"I feel a Need for Speeeed!"

Happy Wednesday!

I just got back from a fantastic run and I am bubbling over with inspiration and motivation. I have not run on my own in a very long while and it was a great opportunity to let my mind wander and weave with new ideas. I ran the base chip trail loop (approximately 3km) as a 3 part time trial session. During each loop a threw in a set of Pull Ups and Dips on the pre set workout stations. After 3 loops of progressively faster paces I was energized and full of workout ideas for my upcoming Need for Speed clinic!

Even though it means the end of evening trail running I am really looking forward to kicking off this annual clinic next Thursday, November 6th. I am looking forward to challenging running workouts that build speed and power. I am looking forward to hills, intervals and a good lung burn. Mostly I am looking forward to pushing my participants into new territory and watching their running fitness improve over the winter. There is nothing better than the whole body feeling of satisfaction that comes after a good hard workout!

I have lot's of ideas for running workouts that will keep things fun, interesting and motivating this winter. If you can run for 1 hour you are ready for this program. I hope you will join me!

FMI on the ELM Need for Speed program go to: http://www.elmhealth.com/running_clinics.html
or just email me:) elmhealth@shaw.ca

Hope you are having a great week!
Sarah.

Perseverance Race Results!

The complete race results have been posted on the elm website. Go to : http://www.elmhealth.com/PerseveranceTrailRun.html for all the details!

Have some good photos of the event? I would love to see them and publish them for the other racers to see! Please send them my way:)

Cheers,
Sarah.

Perseverance 2008 Race Report

What a day! It has been a wild ride but we all survived another great Perseverance Trail Run! Complete results will be posted on the elm website tomorrow and a link will be posted here...along with pictures from race day! Following is my race day report...

But first... A HUGE THANK YOU to the more than 35 volunteers who spent countless hours of their time preparing for, setting up, cheering on, feeding/watering, supporting and tearing down for this years race. Special thanks to the 10 members of CV Search and Rescue for spending the day keeping track of our racers from start to finish. Special thank you to Terry Lewis for designing a new course this year - after losing a large portion of the 2007 course to logging (all the more reason to support the cause). Special thanks to Andy for keeping the crowd informed and the energy up as MC.

This is a community event that comes from the people via community support and gives back to the community through fundraising dollars donated to protect and preserve the Cumberland Forest. It is a wonderful cycle and I am proud to be a part of it. The final numbers are not in but you 177 racers raised over $2500 for the CCFS. In addition a special donation of $500 was made by Zen Zero to the Forest Society. Thank you Thank you Thank you. I cannot thank you enough!

Race directors report:

We were greeted with beautiful blue sky fall day which took a huge weight off our shoulders. Something about the sun shining on your face during a sweet fall run...and not having to deal with soggy equipment and mud on everything all day. Our set up crew of volunteers arrived early and we had race central ready for action when our early bird racers began arriving at 9am. This year we developed a new fee schedule to encourage racers to sign up early and take some of the pressure off race morning. It definitely worked and we were pleased to have 100 pre-registered racers this year! But we also had 77 racers join us on race day so registration was still jumping. The girls did a great job moving 177 racers through registration and after a few hiccups (Pins anyone? A special thank you to racer 'Jordon' for riding his bmx to the mini-mart for extra pins!) everyone made their way down to the trailhead to start the race.

And they're off! The 3k crew went left and the 10k crew went right and they all hit the ground running. Both courses featured a gruelling start with incline right off the mark. A hint of things to come!

The 3k course went off without a hitch and within 15 minutes racers were flying over the bank and into the finish chute! Racers wound their way through the lower XC trails including: Matts trail, Spanker and Space Nugget. Good times were had by all! The top racers in the 3k were:

Top results on the 3k XC course were:

Males
1KENT GILROY14:45 M 13-15
2PHILIPE GRAVIL17:54 M 16+
3CALEB BURGQUIST17:58 M 10-12

Females
1KRISTINA HOSKIN17.55 F 16+
2LAURA WAYATT18:04 F 16+
3MARY ANN ROLFE 20.34 F 16+

The 10K course was a true mountain run with steep climbs up Off Broadway and Bear Buns following the Perseverance Creek and boasting amazing views into the ravine below. After a loooong ascent racers were provided with some steep relief as they made their way back to via newly rebuilt Dodge Balls, Ginger Minge and Broadway before finishing on the 3k XC course.

