My First Road Race

Well folks... I did it! I gave the mud on my trail runners a chance to dry and tied some speedy pink slippers on my toes! My new Brooks Pure Flows! They are more pink than bubblegum and absolutely amazing! They are like hugs for your feet! What could be better, one might ask?! Your feet getting pink hugs as they race!! Introducing... The one.. My first.. The big BMO half marathon!!

After much consideration and deliberation I decided to run it! With two of the most awesome people participating too, it only made a bigger cause for it! Kathryn rocked the fluorescent ninja look and brought on the full marathon and I destroyed the half marathon.
Right from the day before at the expo, it was an incredible experience! From picking out the perfect outfits to eating every type of energy bar, to posing for Oikos yogurt pictures the expo was full of fun times and totally got me pumped up even more.. Yes you heard me right.. Even more excited than when I was running around in circles in North Shore Athletics after I signed up! Prepping for the race involves tons of hydration, stretching and lest we forget, pasta!! I took on the challenge at Anton's the night before and put some serious dents in those pasta mountains!! Talk about fuel!! Yum!!

Waking up the next morning with one of the best power shakes and a nice decongestant to scare away my stuffy nose it was game time!! I arrived to see herds upon herds of people!!! And I thought the PNE was busy!!! Wow!!! The line up for the potties was massive but all super organized!! Lol imagine that! Awesome!

After a nice relaxed warm up, we headed into the masses to get ready for the gun!! It was amazing to be a part of something with that many people there! Pretty scary though as I'm not one for crowds but sine the atmosphere was so positive and I was with such good company I was already on cloud 9! The race was absolutely beautiful!!! The energy the crowds had... I couldn't believe it!! I've never experienced anything like that before!! Just thousands of people cheering us runners on!!! Random strangers.. All sending their low and support and energy!! It was one of the greatest feelings!! I could have flown with all those positive vibes in the air if I had some fairy dust!!!

The run felt incredible! Water was everywhere you needed it, and having such an amazing running companion made it from great to fabulous!! The amazing sunshine plus stunning scenery were breath taking!! I couldn't stop gazing around!! Kathryn and I had made a promise to each other to take funny pics for the cameras so hunting out photographers and prancing and pulling ridiculous stunts happened without a doubt! I think I was cheerin as much as the crowds at some point! Lol! Love a good cowbell!! Anyways I ran fast and ran hard and passed passed passed!! Zoom zoom zoom!! Maybe Tinkerbell did help me out because I flew! It was one of my favourite runs I've done and completed with a time of 1:30:13.. A chip time that placed me third in my age an sex category!!! Wow!!! Crazy!!! Unfortunately it goes by gun time so I'm 5th in my category in the official results, but heck it wasn't about winning. It was just for the fun experience and all the laughs that went along the way with it!! I can't wait to try another one! Talk about a victory!!!

Next up: National Mountain Running Championships in Quebec!! June 1st!! Wow! So soon!!

Congratulations to everyone who participated and massive thank yous to Kathryn for fixing my muscles all the time and support and Sourosh for fixing my ankles!! All that running has been compressing them! Yikes! All is good though!! With all the amazing people, friends and family behind me, I couldn't be more grateful or more ready to take on all the adventures life has to offer me. Starting now.. Time to climb off the bike as I'm making a pool of sweat in the gym as crank out a strength workout!

Much love to you all and will post again soon (ps. Still gotta write my recap of my April 7th race!!)

Hugs and kisses,
Shanny

Woof!

I gots me a running buddy!! Introducing the fast and furious, well okay more smiley, Rudy!! My lovely neighbours have been letting me run with their doggie and wow it's awesome! I've always wanted a running buddy!! Any tips on good running breeds for when I can get my own one day? Rudy is a Vizsla and seems to be incredible! Here's a picture from one of our latest adventures!

Spirit Trail

On the trail again.. just can't wait to be on the trail again! 

Oh wait, I was! Hahah! I've been running the West Vancouver seawall quite a bit these last few weeks (I love the feeling of serenity you get from being close to water) and have been drooling over it, but there was only one problem.. Too short! I wasn't ready for my run to be over by the time I had finished the route. So I started repeating sections before doubling back, which is fine and dandy but people start to wonder if you are crazy when you keep running back and forth past them.. or at least that's the impression I got from a few confused faces. Maybe they were just jealous? ;) Kidding! Ha! Anyways, I thought I'd try a new way to extend the run without sending off the kookoo alarms. Drumroll, please...

