Crazy

Just read a good article in the Vancouver Sun which I totally relate to.  A local Vancouver man, Tim Wiens is going to run the 17th annual Vancouver Fat Ass 50km race twice.

My favourite part of the article:

Tim doesn't object to being called crazy. "No, because it is a little abnormal," he said. "But I am surrounded by people that are even more crazy." 

Wiens, a Vancouver resident and normally logical financial planner, runs with people who go even farther than he does - racing 100-mile events. "After a while, you start to think, 'This is just normal behaviour,'" he said.

I think tim summed me up pretty well at this time - 50km used to seem so far, now it just seems like a warm up for bigger and better things.

Crazy - adjective - mentally deranged; demented; insane.
But I prefer:
Crazy - informal - intensely enthusiastic; passionately excited.

Read the full article here.

Dance. Dance. Dance.

Don't be fooled by all this running and racing. I didn't forget about my other passion music! 2009 marked another year filled with incredible music - I made a huge effort to see and support my favorite bands especially Canadian ones. Here is a summary of the fantastic bands I was fortunate to see this year. They were all phenomenal but I've added link my favorites:


Animal Collective
Band of Horses
Bon Iver
The British Columbians
Chromeo
Coldplay
Crystal Castles
Deadmau5
Devotchka
Doves
Grizzly Bear
Fleet Foxes
Jane's Addiction
Kaskade
Kings of Leon
M83
Metric
Moby
Mos Def
Natalie Portman's Shaved Head
Nine Inch Nails
Ohbijou
of Montreal
Ra Ra Riot
Sam Roberts Band
Santigold
Shearwater
Silversun Pickups
Simian Mobile Disco
The Decemberists
The Deers
Toyko Police Club
TV On The Radio
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Wil

 
2010 is starting off with a bang.  I have tickets to see Tegan and Sara, The Stars and Miike Snow. A musical road trip is also in the works, currently I'm debating between Sasquatch Music Festival (which I attended in 09) and Coachella.

A Ra Ra Riot.

2009 review - warning this post is long, get comfy. 

In January I joined the Mountain Madness running group to try get back into running after road running became to painful due to my car accident.  I also thought it would help motivate me to continue to run through the winter, meet some new running friends and to learn the North Shore trail system better.

Joining this group opened me up to a whole new world I didn't know existed. And I got the opportunity to run with some amazing runners who were more then willingly to share their knowledge.

Immediately the group encouraged me to run the Dirty Duo Trail Race which is what they were training for. It takes place in March, features a unique race concept and as I learnt it is really the race that kicks of the season here.

There are a variety of races you can select - here are the five options:

Run 25 km
Run 15 km
Run 50 km ultra
Do a relay; one runs and your partner rides
Do it all! Go solo and do both the 25 km run and 30 km bike
Mountain bike 30 km

I initially decided to run the 15 km race which seemed insane (who was I to sign up for a running race?), the group talked me into switching to the 25 km distance a few weeks into our training. This was my first "trail race" and the only other "race" I'd completed prior to this was the Vancouver Sun Run in 2005.

I was so nervous the night before the race - come to think of it I was nervous the entire race, even after I'd crossed the finish line as the 8th place girl.  My mom, best girlfriends and boyfriend came to cheer me at the finish line and then we went for a tasty coffee at Delany's to celebrate. None of us knew at the time what this little trail race had set off inside me. But I loved everything about it. The training, the people, the challenge of running in the mountains in the snow, the butterflies in my stomach and the feeling I got as I ran the race.  But the best part was how great I felt after I finished - I honestly didn't think I could do it but I did and I wanted to do it again!

Following this race I ran four of the 5 Peaks Trail Running Series races; Golden Ears, Mount Seymour, Whistler Blackcomb and Buntzen Lake.  I selected the Endro distance of these races which means each race is approximately 12-16km.  They may be a shorter distance then the 25km Dirty Duo but they were all challenging; super fast pace, technical terrain and lots of hill climbing and descending.  A great way to check out the local mountains and to meet other local trail runners.  By the time the last race rolled around at Buntzen Lake in September I had made so many wonderful people I was sad to know it would be the last time I would see them for the year.