Top overall results in the 10k mountain run:
Males
1CHRIS BARTH 55:05 M 20-39
2JAMES POWSEY 58:07 M 40-59
3STEVE SPIERS 58:13 M 40-59

Females
1MARGUERITE MASON WOOD 1:05:10 F 40-59
2BEV PEAVOY 1:05:29 F 20-39
3LISA LUDWIG 1:05 35 F 20-39

For many racers this grueling distance was not enough however! Some racers took the scenic route and ran past the marked exit trail on Short and Curly...seemingly looking for more of our beautiful trails:) We learned that racers had missed the marked exit trail and ran all of Short and Curly all the way up at Allan Lake...and some even continued on and decided to pull off the 15k loop by running around the back of Allan Lake! Good lord is a 10k mountain run not enough for you?!

Of course when you learn that your 'little chicks' are running off course this is a very bad feeling. I cannot explain the actual feeling in my stomach at that moment. BUT...our wandering little chicks managed to navigate back onto the marked course and carry on with the rest of the route with ease (albeit with a few extra kms under their sneakers).

After driving up with CV Search and Rescue to check out the 'scene of the crime' we discovered that yes indeed the turn off Short and Curly was still marked well with red flagging but even so racers had missed it somehow. Just like racers, race directors learn plenty at their races. Mostly, this year we learned that we need to flag and lime the !@#$ out of that intersection next year. So next year, when you come across a crazy person wearing a race t-shirt, waving their arms and sounding a blowhorn on Short and Curly you know when to exit the trail=)

After returning to the finish area everyone seemed to have a great time and enjoyed the post race snackfest, awards and prizes. A HUGE thank you to our community food sponsors Thrifty Foods, Tim Hortons and Mudsharks Coffee for providing the food and beverages for our hungry racers.

A giant thank you to our draw prize donation sponsors:

Valhalla Pure

Riding Fool Hostel

Fitness Excellence

Ascent Physiotherapy

Comox Valley Acupuncture

Brooks

Zen Zero

Hi Tech

Jim Smiley

Ecological Shop

Extreme Runners

ELM

Category winners received chocolate medals from Hot Chocolates!

Our BEST COSTUME winner, Lo Lanning received a tasty chocolate package from Darkside Chocolates in Cumberland!

A huge thank you to our community sponsors for donating time and resources to make this event a success:

ABC Printing- beautiful full colour banner!

Odlum Brown

Hitech Screen printing

Natasha Designhouse

Cumberland Recreation Centre

Village of Cumberland

Timberwest

Hancock

We are looking forward to making next years race better than ever and hope that you will mark your calendars for another great race: Sunday, October 25th, 2009!!

Pics and results to come...

S

Perseverance Trail Run Update

Lene flagging the 10k route on Friday...

Yesterday Lene, Terry Lewis and I headed to Cumberland to flag the running courses...you are going to love the route!


Only 1 more sleep until the Perseverance Trail Run in Cumberland! We have been busy bees getting all the race day preparations in order for tomorrow. There is a lot more that goes on behind the scenes of a race than I realized before taking on my own race along with Lene 3 years ago. Permits, insurance, registration, brochures, marketing, data entry, shirts, securing sponsors, gathering equipment, picking up food, creating and maintaining a trail route, securing volunteers...the list goes on! It is definately a labour of love and along with over 30 volunteers we are passionate about donating our time and energy for such a worthy fundraising cause: The Cumberland Community Forest Society! http://www.cumberlandforest.com/ .

Over 80 racers have pre-registered and I am just heading down to Extreme Runners to check for last minute sign ups. Haven't registered yet but want to join us? No problem! Just show up in Cumberland at No 6 Mine Park behind the rec centre before 10:30am and you can join us!

RACE DAY DETAILS:
When: Sunday, October 26th race start 11:00am.

Racer Check in and Registration: 9:00am-10:30am.

Where: #6 Miners Park, Cumberland. Park at Cumberland Rec Centre on Dunsmuir Ave in the big lot and walk down to Miners Park.

