Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Life Running Beautifully

I took this past weekend off skiing to enjoy some long runs with the ladies - Angela and Iris.  It's always good to spend some quality time with people who like the same things as you do.  In our case:  spending time outside and running long silly distances in the mountains.  It makes you feel less weird for what others sometimes perceive as a "strange" recreational hobby.  Quality time with the ladies involves lots of time running around in the woods, eating and relaxing and of equal importance:  lots of time to talk about things like upcoming running races, dreams and future running adventures.  I need and enjoy talking about this stuff and really - who else wants to hear about your running habit? Fortunately, these ladies do.  Isn't that what friendship is all about?  A honest sharing of feelings without the fear of being judged, trust in one another, mutual understanding and positive reciprocity.  Friends are Good.  And Running Friends are real good!  It's always good to have a little support in this world.



On the running front, we hit the trails of Banff on Saturday and managed to connect up 4 hours of running on packed snow trails.  We hit the Bow River trails to Bow Falls, the Fenland Trail, the March Loop and the Tunnel Mountain Trail amongst others.  Despite the cold temperatures, it was a beautiful day.  We were slow but we had a good time and we got some quality time on our feet.  It's running season again - the girls and myself all have races on the horizon, so it's time to train.  Giddy Up!

On Sunday, we headed for Sulphur Mountain for a little vertical challenge.  We decided to connect up a big loop with a power hike up the Banff Gondola Trail and a big fun snowshoe descent down the backside of Sulphur starting and finishing at my house in Banff. Again, the temperatures were freezing but the sunshine cooperated and it turned into an outstanding day - and tons o' fun. 

This is what the trail conditions looked like on the backside of Sulphur:


















Sometimes, the backside of Sulphur is a miserable place to be.  It's a old grade road that is seriously exposed to the elements and the wind, in particular. Fortunately for us it was a calm and clear day and we were in Snowshoe Heaven!!  Seriously, this perfect snow was as good as it gets for snowshoeing. 

Giddy Up, indeed.  Life Running Beautifully.


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13 comments:

  1. Sara MontgomeryMarch 8, 2011 at 11:50 AM

    In a world where 'normal' is being parked on the couch watching tv, bring on the weird, wacky, wonderful and strange! Great photos as usual.

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  2. InformationMarch 8, 2011 at 1:06 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. LeslieMarch 8, 2011 at 1:07 PM

    Yup, couldn't agree more Sara! It's all perspective: when I compare myself to my ridiculously active friends and peers, I'm totally normal. It just takes a trip to a mall in the city to realize: OK, maybe I'm not "normal" afterall. Yay for wacky, weird and wonderful. And a bonus "yay" for healthy, fit and happy.

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  4. DanniMarch 8, 2011 at 1:45 PM

    That descent looks like it would have been great on skis. Just sayin'

    I'm itching to run and make race plans.

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  5. HelenMarch 8, 2011 at 5:24 PM

    Would just love to be young, wacky, weird and wonderful and living in Banff to share this spectacular scenery.

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  6. LeslieMarch 8, 2011 at 8:56 PM

    Naaaaa, Danni....
    It was too much of a mellow road to ski, but it was a perfect gravity assisited snowshoe - 1000m of elevation loss! whoop-whoop! When are you comin' to see us lady? I'm glad you've got your running Mojo back. Yeah! What's next?

    HA! Hi Helen! You don't have to be young, wacky or weird to enjoy Banff. Everyone enjoys it! I just enjoy it by getting out there just a little bit further than most....
    ...and be weird, wacky and wonderful by nature. But not young. :)

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  7. JeffOMarch 9, 2011 at 8:25 AM

    The snow looks luxuriant!!! And the views, stupendous. You live in heaven.
    Except you don't get as much sun as we do down here.
    Life is great!

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  8. LeslieMarch 10, 2011 at 10:17 PM

    Hi JeffO! Actually, our corner of the world gets tons of Sunshine. But it's dry and it's cold. But, as long as the sun is shining, it's all good. I'm solar powered!!

    Hope all is well with you! What's next on the JeffO race/adventure schedule?

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  9. JoanneMarch 11, 2011 at 12:12 PM

    What awesome views! You're so fortunate to enjoy a day out like that with friends. I'm doing all my running with my dog (he's a good partner - always game for a run), and on the slushy, mucky wintery roads. Not much of a view.

    Happy running to you all. :)

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  10. kristenMarch 12, 2011 at 7:02 AM

    What a day!

    And who wants to be normal anyway?

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  11. LeslieMarch 13, 2011 at 10:32 AM

    Hi Joanne and Welcome! We got the slushy, mucky roads as well - but the view is always AWESOME.

    Hiya, K! Hope you're having fun and some quality time with The Fam Damily in Calgary.

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  12. BarryMarch 14, 2011 at 8:50 PM

    Outstanding photos. I am familiar with the route and your photos illustrate this year's ideal conditions. I expect Healy Pass is spectacular as well but I have not had a chance to get out there recently. Heading to Moncton next week. They have more than their share of snow this year. Thanks for sharing the pics. Good blog!

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    Title: Vox AmPlug Lead Guitar Headphone Amp. Remember that these holders can be expensive. As a newcomer to Japan, you will need a new cell phone. It's amazing that you've stayed together, you've worked as a business, as a team, and that's really difficult to do.

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