Northover Ridge... Third Time's a Charm

This past weekend we took my Brother and his Girlfriend on our favorite backpacking trip. The weekend can be summed up with Spectacular Views, Great Company, and Perseverance.

We set out for the first 10 kms to Three Isle Lake on Friday after work. We got to the trail head at the interlinks parking lot on Upper Kananaskis Lakes at 6 pm, got our packs on our back and started out. We passed a couple of other hikers who were stopping at a closer camp. The first couple of hours are fairly uneventful, treking around upper kananskis lakes and through the forest. It was amazing to see the effects of the flood in this area. Places that had bridges were completely washed out, as was part of the trail. By 8:30 we approached the final kilometer which is basically straight up. It was starting to get dark, and windy so we knew we had to hurry up it as fast as we could. Part way up, it started to rain. Looking back down the valley where we came from you could see the rain pouring down. Getting a little nervous we pressed on, and luckily the rain stopped shortly after. We got to three isle lake just after 9, found some beautiful sites, set up camp, and proceeded to enjoy some wine by candlelight before heading to bed.

Saturday morning we were up around 8, and we headed down to the lake for coffee. By 9:30 we had packed up camp and set out on day 2, a 12 km hike up and down Northover Ridge. This is definitely a BIG day, but the views make the climbing so worth it:

We got to Aster Lake around 3pm. We found beautiful sites right on the river. We set up camp, and then proceeded to have a 2 hour nap. When we got up we had a delicious 3 course dinner of Freeze Dried Katmandu Curry, Freeze Dried Beef Stroganoff, and Freeze Dried Berry Cobbler for desert, and we washed it all down with a couple bottles of wine. We were back asleep by 9 pm.

Sunday morning we were up around 8 again. By this point we had woken up sore and tired, but we knew we had another 13 kilometers to get to the car. I think this is the hardest day of the hike. Although you are rewarded with some amazing views of waterfalls, and lakes, but you're fatigued and just want to get home. Unfortunately you still have another 4-5 hours to get to the car, with some fairly difficult terrain. We had some coffee and breakfast and packed up camp. We were hiking by 10am:

We were back at the car at 2:15. The last hour was very quiet as we were all very focused on getting back to the car. I must give a major shout out to my brother and his girlfriend as I don't think they knew quite what they were in for, but they made it! Although we're all tired and sore, it was an amazing time. This was the first time that I've done this trip without getting injured! Also, my knee seemed to feel ok. I had it taped up with KT tape, to keep my knee cap in place and give my patella tendon a break and it seemed to work like a charm!

Wild Rose Review

Ok, it has taken me along time to write this. At the time I didn't think I felt THAT much different by the end of the detox. A little less bloated, sure. However, I must admit the biggest changes have been permanent changes to our diet, and self awareness to our eating patterns. We now concentrate our diets on whole and unprocessed foods. I mean I think we ate healthy before the detox but we have made some permanent changes and I feel a lot better.

We no longer eat dairy, ever. Well, unless I really want some pizza, but then I pay the price. If I eat diary now, I get very sick. I've known forever that I have an intolerance to dairy, but this just illustrated how much it effects me. We used to snack on cheese, and have cream in our coffee. Which we have cut out. No wonder I used to feel bloated and sick all the time.

We have also reduced our sugar consumption. I now enjoy my coffee with just some almond milk, or black. I'm not sure if I have an allergy to sugar, or if it is just how everyone feels after eating suger, but I now find if I have some sugar I crave more and more of it, my eczema gets worse and I end up with a stomach ache, and sometimes a head ache. However, sometimes those fuzzy peaches are calling my name... and then when I inevitably feel sick I know it was all my fault.

We've significantly reduced the amount of wheat that we eat. As an athlete you always hear "eat your carbs." So we would eat bread, pasta, and crackers like nobody's business. This habit is gone. We don't even purchase wheat products at the grocery store any more. Granted when we're camping we'll eat a hot dog in a bun, and sometimes we'll have a hamburger in a thin bun, but other than that we stick to rice, quinoa, and sweet potatoes. We sometimes eat regular potatoes too, but I find those make me sick as well.

