3-part-3-day Duathlon - Adventure Wednesday July 9th 2014

3-part-3-day Duathlon

Adventure Wednesday a bit different! This has been my second week/ second Adventure Wednesday in Calgary! I actually thought I wouldn't be doing much in Calgary but I have been very busy as you all can see on my last few blogs! This week wasn't any different which I am very grateful for! My friend Michelle and I decided to Bike 15K Wednesday - Run 12K Thursday - Bike 50K Friday! We called it 3-part-3-day Duathlon! 

Part 1 - Biking!
I had a lazy day on Wednesday until I met my friend Michelle for our bike ride! We we're suppose to do 15K but ended up doing 17.98Km in 01:28:45 - Calgary downtown through Weaselhead and then home! What an fantastic bike ride full of giggles! I'm always having a great time being around my lovely friend M.

Having a blast! Still happy after a 18K bike ride!

Part 2 - Running

My Thursday morning started with a visit to the dentist :( After that I went shopping for a bit and then I had to hurry home and to get changed to meet Michelle downtown. We met at the same time/ same place and off we went! We ran 12-18Km in 1:43:05 - from downtown straight home! I felt a bit tired but I also felt better than when I ran my 10K at Stampede Road Race! This just shows that no matter how much you run or train - every day can be different! You can have days were you feel fantastic and others you feel like you just wanna lie down! Always listen to your body! I must say though - I could feel that I have been ver active with running and biking this past week!

Love our running-shoes (photo from last week though)

Part 3 - Biking!

We left around 8:30 on Friday morning for our long bike ride! We did 50.97Km in 3:37:50! We were a trio for the first 14K and finished our long bike ride as a duo! Congrats Michelle on your first 50K bike ride! You are an "Ultra-Girl" in running & biking now! :) I had a great time! Nothing better than to go on a "Adventure" with one of your closest friends! Below you can see a few photos of how lovely our day has been! Sunshine pure - no clouds - beautiful view!!

Riding to Sikome Lake & back home!

Taking a break at Sikome Lake after a 31K ride :) 

After a lovely break at Sikome Lake - which felt like a mini-vacation - we headed back the way we came! We had such a beautiful day and I enjoyed every minute of it! I can't even put in words how grateful I am for these past two weeks! Best weeks in a long time!! It is wonderful to have company on my runs and bike rides! Thank you guys for everything!

Beautiful sunset! (No filter)

Not sure what I am going to do for next weeks Adventure Wednesday but I am already excited!

Ready to go Stampeding now!

Stampere Road Race - Sunday - Funday

Stampede Road Race 2014

I went to Calgary for a couple of days and guess what I did? I signed up for the Stampede Road Race July 6th - 10K! What a fun day! My friends Michelle and Jenn and I met at 6:30am and we left the house right after that! 

Look at this beautiful sunrise!

Pre race photo with Michelle & Jenn

Michelle and Jenn signed up for the half marathon which started 7:30am! I had to wait till 8am to start my 10K! Before I write about my race I want to THANK my friends for spending this morning with me! I had a great time! So much fun! Congrats on a awesome race you two and congrats Jenn for PB your first half of the year! We are all amazing! We rock!!

My 10K didn't go as well as I thought it would be! The weather was perfect but the race was challenging! I know I was prepared for this race. I ran and biked the week before a couple of times BUT you never know how you feel on race day! I was a bit stressed in the morning because I didn't sleep well and got up a bit to late! I got ready and didn't have really anything for breakfast (big mistake I know) and rushed over to my friends house! I told myself that everything will be fine! I did feel a bit better the moment I got to the start! I was excited and happy to be part of this race! It was time to do the Stampede Road Race again after a 2 year "break". In my first K I had troubles with my hips and took it easy! After a few K I started to enjoy my run! I rocked my race and finished in 01:06:02! I must say though - It was easier for me to run my half marathon than running these 10K! 

Here are a few photos from Sunday!!

