Team Nuun Tuesday – Let The Reports Begin
I can’t quite bring myself to say that this is the last Team Nuun Tuesday. I’m pretty sure that I’ll have enough to write about until at least next week! Let’s begin with a recap of Thursday’s activities, shall we?
25 August 2011
I had the luxury of driving down to Seattle to begin my epic weekend. While to sign telling us that the border wait was 50 minutes was accurate it wasn’t any fun. Especially when we discovered that the lane we were in was not the one that splits to go to the other booths at the end. And it’s even less fun when all three of us started with the requests for the washroom with about 20 minutes to go.
There’s a sign when you enter the United States that shows a bunch of national landmarks and Spud wanted to know what all of them were. Thank goodness the Space Needle was on there because he kept asking to go see them. Sorry, Bud, but the Statue of Liberty and St. Louis Arch are a little too far to drive today. Guess what Colin got to do after they dropped me off? After waiting so long to cross the line I decided that it didn’t much matter if I got to Seattle too early. I’d already missed the first of the bunch that came in on early flights and knew that even if we drove straight down I probably wouldn’t have that much time to hang out. It turned out alright, though, since I got to spend about half the day with my boys.
We’ve been down to Seattle enough to roughly know our way around. I figured out about 1/2 hour outside of downtown that while I knew the address and which side of the freeway the Nuun office was on I didn’t actually have a map. Oops! The other problem was that we usually are able to take the express lane and it has different exits than the regular road so we didn’t see the one we were looking for. Thankfully I’d remembered that they were near the medical centre so I knew to go north… and we drove by the hotel on the way there too. Our fears were all for naught since we got where we needed to be with minimal aimless driving. After circling their block to find parking in a slightly sketchy area of town we went up and I got to meet Kim (event marketing and Nuun-Platuun-er) for the first time. It was a brief introduction and then Colin and Spud walked me to the hotel. They didn’t have time to stick around because of parking so we said our goodbyes and I did my very best not to cry. Tear up, yes. Outright cry, no.
I think I waited about an hour – reading the free Seattle magazine – before Melody called me and said they were on their way back from Pike Place Market. I felt bad because it was hot (PNW hot, that is) and the walk was uphill. In the meantime Tonia (toe-knee-ahh if you need the intensive or just call her T) arrived and got settled into our room. She was very nice about me butchering her name at least 3 times! We decided to go downstairs to wait for everyone in the lobby and I was pleasantly surprised to see about half a dozen bloggers sitting around chatting. It amazes me how not awkward it was to meet everyone.
Once most of us were at the hotel we started with van decorations. Let me just first say that our team went with an “ignorance is bliss” and “it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to get permission” attitude. We hadn’t been told an outright no in terms of writing on the vans and not just the windows with our markers. This is what we came up with:
I loved our design. We made sure that people knew we were from Nuun as well as letting them know they could follow along/contact us during the race. And I loved that it was rainbow-y. It turned out to be really easy to spot out on the road and in the middle of a field parking lot. I’m a little bummed that the photographer/videographer wasn’t there to document our decorating abilities since we did have a lot of fun doing it.
Once we were done it was time to head over the Nuun office to meet everyone and have dinner. I have to admit that I love their office. It’s on the fourth floor of a warehouse conversion and it’s just cool. Yes, that is the historian in me talking… We were introduced to the staff that would be joining us (Kimberly, Kim, Caitlin, Mason, Casey, Alex and Ken) as well as those that were just still around for the day. After a round of get-to-know-you with everyone it was time for pizza and salads, beer and Nuun. Ask Megan what happens when water accidentally gets into a Nuun tube and the lid is put back on! After a couple of hours and a gift exchange – I got a sweet Austin, TX shirt from Tricia – we all headed back to the hotel. I thought I wasn’t tired, but with an early wake up call (5:30 – ew!) I ended up going to bed at quarter after 9. Since I was paranoid about missing my alarm on my watch I woke up at least 4 times before it went off…
Next up: Friday 26 August 2011 aka The Day I Started “Losing” Stuff
Monday Musings: HTC 2011
This is by no means a recap of this past weekend at Hood To Coast with Nuun. I’m pretty sure it’s going to take a week’s worth of posts to get all that down! Here are just a few random things to tide you over….
- I am actually not that sore. Surprising, considering that I ran down a freaking mountain. It must have been the almost 3 hours of rolling with the stick I did sitting in the border line up waiting to get home last night.
- I am emotionally overloaded right now. There were so many ups and downs (both literally and figuratively) this weekend that I’m trying to process. Being the most introverted person in the van will bring that on. Holy overwhelmed, Batman.
- Canada needs better data plans (re: cheaper). My sad little flip phone was a slight embarrassment when everyone else had a pretty iPhone/Blackberry to tweet with. I mostly just read over their shoulders and listened to my iPod.
- I had an amazing team and I wish I got to spend more time with Van 2. It felt like we only saw them for a couple of hours during the whole event.
- How many companies do you know of where the president is game to not only wear, but run, in a sparkly pink skirt?
