No training today. However, yesterday I had a good session at the track, running 5 k at as fast as I thought I could handle. I completed 5 k in 27 minutes and with my warm up and cool down I completed 11 k and felt like that was enough for one day.

I'm happy with the faster time, but I know I've been faster. It doesn't really matter in the end though, does it? I mean I just want to finish the marathon, right? Right...but I would like to have improved on my time just a little. I can't help wanting to lower my times, it's part of the fun for me. I know it's possible and it's motivating me to some extent.

Next week I'm hoping to drop in on some of the running clinics at a local independent running store. Every Tuesday night they have a drop in clinic for $2. The first clinic is intervals (this is when you run fast for a certain distance then have rest period - a slower pace - before picking up the pace again). I've been doing a little of this each week, but I think the group environment might be fun. My only concern is having to train hard after work and simply not having the energy to do so. We'll see.

On Wednesday I went to see Krazy! The Delirious World Of Anime + Comics + Video Games + Art at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

I wandered into the first room drawn in by the sketches from the Wrong Trousers. I love Wallace and Gromit and all of Nick Park's work. The depth of expression he achieves with what seems such simplicity is remarkable. The room was also playing excerpts from early animation that was accompanied by sketches, notes etc. There was one fabulous NFB piece called Black Hula. You can watch an excerpt on You Tube. It's very worth it.

I kept wandering and went in amongst the anime being projected on angled walls that led into small screening areas. I spent quite a bit of time in the anime and manga (japanese comic books) section before realizing I had started at the "end" of the exhibit. By then I was about half way through so I carried on. I took a break in the middle in a room that had shelves loaded with books to browse through. The rest of the exhibit was the printed comics that again were everything from early (Krazy Kat to Lynda Barry) to contemporary. The Lynda Barry collages were definitely a highlight. Here I had just finished One Hundred Demons and there in the exhibit are some of her collages from the books and prints that she's painted/drawn. It was fabulous. Her collages are beautiful full of fabric, paper, glitter and tiny flowers. They are wonderful to see in three dimensions.

The exhibit was actually too much for me to take in. I would have preferred to see half, go for lunch and then go back and see the rest. I'm use to spending a couple of hours at one of the Vancouver Art Gallery's exhibits, but because so much of the work in this show was text, I wanted to spend more time reading. Maybe if I had started at the beginning and not the end I would have had more time to read. Oh well. It was engaging and cleverly displayed, each area giving you something new. It's closing this Saturday so I won't get a chance to go back, but I am glad I did see the show.

the tuesday that felt like a monday

Please feel free to bypass the blog if I go on too much about my training, but I'm focused on the goal now and I feel race day approaching. I'm excited and nervous (as always).

I ran after work today. No, I did not run home like last time. It did feel like a Monday, but then I remember that I didn't run at all yesterday so today would be a good time to get an easy run in, and I would benefit from having extra recovery time before my speedwork on Thursday.

It was so nice outside, the air had warmed up a bit and the sun was out so I found it easy to convince myself to go for a run. I'm still a little nervous running after work due to last weeks disastrous result, but I reminded myself that I only need to go as far as my body will let me and if it gets too tired then I'll consider if I need to stop or not.

I had a good run. It was tough as it always is after work, but I did 8 k and even ran up the hill at the end, which I rarely do. So it's been a good running day.

monday to monday

monday (last week)

Because of the rain last Sunday I planned to run after work on Monday. I mapped out a route that would take me up on the mountain where it levels out and I thought I'd run a route up there before running the descent home.

This is what I learned:

1. Running a very long distance post-work is near impossible. It's probably better to just run home or do a shorter run.
2. Know when to stop. Instead of pushing myself into frustration and getting down on myself, it's better to stop and call it a day.
3. It's okay to walk.

During the run I felt awful. I kept trying to talk myself into the run, telling myself that I just needed to find my rhythm. Then the negative thoughts starting flowing and no matter how hard I tried to stay positive and focused, the negativity came back. I was simply too tired to carry on. I tried to keep going and took extra walk breaks and longer walk breaks, until finally I admitted to myself that I was beat.

Still quite far from home I started walking. The walk gave me lots of time to think. I questioned whether I should be running at all and asked myself why run a marathon? No clear answers came to me and I got quite irritated. At the bottom of a very long hill, I started to run again. The pain made me angrier and once again I gave up. My legs were so tired. (Perhaps I should have mentioned that three days earlier I did several reps of lunges after my run and was still quite sore from that workout). I wanted to cry, but I was too mad to cry. I wasn't mad at myself or anyone, just frustrated for not having the ability to run.

I made it home just as the sun was setting and told db the whole frustrating story. He tried to reassure me, but the doubts lingered.

tuesday

No running or biking. I started work early because I'm training for the office job to cover the office person while she's on holiday. This is actually the job I applied for last fall, but didn't get. Now I'm getting an idea of what the job would have really been like. While I enjoy learning anything new, I realized that this isn't the business for me. I'm definitely in the wrong area. This isn't an earth shattering revelation, I did study in an arts discipline, but not working in the arts I guess I thought I'd be able to find a place where I could fit in and feel content. I guess I was wrong.

I risked eating sprouted wheat bread on the weekend and lived to regret it. I was starting to feel a little relaxed about my wheat consumption and then lo' and behold it started to catch up to me. I was feeling sluggish and bloated again. So Tuesday was the day I decided to stick to my gluten-free ways and see if it made me feel better.

wednesday

Somewhat hesitant I dressed to go out for my run. When I faced the hill ahead of me I told myself that I would just "do what I can." If it meant that I'd run around the block then I would do just that and call it a day. I was convinced that I would't run more than 2 k.

I started off slowly and ran my regular short route to the park. Once at the park I decided to head toward the track thinking that the softer surface might be a nice change. Once on the track I decided to start my speed workout for the week, but I was cautious and I told myself to just try one set of 1600 meters at a faster pace. I completed one set, followed by 800 m jogs in between. I finish another set and follow with more jogging. The morning heated up, but I tried a third set, completing half of it and I was grateful for completing half since I had left the house with little expectation. I topped off my workout with some lunges (I felt I was ready for more lunges again) and jumping on the spot (yes, I probably did look ridiculous, but it really does help). Then I ran home and was relieved to know that "yes I can run after all." Maybe I won't pull out of the marathon yet. The weekend would be the true test when I'd have another long run (30k).