Lunches have changed. Gone are granola bars and sandwiches. They've been replaced with natural peanut butter on rice cakes, fruit, veggies and salad.

Snacks of cheese and crackers, have been replaced with kale chips, nuts, and popcorn.

Dinner of spaghetti has been replaced with lean meats, grilled veggies, and rice/sweet potato, which is especially easy int he summer months with our BBQ, we'll see if that changes in the winter.

We've basically removed all processed food from our diet, and it feels so good!

Thank you wild rose!

Now to get my knee back in order so that I can start training again!

Life Lately.

Nothing the past week has been particularly blog worthy, no grand adventures for the champs. In fact, we haven't had the best of luck lately.

I am currently taking a unwanted hiatus from running and biking. Which I am really struggling with. Since we got back from Ironman I have been dealing with some pretty major knee pain which can be characterized as Runners Knee or Jumpers Knee. Basically it's knee pain right under neath the knee cap where you patella tendon connects, and it is the most annoying and sometimes extremely painful thing. I get pain when I walk up the stairs, down the stairs, running, biking, and when I sit with it bent for too long (like when I commute to work). I was told I could continue to run on is so long as I was running pain free, the problem is I would be running pain free but then it would be excruciatingly sore the next day. So, I've decided to take at least 2 weeks off, if not longer. I am very disheartened as I got back from Ironman with grand plans, I was planning on working on my running and racing a half marathon in the fall, trying to get it down to 1 hour 50 minutes, all with the goal progressing instead of starting over again for Ironman training next year. But, as per usual, an injury has me sidelined. To add to the issue, my beloved chiropractor, who kept me pain free through the last year, has retired. Unfortunately her replacement has not seemed to help. So I am off to meet a new chiropractor on Monday, who is apparently a runner and biker her self and has helped my coworker. Hopefully she can help me out so I can get back to training, because ask anyone if I don't exercise.. LOOK OUT!


Then there was the accident with poor Rudy. Last weekend, while running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I was getting out of the car with Rudy and I slammed the car door on his tail. I have never heard a dog scream before until then, poor guy. He didn't wait for me to reopen the door, rather, he yanked his tail out. It was bleeding profusely and he ran inside and laid on the carpet shaking. Home along, feeling terrible, I was trying to stop the bleeding when I noticed there was some white stuff sticking out. I phoned the vet not realizing that dogs had bones in their tail, but turns out they do, and the white stuff was his bone was sticking out! I basically went hysterical. I loaded him into the car and headed off to the 24 hour Vet downtown Calgary (seriously wishing we had bought that pet insurance). The poor guy had to get just over an inch or his tail amputated. They took him in, did the surgery while I waited down town, 5 hours later we were back home with a very sore and drugged puppy. He's doing alright, but you can tell his tail is bothersome. If he wags it I think it starts hurting because he tries to bite off the bandage, and he is super cuddly.

So what have I been up to since I haven't been training, studying, or do any crazy adventures? Well, I've been catching up on some reading. I just finished the third game of thrones and now I'm half way through Roots. Also, I am catching up on some TV shows via Netflix. I've been loving Orange is the New Black, and Homeland. We took my nephew for a sleepover last weekend too, so my brother could spend some time with his spouse before baby #2 comes. We went to see the new disney Planes movie in 3D which was fun. Ben has been helping my step dad every day this week with moving, while my mom has been out of town. This coming weekend is the first weekend in a long time we don't have any plans, mind you we didn't have any plans last weekend either until thursday and it turned into a whirlwind!

Goodsoil Vacation

Where were we this weekend? Goodsoil Saskatchewan! A place that we tend to migrate to every couple of years. It is on a beautiful lake, and this trip we were surrounded by lots of sunshine, laughs, and love. So many memories up there, and this trip was nothing other than wonderful. It was fun to think that I started to go when I was my nephews age and it was the one time a year that we really got to hang out with out extended family, aunts, uncles, even my great grandpa. Which I realized is exactly what it is like for my nephew now. His great grandparents were up there, it was so precious to see my grandpa right in the sand with my nephew loading up a dump truck with sand.

