It's only Day 8

With a skiff of fresh snow last night I felt like going a longer distance of 13km. I continue to push myself when running uphill even though the air is cold. The pulled muscle in my back shoulder has healed as well as the tight muscle above my right knee. A lot of runners know what it's like to endure pain. With some proper stretching, compresses and a lot of prayer my injuries always get better. It's only Day 8 of my consecutive running days so I won't continue to bore anyone with my numbers.

Let's Set the Record Straight

The new goal for this next few months is not as much a goal or record as it is a challenge. My body's limitations will be tested. How many days in a row can I go running outdoors before I say "enough!"? Today was Day5 which is the norm.
The solo trip to the USA for two weeks was enjoyable and beneficial. I drove through Idaho and then Montana where I visited Yellowstone National Park. Unfortunately parts of the park were closed. The first night stop I slept on the back seat bedding in my car at a truck stop and felt perfectly safe. The following day in Utah I began a circuit of hiking in National Parks. I started at Capitol Reef (3 hikes), then to Canyonlands and on to Arches (5 hikes). In Colorado I hiked at Mesa Verde. In New Mexico I wanted to hike near Shiprock but there was too much cloud and mist. In Arizona I hiked at Canyon de Chelly (with a Navajo guide and my only guided hike on this trip), Petrified Forest and Grand Canyon- south end (5 hours). In California the only hike was at Yosemite. I enjoyed over 7000km of driving and quiet times but missed family and friends. I preferred the camping nights over hotels/motels. I did some running, mostly trail running.
It's good to be back home again and get back to my running schedule. Running in the winter months is more invigorating than usual. Occasionally I get a touch of frostbite on my face even though I wear a mask in the colder minus weather. It's a natural way of shedding some old skin! Nothing will deter me from the colder temperatures since I saw a guy on the TV news running in Edmonton in severe minus weather, -43C with a wind chill. Also I've read many stories about marathon runners in the Arctic and Antarctic. Definitely not one of my goals in life!

An Awesome Roadtrip

Hey, it has been too long since I posted anything. I recovered from my injuries but had to stop running for awhile. The injury healed but I began to lose too much weight. (Be careful who you say that to i.e. losing weight.) With my job as a landscaper/gardener it was not feasible to consume enough healthy food. However I did lead some amazing hikes during the summer. Now I am back to running. It appeared that my job would be over for the winter at the end of October so I planned a roadtrip through the States, specifically Utah, Arizona and Calif. I plan to do some great hikes, some running and then relax in San Diego. Now I may have to work in November until the snow comes. Do I pray for snow to fall, yes! Too bad that I already purchased my travel insurance. There was a minor mishap ($3600) with a customer that I work for privately which involved her backing into my parked car and it being in the autobody shop for three weeks. Now I need snow tires on and an oil change. I am so gungho about this trip!

Ouch!

It's been a while since I've had anything to say since I fell down two weeks ago and injured my left palm and knee. Sure I tried to still run and bike but the scab on my knee needed time to heal. Working six days a week at landscaping should be enough exercise but I've 'sorely' missed the running. But tomorrow I will attempt to go back to my running. There were a couple of great hikes last weekend too and one involved a gourmet lunch together during our hike.

R and R is a Thing of the Past

We decided to go without TV or computer for a week which explains why there has been no new postings. I did run at least 8km every day this past week in spite of working 8 hour days at the golf course as a gardener. There is very little spare time now for fun and games except for the odd hike. I led a hike at Skaha Bluffs last weekend and yesterday climbed Pincushion Mt. near Peachland with friends.