In the evening I attended a family bbq. Family here meaning cousins, second cousins and my great aunt and uncle, i.e. family I don't see as often. I hadn't seen some of them for 10 years or more so it was quite cool to see everyone and catch up on what they're up to. Veggie burgers were on the bbq before any meat so I was happy and there were gorgeous portobello mushrooms to go with. Very delicious. I did have my burger on a wheat pita bread, but I didn't want to make a fuss about the wheat since I already felt like I was putting people out being vegan.

thursday

A long day at work and I spent most of it on my feet. Even though I'd eaten the pita bread, that was the only wheat I'd eaten since the weeked so I was starting to feel better. Work was long and it seemed like the day would never end.

friday

db and I planned to run after work together. He tends to run a bit faster than I do so I know it will help to run with him.
I was still nervous about running and how my body would respond. Would it give up on me? Would I give up on it?
We had a short, but good run. I felt lighter and leaner as if the affects of the gluten were less. I felt the real test was coming up on Sunday, the long run day.

saturday

We traveled to Bowen Island. It's so close and we've never been. We read about a market on the island and being eager to seek out every market around, we left early in the morning for the ferry.
Bowen is beautiful. I loved the island!
As it turned out the market was just a craft market (no produce). While this was a bit disappointing it didn't really matter.
Just a short walk up from the ferry is the market.
Boardwalk near the marina.
A view of one of the beaches.
The wetlands near Kilarney lake. We hiked around the lake. It was a beautiful hike. The map gave approximate times for how long each hike would take. db and I soon discovered that it was probably written for someone who rarely walks and may need a hip replacement, because the time it took us on the trails was half the time allotted.
More mysterious fungi. I never tire of looking at them.

Very nice day trip that we completed with a microbrew at the pub near the pier. I didn't want to leave. Hopefully we'll go back soon.

sunday

The big day. I was up at 5:30 to have a good breakfast before heading out on my long run. The plan was for me to run 14 k and then meet up with db to run his 16 k. I took a look at my pacing goals and headed out. I was nervous and not entirely certain how to pace myself, but I felt good so I didn't hold back too much.

The morning air was quite a bit cooler than I thought, perfect for running. I did my 10:1 run walk ratio and it was all going really well. In fact I was ahead of my expected pace and started to worry that perhaps I went out too strong.

When I met up with db I felt okay and we continued on. For the most part I maintained a pretty steady pace. My right calf started to tighten up more and more the longer I ran and this was becoming a problem. Still, it wasn't painful enough to cause me to stop.

At around 23 k I hit a mini wall just before having to go up a small hill. I climbed it anyway and kept going. db was so encouraging. He had to run the furthest he's run in a while and there he was trying to keep me going!

The calf was getting worse and with only about 2k to go I started to wonder if I'd finish. 1 k left and I stopped to walk. db suggested I slow down a little and take it easy. I already felt like I was shuffling, but I made it. db did 16k. He looks very ready to run the half marathon. I could hardly believe I was done, but I completed 30 k. How I'm going to do 12 more k on top of it, I don't know.

By the time we stretched, showered and ate it was too late in the day to make it to the local farmers' market. Our on-line research revealed Whistler to have a market than runs until 4 pm. We had a enough time to make it and took advantage of db having the car from work and drove to Whistler.

We've never been. The market was definitely worth the trip. We bought some chanterelles mushrooms and found a stand devoted to heirloom tomatoes.

Ah tomatoes and basil, a perfect combination.
Heirloom varieties.

There was also a raw/vegan booth with raw crackers and lots of sweets. I bought some raw macaroons that I'm pretty sure I can duplicate.

After the market we just took a stroll through Whistler village which is quite nice and made all the more beautiful by the spectacular backdrop.

The signs for the 2010 games are everywhere. The shops are filled with 2010 knick-knacks, t-shirts, postcards etc etc. The signs are posted indicating where the events are to be held. The drive along the sea to sky highway has just about every meter under construction. The amount of work to be done on the highway alone is astounding.

Anywho...db and I drove back, stopping at one of the viewpoints to take in the beautiful vista and stretch our legs once again. I think walking around Whistler helped us both since we both had grueling long runs. It was better than sitting at home stiffening up.

All in all it was a great labour day weekend. We had three days together and definitely made the most of them.

monday (labour day)

A day of rest. I slept in and then eased into my day doing very little. It was a pretty relaxing day. Quite a contrast compared to last Monday. Tomorrow if the weather is nice I may run after work, but only a short distance, just enough to keep the training on schedule.

View along the Sea to Sky highway.

return of the rain

It seems like a long time since we had a full day of rain and now here it is. It reminds me of October.
The plan was to get up and run. Last Sunday I woke at 5:30 am and was out the door by 7 am. It rained a little last week and there was a thunder storm to deal with, but nothing like what I woke to this morning. Today I slept in until 8 and then looked out the window to see the rain. Still I prepared as if I was going out for my 28 k run. I had a light breakfast, some water, got dressed and then took another look out the window. db and I stared out the window wondering what the run would be like. db was planning to bike for a bit then run a while before getting back on his bike for the last leg of my run. It was a good plan. It really was. Finally we decided we'd be miserable after 5 k and want to turn back. If it was five or ten k I was doing then I'd do it, but 28? No thanks. If it happens on race day then I'll do it, but why stress through training any more than I already do.

The new plan is I run after work tomorrow (yuck!) and take the long way home. It's 11 k from work to home so I'll take a few detours before heading home. So we'll see how it goes tomorrow.

This is a picture of Rupert I posted on my blog in '06. He was part of my sister's cats that I refer to as the "cast of characters." I got to spend a lot of time with the cast and Rupert when we all lived together on Margueretta. While it was often difficult to tell what the others needed, I could always tell what Rupert needed. He loved the love. In this photo above he's got that look on his face that anticipates the patting that will be coming his way.
He was very ill this summer and yesterday my sister took him to the vet one last time because he wasn't getting better despite her and his best efforts.
I'm so glad I got to see him earlier this month. My sister has been taking such great care of him and Rupert was loving having her all to himself most of the time.
He was so young and that's what makes it all the harder. He was such a sweet and gentle guy. He had FIV so any time he got ill it would take him that much longer to recover, but this time he just couldn't and he couldn't eat.
I can't believe he won't be with us anymore. I miss him. My sister sent some beautiful photos that I'll share here. He was pretty sick in some of the photos. He had a feed tube in that was protected with some bandages around his body. He was definitely weaker, but he had lots of good moments with my sister where I'm sure he felt like himself.






