Come Walk with Me

Come and walk with me

What we'll see and where we'll go is something only fate can know.
The path may be steep and the obstacles plenty.
But I'd rather walk with you than one of the many.

Let's climb a cliff of amazing height, close our eyes and leap into the night. 
Like a star traveling the midnight sky.
We'll soar, we'll sail, we'll fly.
My hand in yours, we'll let destiny pick the course.

(unfinished)

Walking Edmonton

New hobby - Walking around Edmonton!!!

I don't know much about Edmonton but there sure are some great sights to see, especially when there is someone special to see them with.

Take a walk with me?

View from The High Level Bridge

Another View from The High Level Bridge!

Soaring by the Sun

High Level Bridge

Grant MacEwan University

Mt. Jefferson

Trip report - Mt. Jefferson - Coos County, New Hampshire - Saturday July 27th
Elevation:  5,712 ft (1,741 m)
Trail: Castle Trail (from Route 2)
Distance: 10 Miles Round Trip
Time: 10 hours (8am - 6pm)
Hiking Partner: The Super Amazing Miss Julie Smith!

You know you are going to have a fantastic hiking day when you find something as cool as this on the way to the mountain...

The day started at 4:45am. I'd packed the night before: Camelbak (complete with nutrient sludge), poles, headlamp, compass, extra layers, rain gear, map, spare socks, snacks (energy bar, foil packed tuna, apple, orange, 2 Luna bars, dark chocolate!), and spare water bottle (full and frozen).  I grabbed my pack, hiking boots & poles, and my after hike clothing and hit the road. Dover, NH to the trail head is about a 2.5 hour drive. With an 8am meeting time, I was on my way by 5:30. Having posted my hiking intentions over a month ago, I was lucky enough to schedule the day with Julie Smith, a kayaking friend. If you've ever had the good fortune to paddle or hike with Julie, you'll understand when I say that she is the perfect trip leader. Julie knows her stuff, plans ahead, and has the patience of a saint. No kidding. You try leading 8 crazy kayakers down the Kennebec Gorge at high level during a dam release... Just saying.

Arriving just at 8, I met up with Julie, we geared up and headed off. I was not familiar with this mountain and had reached out to a friend for suggestions on trails. I took half of his suggestion and chose the Castle Trail. We decided to hike both up and down on this trail rather than looping off on several other possibilities.

The day was overcast and I was concerned that we might not make the summit as Julie & I had agreed that rain, fog, or extreme wind would cancel.  I mentally crossed my fingers that the day would clear.

The first part of the hike is through a field, under the high-voltage lines, and into the forest. Fairly quickly you reach a stream that you'll need to cross to continue on up the mountain. The water level was low but still covering most of the rocks so we took our time picking a crossing a bit upstream & the poles were a great help. After the crossing we were fully under tree cover and hiking a decently wide path, well cleared, and only a mild incline for the first mile or so in. And then....

Only 3.7 Miles to Go!

The trail became steeper and composed of rocks and roots which often formed steps in the hillside. Some natural, some man made. Now, I don't wear a watch and my cell phone was tucked away for the trek so I'm not sure how long we hiked up and up and up but it was at least an hour of fairly steep, breathing hard, heart pounding in my ears, hiking. And I was loving every second of it!!! All I could think of was how far I had come (figuratively) since November. I couldn't help but grin.

We stayed under tree cover as the trail flattened out for a good long stretch (Mt. Jefferson is a sneaky mountain, lulling you into a false sense that it will be an easy hike) and the sun began to peek through the clouds. All the while I could hear the stream babbling along on our left. Little did I know what the mountain still had in store as the trail took another upward turn and we headed for The Castles which give this trail its name.

As we hiked higher, the trees became shorter and shorter. Approaching The Castles, it looks as though you are nearing the peak of the mountain and have only a short distance to go. How wrong I was (but more on that later)! A few small scrambles over fairly large boulders and a steep, root grabbing, scrabbling climb later, we reached the first Castle.   See below.

