races, and of course, fun times with the pups who never fail to put a smile on my face.

It all started when I decided at the last minute to do the River's Edge Ultra again out in Devon. Thanks to Covid, all REU races had been cancelled and I had forgotten that I had a race credit still to use up. With a trail marathon on my training schedule for the same weekend as the race, I decided to register for the 50k with the intention of using things as a good final training run for the Grizzly 50k a couple of weeks later.

We decided to make a weekend of it this year, and with free camping provided on-site, we headed over on the Friday evening to pitch the tent and spend a night under the stars. I tend to sleep really well in a tent even the night before a race, and after a really good night's sleep, I was pretty excited to hit the trails the following morning.

Race day dawned and after my usual bowl of porridge and a cup of tea followed by a coffee, I was all set to go. It was quite a chilly start, but things soon warmed up and I was glad I had started in just a singlet and shorts rather than the usual layers I'd be using on my runs during the autumn months. 

We were treated to one the best autumn displays I had ever seen here this year, and the colours were so vibrant. I had an awesome few hours slogging it out up and down the many steep ups and downs, and was loving being out on the trails in the fresh air. I was reminded once again why I do enjoy this event - the course is tough yet beautiful, and that river crossing is so refreshing and adds an element of adventure to the race.

REU - photo thanks to Beautiflow Photography

With making the decision to make a video of the race this year, I wasn't really focused on racing, but when I realised that another lady was trying to chase me down, my competitive instinct kicked in and I admit that maybe, just maybe, I did focus a little more on racing rather than trying to capture some of the stunning scenes on film.

I ended up finishing in around 5 hours 45 minutes, a little longer than I was hoping for, but given the filming, the change in course with LOTS more climbs, and the fact that the course ended up being closer to 53km, I was pretty happy with the result. I also finished 2nd lady overall and 1st in my age group, so came away with another of those awesome log awards that are so carefully crafted by the organisers.

We stayed the Saturday night too, and some of the 100k runners were still running late into the night whilst we sat around the campfire, sharing stories of our race with others and enjoying a good beer or two. Come Sunday morning, the organisers once again provided a pancake breakfast, and with bacon and sausage, hot coffee and lots of other yummy food, it certainly was impressive, and it was good to see that we weren't the only ones that had stayed the extra night to enjoy a hearty breakfast with other runners, volunteers and support crew.

Following the REU, I had a couple of easier weeks as I made final preparations for The Grizzly Ultra. This was meant to have been one of my goal races for the year, but whilst I was excited about racing, Andy had decided that we should try filming the race again which did kind of distract me from doing my own thing on race day. 

The Grizzly is held at the Canmore Nordic Centre and as with the REU, consists of different legs, with a central transition area where all the support crews and spectators hang out. It uses lots of the same trails, but also veers off onto some of the single track which provides some great views of the surrounding mountains. This year, there was a race on both the Saturday and the Sunday, and the two days couldn't have been more different, with the former having beautiful blue skies and warm temperatures, and the latter having a complete mixed bag of weather conditions!

Of course, I was racing on the Sunday, and we were greeted first thing my light snow and much cooler temperatures. The cloud shrouding the mountains sure added a dramatic feel to the venue, and there was certainly a sense of excited and anticipation in the air. Having started in damp, cool conditions, I found myself still warming up very quickly, and I really did not enjoy the first leg - Grey Wolf. I found it hard to get in to the right mental space and I struggled, and on arriving back at my support tent where Andy was waiting for me, I had a meltdown and cried. I certainly didn't want to quit, but having spent the past months desperately wanting a good race here, things were going tits up already.

Grizzly Ultra - Photo Credit the Grizzly Ultra

I managed to pull my together and get going again once I had changed in to shorts and cooler clothing, and whilst leg 2 still didn't exactly have me feeling my best, I was starting to settle in to the race a little better. It was leg 3 Odyssey that really got me back it to race mode. The field had opened up, I'd found my space, and with lots of single track running that was quite technical in places, I was starting to find my groove and actually enjoying myself. The remainder of the race went along a similar vein - I was much happier and feeling better with every step, and when the snow really started to come down towards the end, I was loving it!

Once again, I finished in a much slower time than I had hoped for with around 5 hours 45 minutes, but I was still happy to have made my age group podium, coming away with third place in my age group. I really do think the Grizzly is a fantastic event, so well organised and you certainly get lots for your money, but I also find it far too popular for my liking and I think the crowds at the start were a little too much for me this time around. It's crazy thinking about it. I used to love doing the city marathons and larger road races, but in recent years, I have become so accustomed to having my own space and running solo that having all those people around me in a race stresses me out. I guess I need to get used to having people around me again, especially if I plan to do another marathon again next year.