Farewell Rupert. You were much loved and were one of the sweetest cats I've ever known.

NB vacation photos part 2

This is what the roads are like in the area where we camped. We'd be off one of these "main" roads and about 4 k into the woods off an old logging road that is used only by my brother now to get to his property. There's a picture in my previous post of the road into the camp that is much overgrown and lush.


Recently my brother has been cutting some trails (he has a very handy bushsaw). In anticipation of our arrival his girlfriend (co) made up trail signs. This one reminds me of home. There's also a "Waverly Trail" sign to represent where my sister and mom live. I think this is the most beautiful Coquitlam Trail I've been on. That's my brother ahead on the trail with his chihuahua dog (Little Joe) on his back (his preferred method of travel in rough terrain).
The campfire of course. We'd put a "night log" on once it got dark. These are found cedar stumps that have been partially hollowed by ants so that the fire would come up through the center.
Blueberries are everywhere! We picked several containers to take home to my sister in Montreal. I can't believe what I pay for these throughout the year when they are so abundant here!

And here's one of the moose we saw. He was lovely. I wish the picture was clearer, but you get a sense of how close he was. We were quite far from the camp that night, slowly poking along the roads hoping to spot a moose. db is fascinated by them and I guess who wouldn't be? They are so massive and move so gracefully through the forests.

NB vacation 2008 photos part one

postcard from whoville

view from the beach at Queen's Lake, N.B.

I think I've got everything. My pack is stuffed and overstuffed. It's not too heavy though so I think I'll manage the commute to the airport okay.

I'll be eating well in Montreal visiting family for a couple of day. Then I'll be in N.B. lying on the beach of Queen's lake, taking a dip, running the logging roads, marveling at the joys of the new tent, and hanging out by the campfire.

See you in a week.

p.s. I think the cats are on to me.

Nope no bear news today.

I did get my run in and did most of it at the track about 2 k from here. The track is so soft compared to pavement and even worse concrete. My left calf cramped up with quite a bit of pain so I had to slow it down and jog nice and easy on my way home. Today it's still sore, but I expect tomorrow will be better. However, I think I'll have to get some massage work done when I get back from my holiday.

I leave Thursday for my vacation. I'll be flying to Montreal to meet up with db who is there now and then we'll be driving to NB with my mom where we'll head out to my favorite place, Queen's Lake. db and I will pitch our new tent and then I think I'll head right to the lake.

Before I leave i hope to get two book reviews done for the Book Collective. I'd also like to get my blog rounds done. I'm a little swamped right now with getting ready to travel and work and training and cats etc etc etc I don't know if I'll get everything done. Fortunately rain is in the forecast so I won't have to water the garden. That will save some time.

I'd better go get my rest, I've got an early start for work since I'm training in a new area so I can cover that person's vacation when she goes away.

bear obsessed

It's true I am bear obsessed. I really want to run my long distance route that takes me through one of the parks, but with all of the bear sightings lately I'm a little hesitant. I've never heard so much bear talk as I've heard this year.

A woman who I sometimes see at the bustop lives just around the corner from me. Earlier this week she told me about her neighbour having to fix his fence for the third time this month because a bear keeps destroying it, making a path through the backyards. I had no idea bears were frequenting this area on a regular basis.

This morning on my bus route to work (I'm taking a rest break from biking so I can put in a long run tomorrow) the bus driver stopped in one area and I thought there was something wrong with the bus. Then I heard him on his phone calling in to report a bear sighting. He had just seen one. I missed it! Again! I'd been engrossed in my running magazine (one track mind right now).

Now I'm thinking about tomorrow's a.m. run and am thinking it's best to stick to the main roads. Of course we live on a main road but our place boarders a green belt so we get some wildlife traffic. I guess I'll just do like the bears and go about my own business. Maybe it's time to really get involved with one of those group runs organized by one of the running stores.

some garden pictures

This aquilegia surprised me. I didn't know it was there. This is one of the plants I was given from a friend's garden so it's an even nicer surprise.

This is another area that's filling in quite nicely. The bleeding heart has finished blooming long ago.
Here's what this area looked like last year.
It's a slightly different angle but you get the idea.

My animal rights news comes via peta and Farm Sanctuary for the most part. I also get updates from Project R & R that is focused on ending the use of chimpanzees for medical research. This week Wandering Coyote has brought my attention to the cruel act to a pitbull in Trail. You can follow the link here and read the story and WC's comments on it.

All I have to say (and as I've said in the comments on WC's blog) is that I am sickened by this and am appalled knowing that so far someone has gotten away with this crime.

What can we do to teach others to be compassionate to all living creatures? How can kids learn to treat animals with respect? Everywhere in our culture animals are portrayed as being there to serve us (as food) and entertain us. This is where I see problems:

• Puppies and kittens as gifts for kids like any other gift under the tree, presented with a bow. You should not be able to "buy" animals from pet stores. This suggests that animals are merely another product consumed.
  
• The high price of a pure-bred animal. What chance does an animal in a shelter have if people are encouraged to buy designer animals? Breeding also suggests that there are some animals that are better than others. This just isn't so.
  
• Petting zoos. I've heard too many horror stories about the actual living conditions of these animals that are expected to be there for our entertainment. Do kids learn anything here? No. It's merely entertainment.
  
• The circus. Do I even need to say what's wrong with animals being trained for the circus ring? How do the animals learn such tricks? Well, the preferred method of training is using whips and electric prods to force the animals to perform.
  
• Chimps in film and t.v. It's not funny. It's not even close to funny when you think of the abuse a chimp goes through to be trained to do such tricks. Then once they get too old and are no longer "cute" they can end up living the rest of their lives in a cage (that can be another 40 years or so), in a roadside zoos or in a lab.
  
• And yes I do have a problem with the blind acceptance that we are to grow up eating meat as if this is normal.