Next up was Mind Over Mountain (Momar) and completing my first adventure race.  This had been on my list of goals for a while but I wanted to race it on a team and thus far had no partner.  But in September 2009 I raced and completed my first adventure race - Momar Cumberland 50km Adventure Race - complete race report here.  The great thing about this race is the drive and push I felt throughout.  I actually didn't even feel nervous at the start line, I was just so excited to be there in beautiful Cumberland, BC about to have an outstanding day.  Adventure racing is different from just a running race; especially because I was on a team with one male (a very fast male name Chris), so it was not me setting the pace like I'm used to, it was me trying to keep up with Chris to the best of my ability - I don't like being the slowest person.

I think one of the problems with being goal orientated for me is that there is always something else looming.  Immediately after completing Momar I knew it was time to tactical another one of my big goals.  Again this was a goal I'd had for a number of years; completing a marathon.  I originally started training for my first marathon in January 2007 with the running room clinic, in June of that year I was involved in a serious car accident which had postponed this goal indefinitely. I set on sights on the North Face Endurance Challenge 50km trail race in December.

I managed to fit in one more 25km race before my first Ultra the Hallows Eve 25km - complete race report here.  Next up was the North Face Endurance Challenge 50km race in San Francisco - complete race report here.

People/friends always ask me why I run? And why do I like it?  I've put a lot of thought into it over the last couple weeks in particular because I haven't actually been able to run - this is the best way I can summarize it now:

One of the coolest things about running it allows me to travel to the most beautiful places
One of the biggest lessons I've learned from running is how to turn doubt into drive

Running allows me to get out of my comfort zone and find out who I am
Running allows me to build a relationship with nature, the outdoors and to think clearly

Running makes me feel strong, confident, empowered and like I can take on any challenge

I crave the feeling I get at the start line of any race, the little butterflies that show you, you are alive and you are pushing your limits. It's the worst feeling but also the best feeling. Racing through your mind is:

"Am I good enough for this?  Did I train enough? Am I going to make it?  Did I bring enough water and fuel?  Am I wearing the right gear?"

But the alluring thing is once you start running you find your groove and confidence in yourself  inevitably returns.

Not everyone has the drive to go out on the weekend for hours on end, run hill repeats, spend hours at the track, go out rain or shine.  Not to mention actually signing up for a race or a new training group.  For those of us who do this, we know the secret, we know what we are getting in return.

Should We? Or Shoudn't We?

Made me think of myself and smile.

A Pirates Life for Me.

Like most people December has been a really crazy time for me and since returning from San Francisco I have been battling an old knee injury which was re-injured.

Immediately after the race I took 4 days off and then tried to go out for an easy run on the seawall.  After about 20 minutes I knew I should turn around because I heard a clicking and my leg/knee was in quite a bit of pain.

That weekend I headed up to Whistler for my friend Leslie's Pirate themed stagette.  I left the my snowboard at home but brought my runners and YakTraxs excited for some winter running on the trails.  Once we arrived I realized this would be a good reason to take a couple extra days off and recover.  The weekend was a blast; my friends organized a fabulous weekend which included staying on Green Lake in a fantastic lake front house.

The first night we stayed in, cooked dinner, played board games and had some good quality girl bonding time.  The next day Leslie's mom organized an awesome scavenger hunt for us through the village which meant 8 girls running around the village for three hours in Santa hats and matching gloves.  We followed that up with some pirate costumes, a great dinner and some dancing.

The view from my bedroom where we stayed and the girls.

