"The final countdown" doo do doo do....

Two and a half days until I board a plane for Central America...but who is really counting? Tomorrow is my last day 'at the office' before leaving town for 4 weeks and I am, of course, throwing a huge party tomorrow night! Why not go out with a bang I say. Lene and I are getting very excited about our annual customer appreciation night with close to 60rsvp's we are expecting a full house and lot's of fantastic ELM energy! Come for a drink, stay for a visit! But don't forget your hamper donation!

In case I don't have time to blog again before hitting the road...or the air I suppose...adios amigos & stand by for updates as internet access allows in Central. I will not be accessing my email but will try to upload some pics to the blog so check back now and then...

Registration for all of our January Fitness Adventures will be ongoing right up until the second week of January but don't delay-especially as some of our winter programs have limited spaces. Looking forward to seeing you in 2008!

Have a wonderful holiday with your friends and family and don't forget the JOY my friends.

Cheers,

Sarah.

Oh BABY!

I have had such a great time teaching the fall Baby Bootcamp program!! The Mom's have inspired me beyond belief and they have definitely put the SUPER in supermom! Multi-tasking at it's finest, working out with baby on board is the perfect way to get fit without worrying about childcare on top of it all. Check out these fun photos below: From the professional eye of Karen McKinnon! You can see the rest on the ELM Gallery... http://www.elmhealth.com/photogallery.html

Thank you ladies for working so hard this session! See you all in January 2008!

Holiday Updates:

The countdown is on until Brad and I leave for our 3 week Central American adventure!! In less than 2 weeks we will be on a plane heading south to Nicaragua for a very special holiday. We are planning to spend a week on a Caribbean Island (bigcornisland.com) and then time on the mainland hiking volcano's, checking out the 10th largest lake in the world and finishing with a week or more surfing the coastline of Nica and El Salvador...Yipeeeee! I will be taking plenty of photos and will update my blog whenever possible so be sure to check back while we are away!

But before I go there are some exciting ELM events to announce...

#1: I am so excited to announce our Special Holiday Schedule! During the month of December, all of our fitness adventures will be by donation to help support our hamper family. For just $5 and a non-perishable food item you can join us for any of our fun, festive workouts! Choose from Monday morning womens trail running, Tuesday night womens Christmas light runs, Weds/Fri night co-ed Fitness Bootcamp and Thursday night co-ed Need for Speed runs!! Check out our December schedule and please bring your friends and family for a holiday workout this December!http://www.elmhealth.com/NewMonthlyCalendarSpring2007.html#DECEMBER

#2: I am just as excited about our annual Customer Appreciation Night on November 30th! Look for your invitation in you email inbox for this special night hosted by ELM & Extreme Runners for YOU...as part of the ELM family! And if you are an ELM client but do not see your invitation please let me know and I will send you all of the details! Please join us for this annual event as we celebrate the season and thank you for your support & loyalty throughout the past year. Good food, good wine, good friends and GREAT deals will be awaiting you on this night ONLY! Hope to see you there:)

#3: January Programs are online now!! Registration begins December 1st (except for those attending the Customer Appreciation Night:) for all of our Winter 2008 Fitness Adventures. Be sure to check out the Program Calendar for a complete list of our upcoming classes and look out for winter only programs such as Adventure-Mix, SCORE and the Womens 10K Clinic! http://www.elmhealth.com/upcomingevents.html#DECEMBER

I think that is it for now...stay tuned for some photos:)

S

Storm of the Year...so far

Wow! Monday I not only woke up to a nasty flubug but also to the storm of the year! All night the wind howled and by morning the damage became apparent...carnage in Comox. Brad had to go out and check it all out so I bundled out and he took me on a tour of the aftermath of the storm. We could only make it to one beach-The Spit as the rest were totally inaccessable due to downed trees and live wires on the roads. Crazyness! I feel for all of you who just got power...or are still waiting! Check out these pics that Brad snapped...














Goose Spit...storm surge! Normally a gentle lapping of the waves at this beach...














Comox Marina...sad sad loss of a boat-here it was sinking as the owners watched it go...

Here is a short video of the tail end of the storm at Goose Spit...watch out for sea foam!

Cheers,

S

Smoke, Fire & Dirt

Recently I was going through my favorite photographs to select my top 3 for presentation at my photography course (chicks who click with Karen McKinnon) and I got stuck sitting and thinking about my years firefighting with the BCFS.
I spent 5 amazing years as a seasonal forest fire fighter and member of a Rapattack crew(rappelling out of helicoptors to access remote lightning caused fires), based in Salmon Arm. I managed to take along my camera during my final 2 years and tried to capture the beauty amongst the smoke fire and dirt. I only wish that I had taken more photos...but that is how hindsight works isn't it?

I have posted a few of my favorites below. I am loving the blog if for nothing more than to brag about my most memorable experiences and adventures. I hope you enjoy the sneak peak inside the firelines...S

Kickin up dust as we head back to camp.

The amazing women of Rapattack 2001

Suiting up to rappel into fire near White Swan Park, Invermere.

The hero's of firefighting...air tanker near Nakusp.

My good friend Lisa...Bootcamp 98 survivor! Seen here, smiling as usual.
Walking patrol along the highway near Falkland.
The first fire to take homes and structures during that wicked summer of 2003.
Hurry up and wait.

Fall back...

The last rays of evening sun will slip away from us this weekend...don't forget to fall back on Sunday! The saving grace is more light for our morning Bootcamp classes bright and early at 6:15am...come join us sometime:) http://www.elmhealth.com/NewMonthlyCalendarSpring2007.html#NOVEMBER

Have a fantastic weekend!

Sarah.

170 Racers Rock Cumberland!

Wow! The 3rd annual Perseverance Trail Run was a huge success this past weekend! We were blown away by race day registration with nearly 170 racers hitting the course in Cumberland! Lene and I cannot say enough about our fantastic volunteers-over 50 helping hands made the day a huge success. Although I have been IN many many races...I have a NEW respect for those organizing such great events! There are many facets and countless details to be dealt with and it is the volunteers who make the event so fantastic. A special THANK YOU goes out to all of the volunteers who donated their time, resources, services, passion and energy for this years race!

Equilibrium Lifestyle Management and Extreme Runners co-hosted the fun family event but it could not have been so successful without the fantastic support from Comox Valley volunteers and sponsors. A huge thank you goes out to the wonderful and enthusiastic volunteers including BC Ambulance and Comox Valley Search and Rescue. Thank you to the race sponsors including but not limited to Brooks, HiTech, Comox Valley Record, Odlum Brown, Natasha Designhouse, Riding Fool, Valhalla Pure, Fitness Excellence, Ascent Physiotherapy, Comox Valley Acupuncture, Karuna, Breathing Room, Island Pilates and Coastal Trek. A special thank you goes to Thrifty foods, Mudsharks, Zen Zero and Tim Hortons for their generous post-race food donations and for keeping the racers happy!

Check out the link for complete race results & pics to be posted tomorrow... http://www.elmhealth.com/PerseveranceTrailRun.html

Looking Sooooo good on the race course!