Coasting along in style

While reading so many blogs about stats and running and struggling through the winter months, I truly have to say I'm so glad I don't have a planned event until later on in the spring.  After a few years of Marathon training in the dead of winter that totally killed my love for being outside in the freezing cold, wind and snowy conditions.  I'm happy to say that not being committed to pounding the snow covered pavement has changed my thoughts of outdoor winter activity.

I've been enjoying our very weird 2010 winter, there has been very little in the snow department and it hasn't been too terribly cold.  My saviour this year has been cross country skiing and snowshoeing, oh yes, and I've also enjoyed the odd skate on the canal (before it was closed due to the warm weather).

But starting March 1st, I'm rolling! 

meet

BLIZZARD!!

Yes, went ahead and I'm now into the new millennium, Blizzard is a 2010 Trek 2.1.   

I upgraded the saddle to an inForm RL WSD

Shimano pedals

(which clip on one side and are for everyday shoes on the other)

and

Shimano RT80 touring shoes

I'm so excited and believe me, I've NEVER ever spent this kind of money on anything cycling before.  (Horses, yes, cycling NO)

Someone said to me, WOW, that's sort of extravagant for you isn't it?  Well, yes it is, but Blizzard will last me for the next twenty years...and by then I'll be almost 80, so if I'm still rolling at that age, maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones.

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

Three Things Thursday

I have never written a three things Thursday, but I'm willing to try anything once.

1. Some of my Running Room friends and I have planned a Full Moon Snowshoe for Saturday night, however, our weather is just crazy right now.  It switches from snow, to rain, to snow to just plain gorp...not sure if we will in fact have any snow to "shoe" on but if not, someone has suggested "strip twister" as a backup ~ trust me when I say THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!!
   
   
2. After reading Anne's blog Asthma and the Gift of Running about the Winter Pentathlon that is held in Quebec City and having all sorts of Canadian Olympic spirit, the Wooo Hooo's are going to have their first ever Winter Relay Triathlon.  Yes, I'm organising a winter tri, you know I just get crazier as I get older.  Those of you who have been reading my blog for awile, well, you know that we have a Wooo Hooo Du in August, so this will be our winter answer to the doldrums.  There will be three relay teams starting with a 2km run, they then tag their team mate who then snowshoes (distance to be determined), they in turn tag their crosscountry ski team mate who ski's back to our "party palace" for the required pot luck and BEvERages.  Fun No???
   
   
3. 2010 is shaping up to be very interesting, a little bit of running, a whole lot of cycling and a blogger meet up in the fall...

There you go, my first three things Thursday...

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

Wordless Wednesday

So far behind

First of all I'm way behind in my, well,* EVERYTHING!

Life has been busy and work has been crazy busy, but I'd like to begin by thanking you for being kind enough to "Award" my ramblings with:

and

the

Thank you so very much!!!

Since I'm so far behind with these tags and awards, and so many of you have already recieved these awards from others I won't tag anyone but I'll just say you are ALL Beautiful Bloggers and you always bring Sunshine into my life.  You have NO idea how much I learn from reading about all of your training, running and tri events, social events and life in general. 

Thank YOU!

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

*I'll try to catch up soon, my computer internet connection at home is very sporadic these days...so I'll have to rob company time. 

Wordless Wednesday

MS Society of Canada

I'm not too blog savvy and therefore don't know how to put a link up to all of you generous bloggers who have already contacted me to make donations.  Thank you SO VERY MUCH for your kindness and your support.

You guys take my breath away....

Please let me know if there is a way to put this on the sidebar of my blog....

again, thanks you guys, you've brought a tear to my eyes....

xoxoxoxo

MS Society of Canada

You may wonder...

what I'm up to lately.

Life has been busy with all sorts of things going on, why should my life be any different from yours ~ right? Right. So far 2010 has seen me through a battery of medical tests and there are a few more to go. Believe me, nothing is serious, I'm just not leaving any orifice untouched so to speak. Aren't I lucky to have health care? Well, I have OHIP, my provincial health care, I don't have any from work.

Today is a bogus Stat Holiday here in Ontario by the name of "Family Day", just another one of those convoluted holidays where some people get it and others don't...go figure, welcome to Canada.  I've spent my day doing actually everything I've wanted to do, don't hate me okay!

This morning I slept in, then played with Lily while enjoying a great breakfast.  Then loaded the xcountry ski's into the car and went up for a ski around the park.  Between not having enough snow and more than likely a very busy weekend in the park, the trails were not great, in fact they were awful, some spots were almost bare and some areas were littered full of pine needles and pine gum, I ended up skiing off the trails out into the unbroken, un-groomed campsite trails and enjoyed myself far better.  My new ski's certainly took a beating.  GAH!