I was a teenager before I learned about battery cages that hens are kept in and I haven't eaten chicken since. I remember feeling naive and I was also angry that such things were going on and no one had told me (no parent, no teacher, no t.v. show). It was extremely difficult for me to find any information on how animals were being raised for our consumption (this was very pre-internet and I lived in rural New Brunswick).

I know I've digressed a little, but I guess where I'm going with this is me trying to figure out what i can do. When I discovered about the lives of animals in the meat industry becoming veg was a form of activism for me. What can I do when I hear a story like the one about the pitbull? I can be angry and upset, but what bothers me the most is that I feel helpless in preventing such acts.

ricco tests positive

How do they do it? How does a cyclist go day in and day out cycling difficult terrain in France? Riccardo Ricco (in the photo above) was wearing the polkadot jersey being the "King of the Mountains", but now he's King of the Fools after testing positive for erythropoeitin (EPO). His whole team (Saunier-Duval) has left the tour. I'm not sure why the whole team left since there's a new rule this year that permits a team to stay on even if one of their members tests positive. Nonetheless the whole team is gone which makes me suspicious of the entire team.

There are two teams in the tour this year whose mission is to be at the top of the sport and ride "clean." Garmin-Chipotle is one of these teams (with a Canadian rider on the team which is very cool) and Team Columbia. These two teams suggest a shift in the sport that aims for not only victory, but to resurrect the sport as a legitimate one. However, the sport is so tainted now that even these teams that claim their mission is to race clean makes me suspicious. That's pretty sad. This points to how tainted the sport is itself if I can't even believe in clean teams. I'd like to believe they're clean. I'm trying to believe they're clean. Time will tell I suppose.

more bear news

You can read the story here.

Two grizzlies were released back into the wild today.

bike and run vegan run

I think I've just about reached the end of my energy level. I've been biking and running everyday since...well...since the nice weather started sometime near the end of June.
Being on my bike feels wonderful and I finally put a mirror on it so I can actually see what's behind me. Hmm what a concept. I never thought it would make a difference, but it does make a huge difference. Now I know when the road is clear behind me and I can take up a little more room. I can tell when a car is giving me clearance as it approaches as well and that's nice to know.

I've been biking to and from work for a total of 23 k a day and it's through a relatively hilly route. I've been treating these days as cross training days so I don't mosey and try to pick up the pace when I can. Now I feel the need to have a days rest where I don't bike at all. This will be tough since the weather continues to be glorious.

On my running days I've also been biking just because that's how I get around. The end of my journey always ends with a massive hill to climb that I use to never bike all the way to the top, but now I'm doing it more often than not so I've crowned myself "queen of the mountains" (this is influenced by my daily viewing of the tour de France and the polkadot jersey going to the king of the mountains).
I need something to think about while I'm climbing the hill don't I? I try not to think about the hill at all, but rather think about how do they climb those mountains in the pyrenees?

bears and tents

We just missed the bear. db and I ran this morning along the port who-dy inlet because I wanted to be in a shady area since it was already very hot by 10 am. There were lots of people out running, walking and biking. Of course I was chatting about bears because I am obsessed with them and the park is full of "be bear aware" signs and notices of the last bear sighting (yeah, it was 11 am July 13th!) in the park that they had posted as July 9th. However, I knew they couldn't be updating those signs often enough when I spotted a rather large bear deposit along the side of the trail (bear scat like I've never seen before). db missed it, but I pointed it out on the way back after we turned around. He awarded me an extra 300 meters of running for spotting the bear poo.

Anywho...we head out of the trail over the tracks towards the rec centre and there's a few people looking towards the woods. They inform us that they just saw a bear go into the bushes. We look over and sure enough the bushes a rustling away. We just missed the tail end of that bear disappearing into the bush. Dang!

db and I opted for another route to run out of the park that took us away from the rustling bushes. I sort of wanted to hang around longer to see if we could actually see the bear, but part of me also doesn't really want to stick around, the part of me that wants to avoid danger.

***
We are the proud owners of a MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) Wanderer 2 tent (colour: dijon - as seen in the photo).

Last night we did a trial set up in the back yard and are very pleased with our purchase.

Our old tent (nicknamed the Hilton because of it's rather roomy size) was having too many issues after many years of use. The zippers of the fly was starting to gap in several places and the window leaked. It had a good run. We left the Hilton at my brother's place for anyone who wants to use it in fair weather.

This year our camping trip will be all the more fun as we get to know our new tent. We each can have our own door if we like and each side has it's own ventilation and window. We also bought 2 footprints that go under the tent and cover the vestibule area so we can park our packs there and leave our shoes at the door on their own mat. So far I'm liking it.

running, vegan shoes, gardens...well, another day in whoville

The goal yesterday was to run for an hour and a half. Now that I'm mostly training by time and not distance there is a certain amount of freedom by just going out and running, knowing I'll turn back at my halfway mark. Also, I've run just about every street in whoville and surrounding areas that I pretty much know how long it's going to take me to run a certain route.

After taking a few days off after the epic biking day to Golden Ears, I felt a little out of running-shape and a short run late on Friday indicated that I still have a long way to go before I'll be marathon fit (or even half-marathon fit). db was up for a longer run on Sunday as well and we planned to meet at the 45 minute mark so we could do the next 45 together. It was a sluggish beginning, middle and end for me, but I ran the full time and as it turned out did my required distance for the day (15 k). This was a slow pace for me though and only in the last km did I feel the strength to put it into another gear, probably because I was looking forward to going home and eating (db made this beautiful gluten free vegan banana bread that is fluffy and moist and oh so good with chocolate chips in it. Yum! He's an amazing cook. He really is. )

Anywho...I got the run done and that's the main thing. I've got the RVM on my mind and that's a good place to be right now.

We will have to save a small fortune just to pay for the ferry crossing. I'm wondering if it would not be better to fly there at this point! Just kidding.

We did get a little biking in yesterday as well just while we were running our errands. I came across these shoes from Simple that are vegan (of course) made of "Organic cotton uppers - Coconut buttons - Lined in bamboo - Natural latex pedbed with an organic cotton canvas cover - Natural crepe rubber midsole - Recycled car tire outsole - Uses water-based cements - 100% post consumer paper pulp foot forms." (from the mooshoes site)
I think they are just about edible. And they're so cute. Very comfy for biking and pretty much anything else.