Looking Up at The Castles

Stopping to take a couple of pictures, I couldn't believe where we had come from. Though the mountains to our left were still shrouded in clouds, the path we had traveled was clear behind us. The long flat section, of the trail that we had hiked, crossed the mound you see below. We had come from the far side of that mound!

Looking Back from the First Castle

The view to the left was not so promising as the clouds still menaced the tops of the mountains to the left. I'll admit that I was concerned about making it to the summit at this point.

After our picture break we began tackling The Castles. Up, over, through, over, scramble, crawl, is pretty much how it works through this section of trail. The Castles are comprised of HUGE boulders that push up out of the ridge of the mountain and the trail goes from Castle to Castle (and through them). Here are a couple of shots as we went:

Julie Picking the Route

 Here is where Mt. Jefferson really starts its trickery: once you complete the castles, you see that you are not, in fact, at the summit but are faced with the scene below. Okay, I wasn't ready for this hike to be over anyway! I remember pointing to what looks like the summit and asking Julie "Is THAT where we are going?". She confirmed that it was. What I should have asked is "Is that the summit". :) Feeling a theme here? Tricky mountain!

Looking Up Past The Castles Towards What Appears to be the Summit

The sky continued to clear as we ascended, affording us some amazing views of the valleys below. As we climbed, we discussed the challenge this hike afforded. There is something for everyone here: Steep inclines, scrambles, scrabbles (I differentiate scrambles as going over boulders with fairly easy hand/foot holds and scrabbles as steep, root grabbing climbs where you may very well slide back down to where you started and then some), and amazing views (see exhibits 1 & 2 directly below).

Exhibit 1: Oh the views!

Exhibit 2: Clearing clouds

 One of the interesting parts of this hike is that once you get past The Castles, you encounter a series of lawns and granite boulder fields. There is no going around the boulder fields, they spread out across the mountainside. So over we went. Fortunately there are cairns to guide you as you hop from rock to rock in the general direction of the summit. Each boulder field is an uphill climb that finishes with a small dip into a lawn of scrubby grass and alpine flora. And then onto the next boulder field. I was more than thankful to have my poles during these climbs. If memory serves, there were 3 sets of boulder fields and lawns to climb/cross before the final ascent to the summit.

The above is looking up towards the start of a boulder field. The path heads to the right of this picture and the boulder field is not the deceiving little strip of rocks that it looks like. You could easily spend 10 - 15 minutes traversing a field before you came to lawn again.

Finally reaching the summit, I found Julie and the sun waiting for me. Julie was kind enough to "save" the highest point for me and I climbed up with joy. I was standing on top of the world! This was a personal best. The tallest mountain I had ever climbed, the longest hike I had ever participated in. It was an amazing feeling that is nearly beyond words and the views went on forever! Gorgeous George was in full view in all his glory, Great Gulch and all! It looked as though you could just walk across in a few minutes (as I wish was the case!).

After a bite to eat and about half an hour of soaking up the sun & taking photos, we were ready to head down. What a completely fantastical and amazing day! Thank you to Julie for the wonderful company and to Mother Nature for bringing on the sunshine!

The rest of the photos are here. 

Journeys 3

An update to the April 12th and May 15th entries:

This week marks my 32nd week of nutritional changes, 23rd week of fitness training, and 15th week of bike specific training.

I have less than 2 weeks remaining to prepare for the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer - a 200 KM (125 Mile) 2-day ride from Calgary, Alberta to Okotoks and back.

32 weeks ago I started a journey to change my nutritional lifestyle. For those wondering what "nutritional lifestyle" means, it means changing your eating habits for good, forever, for always. Sure you can have food now and again that isn't good for you but, for the most part, you don't because you learn to care about what you are eating and the health and well being of your body. I gave up processed sugar (straight sugar, added sugar, fake sugar) months ago and have found that my body doesn't like when I consume anything with added sugar these days. It tends to revolt and let me know how very unhappy it is with any sugary choice I make. I never want to get used to eating sugar again!