Race Day goodies from the Grizzly Ultra

The Grizzly was my last race for 2021, and in a way I am glad about that. I haven't had a bad year of running, but not of my races have really gone as planned, and whilst I'll agree that it's been another funny year thanks to Covid, I am also a little disappointed and feel like it's been a bit of anticlimax.

But I'm one of those people that doesn't look back, and I am looking forward to next year with far more optimism. I've already registered for the Red Deer Marathon in the hope that I can break 3 hours 15 minutes and qualify for the Championship event in London, England. I also have Rundles Revenge in June, and the 5 Peaks season pass for northern Alberta. As yet though, I haven't thought much beyond June and I really don't know what I want to do race wise. Part of me wants to do the Javelina Jundred again or at least another 100 miler, and I am also tempted by trying a 72 hour race or even the 6 day event at Across the Years, but I really can't think that far ahead right now. Needless to say, I will of course update you once I have made my decision :)

One of the good things with planning on doing another marathon is that speedwork has made an appearance in my training schedule again. I've not done speed sessions for quite a while and I do find it difficult running at a faster pace. 

Feeling happy and motivated with my running :)

Back to the trails and loving my running again :)

One of the things I have started to do again is the River Valley Park Run in Edmonton on a Saturday morning. My best time on that particular course is 22 minutes which I set last year when I WAS doing speedwork. Admittedly it was during the winter months and I could probably have dipped under 22 minutes on a better day, but it is what it is. Anyhow, my recent goal has been to crack that 22 minutes with eventually going under 21 again, although that is quite a ways away right now. I headed to Park Run last month with no really expectations, and I was well chuffed to have ran 22.13 as my official time that day. I went back again this weekend to see how I got on, and was once again very happy to get an official Park Run time of 22.07 despite struggling with a bad back and tight glutes again right now. I didn't get a course PR this weekend, but it was still an improvement on the one I did a month or so again, and that is progress :) I am pretty sure that the sub 22 minutes will be mine by Christmas.

River Valley Park Run - PC Coral Weibe

Talking of Christmas, whilst I say I have no races now until next year, I have registered for a couple of virtual events with Sinister Sports - Runnuka and the Advent run. The swag looks very festive and I love the thought of "ugly Christmas running shirts", and I am hoping that taking part in these events will give me the motivation to run over the coming weeks and move towards another new year.

Of course, outside of running I am still making my YouTube videos and we have been doing tons of camping this year. A couple of weeks ago, we made it out to Ghost PLUZ and spent a night in a hot tent, utilizing a woodstove to see how it would cope when the weather really does start to cool off and we finally get some snow. It was a great weekend out in the wilds with Andy and the pups, and with barely anybody around with it being the end of October, it felt like we had the entire area to ourselves. We are hoping to do more winter camping this year and will be spending more time outdoors, and I am really looking forward to the things we have planned.

Camping at Ghost PLUZ

Night time views at Ghost PLUZ

Then there's our pups - Wilson, Tillie and April - who all bring such joy, happiness and laughter to our family. The three of them are little stars and they have shared those camping trips with us out in the great outdoors, they love their visits to the dog park every week, and since the weather went much cooler, Wilson and April have been joining me at the running group every week for an easy 6km run (Tillie doesn't like cool weather so has stayed home snuggled up in her bed). Some of my videos are about my pups, as well as running and camping, as they make up a huge part of my life and make me who I am. I love them to bits and don't know what I would do without them.

Local run group and puppy jog :)

Fun times with our furry gang :)

So there you go - a very quick catchup on what's been happening over the past few weeks. Things have certainly been hectic, but I'm hoping to get back to more regular updates on here so that I don't fall behind quite so much again next time :)

If you fancy watching any of the videos mentioned above, you can of course check out "Del's Jogs with Dogs" by clicking on the link. It's been almost a year now since I started the channel and I'm really happy with how it's growing and with the number and variety of videos on there.

Until next time, happy trails and happy running, and of course, happy waggy tails to all those pups out there!

Solo Camping with my boy Wilson :)

The first time I camped under canvas was way back in 1973 - I was just 6 months old, and I apparently slept much better in a tent than I did in my cot back home. Even now, all these years later, I find sleeping in a tent extremely relaxing, and I generally have a decent night's sleep.

Last weekend, I headed off for another camping trip, this time at Long Lake, which is about two hours drive from home. The plan was for Wilson and I to do a walk-in camp for the weekend, whilst Andy stayed with the girls and kept them entertained in our absence. 

I was going to be using just basic gear, and my accommodation would be a tarp which I would be making into a tent. I took everything in my backpack just to test things out for future backpacking trips, whilst Wilson would be carrying some of his own stuff in a little doggy backpack that we had recently purchased for him.

The weather for the weekend looked to be warm and dry, although it was expected to get close to freezing point overnight,so I was sure to take my warmer sleep bag, whilst Wilson had his own to keep him warm throughout the night.