It's been a couple of years since I've been up there, infact last time I went without Ben since he had to work. I was in the middle of training for Ironman so I had to haul up all of my stuff. It was really nice to trek up there this year and not have to worry about squeezing training in, or feel guilty about missing a workout. Ben and I had the opportunity to totally relax. Absolutely nothing was on our mind. Ben bought a fishing rod before he left, and turns out he absolutely loved it, so he was out with my step dad nearly every day while I filled my days reading, napping, and visiting on the beach. It was a great time.

Now it's August, and I have no idea where the time has gone. We don't really have any major adventures for the rest of the summer. We have a backpacking trip planned with my brother and his girlfriend in a couple of weeks, and we're debating a couple of camping trips with some hikes thrown in there. Nothing too major though. I haven't been able to really run or bike lately as I have developed jumpers knee from overuse so I'm taking a time out and hoping that it heals up as I have big plans for next year! Come January after our trip to mexicp we start in fulls swing as I have the calgary marathon, an Ironman in the fall, and my CFA level 2 exam on my plate in 2014. So in the meantime I plan on relaxing!

Meandering Through the Forest

On the weekend Ben and I had the pleasure of going for a hike with my younger brother and his girlfriend. Although our plans got derailed as hwy 66 to moose mountain was still closed because of the floods, we went for a hike through west Bragg Creek, which turned into a 14 km meander through the forest, with our conversations carrying us along. Although there was no destination to our hike, no "OH WOW" moment like you get when you summit a mountain or hike to a waterfall, we still had a great time (and I can't wait for our 3 day backpacking trip next month together!!).

Anyways, the point of this post. The question was asked if things really change once you get married. Which is a very good question, because to be honest I didn't think things would change when Ben and I got married, I mean we had been living together for 4 and a half years before that, and yet our relationship did change. Subtle changes, nothing life shattering.. changes that you may not even notice until you take a moment to think about them, the kind change that makes you feel more secure and love your partner even more, because they have chosen you forever. They have promised to love you despite your faults through thick and thin, those vows are not to be taken lightly. Its kind of hard to explain, it's just like you feel more settled, you're no longer preoccupied with when, where, and how you'll get engaged, you don't have to plan the wedding, and you're no longer thinking about what would happen if you break up.. Youre relationship becomes a constant. Which is also why you have to make a little bit of an effort to have dates and celebrate the little things once you're married. It is way too easy to get into a routine and let life pass you by.

I have found that one of the biggest differences is in arguments. There is an understanding that we're both in this for the long haul so we better figure this sh*t out so that we don't continue to have the same argument tomorrow, next week, or next year. Arguments turn into opportunities to learn and try to understand where the other person is coming from, and to work on compromise.

There you have it. I'm sure for people that haven't lived together before getting married there would be major differences, but if you already live together I would say it does change a little bit, but definitely for the better.

Also, just to keep you all in suspense... I found out on Tuesday that I PASSED MY CFA LEVEL 1! WOO HOO!

Wild Rose Detox

Ever since I can remember I've had stomach issues. It feels like I have tried everything to try and relieve the troubles that I have. After a plethora of unpleasant medical tests in 2010, I felt as though I was abandoned by the medical system with a "diagnosis" of IBS. Then I sought out a naturaopath last year, she did a controversial allergy test with electro-accupuncture. It came back that I was basically allergic to EVERYTHING. I tried that diet for a little while, however, when she later falsely diagnosed me with low thyroid and put me on some weird supplement that totally messed with my body I abandoned it. I toyed with the idea of paying hundreds of dollars for a blood allergy test, but after much research I decided not to. So alas, here we are. My mom tried the wildrose detox about a month ago, and she suggested I try it once we were done training. So we started the 12 days on Sunday. We thought we had timed it perfectly since we didn't have any plans this coming weekend, and it would be complete before we go camping to goodsoil, however, my brother is now having a Diaper party (an excuse to get drunk) with the guys on saturday and Ben is now unable to drink anything fermented (which leaves beer basically out of the question) and he has to stick to the super strict eating schedule. This will be a test for him that's for sure.

What is the wild rose detox?
Well you take a bunch of herbal supplements and eat a very specific diet that eliminates wheat, sugar (and anything sweet), dairy, tropical fruit, and fermented foods. For me, my meals didn't dramatically changed except for yogurt in the morning for breakfast. Ben, however, had to do a total 360 eliminating his typical sandwich at lunch time and replacing with salads.

How are we doing? Well we're 5 days in. I can't speak for Ben but I'm not finding it to bad. The first couple of days I had fairly low energy but I think that has mostly returned. With all of the horror stories you read of detoxing I have fortunately yet to experience most of the more disagreeable symptoms.

What do I miss?
The biggest thing that I personally miss is coffee with a little cream and sugar. I need coffee int he morning, but this black coffee is pretty gross, and I think coffee with almond or soy milk is even grosser. I also really miss salad dressing, this lemon and olive oil thing is getting pretty old pretty fast. Ben and I don't drink much, but sometimes I like a good glass of wine on the weekends so I'll probably miss that this coming weekend. Oh and peanut butter, Almond butter just doesn't quite replace it... and sauces...I am really sick of this fairly plain boring food I miss soy sauce on my rice, bbq sauce on my bbq'd chicken, and Ketchup on my eggs.

Things I don't miss?
I don't really miss cheese, or bread at all. I thought I would really miss them but I find it doesn't bother me. Actually, right now, the thought of eating a safeway pizza like we used to kind of grosses me out.

My go to snack?
Well right now my favorite desert is a rice cake with almond butter and fresh rasberries on top, mmm. Crunchy, sweet, and nutty, and the closest to a pb and j sandwhich that you can get.

What about dinner?
Well since it's BBQ season it's pretty straight forward. Chicken, Steak, or Fish on the BBQ with brown rice and veggies. If it was winter I think this would be alot harder (unless you're hardcore and BBQ in -20).

Overall, I haven't noticed the moment where you feel so much better. But I hear that it is coming. I am hoping that we can continue avoiding foods that I know don't treat me well such as wheat and dairy even off the detox.. however that may be difficult as we love pizza and they just opened a new pizza place in Cochrane that we are dying to try. Would I recommend this detox? I would say yes, if you can avoid social situations for the next 12 days, or have super amazing self control and won't cave on the glass of wine on that dinner out. I'm only on day 5, 7 more days to go so we'll see if this magically moment of feeling amazing comes my way.

Waiting Game

Wow, July 15, where has the time gone! The last few weeks since we've been home have been filled with stampede events, a baby shower for my soon to be niece, errands, planted out first tree in our back yard, a wedding, and even a broadway musical thrown in there with my sister and sister in law. Busy, and yet I feel as though I'm just sitting around waiting.

Our bodies have been slowly recovering from Ironman. It has been a little bit of a frustrating process. We started back at hot yoga last week, then tried to run a measly 10 k the next day to no success. I think I ran about 2 k and Ben made it 4 or 5 and we both wound up walking home. I'm suffering from runners knee and the plantar fasciitis from the Calgary Marathon. So heating pad, ice packs, and advil have become a staple in my daily routine. I know that there is no point in rushing the process back to working out, but it is hard to hold ourselves back. You get home from Ironman so exhilarated, excited about the sport, looking for your next race, wanting to jump back in to training to improve your time only for your body to hold you back. So we're doing more yoga, taking more rest days a week, and taking Rudy on alot of walks.

Then I've been waiting for the results of my exam, the results are next Tuesday. It has been so painful to wait this long. The anxiety I feel towards next Tuesday increases every day. It will dictate how I spend the rest of the year. As of next Tuesday I will either be completely elated and relieved, and I don't have to start studying again in January for level 2, or I will be surprised, depressed, and I'll have to crack open my books and start studying again for the december re-write. I have found the past few weeks I have turned very superstitious. Thinking things like "If I make this green light then I will pass my exam," and "if the stamps win tonight I will pass my exam." So far, all the signs are pointing to that I should pass my exam, but we will see next week. However, I have not put my books away yet, they are sitting on my desk just in case I have to get back to the grind, but it would feel so good to burn put them away next week if I pass.