Kenya Run For Love

I am currently supporting the projects of Larry and Francine Carruthers and the Mali Saba Orpahanage in Kitale, Kenya. A team of us, including myself and daughter, Susanna, will be going to Kenya in Jan 2010. As a fundraiser I am attempting to run as many different streets of Kelowna as I can. I hope to post a map on my Champion page at Hope For The Nations to show my progress. Donations can be made to this project at Hopeforthenations.com and then, Explore, and Champion, Faith Furgason. Yesterday I ran for 1 hour to jumpstart this cause.

It's Been a Long and Windy Road

Well here it is, June, and where have I been? Working and working some more. Not much running going on here. I ran a half marathon in May and did my best time ever. The event was two days after I had a minor accident at work and hurt my ribs and knee. And hiking? Well I haven't had much time to do that either. Next weekend I will lead an exploratory hike at Skaha Bluffs near Penticton but most weekends I work. The good news is that my job is so physical that I am staying in excellent shape.

Snowshoes

Last weekend I snowshoed 10k with a group of 20 people at Telemark. Monday I snowshoed with a friend at Big White for 3 hours. We climbed half way up the mountain, back down and then on trails at the bottom. Tuesday I snowshoed at Sovereign in Vernon with 24 other people for 3.5 hours. This is Day 31 of consecutive running days and my body is coping well. It has been a blessing to have very little snow on the ground in our lower elevations.

Day 21

On Saturday a group of us snowshoed through the bush for 18km near Postill Lake. We were glad to meet a group of 10 people on snowmobiles who helped point us in the right direction when we took a few "out of the way" excursions in very deep snow. And yes, we did have a map and a compass.
Today, on Day 21 of my consecutive running days, I decided that I will donate $5 for every day that I run, to a charity. My first $100 donation (first 20 days) is going to a local food bank. It will be interesting to see if I give more finances to charities this year than I did in previous years.

Day 15

I was happy to see new snow this morning. This means that I can finally wear my Yak Trax over my runners now that the snow is deep enough. Running on deep snow is comparable to stomping on soft cushions. Previous to last year I ran without these additions right through the winter but having them on gives me a little more confidence when running on ice. Sometime soon I will have to give up my routes that go up into the steep hills. No sore muscles yet from running at least 8km/day. However I do have inflammation in my TMJ on the right side of my jaw which is causing a lot of pain. There are a number of facial exercises that I have been practicing and have to take a few drugs at night. This problem has surfaced two other times in my life. On Saturday I went snowshoeing for an hour by myself while the rest of the group went cross country skiing. What I accomplish in an hour would be more like a two hour trek for some other people.

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!