23 weeks ago I started a journey to change my health and fitness. I joined a couple of classes at a local gym and have been working hard to overcome my own mental blocks. I've been setting micro goals for myself during my TRX and Butt & Gutt Classes so that I can continue to improve and challenge myself. Sure, it would be easy to sit back just do what the instructor says or continue at the same level week after week but where is the benefit to that? My challenges to myself for this 12 week session:
1. Do Burpies with a pushup - every time. I want to be able to do pushups. I don't know why I am obsessed with pushups but I am so this is a way to improve my ability.
2. Do all of the suspended exercises in TRX - this is harder than it sounds because when I started TRX 23 weeks ago, I had a lower back injury. The first session I spent stretching and strengthening my back, often modifying the suspended exercises so that I could get through them. This session, I am attempting them all; suspended planks, suspended side planks (my current nemesis), suspended crunches, suspended mountain climbers, suspended... you get the picture. While I can't always complete the full 30-45 seconds of each exercise, they each get my full effort and I can see improvement.
3. Do more reps, more quickly of each exercise.
4. Take a harder angle or modification for each exercise; ie - push myself harder.
It's paying off in improved strength, flexibility, and fitness.  

15 weeks ago I started my cycling journey. When I had last updated my journeys a month ago, I was still of the mindset that maybe I couldn't ride 2 big days in a row. Looking back, I realize that I set my goal low: 3 hours Sat, 5 hours Sun. I was afraid that I couldn't do 2 big days and I was giving myself an out - a way to give in. Fortunately I didn't take that out and I ended up riding 4.5 hours each day for a total of 90 miles (150 km). Now, I don't even consider riding less than 70 km (40 miles) on a weekend day. I've logged some pretty big hills (massive hill & rolling hill - of death) along the way and am now only 9 days from the biggest ride of my life (so far). I can't wait to take on this next challenge. I know I can do it. Stay tuned for pix and posts from the ride! Calgary & Okotoks, here I come!

Never be Prosaic

It doesn't matter where you start or where you end. What is important is the journey and the adventures that you have along the way. <3

The Bridge to Yesterday

While wandering the hills and valleys of Vancouver, BC, I experienced the most amazing thing: A forest standing still in time on the other side of The Bridge to Yesterday (Otherwise known as Capilano Suspension Bridge Park).

Starting on the edge of a cliff, the bridge spans a 450ft wide, 300 ft deep gorge through which runs the Capilano River.

Though the day was cool and raining, adventure awaited! Crossing the bridge, there are incredible views of the Capilano River, surrounding mountains, and an ancient forest.

It is a strange feeling to be 230ft in the air with nothing between you and the wet, rocky bottom of the ravine below but a wooden walkway and a few steel cables.

As you step off of the bridge on the far side, you are greeted by the hush of the massive forest. For my friends back home in New England, imagine the largest trees you have ever seen and then triple them. These Hemlock and Douglass Fir trees are up to 300 FT tall and as old as 1,300 years. It would take 4 people to properly hug a tree in this forest (Believe me, I tried!).

Everything is so lush and green in this ancient rain forest. Deciduous leaves grow as big as dinner plates with massive ferns and broad leaf plants covering the forest floor. Moss grows thick on the trees deep under the canopy. If you are quiet enough, you just might find a tiny dinosaur living amongst the roots and ferns.

Climbing up into the trees, a stairway leads to the treetop walkways - suspension bridges between the trees that hang up to 100ft in the air and encircle the park. Even on a platform at 100ft above the forest floor, the trees still tower above you another 100+ ft. Standing on the platforms, looking up into the canopy, everything was calm and quiet. Even the drops of water falling from the trees high above seemed to be in no rush, dripping down in slow motion as if time had been slowed to a near crawl.

Once out of the treetops, the Raptor Ridge walk awaits. Following the outside of the park and the top edge of the ravine, you experience views of the river below with the trees growing out of the ravine still reaching over your head. The wildlife of the forest  can be heard through the chattering of squirrels and the birdsong high above though you rarely see them, so high are their perches. I was lucky enough to sneak up on this creature in the middle of the forest.

 

Adding to the music of the woods are the tumbling streams, running over rocks and fallen trees as they make their way to the ravine's edge only to cascade over into the river below. 

 Wandering through the trees, I felt like a child, filled with wonder at the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest. Eager to turn each new corner and take it all in.

