Category Archives: Races
2021 Resolution COVID Style
Every New Year’s morning we participate in the Running Room’s 5k Resolution Run…that is until this year. We decided to try and keep the tradition alive and do our own virtual resolution. Today is also the start of the 10th Annual Iron Paws Stage Race
Brodie was just happy to get out with us.
Resolution Run and Iron Paws
We started 2020 off on the right foot by participating in the Running Room’s Resolution 5k. We like to do this run every year as a renewal of our commitment to remain active throughout the year.
The dogs and I also signed up for our 2nd Iron Paws. I have a couple of injuries that will prevent us from doing much kick sledding so I signed us up for the recreational canicross category instead. The Resolution run also counted towards our runs for the 1st week of Iron Paws…..bonus!!
Filed under Canicross, Iron Paws, Kick Sledding, kicksledding, Races, Spirit
Training for 1/2 Corked Marathon
This Sunday we are supposed to start our training program to prepare for the 1/2 Corked Marathon in May. Unfortunately Mother Nature has decided not to cooperate. The forecast calls for temperatures around -24 degrees celsius and who knows how much colder it will be with the wind chill factored in (just checked and it will be -41 with the windchill…yikes!!!!). I decided to start our training program a few days earlier to avoid Sunday’s chill. Brodie and I did a lovely 7km canicross on Thursday morning using all our new gear…..Brodie’s pulling harness, bungee leash and my canicross belt. Everything worked great together and was so much easier on my back.
Brodie’s belly and legs were filthy by the time we finished but his cooling rolls in the snow did a great job to remove the worst of it.
2019 Iron Paws
Just for a little winter fun and motivation, I have signed up for the 2019 Iron Paws Stage Race. It is a 6 week virtual sled dog race. The whole idea is to get you and your dogs out and active and meeting up with local like minded people. It also includes some fun challenges that you must do each week.
For our first week we have been challenged to create a magazine cover featuring our team. This is what I came up with:
We accumulate points by participating in races, going on group training runs and participating in regional events. As long as we do at least one run per week we should earn a medal at the end of the 6 week program. The real reward is the time spent and memories made with your dogs.
Sometimes it can be hard to keep motivated during a cold Alberta winter so I am hoping this virtual race and meeting up with other Kicksled/canicross/skijor/bikejor teams will keep us going out and about.
To start our New Year off on the right foot and accumulate our first points, the dogs and I did the Running Room 5km Resolution run as a canicross team.
5 Mile Classic
Another Running Room 5 Mile Classic is in the record books. Spirit did the race with us but she could not come into the hall after the race so she wasn’t included in the picture.
Filed under Races, Uncategorized
Four Legged Cheerleaders
On Sunday morning we participated in the annual First Responders Half Marathon. We have McMullin staying with us again so he and Brodie came out to cheer us on. They were a big hit. Everyone wanted to stop by and say hello to the pair.
As I was approaching the end, Don handed me the “boys” so that they could cross the finish line with me.
Brodie also helped Laura and Heidi cross the finish line.
Filed under Brodie, Hope Heels, Races, Volunteering
Another Hypo Half
On Friday I went to the Running Room to pick up my race kit for today’s Hypothermic Half Marathon only to find out that they had no record of my registration and they were sold out. On one hand, that wasn’t so bad because I had not done any training, but I had friends that were doing the race.
Yesterday Spirit and I spent almost 2 hours kick sledding and I was exhausted…but I still had this nagging voice in my head that said I really should do the half. To make a long story short, I got my butt out of bed at 6:15 this morning and met my friends at the start line. It was a cold and windy day but we toughed it out and finished. Since I was a bandit (non-paying participant) I wasn’t allowed to attend the brunch afterwards but I was more than happy to jump into the car and crank the heated seats to maximum to try and warm up. I hit the closest Timmies on the way home and then had a nice long soak in the hot tub. I’m sure my body will hate me tomorrow morning but I’m glad I did it.
Filed under Races
Lumiere Challenge
We did it. We completed the 10km yesterday and the Wine and Dine Half Marathon today. We trained for the distance but we couldn’t train for the heat and humidity. No more getting up at 3am for the race bus. Now we get to enjoy Disney World and the Food and Wine festival tonight at EPCOT.
We got 3 beautiful medals and 3 long sleeved tech shirts.
Our team tutus
Our team t-shirts were a big hit. We had so many comments and people taking pictures of it.
Foam Fest Mudder
“Before” clean but wet
“After”…not so clean
Today I was able to cross another item off my bucket list. We ran our first mudder in Red Deer this morning. It was a lot of fun and I would definitely do another one. It was a cool rainy day which helped to make the mud even thicker and more slippery. I didn’t lose a shoe and I came out injury free….now that’s a good day! We had mud and grit in cracks and crevices that we never knew we had. It was great to get home and have a long hot shower.
Filed under Races, Uncategorized
Hypothermic Half Marathon
This morning the skinny guy and I completed our 4th (me) and 2nd (Don) Hypothermic Half Marathon. This is the first year that the race hasn’t lived up to it’s name. It was a balmy zero at race start and 4 degrees celsius and sunny when we finished. I forgot my ice cleats at home so I struggled a bit with traction but otherwise it was great. It is hard to believe that the weather is this mild and beautiful for Edmonton in February.
Filed under Races, Uncategorized
Happy New Year
For the fifth year in a row we’ve spent our January 1st morning doing the Resolution 5km run with approximately 1000 other folks. It was a beautiful morning and only -2 degrees Celsius which is unusually warm for us. Here is our before and after selfies:
…before
…after
Filed under Races
Hug Your Hound Day
Did you know that Sept 13th is National Hug your Hound Day. To celebrate, Wally and I participated in the Bockman Foundation Wheel, Walk or Run for spinal cord injuries. My old boy was able to do the whole race with me. I would have liked to have included Spirit but she is too young to do that kind of pounding and she has had a bout of panosteitis (growing pains) so we just do gentle walks together. Just as we were about to cross the finish line the generator stopped and the inflatable start/finish line balloon came down on top of us.
Hypothermic Half Marathon
Little Spirit came to cheer me on at the start of this morning’s race. It was a tough one with very icy conditions and a cold breeze. I did manage to finish tied for fourth and 2nd woman overall but I had a very slow second half of the race. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stay for the after race ceremony so I didn’t get my medals.
Good start to 2015
This morning we participated in the annual Resolution 5K run. It was an incredible 3 degrees outside…definitely the warmest resolution run we’ve ever done. We normally experience temps closer to -20 degrees celsius so it felt more like spring than winter. Today was also Don’s first official day as a retired old fart.
Filed under Races
2013 in review
Well 2013 is almost over. For the most part it was a good year. The last few months have been a little hectic with the rapid decline in Don’s Mom’s health and Tango’s diagnosis of degenerative myelopathy. I only managed to do one half marathon and few shorter races this year but I guess that is better than sitting on my fanny and doing nothing.
The highlight for me was getting my longarm machine. It has been my creative escape when life gets the best of me. Here is a mosaic of my quilt finishes in 2013:
Filed under Quilting, Races, Two legged family
Edmonton Derby Half Marathon
Yesterday I participated in the half marathon. It was my first one this year compared to three 1/2’s and one full last year. My emergency appendectomy earlier this year really messed with my race plans and training this year. Don has some injuries so he didn’t train with me or participate in the race so it was a little lonely by myself…..not even Wally by my side (no dogs allowed). I was thrilled with my results, a new personal best. Fifteen minutes faster than my old half record and I even managed to come in 3rd in my age group. The only benefit to getting older is that in the long distance races there are less people in your age category……otherwise my times are not really that fast. The ‘grand-poo-pah’ himself, John Stanton, presented me with my 3rd place medal.
Night race for Kids
Tonight Don and I ran the Night Race to raise money for Starlight Children’s Foundation and the Stollery Children’s Hospital. It was a neat experience to run at night in the river valley with just headlamps to light your way. We took a before and after picture. Can you tell which is which?
Filed under Races, Two legged family
EPF 10K
We just finished the Edmonton Police Foundation 10k race. Last year we walked the half marathon so this year we decided to run the shorter distance. Neither of us had trained for it but we did ok. The old guy managed to get 3rd place in his age category…not bad!
Filed under Races
Healthy start to 2013
Once again this year we spent New Year’s morning with at least a thousand other crazy people doing the annual Brita 5K Resolution Run. Last year it was in the minus 20 degree range but today it was sunny and 0. I over dressed so I had to start stripping off layers at the 2K mark. Unfortunately we didn’t win any of the draw prizes but we had a good pancake and sausage breaky.
M*A*R*A*T*H*O*N
We did it. We completed the Canadian Derby Edmonton Marathon today. I can’t believe I actually did it. As we got closer and closer to today it became clear that it was going to be one tough race. Early in the week the forecast temperature was for the mid 20’s. Warm…considering that we aren’t scheduled to finish until 1:30pm. As of this morning the forecast was updated to a high of 31 degrees celcius…EGAD! That is crazy talk. We didn’t train for these temperatures and my body doesn’t like heat. We finished the first half in record time. I beat my previous half marathon time by 30 seconds. Our second half was a little slower but considering the temps, I am thrilled. Don won 1st place in his age category and I won first place in mine. I guess it pays to get old…..not many old folks like us compete in marathons so we win by default 😉
Filed under Races
Wildroses Women’s Half Marathon
This morning I completed my 3rd half marathon. It was a women’s only race so it was the first race that I have done without Don by my side and none of my walking buddies signed up so I was flying solo. I started out walking with a really nice lady that used to run marathons but a knee injury had forced her to turn to walking shorter races. She was great company but her pace was a full minute faster than mine. I kept up with her for 4km but I had to say goodbye and slow down to a more comfortable pace for me. I finished the race in 3:01:58 which is my best time but the real shocker was that I finished 5th overall and 2nd in my age group so I got a medal. Yipppeeee for me. Of course there were only 25-30 walkers so when you put it in perspective I was just lucky.
Filed under Races, Two legged family
Cold start
This morning Don and I joined a thousand or so other crazy people to walk 5 kms in the Brita Resolution race. It was a balmy -14C in Edmonton and I had on so many layers that I felt like the Michelin man. Despite the cold temps and the very ice-y trail, we finished in a respectable 46 minutes.
We thought this would be a great way to start 2012 and a “warm up” for our half marathon in February.
Life In The Dog House 
