Tag Archives: Travel

May15

Disneyland Paris

Posted on May 15, 2025 by mscurlgurl78

Lets not forget that the tagline of my blog has to do with “Running, Disney & Dad”…so I MUST include a recap of my trip to Disneyland Paris. This trip was part of my trip to do the London Marathon, and was one of the main bargaining chips I used in order to convince Ali to come along to see me run the race. Given how Easter fell this year, I had Spring Break for the week or so before the day of the London Marathon. This allowed for earlier travel to Europe, and what better than just going to London….but to also go to Paris…namely, Disneyland Paris. So here is my quickly done post (frantically doing it during my prep period at work) about an amazing trip overseas.

It is obvious to anyone who has read my blog in the past 10+ years that I am a Disney Parks fan. Growing up going to Walt Disney World, eventually getting to Disneyland & California Adventure…doing many of the RunDisney races on both coasts, going on family trips, friend trips, you name it…I do it. But I had yet to go to an international Disney park. And that changed with Disneyland Paris.

Ali & I both flew in to Charles De Gaulle on the Tuesday morning after Easter. We were flying in from different originating airports, but we were able to manage getting flights that arrived around 30 minutes from one another. We easily found eachother past customs in the baggage area, got our stuff, and headed on out. We had done a little research into the transit options to Disneyland Paris (lets just call it DLP from now on…too much to type), and the Metro seemed potentially sketchy with all our luggage due to pick-pockets. And a long time because if you check a map, it would include a transfer and its all not very direct. There is also a direct high-speed train but it is expensive and runs at limited times. So we opted to book an Uber and chose the option for a female driver who would only drive female passengers. Perfect! Our driver happened to speak decent English also and she was so nice. The drive took around 45min-1hour, and we really just went through some different countryside areas until we happened upon the DLP resort.

We booked our resort, Hotel Cheyenne, through MEI & Mousefan Travel. DLP does hotel & ticket packages if you want to book at one of their hotels, so we didn’t even try to look at hotels on the outskirts because this just simplified everything. We were on property this way, could walk to the parks, and had 1 hour early entry by staying at a hotel property. In this post, I will mention some differences (good and bad?) that we noticed between DLP and the US parks. First weird thing for us was the check in process. We had our bags with us but they wouldn’t let us into the hotel check-in with our suitcases…we had to wait in a line outside to check our bag with an attendant, then went inside to check-in. When we checked in, we found out that our room was ready early (it was around 1:30 pm I think?) so then we had to go BACK outside to reclaim our suitcases. Anyway, we got to our room early so we could wash our faces, change and feel refreshed (even though I had not slept at all on the flight).

Hotel Cheyenne is themed like the infatuation people have with US cowboy stuff. Ali and I started calling it Hotel YeeHaw. Room was fine and worked for us. Had a double bed and a trundle bed. I slept on the trundle and it was actually the comfiest bed I had all trip. There was AC and a fan in the room, thank god, and we got that going. When looking at hotel options, we had first wanted Hotel Sequoia as the rooms are a bit nicer, a little bigger, and resort theming is better. And initially, the price point was the same. But in about 5 days from when we received the quotes and made a selection, it went up quite a bit more than Yee Haw. So we stuck with Yee Haw.

One positive we noticed at Yee Haw compared to US hotels is how quiet is was on property. This maybe had to do with the fact that none of the hotels have an outdoor pool (Yee Haw had no pool, but Sequoia has an indoor), but then also even though there was themed background music, it was only playing surrounding the main building. Our building area was silent. And we NEVER heard kids running down the hallway, screaming, yelling, etc. It was very peaceful.

The walk to the DLP version of Disney Springs/Downtown Disney is very easy and along a small river. There is a ton of construction right now because they are doing loads of upgrades at downtown, along with Studios Park & Disneyland. So yes, it’s an eyesore. But it was easy enough to get to and get through. We stopped at Petit Rosalie for cheese & wine to make our France arrival official. I am dumb and didn’t read a label on something that I thought was cheese wrapped in foil and instead took a bite out of a stick of butter, but yeah….we headed to Disneyland Park and then were ready to take it all in.

We right away noticed all the beautiful gardens as you were entering DLP. There is so much focus on gardens and nature in DLP-a lot less of a concrete jungle than the US parks. The architecture is also stunning. The castle…wow. WDW castle is larger, but this castle appears to be larger due to how it is built up. And what’s awesome is how you can walk through the castle in many different levels….below to see the dragon, above to see the stained glass. We spent a lot of time taking pictures and just wandering.

I’ll end up blending things from both our days in this post, otherwise it’ll get too long. We did Small World as our first ride and it was fun to see a different iteration of it, especially being North American and how they include our homes in the ride. We eventually made it over to The Disney Studios Park, which many will say lacks in Imagineering…oh, it does. But they are building the World of Frozen so eventually it’ll be better. I was able to get on Remy in single rider very fast going over there, and we got to experience the terrible Cars Road Trip tram ride. Oh, it’s so bad it’s funny. We later on did Pirates (and ate at Captain Jacks) and Phantom Manor. Both iterations of these rides I thought were better than the stateside ones, in particular Phantom Manor. Haunted Mansion is loved by many, but Phantom Manor really knocks it out of the park. We ended up doing it 3 or 4 times over the days we went to the park.

We were going to try to stay up for the nighttime show that first night, but we knew we needed to give in and shower and get back to the room. We did early entry the next day and were on Main Street while it was completely empty, albeit raining. We didn’t think through our morning attack, and I had neglected to see which rides were actually open at both parks for early entry, so we sort of wasted time trapsing around. But we got Hyperspace Mountain done (it goes upside down!), Buzz Lightyear and Pinocchio. Did more wandering in the rain. Did the Indiana Jones Roller Coaster (also upside down…who am I?), ate some comical Dorito nachos thing, before heading back to room for me to run and both of us to refresh.

What we started noticing by this point was how different the clientele at DLP are. In the stateside parks, everyone is complaining and pushy and rude–to other park goers and the employees. Here, we notice that European’s have no spatial awareness, in that they are always sort of cutting you off or in your personal space. However…no one is complaining. No one is fighting or arguing. Everyone just exists and goes with it.

After our little break, we luckily had a reservation at Walt’s on Main Street. This was our special treat for our 40th birthday’s. It was a three course meal and it was fantastic. We did more rides after, some repeat, then were able to check out Hotel Marvel Skyline Bar. It was very cool. When we made it back to the park later we trekked it over to Phantom Manor, again, and then eventually got onto Main Street for the nightime show. I was impressed with the show-it’s a mix of lights, projections, drones and fireworks. There are less fireworks than at the US shows, but we were comfortably able to get a spot on Main Street and see everything well. Yes, you could pay more for a reserved spot near the front, but being right down the middle of Main Street was great for us, and made it quick to exit when the show was done. Show started late-10:40 PM. It doesn’t get dark until very late in Paris, so it has to be this late really.

Our two night hotel package included three days of park tickets, so before checking out the following morning we took advantage of going in one more time to just soak everything in. To anyone who loves Disney Parks but hasn’t been to an international park yet….do it. I would encourage going to DLP, but maybe wait until all the current construction is done (we were sad when we found out a few months ago Thunder Mountain would be closed…you go in a tunnel under the lake to an island for the ride. Damn) so all the new enhancements are completed. I have spoken about a lot of positives we saw compared to the US parks. One thing that is different and I am not sure if it is a negative (or just something we take for granted) is the lack of good snacks and counter service restaurants. Our meal at Walt’s was excellent. Captain Jack’s was good. But all the other sit-down restaurants were buffets mainly. And the quick-service items were less than to be desired. Maybe North American’s just love their weird snack foods/appetizers/food-on-a-stick/etc…and maybe we are just used to all the options you can have at someplace like EPCOT. So that is different.

Will I go again? I have no clue. But I knew that if I was heading to Europe to do a marathon in London, I sure as hell wanted to try to check going to Disneyland Paris off my bucket-list while there. When we checked out, we took an uber to our hotel in Paris (near Gare du Nord) and had less than 24 hours to explore Paris itself before hopping on the Eurostar the next day to get to London. We had a great time in Paris and the Eurostar was an efficient and enjoyable experience. I can’t wait to get back to France someday in the future, hopefully with Dan and Andy, and take in more of Paris itself.

Dec30

2024 Recap &2025 Sneak Peak

Posted on December 30, 2024 by mscurlgurl78

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Running, Disney & Dad….That’s what the title of this is, right? So I’m going to do a short recap of 2024 and a look ahead at 2025 for each of those things!

2024

Running

If you’d like to read my recaps on the races that occurred this year, that was one thing that I actually posted about! This year I had some minor goals for myself that I wrote on a high-quality post it note. Some achievable time and health goals, meant to help me get back on track. I did my own training and planning this year, and I really just wanted to build consistency and get back to where I once was.

Disneyland half marathon weekend, Moonlight Run as a family in the snow, numerous 5km runs with Andy…they were great! Red Deer Half in May holds a special place, as I achieved a time goal I set and somehow won the whole thing (despite having ran faster half marathons in the past). This was a great confidence boost.

It’s not always running…family biking is great cross training!

Age group award at a very Wisconsin 5km!

In the last 1.5 years, I have lost over 20 pounds. I attribute this to diet and lifestyle changes. Cutting back on alcohol intake definitely made a huge impact. I also know that getting off an antidepressant had to have some effect on me too. I am also now off my blood pressure medication, so the only things I take daily are vitamins. I now just need to cut out tortilla chips and maybe then I’ll be in perfect health…wait….don’t be crazy Lammers….Being lighter has helped me start to push myself more again on the road and trails and it feels great.

Disney

I mentioned above I was in Disneyland for the half marathon at the start of the year. This was great because later in the year, my bff Ali actually moved from Southern California away from Disneyland. She is now in Florida and lives right outside Walt Disney World (so convenient!)

In August, Andy and I flew down to Disney World for a trip with Grandma. Since Ali now lives there, she spent time with us too! It was a hot and busy trip, but fun had by all!

France Pavillion…Remy ride and lunch was a hit!

Dad

June 8th, 2024, was the date Quebec opened up submissions for family history research. Well, let me explain….they have been under lock and key for some time in various capacities about what those who were adopted can find out. But their Bill 2 was set in stone that day, and how that benefits me is that as the child of someone who was adopted….I can now request information regarding my dad’s birth parents. I filled out and submitted all the paperwork promptly that first day I was allowed. I have received confirmation of the receipt of the submission.

So now…I just wait.

It has been 6 months. And now news yet. I know they probably were swamped with submissions. And who knows how many people are tasked to finding the information for those requesting it. And how long each submission takes. I last emailed in the summer (probably unnecessary, but whatever) to make sure everything was still in process. Sure is…now I just need to wait.

2025

Running

I’m going to run in to the new year with the great base I built and I have even bigger plans! In April, I will be heading to Europe to run in the London Marathon! This will be my 5th Abbott World Major, and I am beyond excited. The way Easter falls this year makes it possible for me to participate, due to Easter Break. Dan will stay back with Andy, but I won’t be alone…Ali is going to come along with me and cheer me on! We will be celebrating our 40th birthdays together.

I am also registered for Lost Soul Ultra 50km in September. I am making it a goal to try to beat my 2019 time of 6 hours and 48 minutes. The race is slightly a different route now than it was in 2019, and back then it was closer to 54 km…now around 51km.

Other smaller races will occur during the year too….Going back to Red Deer for the half and other family 5km races. The main goal this year is to stay healthy and strong as I train for everything. I hired my friend Tracey to be my coach, and my training plan for London officially starts on New Years Day. Maybe I will write more about how the training is going…I will try to, that’s for sure!

Disney

No Disney trip planned with Grandma this year, however, I forgot to add above that while in Europe for London Marathon, Ali and I will first be flying in to Paris to go to….Disneyland Paris! I will definitely post photos from that trip and a recap of our two days there. We have hotel reservations at Disney Hotel Cheyenne and two dining options booked…Captain Jack’s and Walt’s an American Restaurant. Neither of us have been to a Disney park overseas, so this will be an exciting adventure!

Dad

…Now, I just wait. I hope, hope, hope I get some answers and closure on this long search for my dad’s birth family. I have myself prepared to not find out much. And that the information given doesn’t get me anywhere…people have passed away, people don’t want to talk, etc. But to get a confirmation on a name, even if only his mom….my grandma…would be amazing.

2025 has so much ahead…and I simply cannot wait!

Apr24

A reframe, per say.

Posted on April 24, 2023 by mscurlgurl78

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Hello.

Yes. I still exist.

Life is funny. And busy. And not linear.

I have really dropped off with keeping this site updated over the years. Back to work after maternity leave, COVID and excuses all weigh in.

But, doing this site has really brought me JOY over the years. I would to start writing monthly again. But I am not sure what to focus on.

Yes, I am still running. I actually did the Disney Marathon weekend this January and did Goofy Challenge and had a blast. I’ll share a photo(S) below.

And prior to that , I did my first 100km trail race in September 2022. I never wrote a recap on that race. And I plan to do a second 100km this September.

And prior to that we went to Disney’s Aulani in Hawaii! I didn’t even do a recap of that! Well, we returned and moved into our new house so timing was a challenge.

I’ve gone to Disney world a few times since the Pandemic. We bought a new house. And the 19th anniversary of my dad’s passing is tomorrow.

19 years with him. Now, 19 years without.

I need suggestions on what I should post about below. Yes, the origin story of my dad is still in question and I have some new avenues I need to pursue. Yes, I am still running and doing Disney races and crazy races. Im going to Disney this summer with my good friend, her son and Andy. And we are making our own family memories.

What do you want me to write about if I start up monthly writing?

Dec30

2019…the new normal

Posted on December 30, 2019 by mscurlgurl78

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You can take a look at my 2019 race result link to see the events I did this year. And then, if you feel like it, you can click on 2018, 2017, 2016…and you’ll soon realize how few events I did this year in comparison to other years.

This was the first full calendar year that 1.) I was back at work full time after maternity leave and 2.) we would be now parents to our son Andy, who turned 2 in October 2019. Before a child, I could run whenever I wanted and sign up for any race I wanted (obviously within reason). There were really no constraints! Even when I was pregnant, I kept up the running and shorter events. During maternity leave, I actually did have lots of time to run and train because I was off of work and I was willing to take Andy with me to any daytime boot camps he was allowed at. We still could travel lots and my schedule was flexible. Coming back full time to work with a child at daycare and trying to manage your own activities is not for the faint of heart.

I barely remember the winter and spring of 2019, but it was me focusing on just running in general. I did start a run streak during that time to get myself motivated for the season, but stopped in late March due to just being worn out. My husband never understands it, but Moonlight Run in March is always stressful for me. The first race of the year! I ran alright, and now looking back at that 45:17 I don’t know why I was that down. Then Rita’s Run 5km in May and Woody’s Half Marathon. The half was frustrating for me because 1.) Dan beat me and 2.) my time was actually about a minute slower than the year before while on maternity leave. I just felt down about my decline.

As summer hit, things got better. Switched over to trail season and I had a lot of fun. This was my first year really giving trail running an honest try. Dan and I did a two-person coulee cactus crawl team and actually placed in the mixed division, even beating teams who had up to 5 members. We also did Lone Wolf in Fernie as a 2 person team and had a blast with our friends and Andy that weekend. In July, we travelled way West to Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, where I ran the full marathon. What an experience that was! It was a small field of runners, but I was honoured to place 2nd female with a pretty respectful time. With little recovery time and still a busy summer, I had to stay prepped for my first trail 50km Ultra. And I did the Lost Soul Ultra in September, even beating my goal time and placing in my age group.

I had one more half marathon race lined up in October before the NYC marathon would come in November. That race never happened, as my world was flipped when I got a phone call late September that my Uncle Ed had passed away. This was my dad’s only sibling. I was shook. I travelled to Longville, Minnesota, for the funeral and to see family. When I came back, I could never get back into a groove. I forced my body through the NYC marathon, thankful that my only goal that race was to run with my husband and our friend and have fun. And since after NYC I’ve just lost motivation.

Am I going to stop running? Hell no. But I need to be a little easier on myself and get back to the root of running—-to stay healthy. Dan reminded me that about two days ago. That is the number 1 reason to run. And now, our number 2 reason to run is to spend time as a family and with our friends. That is something that has changed a lot in the last year or two and I am forever grateful for our running friends. Not just the ones we see at marathon club or races, but the ones we hang out with while in NYC…at beer miles…on our patio…our friends who hosted us while we ran in Haida Gwaii…the ones who cheered me on and crewed never at Lost Soul…the ones we are running with in New Years Eve for a group pub run. The last thing is to be competitive. That may have been a higher point to me in the last years. But it shouldn’t be now. It still matters to me; I’m still going to be competitive. But I gotta remember what is more important.

So 2020, what will you bring? I am registered for the Lost Soul 50km and hope to better my time. Dan and I are also doing Lone Wolf again, and our friend and his daughter are going to come and camp with us! We also plan on having a group of us go down to do the Whitefish Half Marathon in May and making it a fun long weekend with friends. 2019 may have been different compared to my other years, but now after reflecting on it, I’m looking forward to what my running future looks like!

Jul17

Running on the edge of Canada

Posted on July 17, 2019 by mscurlgurl78

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I moved to Canada in December 2008. I started working as a substitute teacher in January 2009, landing my first 1-year contract for the 2009-2010 school year. I was teaching 4 grade 9 math classes and a grade 10 class. It was a new curriculum year for Math 9, and we had a new textbook. As I worked through my notes in the text, when I got to the Chapter 6 on Linear Relations there was a section on interpreting graphs. There is an example problem, that at the time, meant nothing to me. Here it is:

I’ve been teaching math 9 on and off since 2009, and this example comes up when we talk about extrapolation and interpolation. Even though I’ve always been keen on maps, I never took the time to look where the hell this actually was in relation to the rest of Canada. Fast forward 10 years from my first time teaching Math 9 and I am actually going to Queen Charlotte Islands.

Note where Lethbridge is in the bottom right of Alberta. Head due west towards Vancouver, then follow up the coast and you’ll see Queen Charlotte Islands. We are basically almost going to be in Alaska.

My husband’s friend David and his wife Heidi moved out to Queen Charlotte about a year and a half ago. Dan met David when they took late French-Immersion during Elementary through High School in Red Deer, Alberta. David and Heidi eventually moved out to Vancouver Island, then Vancouver, and now have left the big city to live a more simple life. So we decided to make our family summer vacation to be flying out to Queen Charlotte!….and doing a race of course!

Flying out there isn’t an easy task. I was able to use my Air Miles to get our flights covered (just paid $100 each for taxes) and Andy still flies free since he is under 2 years old. We will be leaving Lethbridge and flying to Calgary. Then Calgary to Vancouver. And lastly, Vancouver to Sandspit. Once we land in Sandspit, we have a shuttle arranged that takes us about 20 minutes to the ferry. We get on the ferry, ride it for 20-25 minutes, and then will be dropped off at David & Heidi’s doorstep. It’ll be a full travel day for sure.

Since I am always looking for unique races to participate in, when I found out that the Totem to Totem Marathon occurs in July in Haida Gwaii I knew we had to come out during that time. It is a relatively small race, however, it is still a Boston qualifier. It appears the race began in 2010 (that’s the earliest results they have on their site) and there were 5 full marathoners, 12 half marathoners, and 12 who ran the 10km. Last year, there are results for 14 marathoners, 28 half marathoners and 128 runners who did the 10km. Considering the remote location, the growth in this race (particularly in the 10km) is great to see.

The race appears to be an out and back. No course map is provided on the website. But I think it is paved and pretty much along the water the whole way. I really will be running “on the edge” of Canada so to speak. I have no clue if there will be a bike pacing the lead runner. I have no clue how many spectators there will be. I am preparing myself to be mentally challenged because with so few marathon runners (I count 21 registered marathoners on the confirmation page through Running Room) we will all get spaced out pretty quickly. I am going ot be running my own race.

What do I hope for? Well, in a perfect world I nail that 3:30.00 I was going for back in Berlin this September and qualify again for Boston. But, I honestly feel like this is the least prepared I’ve been for a marathon in years…..

Yes, I have been running. I have been racing. But my training just hasn’t been “right” since being back at work. I’ve been dragging, having back pain, legs hurt. I have been meeting with my doctor, getting chiro done, going for massages. I haven’t ran longer than 15 miles straight all of 2019. So everything after mile 16 is going to be hella interesting.

I just need to trust myself in knowing that I’ve done this before. This isn’t my first rodeo. This will actually be my 15th full marathon! And the last time I ran a marathon in British Columbia I ran my best time ever. Sea level and cool temperatures are a good thing for me! I’m doing a race on an ISLAND!! How cool is that?!?! Either way, I am very much looking forward to not only this race, but the experience of exploring and learning about Haida Gwaii, because I honestly know NOTHING about the history of the area or the area itself. I can’t wait to right this race and trip report!

Oct18

One Year

Posted on October 18, 2018 by mscurlgurl78

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One year ago today, I was sitting in the “induction room” at Chinook Regional Hospital. Dan and I knew that our baby boy would be coming sometime soon, and it was sooner than originally planned. Andy was originally due November 3rd, but he made his appearance when I was 38 weeks along at 12:32 am on October 19th, 2017.

We didn’t know what the next year would really look like other than the fact that we had a small human to take care of. What things would we be involved with as a family? What things would Andy and I find to do during my maternity leave? What would my post-partum running actually look like? Sure, we were able to theoretically imagine what the next year would look like, but we really wouldn’t know what it was like until experiencing it first hand.

I have said many times before, but I am beyond fortunate enough to be here in Alberta, Canada, where I have a one year maternity leave with my job. Also with my job, I was guaranteed my same position as long as I came back by that one year. I had sick pay covered for the first 15 weeks (I maxed it out mainly because I ended up having the emergency appendectomy 7 weeks post-partum) and then I received unemployment insurance for 35 additional weeks. Along with the money we saved in the year leading up to having Andy, we were able to live comfortably and take part in a lot of activities and trips. Some of the things specifically Andy & I were able to do were:

-“Mommy Connections” 8-week programming during three different sessions

-“Baby Steps” postnatal classes at the Lethbridge Health Unit

-“Baby PACT” (Parent and Child Time) 10 week session at Lethbridge Family Centre

-Swimming Lessons! 10 classes

-Baby Mama Boot Camp through Kinetic Fitness. We did this often twice a week during the winter and spring and then once a week in summer

-Stroller Boot Camp at University of Lethbridge for one winter/spring session

-Kindermusik Drop-In program at CASA

-Library programming like “Babes in the Library” and “Small & Tall”

-HIGH Fitness classes held at the northside LDS church

and much more!

The great thing about these programs were that they were all locally operated in Lethbridge and while some cost money, many were lower cost (Baby Steps & PACT) or FREE! (Library, HIGH fitness). These programs were important for both mine and Andy’s well being as it got us out of the house in the dead of winter, we got to socialize with other adults and children, and it kept us active.

While it was mainly Andy & I doing specific classes together, Dan also took Andy to a few “Me and my Dad” drop in programs at Family Centre on Saturday mornings. He plans to start doing this again when winter rolls around. I would also often bring Andy for visits at my school, we would go to basketball games, we would do mall walks when it was brutally cold and even just going grocery shopping got us out of the house.

We were also able to do some trips this year. Our first ‘road trip’ was Christmas, where we packed Andy, Snoopy, Woodstock & Faron (2 month old baby, beagle, and two cats) in our car and drove 3.5 hours to Red Deer to see Dan’s family. A highlight was going to Edmonton to see Dan’s Grandpa and get a four generation Pottage men photo. Dan’s grandpa passed away in late spring 2018 so this will definitely be cherished.

In April, we flew out to Walt Disney World in Florida to participate in the Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend. We met my mom out there and experienced our first family vacation via plane. This helped us tons in preparation for our summer trip where we flew out to Milwaukee over 4th of July to visit my family. We also acquired a camper in the summer and plan on using it for family camping trips. We tested it out for one night in Beauvais Lake and it went so well!

Lets not forget about RUNNING! Running was going to be a big part of my maternity leave year, as it is a huge part of me in general. I knew that if I couldn’t run, I would possibly run the risk of falling into a depression. I was fortunate enough to be able to keep running during the first 37 weeks of my pregnancy, with one week off before having Andy, and then two weeks of recovery. I ran my first 5km race post-partum at just 1 month having Andy. If you are interested in all my races and times in detail check out the result links at the top of this page

Then the appendectomy hit. Ouch. But a month later I was back. Boot camps, walking, running….it came back slowly but it was worth the wait. The picture below depicts all the races I was able to participate in during my maternity leave:

I was able to run in 15 different races:

Four 5km races (Claus Cause, Superhero Fun Run, Travelling Beer Garden Race, Coalhurst Family Run Run)

One 4 mile race (Firecracker 4)

One 8 km race (LadiesFest)

Three 10km races (Moonlight Run, Star Wars 10km, Fort Macleod Wilderness Run)

One 10 mile race (Lethbridge 10 Mile Road Race)

One Trail Race as a Relay (Coulee Cactus Crawl)

Three Half Marathons (Star Wars Half Marathon, Red Deer Half Marathon, Lethbridge Police Half Marathon)

One Full Marathon (Berlin Marathon)

OH YEAH….WE DID THE BERLIN MARATHON?!?!?!?! HOW COOL IS THAT!? If it wasn’t for being on my maternity leave at the time, it would have been very hard to make this work. What an amazing experience that my husband and I can say we shared in together.

I was also able to run some amazing times in the last year. I hit an unofficial 5km personal best of 20:30 in the Beer Garden race (chip time was 20:50 and course measured long) and my Police Half Marathon time was actually my 2nd fastest half marathon time EVER! (1:37.39) Andy and I ran in a 5km race last weekend and were the first stroller across the finish and actually the first female runner too. I won some money at different races and I also earned ago group awards throughout the year. While I was worried on how pregnancy and postpartum would treat me as a runner, I think it’s safe to say that all my hard work before, during and after pregnancy has paid off.

So what’s next? Well, there’ll be another year to follow. And years after that. And while I have ideas of things we have as plans, goals and dreams, we really can’t say those things for certain until they happen. There will be family events, trips, races, and just family time. A quote many of my friends have shared on Instagram and Facebook this year comes to mind right now:

“The days are long but the years are short”

To say that this past year went fast is a huge understatement. But many days were long and tiring. Some were filled with frustration. But in the end, all the days created lasting memories. Next year the days may feel long too. I know going back to work is something I am struggling with in my mind. Some of those days are going to feel hella long. But when we have the free time as a family to do things, we will. We need to fill our time with memory-making opportunities and seize the moment.

Onto year 2!

Sep21

Berlin Marathon 2018

Posted on September 21, 2018 by mscurlgurl78

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Wow. We conquered the Berlin Marathon! What a crazy experience it was! I could write multiple blog posts, all very long, detailing the day by day events. But, it’s 9 pm on a Friday…I am worn out, sick, and have an 11 month old who may wake up middle of night! So I’m doing a small recap that’ll touch on some details I think are worth noting, especially if you are contemplating making the trek out to do this race. update. It is now Sunday. I hope to finish this post today!!!

Pre-event issue…I started feeling sick on the Tuesday before the race. At first I thought it was just my body being sore after boot camp, but I think I was just wearing out. On the drive to my in laws on Wednesday, I started popping cold medicine because my nose was a running machine. Great…a transatlantic flight is upon us and I feel like trash.

I think the whole adrenaline of the trip made me feel better, because once we got to the airport I just forgot about it. But the transatlantic flight was tough. We left at 6 pm Thursday. It was my first time flying overseas and the first leg of flight was 9+ hours from Calgary to Frankfurt. Neither my husband or I slept well. But we kept pushing. By the time we got to Berlin it was 2:30 pm (8 hours ahead of home). Our only confusing transit issue in Berlin was getting from the airport to hotel. We hadn’t researched which “zone” we were travelling to, and the lineups at the machines to buy tickets were long with a lot of other confused people. We did make it to our hotel eventually…freshened up, changed, and headed to the expo.

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The expo was very easy to get to from our hotel. I booked our hotel on Priceline in December and got it at a rate of $82 USD/night. It was walking distance to the Friedrichstraße station, which could link you anywhere. And also walking to the start/finish by Brandenburg gate. We got to the expo quick, and arrived around 5pm.

I’m glad we didn’t have anything we really wanted to stop and purchase because this was the first instance we realized this event was going to a semi-organized chaos. The room to pickup your race packages were in the way back of the old airport hangers, and everywhere around you there were lines. And the lines weren’t straight, just a mosh pit of people pushing through. Luckily I had preordered us two event shirts (no shirts included in registration fee) so we didn’t have to push through people to buy them. Just had to find that line to pickup.

We didn’t spend much time at the expo. We headed back to the hotel, went out way too late, and then slept in the next day. It was the day before the race, so in theory we should have been taking it easy. But seriously…we were in Berlin. We needed to see as much as possible.

We did a short shakeout run by the river. After changing and finding food, we then trekked around Berlin seeing all sorts of sights. Highlights included Humboldt University, Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, Hitler’s bunker, Berlin Wall memorial, and Topography of Terror. We also had a group dinner that evening for all of us in the Runners Soul group. Ate at a fantastic Italian place called Via Nova II. By the time Dan & I made it back to the hotel we had clocked in 11.5 miles. Time to rest for the marathon!

Marathon morning cake bright and early. But with this being a 9:15 am start time for the elites, and our hotel so close to the start, we didn’t have to get up at a ridiculous time. We had pre-bought some breakfast items the night before and I went to the McDonalds two blocks away to get coffee at 6:15 am, so we were set. The group met at 8 am for a photo and then we all dispersed.

Biggest thing to know about this race is that the Europeans “organize” things differently. 44,000 runners and I’d guess the number of pre race porta potties available were 1/10 of what was available at Boston (25,000 runners). My friend Heather waited 45 minutes to use one and missed her corral start. Dan and I stood in line for about 15 minutes and then left the race grounds to go to a cafe, pay 0.50 euros at a turnstile, and use their bathrooms. People were pissing all over the park on their way to the corrals. It was disgusting. I don’t know if the city just doesn’t have the supply of porta potties or what, but you’d think since they’ve been doing this race for 44 years they’d know it’s an issue.

So the race itself. Well, it was 26.2 miles through Berlin and my Garmin clocked it as 26.44 miles. That’s bound to happen in a race this large with all the weaving going on. Instead of going through a mile by mile recap, I want to just note some key things during the race.

I was in the second wave of runners, in corral E. You could just jump into any corral with no one checking your bib…I didn’t have an issue with people around me being in an incorrect corral (up too far) and I was able to weave myself pretty close to the start of our corral. I was about 10 deep to the left of the start area. It was an awesome feeling at the beginning with thousands of runners being let off at once!
I kept on perfect pace through the half marathon point. I actually had a 1:47.30 once I crossed the timing mat, which if I were to have replicated that exactly in the second half I would have had my goal of 3:35.00
My legs started to cramp and tighten in my hamstrings and quads around mile 9. I am guessing due to transatlantic travel and the ridiculous amount we walked the days prior while touring
Water stations were plentiful, and were also stocked with gels (which I heard tasted disgusting) and fruit later on. The issue I had with these water stations is that it was not like when you run a race in North America….no “excuse me” or “sorry” or people being aware of those around you. I got smashed into by no less than a dozen sweaty men during the course of the race as they plowed into the water stations. Even when I would raise my hand up once getting water to signal I was walking someone would plow into me. The etiquette I am used to was not present here.
On the website, they said there were 40,775 runners representing 133 nations who finished, with 12,332 being women and 28,443 being men. So while we are used to races in North America being pretty closely represented by women and men, this european race was not. Also, while all of Berlin seems to speak English, the race participants I was around did not. There was no one I could have a conversation with when I started to struggle at mile 16. Everyone was so serious.
Once I got to mile 16, I knew I needed to slow up and try to just enjoy the last 10 miles. That’s when I started getting more frustrated with the lack of people around me who I could talk to while running, and all the pushing and shoving by the water stations. I will say that the course is shaded pretty well in areas throughout, with no long stretches of blazing sun. This was important because it was actually quite warm compared to what I would be used to doing a marathon in.
For better or for worse, I stopped at the bathroom after mile 20. Then, lo and behold, Marissa from our Runners Soul group came up behind me. She was having frustration also and just wanted the race to be “fucking over.” I now had my person to talk to the last 6 miles!
We had a ton of fun in the last stretch, stopping for water and fruit when we could. Just past mile 25 someone had a makeshift beer station so we stopped for a beer too! Finishing as strong as we could in the final stretch through Brandenburg Gate was awesome, because each of us started to just pure on race one another to try and beat the other person. Marissa’s chiptime came out on top by about 3 seconds.
The finishing area was pretty well organized compared to the whole mess getting to corrals. I wish I had selected “Poncho” instead of “bag drop” because the poncho that people got was nice. And I was getting chilled in the shade as we waited for people from Runners Soul to finish.
My husband came in about an hour later. He started in a farther back corral than me. I am so proud of him! He finished his second marathon with a 4:00.35 run, beating his first marathon by over 4 minutes. Since the course ran long, he could have been under 4 hours if it had been less crowed. And he also, along with four other guys, helped a Brazilian woman across the finish line. And by help, I mean they carried her because she was passing out. They just wanted her to finish.

Below are a selection of the professional race photos (which I bought). I will say that these photos are of higher quality than the Marathon Foto ones I am used to from North America races. I wish I had seeked out more photographers for pictures before and after the race so I could have had some with Dan.

And we are off!

Somewhere in Berlin between miles 20-26.2 🙂

Focused on finishing

Probably my favorite photo, having an on course beer with less than a mile to go. The tossing of the cup totally captures how we feel.

Brandenburg Gate in the background and coming into the finish!

Berlin Marathon finisher!

THIS WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE! My husband and I would have not been able to take part of this if it wasn’t for Runners Soul in Lethbridge putting together a travel group. Also, if I was not still on my sweet 1-year Canadian maternity leave (sorry Americans) then we could have not left the country during this time of year…teachers have a great amount of days off, but you can’t just take time off at random times! Oh, and if my in-laws couldn’t have watched Andy for a week then this trip would have been impossible..We want to do more races overseas, particularly finishing the Abbott World Marathon Majors. We have New York (yeah, not overseas), London and Tokyo left for myself. Dan still needs Chicago and Boston too. We hope that Runners Soul does more travel groups to these races and that we are able to attend. Dan still does not love running. However, he loves these experiences of seeing new places and being with friends. On our drive back to Lethbridge we talked about races in the future we want to travel to. It is awesome that we have a common hobby that we can enjoy together. Until the next race…..Auf Wiedersehen!

Apr26

Andy’s 1st Vacation

Posted on April 26, 2018 by mscurlgurl78

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Call us crazy, but the first vacation we took our son on was to Walt Disney World. And if you want to call us crazy, just keep it to yourself. You see, I know that Andy won’t remember anything from this trip. After all, Andy turned 6 months the day we left on the vacation. But Walt Disney World is a place I feel very comfortable in travelling to. This blog started as one about “Walt Disney, Running and my Dad.” Those three things all tied together for this “first vacation” as we we brought Andy, who was named after my late father, to Disney World…Dan and I ran in the Star Wars First Order 10km & Half Marathon Challenge…and on the day we left it was 14 years since my father passed away. So to go to Disney with baby Andy and run a 10km and half marathon one day after another while surrounded by the memories of the trips my family made together in the past makes sense!

Is traveling to Disney World with a 6 month old for everyone? Probably not. Like I said above, I have been to Disney a lot. I could take the time to count the individual trips but I believe I am now over 20. I am familiar with the resort enough that I figured it would help ease the stress of travelling with an infant.

And trust me…it did.

The first airplane ride was going to be a challenge no matter wheee we were going. I booked the tickets before Andy was born, and in my head I figured a red eye would be ok because “he would sleep.” Well. He maybe would have slept better if Dan and I hadn’t tried to stick to our “plan” so much. We assumed that having him in the Ergo chest carrier would be just fine while we flew. But really, he got too warm and was PISSED. He did better the second portion of the trip after our connection because we just swaddled him in his blanket and laid him across us. So rule #1-don’t stick to what you think will work best, because ultimately the baby will tell you what does!

One thing I was anxious about in the general travelling issues with this trip was travelling with breast milk. I was bringing about 2L of frozen milk in a soft sided carrier (Dan’s personal item for onboard) and then a few bottles of fresh milk. We had no issues going through security and customs. So easy!

Pumping while flying is a different story. I had originally wanted to keep my fresh supply the same as normal, but after the terrible red eye flight I was so tired and worn out. I had thought I would pump in the Priority Pass lounge in Toronto but I forgot to pack my ID card and couldn’t remember my log in information on the app. So I pumped in some sketchy corner of the airport. Instead of worrying about pumping at the airport in those conditions, I should have just breastfed. I’m not 100% confident in my breastfeeding abilities, which is why I stray away from it, and I don’t like not knowing how much he intakes during a session. But doing this on the flight did help calm him down and also made it easier than dealing with pump parts. If you are a breastfeeding mama who does give the baby a bottle with expressed milk, I strongly encourage bringing frozen milk on a trip because once we arrive to our resort I stored the milk in the fridge. The frozen milk was thawed slowly and used within two days. This gave me time to build back my fresh supply from pumping. It also allowed us to be relaxed on the trip and not have our plans dictated by a pumping schedule.

Going to the Disney parks with Andy was definitely different than any of my previous trips where I’d gone with family or friends. I knew that we’d have to definitely do it in pieces with an afternoon break. As the trip progressed we really did listen to Andy on when it was time to go home. For instance, our second Magic Kingdom day we had a Splash Mountain fastpass after lunch. Andy was getting tired, and if we did the fastpass we would probably be adding on another hour to our day before getting to hotel. While Andy did fall asleep in the stroller or chest carrier on this trip his naps in those positions weren’t of high quality. Getting him back to the hotel for a proper nap was key. It also allowed us to enjoy the evening more. What worked for us-we’d get back to the hotel for his nap. I would pump and dan would get him settled. Dan would take a nap too and I’d go to the pool. We could usually count on 2 hours of a nap for him in the pack and play, so he’d be ready to go for a short evening at EPCOT then!

Andy did a handful of rides: at Magic Kingdom he did People Mover, Dumbo, Small World (ate a bottle during 3/4 of it), Peter Pans Flight (asleep in chest carrier the whole time), Voyage of the Little Mermaid and saw Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theatre (unimpressed but good). At EPCOT he did Nemo (just wanted to stand up the whole time), saw fish at Living Seas (was wide eyed), Gran Fiesta Tour Boat Ride in Mexico (loved it and did great) and Frozen in Norway….whoops, sorry Andy for scarring you for life! He was getting tired during our fastpass time but I strapped him to my chest and we road anyway. What the picture doesn’t show is that he is wailing so loud as we go down that little hill. It was too loud and too much for him. He screamed as Elsa sang “LET IT GO!”

At Hollywood Studios the only thing he did was get pictures with Minnie & Mickey. And at Animal Kingdom he road Kilimanjaro Safaris and went on the Pangani Forest Trail. Andy is happiest in the morning so we made sure to do the safaris first thing. I was nervous since it’s a 20 minute ride, but I had him in the chest carrier looking out and when he started to fuss we distracted him by giving him solid food (those dissolvable crackers for babies). Worked so well! One of the moms in my Mommy Connections class suggested those so I’m glad we bought them before the trip.

If you go to Disney and want to do the rides, using Baby Swap/Rider Switch is a must. I knew it existed, but did not really understand how to best utilize it. A friend and her husband explained it to me a few days before leaving and it was well worth using! You could also plan fastpasses a bit better if you wanted to try to do more rides and do rider switch, but we just stuck with our original plans. The key component is that rider switch is good for up to three guests. If you have a fastpass, your whole party & Baby go to fastpass area to check in. (They need to see you actually have a baby!!!). The ones who want to ride first go through. Since Dan and I would ride together first we scanned our fastpasses. Grandma waited with Andy. We receive a ticket (like the old paper fastpasses) to use at any time during the day. We always had Grandma ride it right away after we were done, but you could leave the attraction and go back to it later if you’d like. The awesome thing is that 1.) either Dan or I could ride again with my mom when she went and the other person stayed with Andy 2) my mom did not need a fastpass booked for this ride. Just return to fastpass queue with rider switch and they let you through. This could be extremely beneficial in trying to get difficult fastpass rides like Flight of Passage. You can basically use rider switch/baby swap on any ride in Disney that your baby would not be able to ride with you. If you have more rider switch questions, feel free to message me and I can try to help or direct you to someone who can explain better.

Dining with Andy went pretty well. We had one reservation a day. Some meals he slept. Some meals he was awake. Some meals he lost him mind. Just have food for baby and a sense of humour if you are bringing to meals at Disney. And really, having a baby crying at a dining reservation in Disney is the best place for it to happen! There are toddlers having tantrums and grumpy adults all around…a cute 6 month old with tears isn’t too bad. One thing we did change part way into our trip was our final dinner time. We had a 7:45 pm reservation, but Andy had been falling asleep at night by 7:30-8:30 pm. Changed it to 5:15 pm. Smartest move ever.

I could talk more about this trip, and I will in two other posts. Those posts will be recaps on the 10km and half marathon. But to end this post, taking Andy to Disney at 6 months worked for our family. Having my mom down there with us in a connecting room was a HUGE part to why the trip was a success and generally went smoothly. If it was just Dan and I down there with him I am not sure we would have enjoyed it as much. I know not everyone has that luxury to have a grandparent travel with them on vacation to help (she watched him in the mornings we did the races and on Sunday night when we went out) and we won’t have her on other family vacations. But for our first trip it helped tons! It was awesome seeing my mom spend time with Andy and getting him to giggle and smile. The pictures we have from this trip will be something we cherish.

Aug27

Taber Cornfest 5km Recap & End of Summer Wrap Up

Posted on August 27, 2017 by mscurlgurl78

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It’s Sunday, August 27th. Tomorrow is the first day back to work for teachers, and students start up with mini-schedule on Tuesday, September 5th. The first full day of classes will be on Wednesday, September 6th. That day also marks that I will be 32 weeks pregnant.

This was a summer like none other, first and foremost because I have been pregnant. There were many things that did not occur this summer that usually would. For instance, drinks on patios. Sure, Dan and I were able to make some of our evening outings the same with trips to Telegraph Taphouse, but having an ice cold alcohol free Erdinger doesn’t pack the same punch as a Lagunitas IPA. Right now, I am drinking a club soda with grenadine and cut up peaches. I’ve got to cool off somehow! I also did not travel much this summer. Figured it would be wise to save money and really didn’t want to deal with the potential pains of flying or driving long distances while pregnant. Since I didn’t travel, I was able to teach summer school in July. I was very happy I did, as it kept me busy and earning the extra money was awesome!

“Adaptation” has been key. That’s really the best word for how I’ve dealt with summer 2017. Because of my ever-changing body, I needed to adapt my running. Notice, I adapted. I did not quit. I am proud to say that I ran 4 times a week all summer long. I golfed in ladies league on Mondays. In August, I added in a baby bump boot camp on Thursdays and a cardio class on Fridays. All of these things kept me busy, and most importantly kept me sane. I knew I needed to keep my running up this summer, because it really is a key part of who I am. Other summers, I would have signed up for races in Calgary or Edmonton during July or August but this year I held off. I knew driving up there to do a race would not be the wisest idea. However, I kept an eye out for events local that I could do.

That brings me to yesterday, when I ran in the Taber Cornfest 5km. This event was celebrating their 25th year, and would be offering a 5km and 10km option. Taber is a small town 50 km east of Lethbridge. It would be an easy drive out on race morning, and while I was not going out to break any records or place in any divisions, I was going out to race the best that I could at that given day.

With summer being so hot down here in Southern Alberta, my paces for training runs have not been anything crazy. I had come to terms with that in the past month, knowing that just getting out there and completing the training runs during the week was what mattered…not how fast I was going. I had a goal in my mind to run around a 33 minutes 5km in Taber, roughly a little faster than an 11 minute mile. Based on how my running was going in August, I knew I could attain that goal.

Race morning was nice and cool. It had gotten quite tolerable the night before and this carried on into the morning. By the time the race started at 9 am, it was only around 59F. I went out and held a pace that came naturally to me and felt comfortable. I kept checking my heart rate during the first mile and it was always under 150. My breathing was in check and I was feeling great. Suddenly, mile 1 came and my watch hit 8:39!

I was WAY ahead of my 11 minute mile pace. For a brief second I thought about really slowing it up. But, my heart rate was good, my legs were feeling strong….so I stuck with my gut and just kept on going. Mile 2 slowed a bit, but it was still a 9:03. OK….if I can hold the final mile around this pace and watch my breathing I can definitely finish under 30 minutes!

The last mile was harder than the first two, as my heart rate did climb up a bit. I kept watching my FitBit and whenever the bpm got into the 170s I would try and focus on my breathing to bring it down. Mile 3 clocked in very close to the same time as mile 2, with a 9:04. I did let myself go a bit the final stretch, wanting to close the gap on the women in front of me. When I crossed the finish line, my watch stopped at an unofficial distance of 3.16 miles. My official chiptime would be a 28:02! I placed 4/23 in my age group, 11/98 in women, and 35/158 overall.

Running 5km races are not really my thing. They are hard for me! Call me crazy, but I’d much rather run a half marathon. It took me a really long time to get my personal 5km best of a 20:42. The fact that I am about 7.5 minutes slower than my personal best all while being 30 weeks pregnant makes me super happy. Why does it make me happy? Because it shows that my hard work this summer is paying off. I have been reasonable with my running this summer, with the overall goal being to remain healthy while progressing in this pregnancy which should then make it easier to get back to my racing form after the pregnancy.

With being 3/4 of the way through my pregnancy, I know every week will pose a new challenge. I am also mentally preparing myself for the possibility of having to stop running any day. There are a variety of things that could come up that would put my running to a halt. If my doctor told me that it was no longer safe for me to run, I would stop. I mean, come on…I am not an idiot. If something I was doing was putting the baby and/or myself in danger, I would quit it. But, I have been having a fairly low-key pregnancy with no issues so my doctor has been very supportive of my choices to continue running and working out. I am very fortunate to have an OB who supports my running, as she knows it is something I did not just start overnight. Before being referred to my OB, my family doctor was also very supportive of me continuing on with my running, as long as I didn’t have a high-risk pregnancy. I actually had an appointment with my family doctor last week to just confirm that he would be able to take the baby on as a patient and his words of encouragement meant a lot.

I am also very fortunate for the support my family and friends have given me this summer. They are pretty well adjusted to the fact that running is a part of my identity, and it doesn’t seem to surprise them at all that I have continued. I think this is one reason actually that my husband sometimes seems to forget how far along I really am in this pregnancy, because I have still gone about my running as I normally do. He doesn’t seem me out there training in the summer, but he knows I’m out there doing it. And he knows it makes me happy.

So what are the two next two months going to be like? For running, I will still continue with my 4 times a week running. I will be joining my cross country kids on their runs during the week, and will likely be the caboose of the group. I also am considering doing a 4-week session of the Baby Bump class at Kinetic, as it is offered on a Friday at 4:30 pm. This will keep me active and help burn off the energy from the work day. My mom comes to visit near the end of September. She will be a huge help around the house getting things set for baby, and we will be having my baby shower. There is also the Lethbridge Police Race on September 30th, where I will be doing the 10km, my mom will be walking the 5km and my husband will be doing the half marathon. When she leaves in October, I will have just had my 33rd birthday and I will surely start to feel the nerves and anxiety attached to becoming a family of 3. Baby is due November 1st, which may seem like a far way away from August 27th….but we all know it’s closer than you think! I can pencil in a lot of things, but I know stuff could change in an instance after one doctor appointment!