The pitch turned out to be quite spacious, and we did a decent job on setting up the tarp tent. Sure, we were crawling in and out on hands and knees, but there was plenty of room for just me and Wilson and our gear.

We had a pretty relaxing day, just enjoying each others company and having a couple of hours walk together, and when tea time came, I cooked up some chicken kebabs on the firepit. I wouldn't say they were a complete failure, but there's certainly room for improvement for next time!

As night time came, so did the unexpected rain, so Wilson and I made tracks into the tarp tent to snuggle down where we'd be warmer and dryer. It was actually really cosy and warm  inside,  and I happily snuggled up with Wilson and had a beer and block chocolate before bedding down for the night.

The rain came heavy for a good hour or so and there were pools of water collecting on the footprint inside. A couple of spiders and beetles decided to join us but we weren't too concerned about sharing, given the amount of space we had.

We fell asleep quite easily, but around 3am, something woke me up from my slumber. My heart was pounding but as I finally came around, I realised that Wilson didn't seem.too bothered bu the sounds, so I figured it was nothing threatening. I lay in my sleeping bag listening to the noises just a mere 20 metres or away , and it was then that I realised it was the deer rut, and a couple of stags were likely locked in battle fighting for their mate. It was quite the sound and reminded me of the early morning call from the elk on the Mogollon Rim down in Arizona, when I did the 100 Mile Mogolllon Monster trail race.

Come morning, the sun was shining brightly, and the dampness from last night's rain was causing steam as it dried out in the sunlight. It was definitely chilly once we had crawled out if our sleeping bags, but a hot cup of tea and bowl.of porridge soon warmed us up, and we sat around for a while, just enjoying the stillness of the early morning and admiring the vibrant autumn colours that were further enhanced in  the sunlight.

Wilson and I had another awesome morning together, playing with sticks and having another little walk, but we couldn't stay all day as we had a rendezvous point to get to for our ride home.

We quickly packed things away, and once done, we made tracks home, thankful for a fantastic weekend and ready for more.

I had of course missed Tillie and April very much, so for the past few days, they've both been having extra belly rubs and puppy snuggles. We've also been out not once but twice this week for a run altogether. I love running with all three pups together and they truly are the best running buddies I could wish for - I know for sure they enjoyed it :)

Of course, the camping trip was captured on video and you can join us on the trip by visiting my YouTube channel here.

Next weekend I have a 50k trail race that I'm doing which will also involve camping at the race venue. It should be another great weekend, so I'll be back again in the next few days to let you know how it went.

For now, happy camping, happy running, and keep on smiling and having fun. Until next time ... :)

Birthday Parties and a 50k Pizza Party :)

 It's been another fun weekend, and whilst our next camping trip isn't until next weekend, I've still managed to get outdoors and do some if the things I love to do. We also celebrated a fellow Youtuber's 40th birthday, and it was great to finally meet them and put faces to names we only ever hear in a video.

It started with a lovely walk with the pups at the Terwilliger dog park. This area is great for walking the dogs, with tons of trails and wide open spaces, and a couple of doggy beaches alongside the river which is certainly the main attraction for Wilson, Tillie and April.

Dog park fun ... Wilson and Tillie :)

Dog park fun with April! Beautiful autumn colours :)

We were there for a good couple of hours again whilst the three dogs had a good swim and a play, explored the woods and got excited when spotting the squirrels, and of course socializing with all the other dogs and tiring themselves out. It's definitely their favourite dig park, and seeing them looking so happy certainly put  a huge smile on my face.

I took them for another good walk later that afternoon as we were heading out to a birthday party about an hour's drive from home, so we wanted to be sure they were fed and walked and ready to sleep whilst we left them alone for the evening.

The birthday party celebrations were for Steve who has a very successful YouTube channel. We've been subscribing for the past 4 or 5 years, and with being a fellow Albertan, it was a no-brainer that we would go to his birthday celebrations when he put out an open invite to his 500,000+ subscribers!

The event was held at a pub out in a place called Onoway, and we had a great night mixing with all the other fans, and getting to chat to Steve and "Beautiful Wife", "Crazy Neighbour" and Mike, who had helped to design and build the boat for the project they're working on.

Crazy Neighbour and Mike, alongside the infamous boat :)

The entire "Camping with Steve" gang with yours truly :)

Getting to see the old converted school bus and the boat in person rather than through a TV screen was pretty impressive, and we sure had lots to talk about with them.

We didn't get home until close to midnight, and I was doing a 50km event the next day which was due to start at 7am. I'd promised a friend I would be there and I wouldn't dream of letting anybody down, but I was a little concerned about how sleepy I would feel having hit my bed at almost 1am and knowing I had to get up at 6am!

