The week in a flash

Because there was not much to it.
Tuesday I went to the new pool in town. It's actually quite awesome.  Clean and bright and sunny! Or it would have been, had it not been raining. Im sure someday I will see it as it was meant to be. Sunny. I warm up a little and then did 100 m repeats. for no reason. Only had a little time so I did a km and then ran to get kids.

Wednesday I got up and did a bike ride, no BRICK. I was SO hungry at the end.

 

Nice rolling hills, was pretty tired at the end. 35.27 km, 1:37:03 time, 21.8 km / hr. speed that's super slow SIGH.

Thursday was a run around BH with Toni. It was a chilly rain. Nice.

and Friday I rested....except for a Ball Hockey game which was rough and we didn't win but I got a couple of nice bruises and a sore foot from it. 

Because Saturday we went to Cape Breton for the Cabot Trail Relay :)

I went away; Who knew?

I was away and it wasn't apparent here because I have not at all been a consistent blogger.  Here I am now trying to write a post and all I want to be doing is getting on my bike before it rains. Which I likely will do shortly.

Which is what I did. and it rained. And I got wet :)

Monday I ran with Toni a shorter 8.5 km run. 6:11 pace.

Tuesday was a long bike ride. I had a few breaks, when I biked up Young Street (Long hill ... 1.5 km? ISh?) Very steep. I paused at the top to deliver something to the school.  Then I continued to Hilden, back through town; I almost got taken out by a bus that passed me and then turned right while I was still beside. I had to hurried back up to get away. Careless self centered....
Back to home, 31.82 km.  1:31:47, 20.8 km/h pace. Crappy with all the stops.

Wednesday I ran the 10 k loop; 6:38 pace. crap.  We went to the RECC that night to sample the new venue :) The kids had the most fun on the rock climbing wall; they couldn't wait to try it! :)

 

They also swam in the new pool (Annika) and some tried the Ice (most of us have already :))

Thursday was the day I left :) After packing I got to go for a shorter bike ride, almost 23 km.  Then I hopped on a plane and flew to Newfoundland!  :):) Ive never been there! But now I have :)

I have a special friend from NFLD who invited a few of us over for the May long weekend.  As it ended up I was the only one able to go, lucky me to get focused touring attention :):)

Friday morning we shopped a little and then lunched at the Rooms, and then we went sight seeing!  The Basilica

 Signal Hill

Quidi Vidi, then Marine Lab and Red Cliffs where we hiked up a really great trail to overlook the lab and some cliffs :)

yup we hiked up that :)
 

Then along the coast to Middle Cove
And then to Cape Spear; Easternly most point in North America :)

After Cape Spear we met family for Dinner at the Yellow Belly Pub :) I had a huge decadent burger and Wexford Wheat Beer :)  Carb loading for races far in the future with that meal.

Off to bed. 
Saturday we got up to head to the cottage in South River :) we drove lots of little coves on the way, including Brigus where we got out and checked out a tunnel :) It was SO cold! Winter returned to the Maritimes while I was in NFLD.  Suggestions of snow.

Meanwhile in NS Holly ran the Bluenose Marathon with her friend; They did the Youth Run.  They loved it and cannot wait for the next run :)

At the cottage we ate and then seriously changed clothes and went for a run!  :) Friend was very sick so she showed me a 3.5 km loop, then I completed it 2 more times alone (plus a little due to a wrong turn ) I kept stopping to look at stuff LOL There are MOOSE in NFLD (never saw one).  We did a lot of bird watching. I swear there is SO much to SEE in NFLD.

we ate (more carb loading) and had an early night :)

Sunday we slept in and did some more sight seeing after a leisurely morning and some bird watching; in the river there is a lot of bird activity lol like the hunting Osprey that fly over the cottage with their big fish! :):)

We then went to Mad Rocks where we went on a long hike on the cliffs; it was really Cold and windy;

 

 

Thought we might blow away there but as long as we kept moving we were ok :)

We then went to a trail on the mountain because it was less foggy than it had been the whole trip, and we would see a great view :) We saw MOOSE prints, and at the top it was raining and foggy again!

 

We saw a fox but no moose.  And no whales, no ice bergs. lol.

about 9 km of hiking for the day :) hard hiking too!

We went to Cupids to have dessert then changed and drove to St Johns for supper :) More carb loading but also lots of steak and another dessert :)

 

Back to cottage for sleeping :)

 

And Monday; last morning there. I got up super early and went for my last NFLD run.  I did the loop again plus some, and had 5.5 km. 

These! were on my loop; but no moose.  It was like they were ... mocking me or something :)

We packed up and headed off to the city, airport, and back to NS where I ate and rushed off to Holly's soccer game; right back where I started without looking back. I cannot believe, I was away in NFLD and it was SO awesome!  :):):)  I cannot wait to go back!

