Why I run on vacation

In the last week I have been to Vancouver, BC back home for two days and then off to Maui. Here the average daytime temperature is 86 degrees and if I don't get out early for a run then it is just to hot. When I stay in Maui we stay up island in Kaanapali and my favorite run is not actually along the beach. I head north along for the road till I hit the signs for the Kapalua West Maui Airport. It sits at the top of a long hill. I try to run this a few times each trip and this hill never disspoints. I don't have to go out for a two hour run to get my butt kicked. Instead I hit it hard, head down, shorten my strides and go for it. My prize is not only feeling great but the view at the top is gorgeous!

The Hill to Kapalua West Maui Airport

The view from the top

My Vancouver morning run

This morning I woke up in one of my favorite cities,Vancouver. Even on holidays I tend to want to do something active. I stepped out my front door and hit the streets.Vancouver is a bit hillier than I had remembered, but I got into a great running rhythm. Running hills, especially steep hills requires a change to my typical gait. Shorter more aggressive strides and keeping the head down makes for a successful hill run.

I am thankful for Thanksgiving runs

Today, my friend Michele motivated to get out into the cold and run our challenging 5 mile hill route. I am thankful to have a running partner who is usually up for any challenge and though she HATES hills; she often choses the most hilly routes. Then shortly after arriving home, my 4 year old wanted to go for a family run. He quickly changed into his 'running' clothes, as did my other two children. We all piled into the family van and drove to a nature reserve less than a mile away. We often come here, as it is quiet and has paved trails. The overall trail system is rather short, which is ideal for my youngest's little legs. My oldest son, who is nearly nine is a natural runner. He has a great stride and has the breathing down. My middle child, my daughter loves to run but is still learning to pace herself. My youngest, Owen, who less than a week ago turned four loves to run. His little legs try to keep up, but often he gets tired. But he never compains. He loves to run. I am blessed to have a family who loves to be active, so along as it does not involve team sports!

Yoga is not all just about the breath

I teach yoga three nights a week. My style of yoga is vinyasa yoga, or aka Power Yoga. Or who am I kidding? It is Yoga with Kim. I have created a fusion of a little of this and a little of that to create a hybrid of yoga. I stick to the basics and love my planks! High planks (straight arm planks), Bent Elbow Planks, Kneeling Side Plank, Side Planks, Bent Elbow Side Planks, Incline Planks....yep I am crazy about planks. But more importantly I love the way my body feels when it moves. Our bodies were designed to move, not be static! So, step out of your comfort level and try a yoga class!

My importance of numbers

I am a numbers girl. I record my running mileage daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. I have been doing this for years. I can tell you how many miles I ran last year on this day (5 miles), in 2008 (5 miles) and in 2005 (7 miles). This helps keep me motivated and allows  me to set realistic and reasonable goals. Since I run mostly on a treadmill at 5 am (that will be a future blog) it is easy to keep track of my exact mileage. But before I purchased my handy dandy Garmin, I actually drove my car through my neighborhood and mapped out various routes. Now I link up to a satellite and off I go.
I currently use a Garmin GPS watch with heart rate monitoring. I don't really use the heart rate monitor (outside of my cycling class, but I have another heart rate watch/monitor for that). But I love the GPS feature.

Here is my Garmin Forerunner 110. It has come down in price and is worth it!

My view this morning

There is this beautiful trail, not far from my house, which runs just over 5 miles. It is paved, which makes pushing my jogging stroller a bit easier till the leaves fall from the trees making it more challenging. It is a quiet and peaceful run allowing me to concentrate making it to the top.

Why bother?

Why bother?

Why exercise? Is it about health? Vanity? Or to clear one's head? Why do some people do as much as they can to avoid it? Who drives around the block over and over again just to get a parking spot as close to the front door as they can? Exercise does not need to be a 26 mile long run. It can a brisk walk or just a few pushups and situps. Who feels bad after a bit of exercise? (not many people). Who feels better after? (usually most, if not all.) Why not give it a try?