I was still feeling sore when I returned home so I continued to take some time of impact activity, instead focusing my time on weight training and stretching at the gym.  After a few days the pain was completely gone when I walked so I decided to I attempt my Wednesday night spin class. Unfortunately shortly after starting this workout my knee/leg pain flared up again, I finished the class with no resistance and just spun out my legs. This was two weeks after my race so I decided it would be best to take a few more days off.

The next Saturday I couldn't help myself and I made my return to the North Shore.  I hadn't run my favorite trails in almost three weeks and it was killing me.  I did an easy paced run for an hour and a half, it felt great to be on the trails but my leg wasn't not pain free.

I knew it was time for outside help.  I went to my doctor and physio to receive the bad news.  2-4 weeks of no impact i.e. no running, no spinning... I've been going to the gym to do the exercises the physio gave me but I'm itching to get back running on the trails.  So now I wait and work on restraint.

It's not all bad when you can't run (this is me trying to remain positive)  I've been trying to focus my attention on reading, walking/snowshoeing and catching up family & friends.

On Christmas Eve I got to leave work a bit early enjoy the superb weather we've been having; so Chris and I decided to go snowshoeing.  We headed up to Dog Mountain for some mountain air and catch up - we didn't run and took it easy so most of it was pain free for me.  Here are some pictures of our snowshoeing adventure.  Happy Holidays!

 

Exceptionally ordinary.

Saturday December 5th, 2009 was an exceptionally ordinary day for me.   I ran and successfully completed the 50km North Face Endurance Challenge in San Francisco.

The trip began early Friday morning Stefan and I loaded into his car and drove to Bellingham, Washington for our flight to San Francisco.  Our flight was on time and I managed to achieve my flying goals;  sleep and read.   I slept most of the flight and when not sleeping I was able to focus on my attention on a book which can only be described as consuming, inspirational, well rounded and genuinely a fantastic way to spend spare time.

Once we arrived in SF we headed straight to the hotel to drop off our bags, we stayed at the Hyatt which was a really impressive hotel, especially because we scored a sweet deal.  I know its been in a number of movies but I still can't remember which ones and thus far google/imdb have failed to help me place it.  Anyone recognize it?

We then walked up to the massive North Face store near Union Square.  The North Face store near my house is very small compared to the one in SF and it basically only sells skiing and snowboarding stuff so it was a treat to go to this store which was full of cool gear for a variety of sports including of course trail running.  I picked up my race package which included a great flight series long sleeve running shirt and a nice pair of trail running socks - a great the race package in my humble opinion.  The store was buzzing with excitement and very busy.  We got there just as trail running legend and race director Dean Karnazes was about to start his presentation.  Unfortunately my rumbley tummy was dead set on eating dinner so I missed his talk.

After prepping my race outfit and I climb into bed ready to enjoy another captivating chapter of my book Born to Run.  I was absorbed in running, my thoughts were of nothing else and as the began to read about Scott Jurek running the Badwater Ultra it only fueled my desire to actually get out there and run the trails.

Falling asleep was hard, mostly because there happen to be an outdoor skating rink right below my room which had music pumping until 11:30pm...not cool on the eve of a race.

Race day began bright and earlier at 5am, with good news it was going to be really pleasant day with mild temperatures and a clear sky.  I finalized my race outfit consisting of:
Grey and Pink Lululemon Running T-Shirt
Black Lululemon Running Shorts
Pink Lululemon Sports Bar
Heart Sugoi Arm Warmers
Salomon Pack
Black Lululemon Hat
Gray and Pink Brooks Trail Runners

We didn't have a kitchen so resorted to instant Quaker oatmeal which we "brewed" for breakfast.

The drive to the start line was calming and surreal for me.  Part of me couldn't believe I was actually here and about to run 50 km's - only crazy people do that!  My life has changed so much in the past 2 years and I was brilliantly proud of myself for even getting to this point.  As we drove over the Golden Gate bridge I couldn't help but think that everything else that would happen on this day would just be the icing on my delicious cake.

We parked at the bottom parking lot and waited for the last shuffled bus to take us to the start line.  This was the view from the parking lot.  Absolutely stunning! 