***

My daily garden tour (of our garden) takes extra time to check out the newly blooming pamjat serdsta clematis that was given to me by my friend tp.
Here it is with its first bloom. Initially it just had two buds showing, but now there are four and I'm hoping for more. It's not a vining clematis so I have it on this rather rickety bamboo tripod I've held together with some velcro plant ties. My hope is that it will get large enough to fill in the tripod and curve down around itself.

Four of my other clematis have no blooms (it's their first year here) but are doing well and two of them are mystery plants since they were also given to me from tp and she had at least 60 in her garden at one time so I can forgive her if she can't remember what's what.

Our raised beds are doing great!
Okay this isn't really the raised beds. They are actually behind these two planters (with tomatoes in them of course) that are here temporarily while our homeowners redo the front stairs. The planters usually go along the front walk of the house, but we had to move them when they wanted to tear out the crumbling concrete stairs.
This is the latter stage of the progress. It was all chunks of concrete all the way up the slope and they suggested that we now had our own Grouse Grind. Just in case you forgot, this is how our front steps use to look.True you can't see the crumbling concrete from this angle, but it was and the wood was falling away from the concrete face. This picture also is outdated since I've pulled back some of the mulch and revealed more of the rock that was underneath.

The top of the stairs is where our planters usually sit. In the end I think the result will be nice since they're going to put cedar steps in with a border and at the top there will be stone leading to our door on the left side of the house.

They've asked me to do some more planting in the back yard. There's a huge patch that they've covered with mulch and fabric that looks hideous and frankly I just wanted to focus on other areas of the yard so I've ignored it and left it as they set it up. Now they've asked me to get some greenery in there. I can choose the plants and they'll reimburse me. Off to the nursery I go! I can't wait to pull back the mulch and rip up that landscape fabric.

red Fred we'll miss you.

red Fred was a lovely cat that red jane rescued from the street while living in Toronto. Until recently Fred had been very shy with people and it would take a bit of time for him to warm up to you, but once he did he was very affectionate and loving.

I got to cat sit him a few times and he was always a pleasure to look after. I'm glad I got a chance to spend time with him and mostly I'm happy that red jane gave him a loving home.

red jane sent me some recent photos of him and I thought I'd share a picture of him.

He was a lovely cat and will be missed by all of us here in whoville.

Canada Day

Ah photos again. First stop on our bike ride this morning was to pick up a new card for our camera. I've given away our destination with this photo above.

We wanted to do some biking and there's a fabulous trail that runs along the Alouette river. It's part of the trans-Canada trail and I've only just realized now that what better way could we have spent our Canada day than biking part of this famous trail that touches many communities across the country?

We kept biking and decided to go for the Golden Ears Park goal. (In the photo above, the peaks in the distance are situated in the park). db was running out of energy before we reached the park and once we got to the entrance, he wanted to stop and picnic right there by the sign. I thought maybe we could wave to those entering the park while we ate as well. Uh...no. We carried on even though we were saddle-sore and very hungry. We'd gone this far so why stop at the entrance?

Instead of going to the large (and most likely densely populated) lake, we opted for a dirt road off the main route and headed towards Mike Lake. This turned out to be mostly just a boat launch with a few trailhead entrances for some of the longer hiking routes, but we found a place to have our lunch and ate every bit of food we brought.

The bike ride home was much faster since we were going mostly downhill and we took a more paved direct route home as opposed to the winding unpaved trail (which I normally prefer, but after hours of biking the saddle really is too sore for more bumps).

About 8 k from home I finally felt my energy level crash. I was done. Once at home I checked our total distance of biking today and it turned out to be 69 km! Holy Canada Day! That's a lot of biking for two casual cyclists. db said it was a good way to spend the first day of the introduction of the Carbon Tax here in B.C. We spent the whole day on our bikes. Not a bad idea after all. Next time I think I'd like to take a tent and stay a night or two before biking back.

I will get some photos loaded at some point. I've been doing nothing but text lately and not very exciting text either.

The garden is doing great. This weekend we transformed the unused space between our house and the neighbour's, turning the soil, weeding the entire area, creating a couple of levels instead of a weedy sloping mess, and installed two raised beds that follow the slope of the land. db and I completed the larger (4 x 6) raised bed yesterday using this kit. Today db finished the smaller bed (4 x 4) that is up a step from the larger one. Pictures will follow soon I hope! There is a gate to the backyard so we put in a couple of stone steps leading down toward the beds since the slope is quite steep there. I may add a third step as well. Then I started to lay a mulch path. I don't mind mulch as long as it's a pathway. There's lots of light near the front of the first bed so we'll put more tomatoes and some basil there. I suspect beans will follow along with zucchini, lettuces and who knows what else.

***

Got my run in this morning. It was a tough one, but I ran for and hour and fifteen minutes. I'm working between two training programs that I pulled from the web to try and suit my needs. According to one plan I did the required distance, but according to another plan I fell short by about and hours worth of running. At this point it's not an issue because I've just started tailoring my training for a marathon distance.

Runner's World has a great "Smart Coach" training guide where you just enter your stats and how you want to train and it gives you a training schedule. It's pretty cool. The other training schedule I'm following is from the Victoria marathon website to prepare you for its marathon. Whatever one I use more I know I'll be ready.

Okay, I've got to get my rest now.

Italy done

It's over. Oh well. I wore my jersey and kissed my cat Gigi Buffon for luck, but to no avail. Not one goal from Toni. Sigh. Pirlo and Gattuso sitting out. Sigh. Cannavaro injured. Sigh. It wasn't in the cards.

I know I said that Spain was my second choice...well...after today I don't know. I expected Spain to play a little better. Russia has been pretty exciting to watch. They seem to have lots of talent and endurance. However, I'll stick with my second choice Spain to advance. Maybe for once they can get it right.

Italy through

db and I are watching the euro 2008 soccer in the evenings on tape since we're both at work in the day when it airs at 11 am. We don't want to know the results before watching either. Fortunately, we both work in environments that keep us in the dark until we sit down in the evening. Living where we do there is little chance we'll see any kind of celebration. This is a huge difference from where we use to live when every goal and tackle was heard coming from the reactions of the entire Portuguese neighbourhood. We also use to live and work bordering on Italian neighbourhoods so trying not to know the result of a game was pretty much impossible.

