Medal

Forgot to post my cool medal I got for finishing the race.

Canada Day

Saturday we headed down to Brooks for the Canada Day celebrations.  Neil's Dad again organized the tractor parade at the museum and his sister helps make pancakes.

We got there about 9:30 and had our breakfast and visited with Neil's cousin Leonard and his wife Cheryl and toured a bit of the museum and then it was time for the tractor parade.  Neil was driving the water pump tractor again and Cousin George and Leonard also got to drive.  I stood with Cheryl on the steps of the CP train house to watch, pretty good view point from there.  And while we were waiting we watched a lady making pottery, I wish I'd got the pieces she was done, she had about 10 done but one was a cool pie plate, even with the scalloped edges.

Then the parade, I got some video and some pics and again its always cool to see them old tractors running each one making a different put put noise.

Then afterwards I had signed up for a virtual walk/run si it could be done anywhere but had to be on Canada Day.  We did the 5K walk in 1 hour 1 minute and 44 seconds, a bit slow but it was hot.  We started around Meadow Lake but lost the path and got sidetracked at 7-11 for a slurpee and then went by the bouncy castles and the hamburger stand (if there wasn't a super long line up the walk woulda been longer lol)  We ended a bit past the truck and had to go back but pretty close.

Then home for supper and chores and halfway back to the campsite and we sat there and visited till about 11:30 then headed home in the rain.  We had planned to go to the fireworks in Rosemary but I think they may have been postponed for rain so we didn't bother.  Long day but a good one, then the last branding of the year on the 2nd and now we can do whatever we want!   Sorta.

And Then Sunday/Monday

After the clinic I went home turned out Jess and unhooked my trailer.  It was dark so I quit.  I had plans to get up early in the morning and go to Calgary to pick up my sister.  I got up at 4 and out the door shortly afterwards.  Picked up Heidi and headed back to Drum.  Been half a day already and was only 8!  But we picked up our race packages for the Drum Half Marathon and then hung around to until it was our time to start.

Weirdly enough we wore matching blue shirts and both put our green race shirt on top, we were thinking it was cool we matched, might do it again next year.  Finally they did the warmups for our race and since we knew we were walking the whole thing we stayed at the back.  Was a good day for it, was raining earlier that morning but it quit by the time we got there.  Was a bit cool but nice temperature to walk in.

(too bad the pole was in front of Heidi's face the scenery is sure pretty)

(not us but thought it was cute with the giant dino 

in the background as on our shirt hes chasing us )

We walked not too fast but not too slow, Heidi's ankles hurt if she goes too fast and my broken toe wasn't so great if we walked at all but I tried to save it a bit and it wasn't too bad afterwards.  We finished in 1:56:02.  Not bad, I didn't think we would do under 2 hours so was happy with that.  Got our medal and a pic with the dinosaur and then they had mini donuts.....for free!!!!  MMM  who can argue with that???  We stuck around a bit and visited with a few people and then headed back to Calgary but we made a couple stops on the way.

First was at Beiseker to see the giant Skunk, I had seen him before but never took a pic so it was perfect.  Heidi didn't have any giant things off her list now she has a few :)

Then down the road a few miles to Irricana, where they have a giant horse.  Of course we also saw a Unicorn which I had no idea was there.  I had to save Heidi from him he was gonna stomp her!

Then we drove over to Airdrie where they have a cowboy with real clothes on, a rooster, a bull and Maters cousin.  That was fun.

Then off to Calgary to make crabapple jelly and butter.  We never finished that night had to finish up in the morning cause we were just too tired.

 Long weekend but it was a lot of fun.  I came home Monday afternoon and just rested I was tired!

Banff Winterstart Race 2015

The reason I was headed to Calgary the day I stopped to see Pally was because I was entered in a race in Banff and the race package pickup day was the Thursday before it.  So I made a day of it, stopped to try Pally, went shopping, picked up my race package and took my sister and nephews out for dinner.  It was my sister and her oldest boys birthdays so it worked well.  Wow hes 16 already, time sure flies.

So the race wasn't till 7 at night on Saturday so we left in the morning made a few stops and then got to Banff and it was cloudy and a bit chilly but we just put on our winter coats and walked down the street so we could shop.  Mostly window shopping for me but Susan bought a couple items.  I did buy some tea and it was super good.  Couple really cute stores there its too bad the parking is so bad, we parked at our hotel and walked, was the easiest until your arms were full.

(sure looks cold but that's cause it was cloudy)

Then was race time, we got all dressed up, luckily wasn't too cold, was about +3 all day and then cooled down to maybe -2 overnight.  The worst part was it had rained a little in the day and so the roads were a bit slippery.  There was a lot of people there!  It was kinda crazy.  They had the stuff all down in the parking garage of the host hotel and they handed out glow sticks to all the runners.  They had people in costumes and all lighted up was sure different.

(a selfie before the race)

We just had our regular clothes, with the t shirt they gave us and our numbers and glow sticks, was enough to light the way.  I'm sure glad I brought my ear warmer and mini gloves, that was all I needed, although I should remember a scarf so I can put over my mouth cause its hard for me to breathe cold air.  Oh well next time haha.

(I tried to get a pic of all the people but I just couldn't get them all in, 

musta been a couple thousand)

(race times, super hard to read. Susan did 1:04:16 and I was slower at 1:20:47, not bad I figured, I was hoping for 1 hour but with cold and icy just wasn't happening, Susan actually suggested I may have exercise induced asthma and ask about it next time I'm at the doctor.  Kinda made sense why I cant breathe even though have lots of energy, I will check it out just haven't yet.)

Afterwards was a big party in the parking garage, everyone got 2 beer and cookies and coke and water and fruit and veggies, great way to end a race.  We were still hungry afterwards though so we headed to the Keg and had steak.  After we sat down we realized how tired we were and so it was bed after that.  Then a few shopping spots before we headed home.  Was a great weekend would do it again, would be a lot of fun with a group I think.

Race Day

So this year again I planned on entering the Drumheller Marathon.  Not the full marathon of course, that will probly never happen.  But I did do the 10K.  That was a spur of the moment decision, I figured I had time to train and so I entered it ahead of time so I was in and had a goal.  of course morning of race day was cold and rainy.  Good thing I preentered cause it woulda been super easy to climb back in bed.  Although I was pretty excited about it this year.

(we saw this guy walking his dinosaur....he never did the race tho :) )

I been training, 2 short runs, 2 longer bike rides and 1 long run a week.  I did my long run Sundays since that's what day the race was.  I upped it a mile a week.  I shoulda had more time but there's always a need for more time so I just done it.

I started running, which I know is a mistake but its so hard not too when everyone else starts out that way.  By 1K I was sore in the legs so I walked and got passed, then at about 3K I was feeling better so I could walk faster but by then i was so far behind everyone but I kept going.  I did start to feel a little better later on and was a little faster.  My goal time was about hour and a half.  Of course I also estimated the path wrong, I thought 10K was 6 miles, turns out it is 6.42 miles.  So i finished with 1:40:50.  not bad, I was pretty well done at the end of the race so that made me feel good that I could not have gone faster, that's always my worry that I coulda done more but not on this day.

(my shirt and medal and number)

(I never wore the shirt cause it was cccold out, 

started with rain then just cool,

 was nice to run in after the rain quit)

Not to make excuses but I was not feeling great, my lungs were sure not 100% with having a cold and then the smoke and my lungs are not clear but the legs held up and that was more than I could ask for.  I had a massage on the Wednesday before and she told me to just stretch and do yoga, no more workouts and so that's what I did, but I kinda wish I woulda done a short walk the days before just to keep it up.

(my time and Im 129 out of 131)

(and the winner, 38:27...not gonna be me ever!)

(and Neil did the 5K and faster than last year so thats cool)

Already looking for another race, theres a night race in banff, its only 5 miles so should be easy peasy and cool its at night!