Fundraiser: All proceeds will go directly to the Cumberland Community Forest Society. Go to their website to learn more about their ongoing projects to protect valuable forest lands in Cumberland.

3K route : Our classic 3K route covers the same fun cross country trails as in previous years. Be prepared for some short ups and downs, tight twists and turns and look for halloween pumpkins along the course!

10K route: A new twist on an old favorite, this years 10K mountain run will take racers through a mix of old and new trails. The views will be fantastic and your legs and lungs will know that you have earned them! Enjoy the mix of climbing and downhilling through some of Cumberlands most scenic trails. After completing the mountain run portion of the route, the 10K race course will join with the 3K course and finish on the lower twisting cross country trails.

Prizes: All racers will be provided with a post race snack feast courtesy of our wonderful friends at Thrifty Foods! Chocolate medals will be awarded to the top 3 finishers in each category this year! And all racers will be eligible to win one of many fantastic draw prizes donated by this years local sponsors. Look who is on board already:
Brooks
Extreme Runners
ELM
Valhalla Pure
Riding Food Hostel
Fitness Excellence
Ascent Physiotherapy
Zen Zero
Hi Tech
Darkside Chocolates
and more...

Looking forward to seeing you all on Sunday!
Cheers,
Sarah.

Photo Op

I just heard that Karen Mckinnon is doing her famous 'mini-session' on November and wanted to make sure you heard the news too! Karen has captured ELM's participants' (like Erin and baby seen above at the Airpark in Courtenay) in action and I can't say enough about her great work.

Most people in the Comox Valley have seen Karens beautiful photos but if you haven't been to her blog yet go there now:http://mckinnonphoto.squarespace.com/ . Karen runs an annual mini sessions are a very cost effective way for familes to have some amazing professional photos done. Thought you might like to know!

PS:: 5 Days until the Perseverance Trail Run!http://www.elmhealth.com/PerseveranceTrailRun.html

Cheers,

Sarah.

1 Week to Go!

The 2008 Perseverance Trail Run is 1 week away and I am starting to get REALLY excited! I just picked up the most amazing full colour banner from our superstar sponsors- ABC Printing. They have been uber generous sponsors for this years race and have donated this beautiful banner as well as sponsoring the printing of our flashy race posters and rack cards. THANK YOU so much Bryan! http://www.abcprinting.ca/

Our shirts have also just arrived c/o our printing sponsor Hi Tech screenprinting and they have done a fantastic job once again. Green is the theme...

There are still spaces available in next weekends Perseverance Trail run and we hope to see you there! Join us for a fun 3k or challenging 10k trail running course and be part of Cumberlands history. All proceeds from the race go directly to the Cumberland Community Forest Society and their efforts to purchase additional forest lands for recreational use now and into the future. http://www.cumberlandforest.com/

Racers will enjoy a fun race course, delicious post race food and be entered to win one of many draw prizes from our fantastic local sponsors!

Register Now! http://www.elmhealth.com/PerseveranceTrailRun.html

Hope to see you there!

Sarah.

Get Up! Get Active!

For nearly 2 years now I have been lucky to be a part of a wonderful group of volunteers who make up the Active Comox Valley committee (ACV). http://www.activecomoxvalley.ca/index.html Active Comox Valley (ACV) is one of over 150 ‘Active Communities’ in British Columbia. This initiative began in September 2005, and is aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles and invigorating community spirit through physical activity. We aim at increasing the rate of activity 20% by 2010!

When I first heard about this new task force I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the excitement. Promoting physical activity and increasing opportunities for every person to become more active is something I strongly believe in and I was thrilled to see this new movement occurring in the Comox Valley. ACV is my first experience volunteering on a committee and I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience so far. We have so many ideas and I am excited about our plans for the future!

Over the past years ACV has launched some fantastic programs in the Valley. From community activies such as the 'Spring Meltdown' to the new 'Chefs on the Run' program for kids in partnership with Thrifty foods, ACV has been working hard to offer low or no cost programs in our community. One of my favorite ititiatives (and most popular) are the 12 great places to get active maps.