I hope that one day you can experience this adventure for yourself. But until then, enjoy the rest of the photos.

The Massive Hill of Death

O M G! I can hardly believe that I am alive to tell the tale of The Massive Hill of Death... Thankfully for you, I am! :D

It all started on a cool (think 40 degree F) morning, at 6am when my alarm so rudely awakened me from a fairly pleasant slumber. Oddly enough I was dreaming about hiking only to be awoken to go biking. 2 eggs later and I hit to road to meet up with The Bulls-eye Bikes Club for 7am. There were 6 of us to start with though we would gain 1 and lose 2 later on in the ride.

Being completely unaware of what was lurking down the road, I saddled up and headed out with the group. As it was a bit chilly, I kept my fleece on over my bike top though I opted to leave the long pants in The Dingo for safe keeping. We rode North out of town, heading over the interstate (Is it called an interstate in Canada or is it just a highway? Route 16 anyway). Hanging a left, we pedaled West past quiet farms and newly tilled fields, the sun beaming down and the wind quiet, for now. Coming to the end of the range road, we connected up with RT 779 West of Spruce Grove and again turned North.

Now the fun begins! RT 779 (and most of the Northbound routes out of Spruce Grove & Stony Plain) heads up into the Glory Hills. Remember those wonderful hikes I wrote about at Chickakoo Lake? Well, 779 is the road I take to get to those hills. I took one look at the road ahead (refer back to last weeks post with the pic of where I had been) and said to our daring leader, Herb, "We're headed to the top of that thing, aren't we?". Herb confirmed my suspicions. We were, indeed to ride to the top of the world on RT 779. Now, remember that I am riding with a group of seasoned cyclists, all with lovely road bikes and plenty of racing experience under their belts. Even though this was a "long, slow" Sunday ride, the pace so far was faster than I'd been riding on my own.

And so up the hill I went... One slow peddle stroke at a time. At one point, it began to feel like the hill that would never end and by the time I made it to the top of the world on 779, I was dripping sweat and ready to lose the fleece. About this time I realized that I hadn't really been drinking much for water (also known as the nutrient sludge - due to the addition of several supplements/powders to give me energy and keep me hydrated). I started down the other side of the hill only to meet up with the other riders headed back in my direction. You see, the rules of the ride are that we re-group at every major intersection/turn of the ride. The faster riders often double back and then ride the section a second time while waiting for the slower riders (in this case me). We took a right and headed East towards what I can only guess is the Northern end of Calahoo out of Spruce Grove through I am not sure.

Now, by this time the ride had become quite fun as the Eastern headed road was a slow gradual downhill. Ah! This is what I had done all of that work for! Taking another right, we headed South back towards Spruce Grove. Here we picked up Nadine and continued down, down, down, the hills. Hill after glorious hill! All heading DOWN... Joyous day! :D We regrouped and bid Cory farewell as Herb made the announcement that we were to complete our ride by heading back around the same loop we had just ridden, only in reverse... SAY WHAT????

Now bear in mind that I was not tired (a little muscle fatigue but nothing horrible) and it was still pretty early in the morning (8:45ish) and we'd only completed 20 miles (35 km) and my goal was to get close to 45 miles for the day. I firmly told myself that I could do this and turned my bike Northward again. Little did I know that I was to meet my arch nemesis - THE MASSIVE HILL OF DEATH! I had thought that the hill on RT 779 was big, long, never-ending. Boy was I wrong. Compared to the behemoth that was facing me, 779 was an anthill!

I'd be willing to bet that what took a matter of minutes to descend in my highest gear (and that wasn't fast enough for me) took at least 20 times as long to ascend in my lowest set of gears. This hill was determined to have the best of me. Though I never gave it the satisfaction of making me dismount. My mind was made up. I would ride this thing to the top! I have to say THANK YOU to Herb here. He must have ridden each of the 3 sections of this hill at least 2x as he circled back for me at the top of each crest. It helped not to be left to my own designs on this beast of a hill. And here is where Don left us for the day. The Hill having conquered him quite thoroughly (or he had better things to do), he turned and road down again. 