My alarm did wake me up at 6am, but I just didn't want to get up. It was still dark and it sounded like it was raining, and my eyes still felt sore and heavy. I sent a quick message to say I would be there to start an hour after everybody else - it was an informal race with no real set rules, and that extra hour snuggled up with the pups made a huge difference.

I grabbed some porridge for breakfast, made up some Tailwind for the run, and by 8am, I was starting off on my first loop of the local lake.

The event had been arranged by some friends, and thanks to their generosity and that of the event sponsors, we had pizza ordered for afterwards and a pretty cool and great quality event shirt.

The event had been dubbed "The Telford 50 - the Neverending Loop", simply because the loop around the lake is 10k, and we would have to do 5 laps to the finish.

Everybody else had already completed their first loop when I arrived, so I was running solo and basically trying to catch them so they didn't have to wait too long for me at the finish.

The weather was cloudy and cool but otherwise great for running, and I settled into a pace of around 8.30 miling. I didn't expect to maintain that kind of pace, and was just hoping to finish in around 4.45.

The first lap whizzed by and I was feeling fantastic, and as I came to the end of the lap, I caught the other runners finishing their second lap. They were still 10k ahead of me, so rather than run with the group, I said a quick hello to everybody, explained I didn't want to have them waiting too long for me at the finish, then put my foot down and ran lap 2 at a slightly faster pace.

Start of lap 2 and feeling good :)

A coyote decided to heckle me on lap 2! :)

The remaining 3 laps went by in pretty much the same vein, although partway around lap 3, the wind picked up and the heavens opened, and we had a deluge of rain that last for a good hour. My feet were soaking wet and I thought I could feel a blister forming but given it was "only" 50k, I didn't bother attending to it and just carried on putting one foot in front of the other.

I was surprised at how consistent my pacing was, and I was still hovering around the 8.30 minute miling mark. Having gone through half way in 2 hours 16 minutes, I would have been happy finishing in around 4.40 to 4.45 as I figured I would no doubt slow down in the closing miles. And yet my consistent pace kept me on schedule for a sub 4 hours 30 minute finish, so I readjusted my goal and tried to keep things going. 

I'd been drinking Tailwind for the entire time and it tasted so good which told me that my body definitely needed the salts, and I had taken a couple of gels at the end of each lap just to keep those energy levels going. Other than that, I didn't really bother with anything else, and it seemed to be working perfectly. I was feeling quite warm despite the rain and cooling breeze, so I was sure to keep drinking when I could, taking a short walk break every couple of miles to make sure I was able to get something inside of me.

Coming into the final lap, I had 55 minutes to complete the 10k to get under the 4.30. I was still running well, but that 8.30 pacing was starting to get a little more difficult, and as I approached the boardwalk just a mile or so from the finish, I did have 8 minutes remaining. I tried to pick up the pace, pushed hard and was so, so close, but the final hill meant that I missed it by just 15 seconds. I was still very happy, and I have to say that a finish time of 4.30.15 in those conditions on an undulating course gave me the confidence I needed with the Grizzly 50k being just 4 weeks away.

The organisers of the event had arranged for pizza to be delivered afterwards, so I hung around for a while munching and chatting away with everybody else whilst waiting for a friend to finish the 50k. This was his very first ultra and despite being plagued by injury leading into it, he did absolutely amazing and finished in a shade over 6 hours - a performance he can certainly be proud of given the circumstances.

I was surprised how good I felt after the run. I was expecting my legs to feel tired if not achy, but having done a 1-hour time trial this evening with the aim being to run as far as possible within the hour, I was very happy and very surprised to have ran over 13km or 8.14 miles for an average pace of 7.22 minute miling. The legs felt strong and I felt relaxed, and my Garmin told me that I had improved my lactate threshold on tonight's run. It was a good feeling, and I must say that it did give me another boost of confidence that I am starting to get back some fitness and consistency with my running again.

The Grizzly 50k is just one month away now, and I do have a couple of longer runs planned between now and then, including another 50k. I was going to do this solo, but the scheduled date is the same as the Rivers Edge Ultra, so I decided I would do the run with some company and registered for the race. This will be my third time doing the 50k at REU and I'm looking forward to hitting those trails once again, and enjoying the colours of autumn. It will be a training run and I certainly shan't be racing flat out, but I'm still hoping for a good one so that I truly do feel prepared for the Grizzly a couple of weeks later. And it is very likely that this year we will camp out there on race weekend, and will be sharing a video of how things go.

Next weekend we are off camping again at Long Lake so watch out for that video too! We have lots more fun adventures planned over the coming weeks, and we will be sharing videos on my YouTube channel, so please do keep checking back to see when they are available, or even better, subscribe to the channel!

Until next time, happy trails folks!