DOWNLOAD
12 Great Places to Get Active in the Comox Valley
Another 12 Great Places to Get Active for FREE

There is a new program: Nutrition Seminars, http://www.activecomoxvalley.ca/nutritionseminars.html that ACV is offering with the help of Thrifty Foods. Go to the ACV website to find out how to participate in this FREE nutrition seminar this fall! Also be sure to check out the seasonal ACV Newsletter http://www.activecomoxvalley.ca/newsletter.html with health and activity tips...there is a tonne of great info available! If you think this site can help someone you know by increasing awareness, opportunities or motivation, then please forward the ACV website to them.

Finally, if you have read this blog I have a favor to ask you...we are collecting ideas for free or low cost activities in the Comox Valley to create an inventory of ideas for our community. Can you email me your favorite free things to do in the Valley? I know you have plenty of great ideas and I would really appreciate your suggestions! Send your ideas to elmhealth@shaw.ca today!

Cheers,
Sarah.

Happy Thursday!

I LOVE Thursdays for some reason...rain or no rain!

Last night I tried something NEW...and when you think about it, we really don't get to experience as many novel experiences as we did when we were kids. Anyways I went night riding with my mountain biking crew! It was ... fun ... and ... dark ... and not as scary as I thought it would be. We hit all the regular technical trails in Cumberland and the light I was borrowing was super duper (and super expensive) so I could see nearly perfectly. It was very quiet and kind of peaceful out there in the dark...with little firefly bike lights dancing in the trees...definitely a unique experience.

Congratulations are in order! Here is what YOU are up to:
Ngaire, Tina and Darla ran the Victoria Half Marathon this past weekend! Hurray for you!
Liz Ellis took home gold at the Seniors games for a spectacular curling performance!
What have YOU been up to? Please keep me up to date so I can toot your horn...you deserve it!

Have your say! Check your mailboxes this week for an online survey from ELM! We can't wait to hear what you want for 2009! Here is the link in case you miss it...
Click'>http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ATfEtf0ppl4za_2f3pyQwDPg_3d_3d">Click Here to take survey

Happy Trails...
S

New York report

WOW. That pretty much sums up my recent trip to NYNY. It was unreal and surreal at the same time and I am so glad that I went on that spur of the moment trip with my sisters. I can't believe we were only gone for a week! We crammed in so much action each day and were blown away by the city. Those who know me know that I am not a lover of cities. BUT...I LOVE New York! We are already planning our return trip to this amazing place...
In a nutshell:
Thursday night red eye from Van...cancelled! We got off to a rocky start as the plane was broken and the engineers couldn't fix it so they cancelled our flight and we had so sleep in a hotel in Van the first night. We got off the ground the next day at noon and made it to NY at 9:00pm on Friday. Stayed just outside of SoHo in Manhattan at the best little hotel with our very own NY apartment suite. Right beside the restaurant and shopping districts....

Saturday: Went to the Seaport and got in line for cheap Broadway tickets...got 3 for Chicago! Spent the day in Grenwhich Village on a 3.5hour FOOD TOUR. So good and our guide was classic...I have never eaten so much pizza...Went to Chicago that night and toured around Times Square...and went up to the Top of the Rock (Rockafeller centre) for an unreal nightscape view of Manhattan.

Sunday: NY Bagels...Subway to Central Park...hours in Central Park...hours in the Met Museum of Art (real live VanGoghs!)...fantastic dinner and night at a Jazz club...

Monday: Cuban breakfast...Bus Tour around all of Manhattan...Battery park with views of the Statue of Liberty...fun times and lots of laughs with the sisters...Amazing dinner....then to Madison Square Gardens to see MADONNA! So good....

Tuesday: Lazy day...shopping district...Wall street...Brooklyn Bridge...red eye home...

If you haven't been to NY yet....you HAVE to go. Super cool...super fun...super safe and friendly:)

The sisters on the Brooklyn Bridge overlooking the business district...


Empire State Building....

Larger than life billboards...

The old Statue...

You gotta go:) Check my photo blog later for more artsy shots:)

S

New York here I come!

And now for something completely random...

I am off to New York today for nearly a week to explore the big apple and go see Madonna with my sisters! Yes...a little out of my usual routine but what the hell! I will have pics and tales to tell upon my return! See you again on October 9th!

Classes are running as usual so go to the website for locations etc: www.elmhealth.com
Cheers,
Sarah.