It was during the shuffle bus drive to the starting area that I spotted the little glow sticks placed along the side of the trail for the 50 milers that I decided I would be upping my running game for 2010.  My next race was definitely going to have to be longer then 50 km.  How cool is it to start your race with headlamps and run through a mini rave along epic trails! 

The gun went about 15 minutes late and we were off. For the first 15 minutes or so my heart rate felt like it was so high, my adrenaline was pumping and I became a bit nervous.  I'd never run any of these trails (and to be honest hadn't really done any research on the course).  I had made a last minute decision to leave my camera with our bag of clothes for after the race at the start/finish area and immediately regretted my decision...the terrain and views were outstanding. We often got to run along hill tops that overlooked the Pacific Ocean, had magnificent views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the other surrounding bay areas.

My plan was to run the first 25 km really easy and hopefully finish the last 25 km with a more speedy pace.  This race had almost no flat parts, you were constantly going uphill or downhill. Like normal the uphill was difficult but it was the downhill that unexpectedly hurt me.  I think because I'm used to running really soft technical downhill and this was hard pack non technical terrain that just pounded your body.

Another part of my plan was to chat to the folks around me.  During the first bit of the race I chatted with a couple girls who gave me some tips for running the course as they ran the area a lot.  They advised me not to gun it down the down hills that were coming up even though my legs would want to.  They said to save my legs for the down hill after Pantoll aid station.  After our first big climb I was feeling good, like this race was definitely going to be manageable and thankful for training I'd completed which included some pretty epic hill climbing.  Around the top of this climb I began talking to a guy from Hawaii, when we reached the top of the hill and  rounded a corner and came across a sprawling ocean bluff with stunning ocean views as far as the eye could see.  He pulled out his camera and began snapping some wicked photos.  I was really disappointed with my discussion to leave my camera behind. However these views reconfirmed that this was the best place to be and I was doing the best thing do to on Saturday December 5th in North America!

The hardest part of the race for me was a section of stair climbing which seemed to that twice as long to complete then it should have.  A guy I was running with at the time and I actually got a bit scared.  Did we miss a turn?  Did we accidentally end up on part of the 50 miler course?  And then I saw it a little marker that confirmed we were going the right way and it lead to my favorite part of the race - yes a mental regroup!  And I'd hit the technical downhill which I blew down and passed a ton of people on.  Thanks North Shore trails:)  I have an ongoing injury in my left leg/knee which started to hurt around mile 19, but I tried to ignore the pain.  Mind over matter.

After this downhill I started talking to a med student (I think his name was Micheal) from the bay area.  He normally does triathlons but decided to "challenge" himself by doing a 50 km race (I spoke with him after the race and he said this was harder than any tri he has completed).  We ran to together most of the remaining race.  He was interested in moving to Vancouver so I offered advice and obviously up-sold Vancouver because I truly think its one of the best places on earth to live.  It also worked out well to run together because he introduced me to my nutrition savor of the day.  I began the race by having a gel every 30 minutes which after about two and half hours made me extremely nausea and I was unable to keep taking them.  I knew one of the most difficult important parts of ultra running is consuming enough calories so I was getting worried.  Micheal said he swears by Mountain Dew so at each of the remaining aid stations I drank Mountain Dew.  Yes, Grant - I'm sorry for always bugging you about drinking pop, I do still think its the cigarette of the future, but it saved me today!

Micheal and I continued to talk which distracted me from the run and before I knew it we had less then five miles left.  We were told there was one last climb left, which we power hiked up and spoke a bit more about snowboarding at Whistler.  As we crested the top of the hill he looked at me and said "ok ready to run?"  I was ready to not run.  But I told him yes and more importantly told myself yes.  Within a minute of running my legs felt like they got back into a rhythm and before I knew it I was ripping down the last downhill (losing the Micheal in the process).  As I entered the last mile I was unpleasantly surprised that it was on pavement.  I had been battling my knee pain for a few hours and this seemed like the worst way to finish the race but I decide to block out the pain and zone out.  As an added bonus there were some slower moving people in front of me so I began to focus on passing them, like I do on my seawall runs - this helped distract me from the knee pain. As I ran through the finish line I notice my time 6:34:30.  My goal time was under 7 hours, I came in 61st overall, 3rd place in my age group and was the 20th place female.YAY!  My first 50 km done!!

Aside from my knee which is an existing injury from a car accident psychically overall I felt really good for the race.  Mentally I had quipped myself with an arsenal of favorite sayings to get me through the suffering:

"Comfortably uncomfortable" - Tim, Wednesday Spin at Steve Nash
"You are playing on your edge - pushing that edge farther and farther" - Tim, Wednesday Spin at Steve Nash
"Make friends with pain and you'll never be alone again."
"This is what you came here for" - My Smeigel
"Everything will be okay in the end.  If its not okay, its not the end."

I read this before my race and it definitely stuck with me during the run as well, "there's something so universal about the sensation we get from running, the way it unites our two most primal impulses; fear and pleasure.  We run when we're scared, we run when we're ecstatic, we run away from our problems and run around for a good time."

A good time.  That summarizes the race for me I met some incredible people, achieve a long time goal and got to see some spectacular scenery.  Thanks to everyone who supported me in acheiving this goal:)

Stay tuned for some more pictures and a post on my upcoming 2010 goals!

It's coming.

I've been really busy since returning home from San Francisco.  Which is why I haven't posted my NFEC race report yet - it's coming.  In the mean time this made me giggle. 

**SPECIAL** Report from the Napster

My friend Nicole (aka the Napster) and I are both lovers of music and frequently attend concerts together. I asked her to write a little something about the last concert we attended - thanks nappy - here goes.

It’s Tuesday December 1st, and we are getting ready for a DJ set, there is something so wrong with this picture- getting all pumped up for a dance fest, then having to wake up the next day - and it’s a mid-week work day. But none the less, off we go, as we have heard great rumours of the Simian Mobile Disco (SMD) duo.

The location changed from Commodore to Venue and we quickly learnt why- Venue was relatively dead, had they played in the Commodore it would have felt empty. But as we found ourselves a comfortable place to chill and enjoy the end of the opening DJ, Venue started to fill out.

When SMD took stage- we knew the show had begun... the lights that caught our attention first, and almost blinded us. Who knew I needed sunglasses for the show?! But as the beat kicked in, it was the combination of the soft to harsh lights in a crazy arrangement of colours and flawlessly matched rhythms of SMD’s electronic beats that set the tone for the night. The two (James Ford and James Shaw) danced around centre stage controlling their instruments like no other DJ setup I have seen- it was more open to their fans. Although the lights made it difficult to keep your eyes directly on the duo, it only made it easier to just let loose and just dance.

The Venue was a great space for SMD. The crowd was young, eclectic and entertaining while they let loose to a collaboration of older tracks from Attack Sustain Decay Release and newer releases from Temporary Pleasure. SMD is definitely worth revisiting- their complex electronic instrumentation and heavy pulsating rhythmic beats keep you wanting more. Although next time I hope it’s on a Friday or Saturday.

What are you doing this weekend?

It’s funny because when I first start running all I wanted to do was complete the Vancouver Sun Run 10km. Once I completed my 10km I wanted to do a half marathon to really challenge myself. Unfortunately a bad car accident three weeks prior to my first half marathon left me unable to walk and with over a year of slow rehab and with my doctor telling me I probably won’t be able to run pain free again.

Until last January 2009, which is when I decided to stop letting the pain in my leg stop me - up until this point road running was too painful - so I signed up for a trail running clinic and 15km Dirty Duo Race because my friend Serge told me trail running would be much easier on my body. A couple weeks into the clinic training one of the instructors told me to change to the 25km race because I would for sure be able to do it. I switched thinking it'd be cool to do a half marathon and then I would have accomplishment all my running goals. But thats the thing with running once you reach one goal there is something way cooler waiting for you at the end.  I went for a post race coffee with some of my girlfriends who had come out to cheer me on and thats when I announced I wanted to run a 50.

Fast forward to September 2009 I decided to sign up for my first 50km race - the North Face Endurance Challenge in San Francisco. And now its here, this Friday morning I’m flying to San Francisco with my friend Stefan, we are both running the 50km course. I’m a mixed bag of emotion but in the end I’m mostly excited. And I can't complain I'm leaving the cold that has taken over Vancouver to go to California where the conditions are supposed to be 17 and partly cloudy.

I am going into the race proud of myself just for entering; I’m pushing my limits and that feels good.  I have trained hard and tried to maintain a well balanced lifestyle while fitting in hours of training and recovery.  I'm doing something that scares me and I think it so important in life to step out of your comfort zone.

And no matter what happens I know I’ll have fun. So without further a-do here is my first pre-race report.

Going into this race I have three primary goals:

1. Have fun and finish
2. Finish in approximately 7 hours
3. Don’t spent too much money shopping in San Fran (or drive Stefan too crazy with my shopping addiction)

The course is described as being situated in the visually stunning Marin Headlands just north of the city and has surprised runners with both its scenery and amount of elevation change. Elevation chart for the course - it looks scary but I plan to break it down in my head into smaller more manageable sections. 

My good friend/adventure racing partner/maybe running partner(??) Chris Price sent me a link to a flyover of the 50 mile course today - Here is the link.

I replied to his email with the following; "Oh god I feel SICK after watching that - WHAT did I get myself into!!”

He replied with probably the most inspiration thing (and totally in Chris fashion) -“You got yourself into the best way to spend a Saturday in North America this weekend.”

Thanks for the support and stay tuned updates!

Mind is Racing.

I have a lot going on in my life right now; I find my mind is racing from family, friends, relationships, work, school, sports, goals and life direction and of course San Francisco this weekend!

Normally as soon as my head hits the pillow at night I fall deep asleep until my alarm wakes me in the morning. But for the past few weeks I have been finding it difficult to fall asleep and the sleep I'm getting isn't as peaceful. I contribute some of my sleep (or lack of sleep) problems to my racing mind. I also contribute some of my sleep problem to my taper. Since I'm tapering for my race I only ran for an hour on Saturday and took a complete rest day Sunday. I am used to spending hours every weekend in the trails where it's so calm (I get a lot of thinking done) and I'm used to keeping myself so busy with activity that I'm exhausted by the time I close my eyes at night.

I read the following last night and it really stuck with me.

"There's something so universal about the sensation we get from running, the way it unites our two most primal impulses; fear and pleasure. We run when we're scared, we run when we're ecstatic, we run away from our problems and run around for a good time."

Can't wait to get in a good long run this Saturday.

 

Fight Gone Bad.

Tonight sadly was the last night of CrossFit at Lululemon on West 4th. The store partnered with a local CrossFit instructor Mark, to offer free classes every Thursday night for the month of November.  My good friend Jules and I gladly attended and worked our butts off for the past four weeks.

We're both sad it's over but our fingers are crossed our favorite store will work some magic and bring it back for the coming months.  I find it especially nice to workout in groups like this during the wet, dark evenings in winter.

Tonight's workout was call Fight Gone Bad, the workout consisted of five exercises, performed for one minute each. You perform as many reps as you can at each station then rotate, completing the entire circuit four times for a total workout of 20 minutes (no breaks). Our Fight Gone Bad was a grueling workout that included; power sit-ups, deep squats, push-ups, kettlebell snatches and tuck jumps.

I leave you with some insight into how my mind process information.  When Mark explained what our workout would be and told us it is called The Fight Gone Bad, I immediately thought of the movie Fight Club.  My thoughts then trailed the first rule of Fight Club; don't talk about Fight Club.  So the next obvious place for my mind to wonder is the star of the movie, Brad Pitt.

Weird how I was able to relate CrossFit to Brad Pitt. In case you can't remember what he looks like I've happily Googled him for you.

 

Dream. Inspiration. Motivation.

In life we dream, we set goals, we try to inspire, we look to be inspired, we crave things to motivate us and we try to motivate others.

One of my dreams has always been to be a photographer for National Geographic. To travel to the most beautiful places on earth, photograph them and share the photos with the world. To have the ability to take an ordinary thing and make it extraordinary. To take the key elements of great photography; lighting, angles and exposure to new levels. Taking amazing photographs is also partly your mindset; patience, confidence and positivity shine into a great photograph.

I will probably never be a National Geographic photographer (I've accepted this) but I look to them for inspiration, motivation and tranquility. I see many correlations between taking a great photo and performing well in a race. During a great race many things come together; smart training, adequate nutrition and a strong positive mindset.

As I near my first Ultra I have been reading about some amazing athletes - I recently read a fabulous race report from an Ironman competitor. She wrote about racing her Ironman BOLD. She kept telling herself to be BOLD IN BATTLE because the race isn’t over till the finish line. As she ran by her coach during the last miles he yelled at her that 6th place wasn’t too far ahead. So she dug deeper and passed 6th place going up a hill – BOLD – my favorite part was that she promised herself not to look back, telling herself the race is always IN FRONT OF YOU. She crossed the finish line in 9 hours 33 minutes - a 35+ min personal best. Definitely inspiring!

Never look back is some of the first advice I ever received from my favorite Uncle; my Uncle Greg as a child. He lives in up state New York and coaches a university hockey team. We were walking on the beautiful campus (I still remember the trees full of leaves, the sun shining through the leaves and a slight breeze)and we decided to race back to the car. At the time I raced track and field at school, short distances. I was having a great time laughing and running as hard as I could, when I looked back to see where he was… obviously he was letting me win. It was at this time he gave me some racing advice; never look back and don’t laugh. I’m not sure why but I still remember this day so clearly.

I came across these photographs today on National Geographic website and just loved them.  Enjoy. Dream. And be Inspired.

I also recommend the video Everyday Creativity with Dewitt Jones. I couldn't locate it online but watched it during a leadership seminar, it continues to inspire me years later.

1. (Photo by Tucker Sylvestro)
2. (Photo by Michael Hanson)
3. (Photo by Andrew Cwiklewich)
4. (Photo by Mike Matas)
5. (Photo by Sean Crane)

Weekend Fun.

With my taper in full swing, this weekend was not full of longs runs. Friday I did spin class and then met up with some friends for drinks and the hockey game at Joey's. This was supposed to be my teams game chance to redeem themselves (I'm an avid Colorado Avalanche fan).  The night didn't go exactly as I (the avs) had planned but there is still plenty of regular season for my team to shine.

Saturday I had planned on hitting the North Shore for an hour run but I ended up staying home  to read, clean and rest.  It felt fabulous!  I had a couple girl friends over for dinner and then we headed to see a great Canadian band called Ohbijou.  The concert was outstanding, they sounded better live then on their album.  The lead vocalist is Casey Mecija her voice was fantastic live - it's youthful, tender, full of energy and the lyrics are absolutely beautiful.  When you pair her voice with the amazing talent of the rest of the band members who play a combination of the mandolin, violin, piano, banjo, cello and other instruments you have a truly wonderful sound.

Sunday I met Helen and Jessica early in the morning for a two hour run and in the afternoon I volunteered for a great organization called Canucks Autism Network which provides support to children and their families.  Today the we hosted 200 kids and their families to watch the movie Ratatouille, complete with popcorn, oranges and a free Willie Mitchell poster for all the kids.  A great event I was proud to help support!