....balalallalallalallalalalallaaaaaaaaa....

Introducing the amazing North Shore Spirit Trail!

This trail connects North Vancouver to West Vancouver almost all along the waterfront! There are some sections that meander through parks and across some streets, but you also connect right over to the Ambleside dog park and eventually seawall! B-e-a-utiful! I highly recommend this route if you are looking for a flat easy run with some fresh sea air! Just keep your eyes out for cyclists and let your spirit (and shoes) run wild! 

Don't worry about seagulls checkin you out either.. they are like your fan base and paparazzi without the cameras. (Sunrise is a few cups of coffee too early for photos) 

The return trip is around 17-18km, so a nice amount especially with a handheld (you can fill up at several spots on the West Vancouver seawall)

Also, if you are lucky some massive waves will come crashing in and cool your hardworking body down a bit! Ahhh refreshing! (Just close your mouth.. or maybe this can be the new way to get your electrolytes?)

Enjoy!

Big smiles and love always :)

Shanny

National Mountain Running Championships 2013- I Smell You!

Hey.. I smell something.. something like stinky running shoes mixed with trees.. and what's that?? Do I hear French?! It must be the 2013 National Mountain Running Championships approaching! This year they are taking place on Mont Sutton in Quebec and good news, folks, I've registered! Bought flight tickets yesterday, rented a car and booked my lodgings this afternoon! It's really happening now!! Time to dust off the old French 12 textbooks.. they gotta be around here somewhere? I guess the chances of that are pretty slim.. I'm a bit of a neat freak and don't tend to keep those things that would one day be awesome.. like all my French class notes.. blast! Hahahaha! C'est dommage! I will have to use the trusty iPhone or something.. there's gotta be an ap for that! Anyways, I'm very excited! I've been getting back into running tons the last few weeks after taking some time to do more cross-training to rest some aches and pains. It feels so great to be back up and free! There's nothing like the feeling of it! I ran the beautiful Baden Powell from Lynn Canyon to Quarry Rock and back on Monday and, gosh, it was just the BEST! Muscles burning, smiles from ear to ear and muddy, muddy legs! Its going to be a very intense and great competition out there in Quebec! I'm very excited to see what the mountains are like out there and see so many great runners! I will be trying my absolute best and that's all that matters to me! Can't wait for all the fun to be had and hard training to come!! Yay!!

Here's a picture from my sunrise run along the West Vancouver seawall last week.. Absolutely stunning. 

If things go well and I am able to finish in the top 3 females, I will qualify to make the Canadian National Mountain Running Team again and this time the World Championships are in Poland in September! Fingers crossed! I would love to see Poland! I've never been there! And I've never been to Quebec so I get to see something new here in Canada too!!

Here's the link to the race's website! : http://xtrailasics.com/Mont_Sutton_Event.html

Anyways, just had to put up an update! I hope to try my hand at a few races before then... and definitely a lot more baking.. so keep your eyes peeled! ;)

Love to you all and thanks so much for all your support!

Shanny

Fraser Valley Trail Run Series- Aldergrove Mud Run

Aldergrove Mud Run (8km)- February 3rd, 2013.