So last night I was home earlier than db and started the pasta (with zucchini, lemon & basil). I wanted something quick to make so we could watch the game right away when db got home. The meal was delicious and so was the game. Italy is through (thank you to the Netherlands for winning as well). Everything seemed to be working in their favor: the Dutch win their game, a penalty kick was given and Pirlo scored, Abidal from France gets a red card and is sent off, one of France's better players is taken out of the game with what looks like a serious injury. Of course an injured player isn't good news, but it did mean that France subbed in a young more inexperienced player. Anywho...it all came together in the end and Italy won 2-0.

Now...this does mean that Italy will play Spain (my second choice team. Torres is just warming up I think) in the quarterfinals and this does concern me. Plus, Italy will be without Pirlo because of his yellow card carry forward, but there is so much talent on the Italian team with players like Grosso, Camoranesi, Toni and of course Gigi Buffon so the team should do just fine.

News update

Time is flying by. I just haven't had time to blog or visit my favorite blogs. I'll hopefully get to it later this week.

Recent news here in whoville:

• the gardening continues with the removal of a juniper. We now have a bare patch that's in desperate need of greenery. Back to the nursery we go.
  
• my sister's visit was a success. She did great on the pitch and we had a great time together. Also, Gigi finally started to accept her just when my sister had to leave.
  
• I won the postcard challenge! mister anchovy sent me a book of poetry with prints by he and candy minx. It's an incredible prize . I want to take time to sit down and really go through the book. Hopefully I can do this in the back yard, under the canopy beneath a sunny sky.
  
• Bears in whoville. Midday this past Friday, a bear popped the lid on our garbage can, took out a bag and left with another bear that was waiting across the street.
  
• No half marathon this coming weekend. I'm not prepared nor do I want to spend the money on the registration. The detox has slowed me a bit, but I'm still running and am now focusing on the marathon. I'll probably still do the trail river half marathon in September if they have it again.
  
• We have sunshine! The weather has finally turned into beautiful sunny, warm and summery. It's been heaven.
  
• The Turkey/Czech Republic game! Very exciting. Turkey's through!
  

My sister is in whoville this week. She's hear promoting the play she just finished (The Baroness and the Pig) for a theatre festival that showcases plays from around Canada. I'm helping her with her pitch and am a bit terrified by that, but I know it'll be fine.


Anywho...it's great having her here. Even though it's been a year since I last saw her, being together again feels like no time has passed at all.

Unfortunately, the weather has been crappy. We're having unseasonably cool temperatures and yesterday it poured rain non-stop. I think I'm still drying out from just taking a short walk. I definitely didn't go for a run yesterday.

* * *

Now as for the Euros...hmm what to say. I guess I'll just say it's a bit heartbreaking to watch Italy start out so poorly and seeing Cannavaro sitting on the bench while the Italian defense leaves gaping holes. Not to discredit the Netherlands because they played very well (even if that first goal was offside) and I thought they looked like the best team in the group (so far). It's early yet, right?

My second choice (after Italy) for favorite teams is Spain. I think, I do think that maybe this time they'll qualify. We'll see.

* * *

I'll have to get a new card for my camera because I'd like to post some garden photos because everything is doing so well. Next post hopefully.

small steps

Kentucky Fried Cruelty will be a little less cruel in Canada. Apparently PETA has negotiated an animal welfare plan with KFC Canada. You can read the story here.
It's a start.

get well soon

Hi Rupert! Get well soon!

Rupert's the big guy who hasn't been feeling well this past month.
He's one of my sister's cats and is now living in Montreal. I use to live downstairs from Rupert when we all shared a home in Toronto so I spent a lot of time with the big guy getting to know him. Rupert and I have been through a series of vet trips while I was looking after him and there was the time he escaped from the deck and got lost (only to be discovered under the garage). He seemed to have lost all his outdoor instinct once he became indoor kitty. We always wondered if he would have survived much longer on the street anyway because he was so timid and not very street smart. Fortunately, he hung out in our backyard for some time while my sister fed him and made sure he had lots of water. Finally, she knew she had to bring him into the family and Rupert was very happy to not only be inside with a big comfy bed, but also to be nearer to the food source.

He can't get enough love now.

He's got a ferocious appetite, but it as sweet and gentle as they come (except with Ruggles, his fluffy white nemesis). He's an FIV kitty so when health issues come up it's a big concern because his immune system is compromised. Also, even though he's very loving and fairly social, he can easily get frightened so things like trips to the vet traumatize the poor guy. When he comes home from the vet he will hide under the bed for some time.

Get well soon Ruppie. We're all wishing you well!

long weeks

I'm just too busy right now to write much. I think about the blog a lot and what I might blog about, but I have little time right now.

My days are filled with:

• my job (of course)
• commuting (to and from the job of course)
• reading (mostly on the commute)
• running when I can
• gardening and pruning in our spare time
• cooking (I have to eat!)
• I just started a detox as advised by my ND so I've got to think about food even more now since I'm restricted in what I can eat.
  
• sleeping (everyday needs this. I wish I could do more)
• doing the everyday chores (db does half of these too of course) around the house to make our home look liveable.
  

So until next post the above is what I'll be doing until then.

long weekends

My long weekend wasn't really any longer than usual since I worked on Saturday. At least db and I had two days off together which is always a bonus. And as it is typically the case for gardeners, the May long weekend was all about the garden.

We started Saturday night when I got home from work, taking advantage of the longer daylight hours, and did some more pruning in the front. That was a pretty physically demanding day for me since I biked to work (11k), spent the day on my feet running around at work, and then came home and pruned a hedge. I was spent, but that wasn't going to stop me.

Sunday I got up early for a run. db came with me! Hurray! He's signed up for the Victoria half marathon now so he has to start building up his endurance again. We did a short 3.5 k and that was plenty for both of us. After breakfast we travelled to a couple of nurseries and picked up just a few things to finish off our planting plans for the season. i once thought that this garden was huge and I'd never be able to fill it, but now we're actually running out of space!

Back at home we dug out the raised bed at the front of the house and put new soil in. It's a lot easier to write that in one sentence than it is to actually do. Let's just say there was several wheelbarrows full of sand and soil being carted to various parts of the yard that involved moving the wheelbarrow up and down some slate stairs and there was also several trips of buckets of earth up and down the front stairs. It was a workout and a half. With the new bed installed, we planted tomatoes, basil, zucchini, and perennials. I put my new clematis in one corner so it can climb up the stone face of the house (I hope).