I came back home and tidied the ski's up but it was such a nice day I didn't want to just stay in the house, so I headed out for a walk along the river.

I took a ton of photo's, too many to post on blogger.  Here a just a few....

Anyway, while I was out walking along the frozen river, I met up with a neighbour of mine, you know the type of person you never hardly see but when you do you have just so much fun and so much to talk about?  We had discussed cycling together last year but she had injured her shoulder and I had injured my knee, so neither one of us did cycle together at all!

Annie had been an amazing runner but was injured in a really stupid accident years ago when we all played co-ed touch football.  Yes, the guys had the testosterone flowing that day and sandwich tackled Annie, she almost lost her leg due to the injury, but she has rallied back and is still very active and she is back cycling.  We got chatting about the bike tour we had talked about doing together last year....you know where this is going, don't you?

....it certainly wasn't intentional for me to have 2010 turn into the year of volunteering or really signing up for any specific road race geared towards a special cause, but for some reason, life is steering me towards fundraising for Multiple Sclerosis, don't ask me why but it is.

 The Kilt Run in June is a fund raiser for MS. I've been screaming about the Kilt Run for months now.

Maybe it is subliminal because a former colleague and still a great friend of mine is suffering from the effects of MS.

Well, you guessed it, Annie and I have just signed up for the *MS 150K Bike Tour in August.  Yup, Ottawa to Kemptville and back!!!  Yikes, a 200K in June and now this....I love my life!!

I just get crazier as I get older!

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

*I'm not one to flog donating money in real life let alone on my blog, but if you would care to donate (I have to raise a minimum of $250.00), you can contact me if you so desire.

Thousands of people...

...joined us yesterday as we skated along the Rideau Canal.   For the past forty years, Ottawa has celebrated winter with an outdoor winter festival called Winterlude.

It kicked off last weekend but since I was already busy with volunteering at the Pretzel cross country ski rally it was decided a group of us would get together yesterday.  Who knew there would be sooooo many people!!!!

And what amazed me more was that the four of us, coming in different cars from different directions were able to find one another at our exact meeting spot and on time!  Traffic was backed up for miles and there were road closures to maneuver around...but we did it and without incident.   Way to go Girls!!!

We walked over to Dows Lake where there is a pavilion which houses two or three restaurants (Malones and Lago) and most importantly, wash-rooms.  After volunteering at the Hypothermic Half Marathon, I've paid my dues using a port-a-pottie in winter.  So we sneaked into one of the restaurants restrooms, got ourselves bundled up and headed out to the ice.

I haven't skated in years so needless to say I was nervous to get onto the ice and go.  My greatest fear was falling on my knee, so I took it very slowly at first.
Leaving the pavilion area on Dows Lake we skated up towards the canal skating past the outdoor rinks that were hosting The Beaver Cup Pond Hockey tournament.  They were is full flight as we skated past, local radio stations were broadcasting as well as participating.  It looked like an absolute riot, 4 on 4 hockey, the way it was meant to be played ~ outdoors and on a pond.

As we made our way towards downtown Ottawa, we had to dodge kids, the occasional dog on a leash and sleighs on ice blades.  It's a happening spot, there are outdoor café's on the ice, huts set up for putting your skates on or just for resting and of course the world famous huts selling Beavertails and hot chocolate!

It was a great skate until we turned around to head back.  The wind had picked up and it was snowing.  Anyone who knows me, whether it is running, cycling and now skating into a head on cold wind, I just hate it.   Needless to say the workout skating back was hard!!  There were times it felt as if we weren't moving forward at all, but we made it!

Thanks girlfriends!

I'm finding winter more tolerable this year, just being able to do other activities other than running and not being committed to a particular race early in the season has been the cure for me.  Between cross country skiing, snow-shoeing and now skating, winter is my friend.  (did I just say that?)


Getting out and cross-training is keeping me fit, full of energy, healthy of mind and body and most importantly young at heart!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

So, I bought skates...

Have you ever had people calling you and thanking you for buying winter activity sport's items?

Yes this winter I conceded and I bought cross country ski's, snowshoes and now skates.  I figured I'd beat winter this year.  I actually had some one call me and thank me for buying snow tires for my car this year.

WE'VE HAD NO SNOW 

That's right!!!  Not since the first week of January.  I believe we've done a switch with Washington D.C.  Normally they would have their crab-apple trees blooming within a month...we are walking on bare streets!  I'm thinking of hauling Ruby out for a spin!!


Now, all of those who really know me can NOT believe that they'd EVER hear me say, "we need snow"...EVER.


We are now into the middle of February and I've been so busy with real life things that I haven't really been blogging, facebooking or catching up with all of you, although I have to admit that I've been snooping through some of your blogs.

Life has been busy, I'll catch up with you all.  But for now, 

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday