Okay, believe it or not...it snowed again here...BIG TIME! Here's the view off my back deck on the morning of May 24th: And here's the tree in our front lawn...completely bowed-over by heavy snow. In fact, lots of people lost branches or entire trees in this storm. I just hate when innocent trees die in spring blizzards! Luckily ours sprang right back after the snow melted. Anyway, this time - so proud of myself - I didn't let the snow hold me back! I did get a run in on Thursday morning (on a treadmill at the gym, but still!)... More »

Today is Monday, May 21st - the Victoria Day holiday - and it's snowing here in Calgary. Which explains why I'm not out running: remember I'm a fair-weather runner. I don't like to go outside for extended periods of time when the weather is doing stuff like this: ...or when the snow piles up on the grass like this: Okay, probably I should clarify. I love snow. IN WINTER. I'll get dressed up warmly and ski all day long...IN WINTER. What I won't do, though, is strap on the mesh running shoes and go for a jog when there is... More »

We all know it, don't we? That we have to seize the day, live life to the fullest, make every moment count. But the minutiae of everyday life bog us down and we get so caught up in the details that we forget to make the most of the important things. Until the lesson hits home in a bad way. That's what happened to me last week, when my husband's step-mother passed away. Let me give you a bit of background - only nine weeks before her death we got the news that she had been diagnosed with gallbladder &... More »

I did it! I made a promise - to myself and to you - to go for a run today and I did. It was pretty good, but the WIND! I wish I had gone in the morning, instead of after lunch when the wind had picked up so much! I, in my not-so-infinite wisdom, decided to go for a run in a natural area close to my neighbourhood: Problem is, at my miserly pace, I had just gotten there when it was time to turn around and go home :P And why, you ask, was my pace so miserly?... More »

...or snows, if you happen (as I do) to live in Calgary. So yes, Maggie, your first answer was the right one: I have not run in the last few days. Because - I own up to it - I am a fairweather runner. In fact, I am a fairweather EVERYTHING when it comes to being outdoors. Especially when the weather is a 4-day stretch of cold rain turning to snow. And also especially during "crossover season", when ballet is not yet over and soccer has alread begun - when we had after-school activities every day of the week, and... More »

Okay, so I'm on to week 2 of the running program here. Sorry I neglected you on all on the weekend - luckily I didn't also neglect my run, much as I would have loved to. You see, my left bum cheek was so sore from my first days on the program that I thought I might not ever be able to walk again. At one point, my youngest wanted my attention and I was somewhat ignoring her, so she punched me in the behind...it felt so good I asked her to do it again and got her big sister... More »