The rest of the ride is more of a blur... a slow, gradual uphill blur for a good part of it before attaining the peak of RT779's hill where I could cruise (as fast as my short little legs would go) to the bottom and pick up the East heading road back to Spruce Grove where The Dingo was waiting to take me home. We covered nearly 40 miles in 3.5 hours. A pace far quicker than any I've ridden alone. The one misstep that I took was not putting on the long pants after the ride. I hopped in The Dingo and headed home only to have both thighs make a major attempt at cramping on me. Thankfully home is a quick 5 minute (or less) drive and a hot shower and stretch awaited me. And a nap! Yes, I took a nap in the middle of this day and fell asleep straight away!

Now, I have attempted to capture a map for your viewing pleasure. However, I believe that The Massive Hill of Death has such strong powers that it has actually managed to obscure itself from the mapping device. I'm afraid that the road should have hooked back down towards the starting point (on the right hand side of the map), making a box rather that an open sided rectangle... But, such is the strength of The Hill....

I Work Out!

Last night was TRX class.  A very, very, very, very, very, VERY hard TRX class. Every TRX class is different and it never gets any easier as you use your own body as your weights and you set your level of challenge. Here's one class for reference and here is last night's class:

Oh, and while we are on the topic, I can't get this video/song out of my mind every time I work out (thanks, Scott - though I would LOVE to be able to do what this guy can do. Um, maybe minus the speedo. Unless the speedo was on Gumby Hiker on top of a mountain... ).  :D



Tuesday night TRX: While we usually complete timed sets (20 seconds work/10 seconds break, 30 seconds work/15 seconds break, etc), last night was different as we completed counted reps. We started with a warmup of 30 Jacks, 10 Squat Jacks (don't ask, they hurt), 10 Burpies, 30 Mountain Climbers, 30 High Knees, repeat.

The first set of exercises included squats, squats, and so many more squats:
20 Jump Squats
16 Balance Squats on each leg
20 Sumo Squats
16 Sumo Jump Squats
I'm thinking there was another exercise in here but darned if I can remember it, the class was a blur!

The second set of exercises included:
20 Single Leg Lunges
20 Second Single Leg Lunge Hold
16 Single Leg Lunges followed by Leg Lift - keep in mind you are lunging your leg backwards and then standing and lifting your leg behind you...
Repeat on the other leg
20 Single Leg Hip Hinges (stand on one leg, reach/bend forward and lift one leg straight out behind you until you are in the shape of a T)
16 Single Leg Standing Donkey Kicks (get in Single Leg Hip Hinge position and then bend leg at 90 degrees and pulse heel towards ceiling). Yeah, OUCH!

The third set of exercises included:
20 Single leg lunges with 1 leg suspended behind you
16 Pushups
Repeat on second leg followed by second set of pushups.
20 Hamstring Curls 
30 Mountain Climbers - suspended in TRX
30 High Knees (on each leg)
10 Burpies

Repeat the entire workout and try not to throw up... :D

Often when I leave the gym at the end of class I wonder who thinks these things up. And then I wonder how many people are crazy enough to actually do these things. And then I am usually very, VERY thankful that I can do these things. By this time I have usually made my way to The Dingo on my quivering legs of Jell-O, fished my keys out of my pocket, and somehow managed to get my rubber chicken arms to start the truck so I can head home and die. Don't get me wrong, I love these workouts but am always in awe that I can do them. Plenty of water, protein, stretching, and sleep later, I still hurt today.

Fundraising 2

As of 8:37am, MST today, you have helped me to raise the $2,500 that is required for me to ride in the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer. Each and every one of you are AMAZING!

Some of you are family, some of you are clients, and all of you are friends. I am overwhelmed by the support that you have all shown me through your donations, words of encouragement, and just being there when I needed you.

This is not the end of the journey. There is still training to do, I'm still collecting donations towards this cause, there is still planning and packing for the overnight portion of The Ride, and there will be plenty of updates to keep you all amused. :)

From my heart:

THANK YOU ALL!

Journeys Too

An update to the April 12th entry.

This week marks my 28th week of nutritional changes, 19th week of fitness training, and 11th week of bike specific training.

