juan de fuca - do it!

it is sort of my style to be worried and anxious before a big event and hiking the 47km juan de fuca trail was no different.  a friend and i had planned to do it over 4 days over the august long weekend and when i was doing my researches on the interwebs, i kept coming upon sites saying 'it is really hard' or 'don't kid yourself, this hike is TOUGH,' or other doomsayers going on about how hard it would be.  this did nothing for my confidence that i could not only handle the hike, but actually enjoy it too.

but (but!), i was absolutely fine, the hike was certainly challenging at parts and there was a lot of elevation gain over the course of the 4 days, but listening to the ocean and camping at some gorgeous sites made all those heart rate rising hills worth it.

this was my itinerary (because this is what i wanted to know before i did it):

day 1 - botanical beach to little kuitche creek campground (14km)

• this day was by far, the toughest for me.  it was 14km to the campsite and i felt like i had to have a little chat with my legs each time i wanted them to take a big step up a rock.  there are a lot of boardwalks and fun bridges made out of the trees, but man, some of them are BIG steps for short legs.
• i also had a bit of a shriek when we came across a garter snake that didn't even have the courtesy to get out of my way when i nearly stepped on it, eek.

day 2 - little kuitche creek to chin beach (12km)

• this day was more challenging, but i didn't feel like i had to motivate my legs to keep moving, they just did.  camping at the beach was stunning and my hiking partner was absolutely exhausted by the end of the day (and with a sore knee after a fall on the slippery rocks) so we spent our evening sitting in the gorgeous evening sun, watching the water and staying out of the wind by sitting amongst the driftwood.
• and we saw sea lions!  and they were cute!  and rather awkward when trying to move along the rocks.
• it was so nice to wake up in the morning and take our time making coffee and breakfast over the stove before strapping our backpacks on and heading out along the beach.

day 3 - chin beach to bear beach (12km)

• listed on the government issued map as 'most difficult,' there were a lot of switchbacks and hills as you dance along the coastline, but again, i felt strong and capable of the cardiovascular and muscular fitness even though i was fretting about how difficult 'very difficult' would be.
• i have to say, we were both thrilled to see the sign for 'bear beach' when it appeared and we knew there were no more switchbacks in our future, yippee.
• out campsite on bear beach was beautiful and quite secluded, which was great.  we named our site doreen after a buoy that had washed up nearby and had a campfire as we sat by the ocean.

day 4 - bear beach to china beach (9km)

• back to 'moderate' difficulty, this day was a breeze and i felt a little disappointed when we reached the final kilometre marker.  it was the only day when we saw a lot of others, mostly day hikers, but i felt proud that we were carrying all of our gear and had the filth and dirt to go along with 4 straight days of hiking.  and we managed to reach the west coast trail bus pick up point with a few hours to spare and time to eat the remaining food that we had.  but i must say that i packed well and estimated the right amount of food.

a few other thoughts on this hike.  i wouldn't want to do it without the absolutely perfect weather that we had.  i suppose even if you couldn't have the benefit of the beautiful sunny skies that dry weather would be a minimum to make it really enjoyable.  i had hoped to see more sunsets, but we were often on the side of a point that blocked the sun setting over the water.  and besides, we were in bed before 9 each night!

there are lots of streams to collect drinking and cooking water and campsites were not over crowded and apart from one bear cache malfunction and many tries before successfully hanging out food, we had almost no issues.  a few minor blisters that 2nd skin took care of and some taped toes and we were good to go!

it was so nice to be out in the middle of 'nowhere' without mobile phone reception and not a care in the world past finding drinking water and estimating how much fuel we had left in the stove.  being sweaty, dirty, and without a shower for 4 days on end was just what i needed to gain some clarity and confidence and i am thrilled that i did this hike and can't wait for an opportunity to do something like this again.

number crunching

i posted a comment over at flotsam, where on her fifth year blogging anniversary she ran some numbers.  a good idea i thought, so i am posting my comment here with a few more items that i have thought of since.

children conceived: 0
live babies acquired: 0
men married: 0
apartments lived in: 5
books written: 1 (if you count a thesis)
degrees acquired: 1
unfamiliar countries visited: 17
unfamiliar states visited: 0
couches owned: 5
pets felled by disease/neglect: 0
days admitted to hospital: 0
literary rejections received: 0 (but i have received a number of professsional rejections!)
pounds gained: -10
kidney stones passed: 0

and a few of my own:

humanitarian emergencies survived: 1
doctors dated: 3
soldiers dated: 1
teachers dated: 1
statisticians dated: 1
pilots dated: 2

hunters dated: 1
houses purchased: 1
heartbreaks suffered: 1
countries lived in: 4

tropical diseases contracted: 1
blogs maintained: 1

social networking profiles created: 3

social networking profiles maintained: 1
bottles of wine consumed: even if i remembered to count, i wouldn't have had the capacity to at the time

laptops owned: 3

cars named dieter driven: 1

grandparents lost: 2

jobs held: 3, 2 concurrently

tattoos inked: 2

bites of chicken consumed: 3 +/-

itunes songs collected: 4715

languages learned: 1/8

photographs taken: 1000s, maybe even 10,000s

friends met, books read, and tears shed: statistics unavailable until technology improves!