The First Duathlon

Mothers Day had breakfast in bed and awesome gifts including homemade treasures and some biking clothes :) no more sore butt for me!

After finally getting out of bed the family dropped me off at the park for the Mother's Day offroad Duathlon put on by GoTruro.  A beginners Du for me??

the weather was cold and misty and kinda crappy so most people stayed away. 4 kids did the kid event and then 5 adults did the full length adult version, 4 km trail run, 15 km mountain bike, 2 km trail run. Volunteers were awesome!

On the first run, I finished 4th.  It was shorter than 4 km because I did it in about 18 minutes, it was rooty trail, and that's about the time it takes me to do 3 km run.   The run was supposed to be 1 km out, 1 km back, done twice for 4 km.

Onto the bike, which started out super fun.  It was dirt roads, some single track.  All muddy since it rained like mad the night before.  And the days before that :)

The single track was fun. The ups and downs were fun. But it got more and more technical; tree stumps and rocks, roots, steep ups, mud pits.  I slid into a few stumps and finally got off and pushed awhile after I almost hit a tree head on.  I slid into a stump and the bike came to a dead halt but I didn't and the bike landed on the ground that time.  Glad I landed on feet. 

After the single track there was a long downhill with loose gravel and then the same uphill, with grass and mud. THAT was exhausting since the mud was sucking at my tires and pulling me backwards. 

Finally down the last dirt road and back to the start. That was loop 1. OF 3.  I thought I might not make it, it was SO not a beginner course.  And although I bike and trail bike I have not in YEARS gone over trails like that. And never on that bike, I don't think.  It was interesting. 
On the second lap I got off and ran the bike through the hardest part and that saved me because my legs were ok but my arms were getting really tired from the push/pull of riding over the hard parts.  I thought it best if no injury was created.  That got me through the third lap.  If the second had been as hard as the first I might have stopped at 2.  I was getting better at the third lap but pretty tired. 

With just one more lap of the run trail left I felt I had the race complete :) Running felt funny but I have gotten used to that and just kept going. I was slower than before, about 10 minutes for the "2 km" but it was just almost comfortable. 

Crazy group out for a rainy Duathlon

So my first Duathlon complete.  I didn't get to experience a real transition since shoes stayed the same and I didn't do much other than put on a helmet and jump on the bike.  But the experience of jumping from one event to the next is valuable.  The group was a lot of fun and the support was awesome! 

A Post to Catch Up; for starts.

As its been a few weeks since I last posted (totally by accident) I need to cover a few things that are not interesting lol Im not even sure what's been going on since the last post; it's just one massive blur of driving kids around and trying to fit plans into small windows of time.

I did run that day despite being sore. almost 11 km, actually.  I am rocking those little middle distances and crapping out on the long long ones. I got a couple more runs in over the next couple of days; it is good stress relief.  10 and 5 km runs :)

Our ball hockey season continued with a tie against a super tough team. Granted, they had no real goalie, but we will take it.

My road bike returned home and on Saturday I managed a 11 km bike ride between the commitments and yard work and I don't remember much about that entire weekend :)

Sunday I wanted to go in a Duathlon an hour away; with Scott's grandmother passing away the training didn't get done and so not much point in entering a duathlon; so instead I ran from home to Scott's parent's house.  It was a nice run with decent weather.  18 km 2:02:20.  No records broken there.

There was another ball hockey game that night; lost by I don't remember what. We got a goal...4-1 maybe?

Monday was a rest day. First day of summer off.  I took that rest thing very seriously. This is the start of being the mommy taxi for the next 4 months.  The kids are at Badminton/soccer/track/musical/4H most days after school and evenings, and it means 3-4 trips into town for them.

Tuesday I got on the bike for a real ride and Ive no idea why I climbed Harmony Ridge for a starter. It seems like cruel and unusual punishment to start out a spring that way.  Nothing about the bike trainer prepared me for these outside rides.  Ugh and getting used to the Clip in shoes is challenging so Im not spending a lot of time in town ;)

the hill near the start sets the tone :)

After the bike ride I put on runners and did a mile run.  It wasn't bad, except that I ran by my house which is up or down hill, no flat.  And I was really hungry so I only ran a mile :)

Wednesday was a 10.5 km run up the hilly loop :)

Thursday Holly had track.  And I spent a lot of my day there (plus at Chiropractor) so I did not run.  After track there was other stuff. Its always fun. 

Holly did 100 M and 400 M and had solid PR's in both :)

I got in 8 km on Friday and almost 10 on Saturday then another mile with Annika on our road; And Sunday was Mother's Day!