I have 5 weeks remaining to train for the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer - a 200 KM (125 Mile) ride. Here is the update:

28 weeks ago I embarked on a journey to change my nutritional lifestyle. No more bags of chips, no more "junk foods", no more empty calories.

What are empty calories you ask? In my book, they are food that have nothing in them but calories from sugar/carbs, fat and not much else. No nutrients, vitamins, minerals - nothing that is actually naturally occurring in the ingredients of the "food". This includes enriched foods. If you can't get the nutrients from the ingredients, what on earth is being added to make up for that?

When I shop, I typically stick to fresh produce, dairy, meats (mostly fish and turkey/chicken), nuts & seeds, and a limited number of canned items - think tuna, pickles (love them in tuna!), canned fruits for smoothies, and alternative grains & pastas. By shopping this way and planning my meals each week, I've been able to drastically change what I am putting in my body. I KNOW what I am putting into my body. I know how many calories it has, I know what is in it for nutrients, I know how it was made because it was fresh and I cooked it myself. Best of all, I like what I am eating because I cook it the way I like it. I find this helps to eliminate cravings because, many times, when you are craving something you are looking for a certain flavor/taste from your food. And most of the time, you aren't getting it.

So where am I going with this? This nutritional journey has taken me on quite the ride. Over the past 28 weeks, I have changed my nutritional lifestyle (and activity lifestyle) enough to lose 58.5 pounds. This is huge for me. I've struggled with weight on and off for over 15 years. Don't get me wrong, this is not easy. It is a lot of work, sweat, and tears - but more on that another day. This journey is far from over. I've got a long way to go but I'm well on my way. And that brings us to:

19 weeks ago I began my fitness journey:

The biggest challenge to any fitness program is your own mind. When I started my fitness training in January, there was a night that I didn't have a car (the wheel had fallen off of The Dingo) or a ride home from the gym. I  packed up my gym clothes in a duffel bag and brought them to work with me. I figured I would get dropped off at the gym and then walk the 1-2 miles home after the workout. I thought about it all day long. I'd only been attending classes for 1 week. I was convinced that I couldn't walk a mile (or 2) home after class. I was sure that I would never make it that far. And so I skipped class that night and got dropped off at home instead. How had I come to think this way? I had been athletic most of my life. I ran track, played soccer, hiked, kayaked, biked, walked everywhere - but I hadn't done any of these things in years. My mind told me that I couldn't, I listened to my mind tell me that I couldn't, and so, I couldn't.

Even today, 19 weeks later, I am still amazed at what I CAN do. I can do pushups, I can do TRX suspended mountain climbers & crunches. I can do squats and lunges for days (okay, exaggeration there), I can jog (and I hate jogging), I can bike for 4.5 hours, I can hike very steep hilly terrain and even RUN up the hills. I can do so much and yet my mind is still stuck on "Um, are you sure you can do that? I'm not sure you can...". My next challenge to myself (mini goal) is to stop listening to my mind and to tell myself I CAN DO IT!

11 Weeks ago began my bike journey:

As you just heard in the above paragraph (just seeing if you are paying attention), I bike for 4.5 hours at a time. I'd always biked as a kid. I went to bike camp where we biked for the whole day, every day, for a week. It was great! This is great! Also pertaining to the above paragraph, I am still amazed that I can do what I can do. This weekend's goal is 2 days of riding, both long rides. 3+ hours on Saturday, 5 hours on Sunday. Will I make it? Yes, I will! I'm telling my mind now that it is going to happen! Mind, get your butt in gear because we are taking a ride! Oh! And my fundraising is THIS close to the $2,500 that I need to ride in June! THIS CLOSE! So feel free to donate to sponsor my ride! I can't do it without you! In fact, I couldn't have gotten this far without everyone who has cheered me on in my journeys.

See you all in another month... (that is for the next update, the next blog post will most likely be tomorrow so come back then!)

Take a Hike - 2!

Chickakoo Lake is fast becoming a favorite evening destination! Out of work at 4:45 on a beautiful Friday evening and I couldn't think of a better place to walk the dog.