 

i would love to hear what you have to say about your last 5 years!

autumn is here

and how do i know?

• blustery winds
• my skin is drying out
• my congestion is getting worse
• the morning air is crisp
• there are taber corn signs everywhere
• i need to carry a hoodie or a jacket with me when i go out

muffin top prevention

the indicator pants are back!

and they are not indicating as i wish they would. it is not really a problem because i had to purchase all new pants last year when i lost (too much) weight. and not on purpose.

but now (now!) i am not feeling too comfortable with the tautness of my denim and i am really adverse to the idea of buying new pants as soon as the autumn returns in full force (or when it dips down under 10 degrees in august!! which is totally normal.... seriously, canada).

i have picked up my running again and can safely and (relatively) comfortably head out for a 8km without concern, but this past week i felt a twinge in my knee. and anyone who runs knows that a twinge in the knee is the last thing you want to feel. and it has continued to get worse and after an examination by a certified medical professional, it seems that i need to strengthen the muscles around my joints and do a lot more stretching. having to stay away from the running has meant that i have taken my bike out and will need to diversify my fitness activities.

as i have always believed that september long weekend is the true new year, i am planning on starting (or revisiting, as it were) some other activities that will do well to keep me healthy and with any luck, prevent me from having to go out and buy new jeans...

i am prepared to find and start attending a yoga class in my new neighbourhood and have the number of a trainer that i will call with my inquiries about how it all works, including how much motivation costs. gyms have never really been my thing, but maybe i can still get those killer arms that i have always wanted with a little support from the professionals.

beginning to understand why it's called a pandemic

my newest question for the universe is: how much snot can one body produce?!

so gross, but i have been sick with what seems to be some sort of manifestation of the piglet flu that i picked up, along with all my great buys, in thailand before returning home. it has been over a week since this cold started and it still does not seem to be improving one lick.

i think i am feeling better so i get up and do something, only to end up right back on the couch within a few hours.

my symptoms include: congestion (as always), aches, intermittent fever, lack of energy, chest tightness and inability to get a full, deep breath, and constantly plugged ears and muffled hearing.

sounds great, doesn't it?

i was banished from my office and told to work from home so as not to infect anyone and although i have toyed with going to the doctor, i was told by one such professional that there is nothing they can prescribe for the h1n1 flu, if that is what this is, apart from rest and isolation.

and this shouldn't have been a surprise as i was mildly concerned i would be quarantined when arriving in canada, hacking and sneezing, which earned me some skeptical and accusatory looks from the canadian customs agents.

so here i am, on a gorgeous afternoon, stuffy and snotty and hoping that i regain my health so that i can enjoy a hot, sunny albertan summer weekend at the cabin.

'just the way i am'

go here and check out a very positive message about how women can improve the self esteem of other women.

there is a reason why all women love the line in bridget jones' diary about mark darcy!

running queries

when you get the shivers and goosebumps when you run, does that mean that you are overheating? what do you do to stop this or prevent it? this has been happening to me in my last few runs and it is rather worrisome because shivers and chicken skin don't seem to be a natural reaction to running in the sun and heat, so something must be up.

any tips how to make your hands stop swelling up while you run? mine have been doing this and then i try and put them over my head to get the blood to move back to my body (this seems sensible when i do it, but not so sensible when i write it out!) and out of my upper extremities, but it doesn't last.

theme-less list

• i have two potential blind dates to look forward to. my dating advice? tell everyone you know that you are dating and that you are open to being set up.
• time at the cabin was wonderful over the easter long weekend. reading books, preparing training materials, winning at monopoly (even though my opponents forfeited), drinking beer in the afternoon, sunburns, dog walks, podcasts, mmmmm...... delicious
• i came into my office building this week to find all the windows painted to cheer on the flames and rogue pucks painted on the twirly doors. who doesn't love nhl playoff season?!
• that billy bob thornton is an ass
• that thailand better get these protests under control. don't they know i am coming?
• my next spanish class is starting up this week. level 6, baby!
• i may need to institute the indicator pants again...
• i purchased a new pair of shoes made by a company called Blowfish. i am really enjoying them and although i cannot link to the exact pair i bought, they have this rather interestingly shaped heel that makes walking easy. now i do not look as though i might topple over when i wear heels (or hopefully i do not appear as unstable as i feel). and yes, they are leather.
• anyone have any good recommendations (or suggestions on where to avoid) for a hotel in san francisco? (or does anyone want to join me? ahem!)
• i am a sneezing machine lately, which i will take over the congestion any day.