- We had an official photographer/videographer for the weekend. I love this shot:
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| Taken on Becker’s iPhone |
- Watch for Nuun to be bringing out new flavours some time in the near-ish future. We’ve been sworn to secrecy since they’re still testing, but there were a couple of good ones in the batch we got to try. Sorry, Mason, but you know that one was just gross. And, yes, I know that you didn’t force me to try it…
- Our team finished (unofficially) in 28:12:46, which was good enough for 4th in the Women’s Corporate Division! That should mean an official invite to come back next year. So, Nuun, do we get to make up the team again?!? You know we’re all game!
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Thank you again (and always) Nuun for choosing me!
It really was an adventure of a lifetime!
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Sorry, I Can’t Blog Right Now. I’m Busy Running Hood To Coast!
What? You didn’t know I was running a 200 mile relay this weekend? Have you been living under a rock or do you not read every post I write? If you’re on Facebook you have no excuse not to know – 90% of my updates have been HTC related since the end of June!
Anywho.
Hood To Coast starts on Friday! Guess it’s finally real since my stuff is all packed up and ready to go. I’m not sure if I’ll even have time to think once things are underway. Luckily both Nuun teams – After-Nuun Delight and Nuun Platuun – have the same, non-cringe-inducing start time of 12:30pm (it’s a staggered start from 3:30am – 6:15pm). We received our detailed itinerary and, while most things are looked after, there are things expected of us. Yes, we need to bring our own general supplies and such stuff, but we need to make Nuun look good too. As Ambassadors we’ll be responsible for promoting Nuun and educating other runners about their product. It’s actually quite a big responsibility if you think about it!*
Obviously I will be incommunicado over the next few days. I don’t have a fancy, or even not-so-fancy, smartphone. And even if I did I would have such a huge long distance/roaming charge that it wouldn’t be worth my while. Here are a bunch of ways to follow along:
Facebook: Nuun
Twitter: @ministryofnuun and #nuun
The whole team on Facebook: Bloggers Spreading the Nuun Love Hood to Coast
After-Nuun Delight Twitter: @AfterNUUNDelite
Nuun Platuun Twitter: @NuunPlatuun
For official HTC updates:
Facebook: Hood & Portland To Coast Relays
Twitter: @HTCRelay and #HTCRelay
To specifically follow me you can check at approximately the following times:
12:30pm (Leg 1)
9:30pm-ish (Leg 2) Based on HTC predictor.
6:40am-ish (Leg 3) Based on HTC predictor.
Check back often and look for references to #alanna (for all you Twitter-illiterates like me you can type that into the search) – that’s me!
* Hopefully some of you have learned something new in the last couple of months too…
My Husband Loves Me…
Team Nuun Tuesday Thursday
Okay, so life got in the way the other day. Spud had a playdate in the morning and the mail I was waiting for finally arrived in the afternoon, so we got to trek all the way to Colin’s work (thanks, Mum!) to deliver it to him. I didn’t even log onto the computer until after 9pm. I may have lost out on a ticket to Pearl Jam because of it – please cross your fingers and toes that I didn’t because I love them – but not getting around to being online once in a while isn’t really a bad thing…
So on to Team Nuun whatever-day-it-happens-to-be. Fun and exciting things all around. It’s hard to believe that it’s only 8 days until race start! It does not seem like it’s been 2 months since I found out that I made the team. Now I feel like I have to pack a million things into too short a period of time! I have runs to do, things to pack, things to buy, etc., etc., etc.
∗ Here’s what makes it more real:
We have a logo! Aw, crap, I’m running from a mountain to the ocean. And not like here where it’s a 10 minute drive. 200 miles. Really?!? I begged and pleaded to do this? Sorry, my head just barfed that out through my hands. No worries – it’ll be fine!
∗ There are (almost) a million-and-one ways to follow us during the relay! We have a dedicated Facebook page, individual Facebook pages (yes, I did jump on that bandwagon – come join the 11 other people who “like” me), twitter and, of course, our regular blogs.
Follow along!
My fb page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Running-42km/264470343579390 (I won’t actually be updating next week because a) my phone isn’t capable and b) even if it was I’d have a monstrous roaming bill when I got home).
Our unified fb page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bloggers-spreading-the-Nuun-Love-Hood-to-Coast-2011/135670549857284
Nuun’s fb page: https://www.facebook.com/nuunhydration
Nuun’s twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ministryofnuun
After-Nuun Delight twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/AfterNUUNDelite
Nuun Platuun twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/NuunPlatuun
∗ We got our itinerary recently and it looks like we’ll be having so much fun. Mainly because we aren’t the ones planning it! It is amazing how much work has gone into this as well as how much Nuun is willing to provide for us. Other than bringing along specific foods (if we want/need them) and personal items we really do pretty much only have to get ourselves to Seattle. I thought that I was going to have to go out and find ice packs, but even those are on the list.
∗ Hood To Coast released the shirt design today. How awesome is this?
I’m really hoping that it’s red not orange otherwise I’ll probably look like death wearing it. I know I’ll wear this one til it’s worn out, though, even if I look bad.