Stampede Road Race 10K/5K

YeeHaw - Michelle & Jenn - I'm a little princess! 

Flying through the race! 

A huge Thank You to all the volunteers! Over 51 marshals, 40 water station attendees, 20+ finish line helpers and all of those who helped at the food area, with registration, package pickup and bag stuffing.  The race was sold out with over 1900 runners and nearly 500 kids participated on Sunday morning! What a fantastic day! I' m soooo very happy I signed up for this race!

Here are the highlights of my last week!

July 1st ~> Canada Day 5K run

July 2nd ~> Divine Dynamic Duo Diva Duathlon - Just for fun!! Run3K - Bike12K -Run2K

July 3rd ~> rest day

July 4th ~> 33.86 km Cycle Ride in 02:30:31 Calgary - Chestermere - Calgary

July 5th ~> Volunteering - Stampede Road Race Pkg. Pickup 

July 6th ~> Stampede Road Race 10K

Tomorrow's Adventure Wednesday will be a bit different ~> 3-part-3-day Duathlon!

Bike 15Km on Wed - Run 12Km on Thurs - Bike 50Km on Fri

Diva Duathlon - Adventure Wednesday July 2nd 2014

Divine Dynamic Duo Diva Duathlon

First Adventure Wednesday in Calgary! Wow just wow! Michelle and I were talking about Adventure Wednesday last night and decided we should NOT just go for a run! Michelle had the amazing idea to make our own Duathlon for Adventure Wednesday! Well we both knew how to run and bike so why not combine these two! I loved the idea right away and we made plans over dinner.

We started part 1 of our Duathlon right after Michelle finished work! We ran for 3K in downtown which felt great! I already ran a half marathon so 3K for me and I am sure for Michelle as well were easy.  Running 3K is like a little warm-up :) As soon as we finished our run we got to our bikes to start part 2 - biking 12K.

Running-Girls

Biking from downtown along the Glenmore Reservoir back home! Since I had my knee surgery in 2013 I love biking again! Do you know how awesome it is to go for a bike ride without any pain! We take our bodies for granted and don't realize how important every little muscle is until we can't use it! I appreciate my body more now!  I loved our bike ride and felt great all the way! I must say though - I don't like biking on the street! I don't like that I can't see the cars coming! I should go biking more often to get used to it!

Michelle near Glenmore Reservoir

Michelle & I at Glenmore Reservoir! Beautiful day!

Woohoo we finished part 2 of our Duathlon! Unbelievable! We totally rock! But wait - we are not done yet. We dropped of our bikes - I had a sip of water and off we went for part 3. I thought part 3 was going to be very very easy because we decided only to run 2K BUT ... The first 500m were ok and then I felt my legs. They got really heavy and I really wanted to walk. After K1 I was back to normal and felt great and finished my 2K strong.

MICHELLE we did it. We are DUATHLONER now. How awesome are we?

First Adventure Wednesday in Calgary and I loved every minute of it. Can't wait for next Wednesday.

FIRST DUATHLON: 
Running 3K in 20:54 - 07:00 Min/Km
Biking 12.67K in 54:20 - 13.99 Km/H
Running 2K in 13:59 - 6:59 Min/Km

What an amazing first Duathlon. I even got a medal from my friend Michelle. I had a great time and would love to do it again!

Dynamic Duo Diva Duathlon

Thanks for the awesome medal Michelle!

I'm very HAPPY that Georgia & I created Adventure Wednesday!!

Adventure Week - Adventure Wednesday June 25th 2014

Running 12K - Birthday Party - Skateboarding - Biking 30K

This past week has been crazy and very complicated but I still managed to do something for Adventure Wednesday! Usually we try to do something new every Wednesday but this week was a bit different! 

Last week started with a 12K run from downtown Calgary to Oakridge! First long run since I did my first half marathon! I love and enjoy running with my dear friend Michelle!