UPDATE: there is a really good globe and mail column that makes an interesting comparison to the cbc and media in the states when interviewing celebrities, including billy the bob. article here.

not your average product review

i have recently started using 2 new products that i feel i should share with you, my reading audience.

my skin is dry. it is even dry when i am not residing in the notoriously dry climate of this city. my skin is also rather sensitive and many sunscreens burn when i put them on my face because of the perfume. i have found a good sunscreen, but this is not about that product. this is about glysomed, which is what i am now using to moisturise my face after washing it. it feels sort of like it has been made with some sort of rubber product, it is so thick. but it works! and once it seeps into my dry pores, it doesn't feel greasy. i only found this lotion (well, cream) by accident when my friend suggested i try it on our recent vacation and the only thing i knew about this stuff before that fateful moment was that it was advertised on jeopardy. now i am a proud convert.

again, with the dryness. my scalp is also equal to my face in its crispness. this winter was worse than it has ever been and after trying leave-in conditioner, frizz ease serum, and other products that claim to moisturise the scalp, my hairdresser recommended that i use nizoral. it doesn't smell like flowers, it is bright pink, and it is pricey. but it works! apparently it is the ketoconazole that kills the fungus that causes dandruff. and how is that for an opening line on a date? ew. but if you too suffer from a flaky scalp, this stuff is for you.

boy, do i have a weight lose plan for you!

in just 5 simple steps:

1 - come back to a country in crisis with very little food in your cupboards and no opportunity to go to the grocery store for a few days due to security concerns
2 - contract a head cold so you cannot taste anything
3 - stop eating dairy to try and ease the amount of congestion due to head cold
4 - get so busy at work trying to deal with the amount of internally displaced people left because of the emergency that you have no time to eat lunch
5 - sleep as much as you possibly can to try and alleviate head cold symptoms and stay as well as possible to handle the work load

but no need to worry, i did what is colloquially called 'pigging out' at a sushi restaurant last night. and i feel a craving for chocolate fudge cake coming on...

overhead in nairobi

(september 12, 2007)

the following were all parts of my conversations today:

‘i put my indicator pants on this morning and they gave me good news, they indicated in the right direction’

(you know indicator pants, the ones that tell you when you have gained or lost weight)

‘today was such a long day, the best thing that happened to me was that i found out i am hiv negative.’

(i am not sure why i find this so funny but i think it had something to do with the delivery and the absolute seriousness with which it was spoken. i guess you call that irony)

‘my stomach is full but my brain tells me to keep eating’

(this seems to happen a lot in our flat but without the goodies that we are used to eating when we want to eat snacks or junk, we eat pb outta the jar, cheese, substandard ice cream, yoghurt, cups of tea, or left-overs – none of which are terribly unhealthy)

‘you smell like an engine’

(he did)

‘i know how much you love q tips, do you want the package of q tips that came in my package from north america?’

(ummmm... yes! do you even need to ask? q tips around here are like cigarettes in prison, or what i would imagine cigarettes would be in prison – you can barter and trade using them as currency because they are so scarce and difficult to get. i now have a fresh package for all my ear cleaning needs. if i have one neurosis (and who are we kidding, i have about 56), it is obsessively cleaning my ears with q tips and no other brand can even begin to compare)

the mean streets of nairobi

i went for a run last night. and i am pretty sure that i left part of my lung on the road. it was that tough. i couldn't get my pace right and i think it had something to do with the music choice, i went too fast too soon and paid for it on my way back in.

i also think i should invest in some running shorts/capris that are little longer as the length of my shorts might be considered indecent. but i just get too hot in my long pants. too bad there is not a winner's in a thousand mile radius. (i have no idea how far a thousand miles actually is, it could be somewhere in mali or the midwestern us for all i know, but it seemed like the appropriate expression to use there).

as i was running i was thinking about how the running room-ers in calgary yell out all the potential dangers on the pathways - 'bike,' 'ice,' 'dog,' 'pole,' 'curb.' then i thought how hilarious it would be if i yelled out all the potential dangers on my runs (and not just because i run alone and that in itself would be even more indecent than the length of my shorts) - 'armed soldier,' 'potentially rabid dog,' 'speeding semi truck,' 'ditch filled with stagnant water,' 'smoke from burning garbage,' 'exhaust,' 'crumbling speed bump,' 'rocks and other debris,' 'setting sun.'

keeping fit and having fun

• 'Loving one's self is a delicate balance. You have to slowly relearn how to speak to yourself. You have to change your language. Try to balance one bad thought with two good ones. If you think you can't, you won't. If you think you can, you might. If you know you can, you will.' - Jann Arden
• the self talk will be the death of me if i let it
• i saw in the calgary herald online that ParticipACTION's back! i wonder if hal johnson and joanne macleod will host Body Break again.
• i have decided to give up chocolate for lent. yowsa.
• a package of mini eggs arrived in the mail today from canada and i think the phrase goes 'happier than a pig in shit' - what luck that these tiny balls of happiness arrived the day before i am to give up chocolate for 40 days!
• sometimes the universe works things out perfectly
• i can already feel the sore on my tongue developing and i love it - so crunchy and so creamy at the same time