Adventure....right around the corner.

I have been following Krissy and Devon's R2R2R speed attempt ever since I first got news of the happenings which was only a few days before it happened. As cool as it was that they accomplished it, it's even cooler that they did it as a team. I think adventuring is often enjoyed more when done with someone else. I can think back to the movie 'Into the Wild" where right before he dies he writes..."Happiness is enjoyed more when shared"...or something along those lines.

I do enjoy runs solo but I enjoy adventures more with a companion.

I am in Palm Desert right now with a friend of mine, Bailey, her mom (Jos, a client) and her mom's friend Deb. We had planned to go to the street market today and after I noticed that they had 2 bikes in the garage, I suggested that we bike the 15 or 20 minutes there. It was awesome! The bikes are nothing special but I think that adds to the adventure. After a tarmac run this morning, I was longing to find some trails and I thought what better way to explore than by bike. After the street market I asked Bailey to humor me by coming on a bit of adventure. The adventure being to find the trail head. So, off we went towards the mountains and eventually we did find the trail head. I am stoked to go explore that in the next day or so. I even went out and bought a bike lock so I could ride there, run, and ride home.

When I told people that I was gong to Palm Springs, I got a lot of responses along the lines of "Palm Springs is for old people" & "There isn't much to do there". However, I think if you have adventure in your blood, there is always something to do! You just have to work a little harder to find it....but in the end, that's all part of the fun.

So, here is to adventure and doing what you love, no matter where you are. Adventure is always just around the corner.

Happy Easter!!!

TODAY

(The Tenderfoot boogie crew from Sunday, The dog was jumping at me that is why I am lookin' kinda funny)

As I was delightfully hiking up the Chief today, I couldn't help but think about how nice it would be to simply lay down and be one with the rock, once I got to the top. Yogi's often put there heads down to their mats (which I can't even do from a seated position!) after their practice as if to be kissing the earth. Well, kissing my mat isn't really my thing but I thought that laying down atop the Chief would be my way of being one with the universe. It would represent being and living in the now and enjoying the peaceful calm and quietness that exists up there.

However, to my surprise, there was another guy laying down on the top! I told him he had stolen my idea and then I joined him in silence, just laying, smiling, breathing and enjoying. This guy was in jeans and was just taking a simple break from work. I know that because he eventually got up and said "well, better get back to work". The weather had forcasted rain and I awoke to sunny skies and this hike called my name. By the time I got to the top it was snowing, however, ever so faintly, as if the snow were cotton floating around in the sky.

Another thing we talked about in my Yoga class yesterday was simply being in the now. It is surprising how hard that is to do. Even as I was descending the Chief, I found my thoughts lingering away onto all the other things I had to do today. I consciously had to stop myself and simply try and focus on what I was doing...now.

So, here is to living in the NOW! Taking each day, one at a time because that is all we really have. As the saying goes, tomorrow is promised to no one! Which kind of creeps me out because I'd like to think everyone will wake up and get to see tomorrow.

See you in the trails!

LIVING TRUTHFULLY & FEELING ALIVE

Last night, after 4 months had gone by, I finally went back to Yoga! There was really no good reason as to why I had stopped going but I was choosing to do other things. But, being back in class reminded me so much of why I love yoga and the benefits I see in my body/mind after I leave, always with a smile on my face. I am really enjoying The Yoga Studio in Squamish. It's nothing fancy (no YYOGA), as it is simply one room (and a 1 stall bathroom), but I really like it this way. Simple.

Little to me knowledge, my 5 time pass I bought back in December had actually expired. I was pretty bummed but Lydia, the teacher, let me extend it for another month. I wanted to send her a thank you e-mail and was searching for their contact info on the website. I also stumbled upon the bios of all the teachers and as I was perusing something kind of struck my eye. One of the teachers was saying how yoga makes her live more 'truthfully'. I know I have heard this term before but this time I was intruiged and wanted to dive deeper into it's meaning. I asked myself, "What does it really mean to live truthfully?".

This morning I decided to google it. Perhaps, that's the cheat way! Here is one phrase I found from Mary Rhee...

"By living truthfully, we live a life true to our intent and what we stand for"

Then I stumbled upon another page that discusses what it means to "have lived".