This time, I was determined to get on the Intermediate & Advanced trails that wander the perimeter of the Chickakoo Lake Recreation Area. I hadn't seen them before but ran into a couple of hikers coming off the Advanced trail who said it was ALL up and down hill. What fun! :)

Arrived at the upper parking lot at 6pm, leashed up the dog, and off we went. Here is the map again so you can follow along the trails. Jump below for the hike details and link to pictures.

The upper parking lot is the P surrounded by the grey lines. Ghiry and I got on the trail to the upper right of the P on the yellow/orange trail - Easy trail. We followed it until the point that it intersects with trail 2 - Intermediate trail - and heads south of Dog Leg Pond. This pond is full of PEEPERS ! Always a pleasant chorus to listen to on an evening hike. :D While I had seen only Greebs in the pond during the previous hike, there were a couple of green headed mallards last night as well.

Heading around Dog Leg Pond and continuing on the Red trail, we intersected with trail 4 - also intermediate. Here is where I have always chosen to go left and stay in trail 2. However, after a couple of pictures of a particular log I'd seen on my first hike, I headed off right onto trail 4 - Green line. This trail takes you around the end of Kettle Lake and onto the northeast side of the lake. Let me just say that with all of the ponds and lakes in the recreation area, you are never very far from a fabulous view!

Trail 4 intersects with trail 3 - Advanced!  - with the option to take a right and head back to trail 2 or go left and around the rest of the park. A quick check of the clock indicated it was only 7:30pm, there was plenty of daylight left, and as Ghiry and I were both in great spirits, left we went!

This part of the hike was the most fun as it really was UP hill and DOWN hill, steeply! Lots of hills! On several of them, I let Ghiry off leash so that he could make his own way up the hill as his long doggy legs carry him more quickly than my short girl legs can take me up the hill. He was great, stopping and waiting at the top of each new hill. We enjoyed the scenery and found ourselves at the parking lot at 8:30pm with sunlight to burn.

I took a lot of photos this time and will definitely be back to do this hike again (TOMORROW!) & again & again! Next time I want to go the reverse direction, my only complaint being that the whole hike is not on terrain similar to the advanced trail. Perhaps 2 loops around the advanced trail, 1 in each direction, are in order...

Stay tuned! 

Smile

Smile because it is a beautiful day.
Smile because it feels good to be happy.
Smile because life is full of adventures.
Smile.

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, in a cold, northern country, there lived a gurl who loved to bike. She would bike early in the morning, in the middle of the day, late into the evening, and even in her dreams at night. The gurl would bike in the cold weather, in the rain, the wind, and the sun. Though her neighbors saw her come and go, flashing by with a smile and a wave on her red and gold bike, they often scratched their heads and wondered... Why? Why does she bike day in and day out, hour after hour?

What they didn't know was the the gurl was training for an epic event that included a mountainous goal (or 2), figuratively and quite literally.

I am that gurl and I'm riding that bike (21 year old red with gold trim Specialized Cross Roads) in the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer on June 22nd & 23rd. This ride is a 2 day, 200 km (125 mile) ride that leaves out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada with an overnight (in a tent camp) at Okotoks, Alberta, and a return to Calgary on the second day. What is the ride for? Glad you asked! To raise funds for Alberta Cancer Research.

Here are the literal mountains - The Canadian Rockies! I'll be riding with these beautiful mountains as the back drop and, while I have yet to drive to Calgary (I hear Road Trip in my near future) and check them out, I get the distinct feeling that there will be some "hills" to ride.

Here are the figurative mountains -
1. Training - I'm training hard for this ride and have been since January. I ride 1-2 days per week on looooooooooooong rides (think 3+ hours - lately 4+) and I participate in high-intensity total body workouts 3 days a week. Strength and cardio are as important as endurance.

2. Fund raising - I am required to raise $2,500 to participate in THE RIDE. This is the mountain that I need help with. I'm 64% of the way there - to being allowed to ride. Won't you help me make my dream come true for a great cause?

Here are the stats as of May 2, 2013:

Date: June 22nd & 23rd, 2013
Distance: 200 KM (125 Miles)
Location: Calgary, Alberta to Okotoks, Alberta & back again

Donation Link: http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/nhkayakgirl

Fundraising required to ride: $2,500.00
Money raised to date: $1,695.00
Money left to raise to date: $805.00
(Pledged but not donated yet: $100)

Days left for fundraising: 51
Dollar amount needed per day to make Minimum goal:  $15.78

Dollars that I have personally donated towards my goal: $100.00

Dollars that I have personally spent on training, nutrition, and equipment to date: $575.00
Note: this does not count the 24 weeks of fitness training at The Boxing Club that I have been participating in since January).

The Challenge to you: Become one of my sponsors by donating at least $25.00 towards my goal.
The Mountainous Challenge: Match what I have donated.

Journeys

This week marks my 23rd week of nutritional changes, 14th week of fitness training, and 6th week of bike specific training.

I have 10 weeks remaining to train until the day of the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer - a 200 KM (125 Mile) ride. I can't believe how quickly time has gone and how many changes have happened since November, 2012. Here is a "recap":

23 weeks ago, I embarked on a journey of nutritional changes:

November 4th, 5th & 6th, 2012 - with the help of my mom, sister Cindy, and E, we packed a 17' U-Haul with my pared down belongings & my dog, Ghiry, (sad that it still took a 17' truck) and I departed for Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. You didn't realize I was a Yankee in Alberta did ya? Yuppers, that is me! What was to be a 5 day drive from Lee, NH, USA to my new home turned into 7 with a forced 2 night stay in Weyburn, SK, Canada due to Winter Storm Brutus.

Over the past several years I'd suffered an injury to my lower back and had gotten into some very bad eating habits. I was determined that this new move was going to be the start of a new me as well. I packed only healthy foods for my trip northwest and thus began my nutritional journey. What did I bring? Whole wheat bread, Granny Smith apples, bananas, organic natural (no sugar added) peanut butter, granola bars, and water. I picked up some fresh cheese in Wisconsin (couldn't pass it up!) at the Mousehouse Cheesehaus and enjoyed eggs and fruit for breakfast at the hotels that I stayed in. After 7 days of cleaner eating, it was easier to keep it up after arriving in Canada. The past 23 weeks haven't always been easy and I've had to spend a lot of time learning how to eat healthy, what my body needs, how little is too little, what doesn't work for me, etc. This is an ongoing process. For those interested, I'll include a link in the future to what I do eat in a day, during training and not.
Pictures of the trip from NH to AB

14 weeks ago, I began my journey to re-incorporate fitness into my daily life:

I signed up for classes at a local gym that runs a 12 week schedule. It was just by chance that I found them and that this turned out to be the right fit for me. Over my life I've been everything from a couch potato to a gym rat. I find that the programs that work best for me are group classes with a high-energy instructor and a challenging format. I found this at The Boxing Club in Spruce Grove, AB. My instructors: Sheila, Ashley, & Svetlana are as high-energy as they come with a mix of positive encouragement and constructive correction. The classes are hard work. You will hurt, you will struggle, and it won't get easier. You'll do more reps over time but you will work just as hard week 12 as you did week 1. It has been amazing.

6 Weeks ago, I began my bike journey:

I signed up for the Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer and began bike training. This is where the blog started, where the serious biking started, & where the next adventure begins. You can page back through the blog to see what has happened since March 4, 2013, how far I have come & how far I still have to go. Saturday and Sunday are my major riding days. Currently I am up to 2 hours on a weekend day with a plan to push it up 1/2 an hour each weekend. This weekend will be 2.5 hours per session on the bike.

Where will this journey go from here? Stay tuned...

Amazing

You are all amazing! I have to send a big THANK YOU out to my sponsors. Some of you I've known for years and some for only a little while but you are all pulling together to help me with this HUGE and amazing journey that I am on.

THANK YOU!

For those of you just joining me in this journey, start here: The Blog

Wondering why I have decided to take on an amazing 2-day bike ride that covers 125 miles (200 KM)? Read about it on my personal Enbridge Ride to Conquor Cancer page. And while you are there, consider making a donation towards my ride. 

And again, Thank You to all who have donated so far!