Just yesterday, I competed in the 3rd run of the series- the Aldergrove Mud Run! Somehow we lucked out again and it wasn't raining! In fact, it was actually quite toasty compared to the other runs, which were around freezing temperature. It was to the point where after joining Joshua for a warm-up run of half of the course we both debated shorts.. he decided to wear them.. I had none, so fortunately for everyone else I wore my tights and spared the full moon. Hahaha! It's not the Underwear Affair! I did, however, start off in my short sleeve Kintec shirt, instead of my longsleeve. It was wonderful warming up with Joshua Weiss and have that amazing support. We both wanted to kill this race and strategized as we were warming up. This trail was a lot more undulating and hilly that they previous ones- much more to my liking! My mom came out to support me again, which was wonderful! It means so much to have people behind you. The race started and I knew that Olivia had changed her game plan immediately to just stick with me. I wondered about how I should deal with this and decided just to run my own race and let her do what she was going to do. I had been able to burn past her the last few races by running my own race, so why change anything? Besides, that's the beauty of running. It's all about your own race and not what others are doing. We started off with a speedy pace and gradually worked into a nice fast pace. Joshua was on fire today! He set a cracking pace and I just tried to keep him in my sights for the first half of the run. It was a challenging run and I really pushed myself. It was great to not have the frozen ground though and the volunteers seemed much happier as I exchanged thank you's with them. I lost Olivia about 3km into the run and began to run with a few guys that kept a crackin' pace. The trail was really nice- I love being surrounded by trees! There were some uphills and downhills that I was able to fly down that made up some fast time. I was really running this one hard and it felt more challenging that the previous race, but I kept listening to my body and slowin it down a little when I felt too tired, then cranking it back up whenever possible. Receiving the positive encouragement from volunteers, fellow runners and dog-walkers, kept my spirits high and speed fast! They would let me know that I was the first female and, "great job!" The last two km were long, but great as I could feel my calves burning and the final sprint to the end couldn't come sooner! I finished with a time of 32:09, faster than my goal so I was super excited! I was top female and age category winner! This time I learnt my lesson and quickly joined Joshua for a cool down run of the first half of the course again- stopping right away last time without a proper cool down had left me with some TIGHT muscles the next few days. It was so wonderful learning more about him and hearing about his incredible run as he crushed his PB! After returning, I was given such a sweet surprise! Some of the runners I had been talking to before the race were wearing Canada singlets and so I was asking what they were from. The mom came up to me after the race and gave me another one of the singlets!! It was the nicest thing ever! I can't believe it!! I'm going to have to bake her and her boys up some yummy treats for the next race because that was just too generous! The running community is just full of the most wonderful people and I feel so lucky to be able to be a part of it!!

So far I'm 3/3 on wins of these series, which is absolutely incredible! I never thought I would be competing like this. Heck, this time last year I didn't even know there was such thing as trail races. I have to give a giant thanks to the Kintec crew for introducing me into this world and encouraging me to try it. I am beyond thankful for all the wonderful support I have been receiving. It's so great to see all of my nutrition and training showing up in my results! Big thank you's to Ryne Melcher, Eddie Li and Kathryn Gaudet!

Next up: The last run of the Fraser Valley Trail Run Series on February 24th, 2013- the Fort-to-Fort 30km!

Shanny

Fraser Valley Trail Run Series- Campbell Valley Stomp

Campbell Valley Stomp (10km)- January 20th, 2013

http://runthefraservalley.com/2013/01/22/campbell-valley-stomp-5-10k-results/

Time for race number 2 in the series! For this race, there was a 5km and a 10km option, so naturally I chose the longer one! My mom came out to support me today- it was really special as she has never seen me race before! It was so special to have her out there for me and be so interested and excited for me even though I know she had reservations about me trail running. Today was the foggiest morning and I just hoped we'd make it in time! Luck was on our side though and we made it! I started warming up and when we were headed to the start line I was greeted by a smiling Sean Baker. His family had come out to this race as well and he introduced me to his dad and brother as we came into the front. They briefed me on the course which was really nice as I had no idea what to expect, other than running the last hill as warm-up a few times. The race started and the pace was crazy as the 5km and 10km runners both took off at the same time! It was hard to know how to pace myself with this and I think a few others struggled with this question as well. Olivia was gone with the wind with the top boys right away and I just continued on with what felt right for me. I was soon joined by Sean Baker and Joshua Weiss and couldn't be happier about it. They are both such great people and I was thrilled to be able to have company. Of course that means just a lil' chatting as we discussed the upcoming Chuckanut 50km race (that they are both competing in and I am on the waitlist for). We maintained a wicked pace though and stayed pretty closely knit. Joshua and I played switchies a lot in who was leading. It was great to have someone to push you to run harder and faster. The course was quite a neat mix of terrain, mostly a flat gravel path through farm land, but very mysterious with all the fog! Then there was a steep frozen downhill section that I let fly on because.. slowing down on hills just isn't fun, I'd rather run like an airplane! The massive cracks in the dirt left some scary jumps and shouts from Sean and Joshua! Then we entered my favourite part of the race- the real trail bit, through the trees and across bridges. The moss covered trees were beautiful! I couldn't help exclaiming about it. We passed Olivia on the last hill of the loop and continued on our speedy pace as I again took off the long sleeve (Sean had been teasing me that I was going to have to take it off earlier if I wanted to set a record this time- as I almost had the race before). The rest of the race was wicked fun and our group carried on making some passes and changing up positions. Joshua put the jets on in the last km and showed what he can do as he flew down the gravel path and onward to the finish! My legs were screaming at me as Sean and I climbed the last hill. Again Sean was cheering me on and I gave it my all. Coming into the finish line I saw my mom smiling and cheering me on saying, "Go Shannon!" it almost made me cry, I finished strong and burning- ouchie tired legs and sore knee, and immediately shared a group hug with Joshua and Sean. What a wonderful race! I really felt that I had gave this one my absolute all. I could feel my body fatiguing in the last km and knew that I had done well. After some frozen bananas and more hot coffee, I was able to meet the amazing winner, Mike Murphy- who is such a nice guy, awards and doorprizes were announced! Top female and age category winner for me again! AHHHHH! So excited!!! When they posted the results later on, I discovered that I had set a course record for that trail!