Sunday I wanted to rest and recover, but we got back out in the garden, in the light rain, and finished up all the loose ends, like tidying up the bulbs, transplanting anything we hadn't done yet.

Our poor kitties were feeling a bit neglected. I'm trying to make it up to them this week. db bought Gigi a beautiful pineapple and she's been happily chewing on the green spikes for several days now. She's very happy. Prima just needs a warm lap and that makes her day. Pretty easy to please really.

Well...no one seems to have received anymore junk emails from me.

db and I bought Norton anti-virus for our Mac. We had it on our old mac, but couldn't install it when we moved into the Mac OSX world and have been doing without. I ran the program and no viruses were detected so that's good news.

As for the rest of the day...

I biked to work which was a pleasure. The last two days I've biked to work. It's an 11 k route that isn't too hilly and the weather has just been beautifully warm and sunny. db has a van from work so he's been picking me up after work for the last two days which has been nice as well because today it was very hot by the time I finished work at 5:30. It would have been a very slow ride home in the heat. Instead db was there to pick me up. We loaded my bike and headed to a garden centre (surprise, surprise) to pick up a few small pots for my herb stand. Of course once there I checked out the clematis and found a beautiful one called 'The President.'
I'm hoping to guide it along the front of the house on one corner where it can cling to the stone front. I've got four other clematis on the go, but I don't know if they'll all bloom this year. Also, I've discovered a clematis looking plant next to one of the cedar trees in the backyard. I'm pretty certain I didn't plant it. So who did and when? There are all kind of new plants coming up since I cut through the landscape fabric that was laid down last year.




Okay, back to Saturday...

So we came home and went to work. There's a cedar in the front that was in desperate need of some pruning so db and I spent a couple of hours in the front doing more pruning and tidying. There's a very sad looking variegated dogwood that is almost too far gone and I may just cut it back in the fall to see if it can come back next year. We started to work on it, but I realized that it would need a little more research before I could tackle that.

Now, it's time to relax with a little wine and some pizza on the way. Somehow db still has energy to cook.

Tomorrow we're back at it. There's a juniper out of control on one side of the house and we're digging up the raised bed in the front of the house to turn it into a veg and perennial bed. I can't wait to pull up that landscape fabric! Ha!

I hate spam and not just because I'm vegan.

Someone or something is sending spam emails to all of the people in my address book. This is so annoying!!! I have no idea what to do. I've changed all of my passwords (good luck remembering them all sp). I'm a little freaked because how long is this going to go on?
I've received emails from friends who have told me they've received two or three such emails. So if anyone has dealt with this please let me know if there's anything I can do. I suspect there's not much I can do at this point.
If you received a junk mail from me, please accept my apologies.

Shortly after I woke up db said, "what's the plan for today?'
me: plan?
db: yeah plan.
me: I have no plan. What's your plan?
db: I don't have a plan. Aren't we gardening or something?
me: I guess we could. Are you going to make me a tea latte? (Silly question).
db: Yes

So a tea latte, breakfast, and an episode of Trailer Park Boys later we collected our tools and yard waste bags and headed into the front yard that needs the most work.

The backstory:
Recently I spoke to our wonderful homeowners m & d who told me that they had a landscaper come in and assess the workload and give them a quote. My heart sank because I remembered last year watching these strangers tear at the beds and leave nothing behind but a bare patch of earth (the ferns are just starting to recover this spring. Thank goodness). Then our wonderful homeowners thought why not just pay sp and db to do the work they've already started? I accepted. m & d had all kinds of wonderful things to say about us looking after the garden and...aw shucks...I was so flattered.

Now not only do I want to clean up the yard, but I also want it to be perfect. Now we're getting paid so there'll be no more of my half-assed ways (I'm not that bad really).

db is amazing because he lets me plan what needs to get done and then I give him a job to do and off he goes to complete it. Plus he's very thorough and enjoys it as much as I do. So we tackled the weeding. Oh, that nasty horsetail is absolutely everywhere because nothing stops that stuff from growing. I read somewhere that you should never pull it out but rather snip it at the base of the plant. That's what we did. There was still quite a bit of leaf debris to remove. We had to take out a small tree that we still don't know what it was. It was growing as part of the natural hedge in the front, but was really in the way of the rhododendron and preventing it from completely filling out on one side. m asked us to take it out and we did. I felt bad as I do any time I remove a plant, but it's done now and there was no way we could have transplanted it elsewhere. I'd still like to know what it was. It had such an unusual bark that grew about 2 cm up and away from the branches. It was probably some rare and expensive tree that is impossible to find and very expensive and now it's sitting in little bits in a landscape bag on the curb.

Anywho...we had a good day cleaning, weeding and doing some light pruning. However, we still have another cyprus to prune in the front and there's this really rangy looking variegated dogwood that I'm not sure what to do with yet. Three of the four rhodendrons are in full bloom (pink, white, and red) so they will have to wait until summer before I cut out any dead wood there. The rhodos really are full this year. They look amazing (alas I have no photos because the card is full on the camera). You'll have to take my word for it that they are fuller than they were last year. There are also some Portugal Laurel shrubs dotting the property that desperately need some pruning, but I just read that it's best to prune in late winter. So that will have to wait. I guess the gardeners work is never done.

One side of the house is not being used at all. It's not a path or garden space or anything. Right now there is some wild plant that looks like a phlox flower, but the leaves are too round for phlox. I don't know what it is. It's in bloom. It looks nice enough, but I'd rather clean out the space and plant tomatoes there. The sun hits that spot first thing in the morning and stays there most of the day so I think it will be a good location.

Okay, I'm rambling on about the garden, but I'm always happy when I'm in the garden. I could stay out for hours (and did). Even after db went inside, I stayed out and planted some lilies that a friend gave me. I can't wait until the long weekend when we can get out there again!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day, mom!

Yes, that is a picture of my mom on Long Beach in Tofino. This is from our trip we took last year with the whole family. I didn't want to upload a closer photo because I know my mom, and I know she wouldn't appreciate that. So I thought this photo was appropriate since it kind of reminds me of the distance we are apart, but it's only a geographical
distance.
As I've said before, my mom has been very supportive of anything I've chosen to do in my life. She's been an incredible mom while I've gone through all the good and the ugly bad stuff. She's helped me many times and has stuck by me no matter what. I'm grateful for all of the positive influences she's had on me as a person. I know I get my passion for the arts and the creative process from her and my compassionate self also comes from my mom.