Peace, Love & Running!

On Tuesday evening I went back home to go back to work on Wednesday! "AdventureWednesday" was a bit different this week! It was Georgia's birthday and we surprised her with a chocolate strawberry cake! After celebrating at our place for a bit we decided to go to Banff for dinner and some dancing! Dinner was delicious and a lot of fun! I bet Georgia won't forget her first Birthday in Canada! 

Happy Birthday Georgia

Because of the Birthday surprise we didn't really had an Adventure Wednesday so we decided to try Skateboarding on Thursday after work! Well I must say Skateboarding is harder than it looks! I did have a lot of fun though! I had protection for my hands and knees but thought I didn't needed anything for my elbows! Well now you can guess what I fell on when I slipped of my skateboard! Hahaha ... Should have seen that coming! 

Rollerblading & Skateboarding - Sooo much fun!

After all that action I was looking forward to Friday afternoon to do NOTHING at all! On Saturday I came back to Calgary after work! I'm going to stay in Calgary for about two weeks - looking for rainbows & unicorns :)

Today was another nice Adventure! My friend Michelle and I went for a 30K bike ride through Fish Creek Park into Cranston! What a lovely week! After all the "bad" news last week I really needed some time away! Thanks to all my friends that made this past week special in so many ways!

Lovely bike ride in Calgary

I'm very grateful for my friend who keeps me on my feet and supports me in everything I do! I love you girl (you know who you are)

Not sure what the next Adventure Wednesday will bring - but I am ready for anything :)

Climbing - Adventure Wednesday June 18th, 2014

Climbing At Elevation Place In Canmore

Wooohooo what an amazing Adventure Wednesday. The weather wasn't so good this week so we decided to try out climbing at the elevation place. Well that was fun. I've actually never been to the elevation place before but really love it. The last time I went climbing was 2001 I think! I am very happy we went today.

We took a little tour around the climbing-gym and then tried the Clip In Trublue! Just clip in and start climbing. It's all mechanical and when you are done just let go and slowly descent to the bottom. Well I must say ... Depending on a machine and then letting go was very scary for me. After a couple of times I got it and had so much fun! First 3 photos is me ... starting to climb ... up up I go and ... I am on my way down.

 

Can you see the blue line behind me in the next photos? Georgia and I wanted to try climbing before deciding if we like it enough to do it again. Because we didn't take the course to hold each other, we were only allowed to climb to the blue line (without a robe) or just the clip in's. The next photos show me just having a blast and hanging around, lol. Really fun but also hard on your hands and arms.

   

As usual I spent my Adventure Wednesday with Georgia. As you can see in the photos below she had as much fun as I had. We did climb beside each other in the beginning & then started to take turns when our hands needed a break. We watched some of the other climbers while having a sip of water and while trying to give our hands a little rest.

We are planning to go climbing once a week and are probably taking the course to support each other to be able to climb even higher. I loved the atmosphere at the elevation place. Everyone is very friendly and supportive. Someone showed us how to make it easier to climb. Georgia posted a video to my FB timeline. It was harder than it looks. Hope you enjoy!

Another Amazing Adventure Wednesday!!

Sulpher Mountain - Adventure Wednesday June 11th 2014

Sulpher Mountain

The plan for last weeks Wednesday was to go kayaking in Banff. We decided to take a bus later than usual which made us 10 min to late to rent a kayak on that day. Well Adventure Wednesday was still on so we changed our plans quickly and went to the Gondola in Banff up the Sulphur Mountain! Have you ever been up there? Isn't it just stunning?

No kayaking meant enough time to go on a little hike from downtown Banff to the Gondola. We walked through the forest for a while and then along the street for the last couple of meters.

 Hike through the forest to Banff Gondola

It takes about eight-minute to the top of Sulphur Mountain, elevation 7,486 feet. The view is incredible and breathtaking. At the summit you can stroll along the Banff Skywalk to Sanson's Peak Meteorological Station or just take in the view from the restaurant's observation deck. I also love to just find a nice spot to enjoy the sun on my skin.