Shanny

Fraser Valley Trail Run Series- Resolution Run

Hey Folks!

Sorry for the lack of updates! But the guess what!? Here's a one! Hahahah

Resolution Run (8km)- January 1st, 2013

http://runthefraservalley.com/2013/01/03/130/

2013 has started off with a big bang for me! I woke up on January 1st with a jump in my step and the excitment of race day! I had registered for the 2013 Fraser Valley Trail Running Series the day before and it was now time to kick off the New Year.. the right way! After a long drive through tons of fog and frost, I made it to Crescent Park in White Rock for the 8km Resolution Run. It was a beautiful sunny morning, but absolutely freezing! I shared runny noses with fellow runners and ran around like a little bunny trying to warm up my muscles. I contented myself with the realization that the ocean would feel much colder! The race was fast and furious! We took off like a shot for 2 laps of the 4km loop around Crescent Park. It felt great to be running and running FAST! The course was totally frozen- as I stepped on the grass.. it didn't bend.. and it's not because I forgot to eat breakfast and didn't weigh enough! Over the first loop, I started to see the difference between the other trail races I have done and this style of race. It seems a lot more cross country and I was a little shocked about the difference in some attitudes on the course! It took me back to running when I was a kid and people wouldn't let you pass.. this wasn't the trail etiquette we learnt in the Kintec Trail Running Clinics! One of the guys wasn't letting anyone pass him and would try to cut you off when you got close to him and both me and one other great guy, Sean Baker, were trapped behind him.. meanwhile I'm thanking all the wonderful volunteers for standing out in the cold to make this run possible for us and Sean is giving us heads up on hazards on the trail such as logs. After racing into the second loop, it was game one.. I took off my longsleeve and tossed it to the side, revealing my white Kintec Shirt - que theme song! I decided it was time to rev up the engines even more and burn past this guy and the last girl infront of me. I had to play a bit of ninja and squeeze through the corners to pass him but I was cheered on by the friendly voice of Sean who had also been stuck behind that guy with me saying, "GO WHITE SHIRT!!!" It pushed me forward to get that support from someone I had never met before and pushed through the last of the race as fast as I could burning through and finishing as the top female overall and in my age category 20-39yrs! My first victory!! It felt amazing and everyone was really nice! I was able to meet my supporter on the trail, Sean, after the race and exchange congratulations on a great run. He is a great guy and was so nice to talk to! We had both ran like the wind and it was really just such a rewarding way to start off the New Year. BIG thanks to the organizers and volunteers for making the race happen, plus supplying the coffee and healthy snacks after the race! It was a fabulous experience and there are some really fast runners competing- notably the 2nd place girl, 13 year old Olivia! I was shocked to learn she was so young! She will have a great future infront on her!

PS. I was right, the water was much colder! I was able to join in a very special Polar Bear Swim with John Tak and his family at Ambleside Park upon coming back into the North Shore and let me tell you.. diving into that icy ocean was the BEST ice bath ever! It was so special to be invited to join them as I was just about to dive in solo! What an amazing family!

Shanny