Camera

Luke and I each have one of those new fangled iPhone and take them everywhere so we can text each other like we have our own language nobody understands. They fit rather handy in our pockets and we always have them with us for in-prompt photo opportunities. Some photos turn out and some don't. Because of the ever present iPhone/ cameras we forget to bring our real camera to places where it might come in handy like the RCMP musical ride or the airshow, where the iPhone just don't cut it.

I don't know what the solution is, I am just saying it is a problem.

In the attached photo Luke trespassed onto a construction zone for a photo opportunity. Ever is wearing is white and shinny soccer shoes which he invents excesses to wear. IE. 'i need to wear my soccer shoes for playing tennis'.

On another note, Ever took a tumble on his bike today and called himself a tough coconut, I think that's funny.



Pure Grit Trail Race

 

How do you know I have not been running much??

I actually run a race and I feel like a truck hit me.

Haven't been running much lately due to work/ heat/ and I have been spending a bit more time on my bike. Which BTW, just when I didn't think it could happen, it has. I have developed larger thigh muscles.

As this is my no pressure/ local races/ fun races year I didn't go to Niagara falls to run the 50k, I went to Sawmill Ski trails and ran a cross country race there.

I call it a cross country race as there is no single track. In my world double track is cross country. It was close though as my legs are all scratched up from raspberry bushes, which I like cause I think it makes me look tough.

The race was held on cross country ski trails as a benefit for a Nordic cross country team. Price was excellent at $20 or $50 per family!!! The race organizer has four kids.

The race was a single loop for the short course of 7.5. Double loop for the 15k. Course ended up being  short at 13.5kish total.

When I was in line at registration I saw the local very fastest girl. Soo whatever. I am local fast not provincial fast, which she is. She is also rather pleasant, so whatever.

Lined up and set off. Tried to stick with one guy I know I have beat before but he passed me as I was dumping large quantlies of water on myself at the only water station. Course was reasonable marked but due to the field being spread out so much I had doubts on a few occasions.  On the second loop I did not see a single person. In fact I asked the aid station if I was the last person left out. I think I run better on high mileage and basically fresh legs are not good for me soo I felt like i had multiple stress fractures the entire race.

Ran the first loop in 36min and very positive split it with  41min for the second. Which totally sucks. Around 1:18 total. I blame my split on the lack of anybody else on the course to push me. I should mention I was beat by 14min. We are the same age. I blame genetics)

I am happy I was the third female though the first lap and ended up being second female OA in the long course.  Which is great cause I got a $20 gift certificate. Free race!!! Homemade cookies and watermelon at the finish line. All good to me.

Math Of a Swim Pass

 

Last year I was very grateful to receive a leisure time grant from my employer. Basically, it gives you funds to allow you to participate in an activity not related to your job. For example salsa dance lessons, pottery class, creative writing correspondence course. etc. etc. I asked for and received funds sufficient to cover the cost of a yearly membership to the Hanover Pool.

By the numbers:

Cost of the membership (Was cheaper - this is 2012 rate)- $298

Times attended Lane Swim- 51.

Times attended Pool Boot Camp- 1

Times attended with kids-At least twice a month- 24

Cost of each visit- $3.92

The other option available is a 20 punch pass which works out to $4 per visit. As I will have more free time with the kids in school I do see myself using the pool more. Surprisingly not in the summer as I do like open water-as long as I have somebody to swim with. Also the summer hours are poor for lane swim. So I might hold off in purchasing another pass until September.

Redemption

In 2008, on a blistering hot day, after being awake all night with a fussy baby, I ran a 10k in Southampton.
It did not go well 52 something... I think it may have been a personal worse. It has always been nagging at me, but it had never worked out to repeat. This year I had actually asked for the day off work as I did want to try again. However, up until last night at 11pm it had looked like I would not be able to do it thanks to the weather and a inconveniently located soccer tournament of Luke's.

The details are boring of how it happened, but I was on the start line at 10am. Crowd felt smallish- not sure what the number were as compared to other years. For most of the out and back with a loop I was on my own. Would have had somebody to work with or at least block the wind. Definitely cool and wet. Good thing I i am rather fond of racing in poor conditions.
I am hazy on my time. My garmins view is screwed up cause I fiddled with it and I am yet to fix it. Basically I was just keeping an eye on my pace- trying to keep it around 4:45k's. The start was downhill so it was 3:30 for a bit- a windy section was 5:15 soo i thought my time was around 45-46min. When trying to figure you why the results were so wrong I found my official time as 44:36. Sooo whatever.

The race course must be different than 2008. At that time it was a definite out and back. This year there was a 1k loop to the 10k course....which seemed to cause a bit of upset, as in some people didn't do it. Top two males apparently didn't do it. Opps.
Other issue was how overwhelmy wrong the awards ceremony was....which at the end of the day is a risk when participating in community races. Those timing companies usually guarantee resonantly  accurate results. Volunteers with a clip board- not so much. If they had simply posted the results anywhere  prior it would have been obviously wrong. For the 10k- both OA female and male winners were wrong.

Anyways, i am short a bronze metal for my AG- fourth OA. The prize was socks or a hat for placement, but really do I need anther metal or hat?? Could use some socks though.