This one for me is very interesting and I have brought it up to Peter many times because I can pin point exactly when I started to feel this way. The moment I felt that I started "living my life" was when I started running, which wasn't until 2004/2005. I can remember it very vividly because it was after I stopped playing basketball for Cap College.

I was a free soul and began going on all these self adventures. Now, to begin, these adventures were small in scale compared to some of the things I have done more recently but the feelings of joy I got from them remain the same. While out running on the sea wall as part of the Sugoi photoshoot on Monday, I watched dozens of roller bladers whip past me. I couldn't help but reminisce...

At the tender age of 20, (HA!) I got a full service restaurant job at The Macaroni Grill downtown on Davie Street. I was still living in North Vancouver at the time. It was around this time that I bought a new pair of roller blades and yes, I am pretty sure roller blading was deemed uncool at this point in time. I hadn't roller bladed since I was a kid and I can't even remember why I decided to start roller blading again, but I digress...

This mode of transportation served as a platform for my daily adventures to work. I would blade from home- down the highway, over the Liongs Gate Bridge, and at that point, I would take off my blades, put shoes on and run down to the Stanly Park Seawall (gravel trail) and put my blades back on. From there I would blade around the sea wall all the way back to Davie Street in English Bay. Everytime I did this I felt alive and I guess you could say I was living truthfully. I didn't care that people thought roller blading was uncool because in the end, I was 100% happier than any of those people. I was doing what made me happy. Side note- I also had a friend, one of my closest, who also had a pair of blades and we would adventure together. I loved the feeling of just ripping around the sea wall at top speed or going for blades with Megs through the demonstration forest, surrounded by trees.

It was also around this time that I began training for a marathon, another experience that made me feel like I was living my life. Roller blading adentures were soon replaced with running adventures and this time, I had many more friends to share these experiences with. Eventually road runs were replaced with mountain runs and an entirely new love affair was born.

I will forever thank running for making me feel this way, for giving me an outlet to adventure, to feel alive. I don't think I have always stayed true to my heart with running and that is something I have personally struggled with in the past year or so. To further explain what I mean, I think simply, my running adventures have not always been my own. It's the creativity of a run or an adventure that makes you feel so good about it. For example, I really want to run from Squamish to North Vancouver or from West Vancouver to Powell River. These types of adventures would be very satisfying because they are my own and I chose them.

I think in the past year or so, I had stopped being creative and perhaps was just going with the flow, choosing races because that's what used to make me feel alive with my running. Somewhere along the way, races stopped giving me the satisfaction I was used to, and I think I simply ignored those feelings. I also stopped coming up with self motivated adventures and was just in training mode. I've since realised this and have been working at keeping that spark alive. Running does have a special place in my heart and without it, I am not the same person.

I think in the end, we all need to be true to ourselves and when we are not, we need to look deep inside and ask ourselves the question: Am I living truthfully? Do I feel Alive? There are times in life where we can lose ourselves and it takes a lot of guts and courage to aknowledge it and change it.

I ask you, What does living truthfully and honestly, mean to you?

What makes you feel alive?

Have a happy Tuesday!!!! Adventure onward!

BIRTHDAY SWIM

(Not me, but wow, what a splash!)

Last year, Peter and I, drove up to Brohme Lake to go running. The trails were very new to us and to no one's surprise they were fabulous. We decided to jump in post run and it was a dip in the lake I will never forget.

I can't really describe the way it made me feel but it was a very freeing sensation. It's like taking a leap of fail, being born again, and starting off on a new foot. I remember being nervous and I am certain it took me a long time before I made the jump in. The water was very cold but as soon as I got out of the lake, I warmed up instantaneously because the air was so much warmer....it simply felt amazing. So amazing, that I wanted to do it again this year.


(Birthday Breakfast of Champions)

After a glorious run with Peter in the morning, followed by a lovely bowl of Oats topped with yogurt and fresh fruit, we made our way to Brohm Lake. We made a pit stop to grab a bottle of the Howe Sound Brew Pub beer (Geribaldi Honey), to enjoy post dip. We parked and walked down towards the water. The sky was overcast and the air was cool. It was suppose to rain the entire day but a miracle occured and the rain held off until 4pm. Peter set up a camera to take some video and then we stripped down to our bathing suits. As Peter made his way down to the rock where we were to jump off, I counted down, 1...2...3 and then without hesitation jumped right on in...and to my surprise...SOLO!!! I can't blame him though. I guess this is my tradition, not his!

I was so cold I could hardly breathe let alone climb back up the rock to get out. I put my hand out and Peter helped me out of the water. Again, it was only seconds until I was overcome with warmth and I just felt completely cleansed...born again.

I have a video but it's on Pete's camera and he just left on a 2 week ski touring trip. I'll post it when he is back. I am now 27, and I believe that means I am now in my 'Late Twenties"! Yahoo! Next race for me is Sun Mountain 50km in Winthrop, WA. I am very much looking forward to it. Ladies road trip!!!!

See you in the trails.

OH THE PEOPLE YOU`LL MEET

(Bouldering in Bishop California, 2008, I think)

Peter and I (but especially Peter) were pretty stoked up to come home and climb yesterday. We both had been working on The Shore and the weather was fabulous. However, on our drive home to Squamish (approx 5pm) the weather started to look a little dreary and as soon as we passed the cheif, en route home, rain drops started prancing on my windshield. Peter, having been stuck at work all day, was a little bit more than devastated! I at least, had been able to get out for a run and enjoy the sunny day.

In the end, we took our chances, parked in the Chief climbers parking lot and went searching for some dry boulders. There was only one other car in the lot and we ended up bouldering right next to him. Now this 'him', aint any old 'him'. Turns out we were bouldering with Pro Snowboarder, Lonnie Kauk, who's dad, Ron Kauk, is a legendary free climber in Yosemite Valley. Good times.

Bouldering outside can seem a little daunting, mainly because there are no ropes or gear to protect you. In the climbing gym, it`s pretty low-risk because there are more than dozen puffy crash pads underneath you. Outside however, you may have only a few crash pads on the ground (much thinner) and falling could have it`s consequences. I am not always a risk taker, but as a kid I am pretty sure I was fearless. Now-a-days the thought of sky-diving and bunjee jumping freaks me out (but I will do both someday soon) but when I get on a rock, I seem to be able to block out the risk. The odd time though I find myself thinking `wow, this is really high, if I fall, this won`t end well`.

My skills as a boulder`er, aren`t excellent and I often have more fun when I just play around and make up my own stuff. I am not always a fan of the rules of the route, having to start it a certain way, or following a perfect sequence. But, maybe it`s because I don`t have the patience to try the same route over and over until I get it. Regardless, just being outsidem, getting to climb up some random boulders is a pretty great way to spend an evening. We managed to get out for over an hour without any rainfall, but it did come eventually around 7:30pm, our cue to leave.

Today is a beautiful day and I am gearing up for a run with Segs! Get out there!

Squamish love

The Tenderfoot Boogie orientation runs started out last Sunday, which is awesome because I have been left without many poeople to train with on the weekends for those long ass adventure runs. So far, I havent had the drive or patience to run more than 3 hours on my own. I was super surprised how many people I knew when we all met at the Squamish Adventure Center. My good buddy Mark Grist (and co) came from Vancouver, an entire crew (from mission) I recognized from the race Giv'r Take Around the Lake, and some locals I have met through working at the Challenge By Choice Studio.

I spontaneously went to a C3 conditioning class myself today and it was simply pure fun. Jen made up a 'Triathlon' which involved biking, running and rowing and in after EACH cardio exercise were the 'transitions' made up of push-ups, air squats, and kettle bell swings. After 40 minutes of that and 3 triathlons later, I was pooped! It's great doing things in groups because you push yourself that much harder and it's fun sharing the experience with others and feeding off their energy. Looking forward to more of those! Tonight we are coaching the Trail Clinics which run every Tuesday night @ 6pm and Saturdays at 8am. You can find more info on those HERE!!!

Last Saturday we got out Climbing again in Squamish, an average of about once a week outside. We managed to tick off a few nemsis's and all in all it was an awesome day. Then we had our good friends Sean R (rupees) and his lovely girlfriend Tory over for dinner...I finished off the night as the Scrabble champion! Go me!

Alright, time to go brush up on Polar Heart Rate monitors seeing as though I am the new Tech Rep....a position I am super excited about. I have owned and used them for years and everyone should have one!!!!! HURRY UP AND BUY....