Being one with nature!

I could sit like thid for hours. What an amazing view. We spent close to 3hours up there. We had a fantastic time! Here are a few photo.

Incredible view at the top of Sulphur Mountain!

Being silly and having fun!

At Sanson's Peak Meteorological Station

I think that's it for this weeks blog. Not sure what is the plan for next Wednesday but I'm looking forward to whatever we do! I am glad though that I am able to take a few days to relax and do nothing (not much). This past week has been "crazy". We did yoga and a fitness workout on Tuesday - Hike and Gondola on Wednesday and just in case I wasn't sore enough - Georgia signed us up for white water rafting on Thursday. Oh my!! I must say - first yoga lesson was harder than running my first half marathon. I did have a blast this past week though. It was fun and something new. I was a little scared of white water rafting but loved it. Will definitely do it again! One last question! Does anyone have any suggestions for Adventure Wednesdays??

Your questions - my answers!

Some people must think we runners are all crazy - Signing up for an event to run/walk 5K/10K/21.1K/42.2K/50K for pure pleasure. Who never signed up for a race has no idea what they are talking about. 

Here are a few answers to why I do what I do.

Why do I run?

To free my mind -To forget my surroundings for a while - To be one with nature.

Here is a photo I created with some more answers!!

When I run the world around me becomes quiet. It's just me, the trail/track/route and nature!

Here is a question for YOU! Why don't you run?

Isn't it to hot or cold outside to run?

Well you always can choose to run inside in a gym BUT I think if you are dressed right it will never be to hot or to cold for a run.  I love running when it is warm to enjoy a nice breeze and the warm sun on my skin. I also love running through Winter Wonderland. Everything looks like it is covered in a white blanket. Absolutely beautiful.

 

Why are you still running after you were injured?

Well good question. I still love running. I love being part of the running community. If we all would stop doing things after we got injured we all wouldn't do anything anymore. I seem to have more problems with my body if I don't exercise. I can feel if I take a break from being active for to long.

Running is fun? 

Yes I think running is fun. Running makes me happy. You can make every run fun and special. Run with friends. Change your route! Sign up for a race and dress up! Run for a good cause!

 

Totally Fun!!

These are questions I got after I finished my first half marathon!

Did you win??

I must say - I do not run to win! I don't care if I am the last person to cross the finish line. I am a winner just because I do cross the finish line - no matter what place.

What place did you finish?

I actually don't like this question. As I said before I don't care what place. All I care about is having a great time and that I finish my race. We were 15,000 runners on June 1st and for me it doesn't matter so much what place I finish - for me it's more special to be part of such an big and amazing event.

Did you run your half marathon without a break?

I did take breaks - I followed a 2:30 race bunny which ran 10min and walked 1min ... All I have to say to this question is - Please sign up for your first half marathon and let me know if you were able to run 21.1K without a break!!

How were your knees? (Had knee surgery Nov. 2013)

My knees are doing fine. Thanks for asking. Even if my knees would case me any trouble - nobody ever said I can't walk parts of my half marathon or any other run for that matter.

Were you fast?

Define fast? Well I was faster than if I would be sitting at home watching TV. Every runner is different. I run because I love it and not to compete with other runners. If you run for example twice a 10K then you can say - yes I was faster at the second 10K race that I did ... but I think you can't say you are fast if you do something for the first time. Running 5K/10K/21.1K/42.2K for the first time - I think all you think about is finishing.

How did/do you feel?

I felt and still feel pretty amazing. It is an incredible feeling to be among all these other runners. It is an incredible feeling to be part of something so special. It is an incredible feeling to cross the finish line. I always get very emotional during a race and especially after a race. After my first half marathon on June 1st I felt like doing a HAPPY dance :)

Happy Dance!!

If you have anymore questions please let me know.