Dec18

2016 in Review

Posted on December 18, 2016 by mscurlgurl78

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I like doing my ‘recap’ on the year of running events at the end of each calendar year. Just a little summary of what my main take-a-ways are from the events I participated in. I know I wrote a recap for each after they originally occurred, and I have all the stats and details on how I did on my Race Results 2016 link, but now that it has been a couple months since some of these events occurred I thought it would be fun to see what I think of when I reflect on what I did this year!

The Hypothermic Half Marathon was my first event of 2016. I really have nothing to say about this event, other than I know I signed up for it to include it as part of a training run. I really just remember being done and at brunch with Zita, Aimee and others, and us just talking about how unimpressed we were with the event. I had a good time hanging out with them, I got a training run in, and I will not be running this event in 2017.

Moonlight Run 10km in March. Always my first ‘race’ of the year. I always get nervous for it too! This was an exciting year as I got to wear my “Run Red Deer” shirt from the Woody’s RV Marathon, as I won “Runner of the Month” and was going to promote the Red Deer event at our local event! I also was able to finally win some prize money at the Moonlight Run! I always love this event not only because of how many people come out from the city to participate, but because of all the volunteers who are from Winston Churchill High School (where I teach).

Run the Trailbreaker Half Marathon back in Waukesha, Wisconsin, was a race to remember….as it was almost a blizzard the morning of the race! In early April! Weather was AWFUL but it made it fun for running. Again, I used this race as a training run for Boston, and it was helpful to have the race while I was home visiting family for Easter. Otherwise, I would have not wanted to go outside and run in that weather!

10 Mile Road Race was great this year, as I ran my personal best time for the event. I also was excited to win some prize money that would be taken to Boston! What I remember most from this day is that I locked my keys in my car 10 minutes before race start! When I finished the race, I borrowed Dennene’s phone to call AMA. They came and unlocked my car in time for the 10 mile awards!

BOSTON MARATHON….well, if this list wasn’t in chronological order and in an order where the best event of the year was talked about last….this would be it. I still can’t even wrap my head completely around this experience. Really, it wasn’t about just race day. It was about the years I have spent running full and half marathons….the times I failed to qualify….all the training it took to qualify….the waiting to race day….It was a process! My husband and I had a fantastic time in the city, touring it via public transit and my foot. We saw a baseball game, went on a brewery tour, ate awesome seafood, drank a lot of beer, and even ran the B.A.A. 5 km together. The trip will go down as one of my most memorable trips (in general). My proudest running accomplishment was qualifying for Boston…being able to run in Boston was the reward.

I did only one Spartan Race this year, and it was the Montana Spartan Beast. This was the first year I did not do the Montana race weekend with my husband Dan. But, I got to do it with my best friend Ali! She flew in from Redondo Beach, California, to deal with this crazy 14 mile course. She has continued to stand by her statement that this was the toughest Spartan Race she has ever done…even a harder course than the World Championship Course in Tahoe!

A local Lethbridge 51 elementary school put on a little 2km/5km event in May. The Lakeview Superhero 5km was a great event that the school did as a fundraiser for their new playground. Lots of kids were out there doing the 2km. It honestly was a bigger turnout than I expected! Having a local elementary school do an event like this helps get the kids interested in running at a young age, and that’s awesome!

I’ve done the Woody’s RV World Red Deer Half Marathon before. This was my 5th time running in it. But it was definitely the nastiest weather I have had to deal with at it! My husband also ran it (hadn’t trained at all) and of course….he did just fine. I still beat him, but my time was not that impressive. I was most impressed with him running while wearing a garbage bag as a poncho the whole time! The downpour was ridiculous!

I had sworn I wasn’t going to do this race again….and then I registered for it…again. The Calgary Marathon Weekend 50km Ultra was being held for the 3rd time, in conjunction with marathon weekend. I figured that since I had done Boston at end of April, and this was at end of May, my legs would still be primed for it. I also wanted to prove to myself that I could run it faster than I did the year before, as the heat was pretty nasty the first time I did it. It was again a tough race, but I felt more confident during it this time around. I cut off a bunch of time from my first year I ran it, and even walked away with 1st place in the female 30-34 category! I now have two trophies in my race bling collection, and they are both from the Calgary 50km Ultras! This race was also monumental as it was my little ‘farewell’ from running for a bit, as I would be going under the knife two weeks later for my foot surgery. Figured my foot was already messed up, nothing that a 50km road race couldn’t do to make it any worse!

Lethbridge Police Services Run is an event I’ve been enjoying every year. This year, I wouldn’t be participating in the half marathon, as my foot was not ready post-surgery. I did join our cross country runners as they ran in the 5km. It was a great event to be a part of, and I really enjoyed being able to see the kids out there. It was also my 32nd birthday, so that marked for a fun way to spend it!

The first event post-surgery that I attempted to “race” was the Bare Bones 9km. They have had a half marathon in the previous years, but this year it wasn’t an option. So, I chose the odd 9km distance. I pushed as hard as I could, and I felt completely beat afterwards, but I was pleased with how I finished and how my foot held up. It was far off my times I was hitting the year before, but it was a good start and a great sign of things to come post-surgery.

The Claus Cause 10km is another local event that I have participated in quite a few times. It was held in November, and we weren’t having November weather yet. I wore shorts during this run! It was still another test for my foot, and my foot did well. And of course, the gingerbread men ‘medals’ were handed out for top category runners. My gingerbread man had a bit of a foot issue….coincidence? I have said in the past and I’ll say it again—I love the events that Runners Soul puts on in town. It’s such a great ‘get-together’ at any of their events, because there are so many familiar faces!

My last ‘event’ of 2016 was the Santa Shuffle. Put on by Running Room Canada, this is a small casual 5km fun run. I signed up for this for the sole purpose of adding mileage to my daily training run, as I was right in the thick of things for my Goofy Challenge training by this first week in December.

So that was my 2016. 14 events over the course of 12 months. And considering I was out of commission for two of the months, I’ll take it. 2016 will always be the year I ran Boston….that’s for sure. That’s obviously what I’ll think of first. But, all these other events that surrounded it have a special place too. All the events I have ran since my first half marathon in 2004 have a special place. Sure, the medals I receive for finishing a race or placing in a race don’t have much monetary value….but they have value to me. Every. Last. One.

On to 2017! What will it bring……?!?!?!?!??!?!

Je Me Souviens-To Infinity & Beyond!

Running, Disney & Dad–My Journey Continues…

Tag Archives: Travel

Disneyland Paris

2024 Recap &2025 Sneak Peak

A reframe, per say.

2019…the new normal

Running on the edge of Canada

One Year

Berlin Marathon 2018

Andy’s 1st Vacation

Taber Cornfest 5km Recap & End of Summer Wrap Up

2016 in Review

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