As a person, mom always amazes me. She's never been afraid to dive in and take on new challenges in her life. She was a radio sportscaster in a male dominated profession at a time when women were rarely seen to do such a job. She lived and worked as a potter with my step-dad for several years. When I was just starting university at 19, she decided she wanted to go back to school and dove in and excelled in no time. This led her to teach English as a second language. She is adored by her students and she always keeps her classrooms fun and interesting. She's always been a writer and recently wrote a play that made it into the Montreal fringe two years ago. Recently she has taken up walking through the Running Room and completed her first 5 k last month! She's doing a 10 k in Ottawa this month with her walking group and I know this is just the beginning for her.

So here's to my mom on mother's day. I raise my decaf green/chai tea soy latte to you mom!

Marathon?

I'm contemplating a full marathon for the fall, but I have so much doubt. Why? I'm unsure really. It's that big commitment in training that I'd have to take and there's so much I want to work on like strength training, more yoga etc etc. How can I squeeze this all in to my schedule? I've done it before so why not again? More thought is needed on this.

db seems to be thinking about a half marathon at the same time. Actually that would be very cool to have those training sessions together again. I enjoyed running with db last year and was so proud of his effort last year.

Like I said I'll have to think about all of this some more. However, I suspect that already I'm leaning towards a 'yes' on this one.

the official results reach whoville

rank: 1359
place in gender: 504/3583
place in division (ages 35-39) : 85/570
chip time: 1:54:54
km pace: 5:27

I am thrilled with this result!

half-marathon in the park

Even though it was foggy when we left home, by the time we drove out of whoville we were out of the fog. The weather was perfect: cool, sunny, barely any wind. I decided to wear my event shirt (the freebie shirt you get with your race package) even though this is a bit of a no-no because those wiser than I suggest that wearing a new shirt you’ve never run in before is risking chafing or other such uncomfortable annoyances that could affect the joy of the race. Normally, I take the advice of more seasoned runners seriously, especially after running in a new pair of shoes on a race day and feeling uncomfortable the whole way since they were still fairly stiff, but today I decided to wear the event shirt because it’s one of the nicer ones I’ve received and it fit well. There’s also an Aboriginal design on it that is the Guardian Spirit. Plus I thought it would be cool to have a photo of me crossing the finish line in the even shirt.

Rushing to the start line was not the way I wanted to begin my 2008 Vancouver half marathon, but the marathon and half marathon runners were all in the narrow passage towards each start line (the marathon starts a half hour later than the half).
The announcer was telling people to hurry towards the start. I ran when the pack opened up and tried to find a comfortable starting point about a third of the way back. I didn’t want to start at the back and get jammed up with a lot of people. I was barely into place just in front of the 9 min. mile sign when the race started. I started my watch and away I went.

It took me a while to settle and realize what I was in the midst of: all of these runners each with her or his own goal, running together. Like I’ve said before I like the group run. I didn’t feel as relaxed as I usually do and by that I mean that I was more focused and driven on this run. I didn’t look around as much or let my thoughts wander too far from the task at hand. I checked in with myself after 10 minutes and asked: am I having fun? (Yes) Do I believe in myself? (Yes) Am I going for it? (Yes). Easy enough to say 10 minutes in though isn’t it.

Along Cordova St. I saw db and that would be our one meeting point until the finish. I stopped, dropped off my long sleeves and kissed db before taking off again. I felt pretty good, but was nervous because I felt I was having trouble finding my rhythm.

Stanley Park was next and I was really looking forward to running in the park, big hill and all. I kept looking for that 10k mark and I’d already hit my 52 minutes. This concerned me, but I reached the 10 k mark at 55 minutes. Three minutes off my pace and a big hill ahead looked like a big challenge. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to run up the hill and hoped my walk break would be timed half way up (I run 10 minutes and then walk 1 minute; the idea is that your body recovers better from this kind of training/running). The hill looked worse than it actually was. Once again I asked: am I having fun? (Yes) Do I believe in myself? (Um…I wavered and then, Yes!) Am I going for it? (Definitely). I switched gears and was about 50 meters from the peak before it was time for my walk break. This push up the hill seemed like a risk, but I had to keep running and stick to my plan (10:1). Then just like last year I went for it on the downhill because I knew this was a perfect opportunity to make up some time. After we exited the park I really didn’t know how I was doing because the markers along the route were so few I could only go by my memory of last year’s race.

I kept focused and pushed on. I started to see runners I hadn’t seen before and new I must be progressing. Then it came…the 1 mile to go sign. I checked my watch and I knew I’d make it under 2 hours and beat my time from last year AND could run a personal best if I kept doing what I was doing. Then I could see the spectators lining the fences towards the finish. A woman faltered next to me. A police officer was there to help her. I kept going. Then I was in the chute. There would be no way I could see db. I heard my name be called out. He was there and there was the finish ahead. I sprinted and crossed at…
I’m still waiting for the official time results, but I stopped my watch at 1:54:55. A personal best! I’m elated.

Later, I was back out there as a spectator looking down at the finish line from an overhead walkway and was there in time to see the first woman cross the marathon line in 2:36 (I think her official time was 2:37) and get surrounded by cameras and media while others continued to finish behind her. It was very cool to see her cross.

Almost here

Today I picked up my race package, activated my chip (the little timer that you attach to your shoe so it records an accuate finish time), and did the rounds at the expo.

We drove in to meet up with red jane and missed the turn off to her street that landed us in Stanley Park, which worked out well since we had to drive much of the route I'll be running tomorrow. It was nice to see the park and gave me an opportunity to start visualizing what i have to do tomorrow: have fun, believe in myself and go for it!

The weather promises to be sunny and with a 5 k wind so I'm not worried about rain. It'll be cool so it'll be like most mornings I've been running.

Now I'm off to bed, reminding myself that if it gets tough during the run I'm going to think of my mom since she helped me out by paying for my registration and she has cheered me on since I started running.

Dove Onslaught(er)

Take a moment to sign the open letter through the Greenpeace website.