∗ Members of my team have totally gone above and beyond in terms of getting us free stuff. I feel bad that I have zero connections… I’m going to have to have a post solely dedicated to the amazingly generous vendors once the relay is over! And, believe me, it’s going to be long!
∗ I went out and bought new running stuff today! I might have to talk Colin into letting me keep it all, but everything really is necessary. Especially considering it’s recommended to have new outfits for each leg and I have enough for about 1-1/2. Thank goodness I work in retail and can get a discount on this stuff!
∗ Only one more downhill training run! I’ll probably run the same route as last Friday. Need to focus on my form and think of being, as one friend recommended, “light on my feet.” I guess technically I’m tapering!
Monday Musings
Lack of imagination, creativity and concentration gets you bullet points once again. Here are the random thoughts that need to escape from my brain:
Ø Less than 2 weeks until Hood to Coast! Lots to talk about tomorrow for my Team Nuun Tuesday post, but it’s insane how fast the time’s gone by.
Ø I did my first downhill run on Friday. Originally I was supposed to run a route with a friend that would have been pretty much identical to HTC, but the timing just didn’t work out and we didn’t want to be running it as it was getting dark. Between traffic, no sidewalks, and possible animal encounters it was probably for the best. Instead I did a solo run that, in part, saw me do 5km/3.1mi with a 1000ft elevation loss which is about half of what I’m expecting. I tried really hard to focus on technique and think I did fairly well. That said, however, I’m still feeling it now. The hunt for appropriate ice packs is on!
Ø Colin went out for his usual long run yesterday and remembered something cool about his bear-encounter a couple of weeks prior. There’s a section that he had to run through where the bears’ route went from tall grass, into a ditch, across the road, and then into the blueberry fields. When he was running he was actually going through the wet bear footprints! When I said that’s why we need a little camera to run with he mentioned (wisely) that the last thing he would be doing would be stopping there!
Ø I’ve discovered that waiting for something in the mail is like the old idiom “a watched pot never boils.” I’m quite certain that what we’re waiting for will arrive when I go out which, of course, means that I can’t pick it up until after 1pm the next day. It’s driving us nuts!
Ø We’re signing Spud up for playschool this fall! That means that I’ll get 2 days a week where I can do whatever I please for 2-1/2 hours. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be the mum that shows up before and after class in her running attire and will have to endure strange looks from other parents. Maybe I’ll have to make sure that I run at the start and have time to shower before pick up. I don’t want to be the smelly mum…
Ø Colin and Spud went to the local airshow this past weekend while I was at work. It’s a family tradition to spend a long, hot day around noisy airplanes and this year’s show didn’t fail. Not only were there the requisite planes in the air and on display, but there were also booths set up by local companies and law enforcement. Here’s the reason that prisoners should always be handcuffed:
Post-Dash Drive: Whistler – Home
Since I’m still working on my recap for Warrior Dash here are some pictures of the drive home. I’m so blessed that all this is within a 2-1/2 hour drive from my house…
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| Black Tusk, Garibaldi Provincial Park (my first hike |
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| Mount Tantalus |
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| Salish Sea, Squamish (there were lots of kiteboarders here due to high winds off The Spit – can you find one?) |
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| Stawamus Chief Provincial Park (popular with climbers – left side – and hikers – right side) |
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| Shannon Falls Provincial Park |
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| Anvil Island |
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| Sea to Sky Highway (looking back toward Squamish) |
I tried to get a great shot of Vancouver from the highway coming into town, but between the trees and the smog it wasn’t worth it… Here’s what it would have looked like if I could have gotten the shot:
More Pictures: Dirte Dashes Some More
It’s amazing what a little investigating will get you. I was bored looking at Warrior Dash results so I found the youngest female finisher in the results (14) and looked up her pictures. What did I find, but my husband falling out of the mud pit!
All photos © Sport Photo
Fill In The Blanks – Warrior Dash Whistler
This is originally from whistlerisawesome.com and I am blatantly stealing it!
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I Won The Prize…
… for best Warrior Dash inflicted injury*!
Whistler Warrior Weekend
Just a quick post before Colin and I (and 16 of our running friends) are off to Whistler, BC, for Warrior Dash! 2 nights of being adults as my parents are watching Spud. There will definitely be a trip made to the liquor store before we head out of town… I’m sure it will be a gong show a fun time will be had by all. There should be some awesome, and hopefully not too incriminating, pictures to post next week.
Hope you have a great weekend too!
Extra-Wordy Wednesday: Meet The Team!
Mel has done an insane amount of work to introduce all the Nuun team members to you and to each other! Click the photo to read all about us!
Team Nuun Tuesday
1. Thanks to the talented and extremely patient Carrie team After-NUUN Delight now has a logo for Hood to Coast:
2. Back at the start of this adventure, and when we all had ideas coming out the wazoo, we thought it would be great to have a team shirt. Well, there is no longer a need. Nuun has come up with a sweet design – it’s Nuun, not team name, specific – and I am so excited to be getting a couple of them! I hate being secretive, but I don’t think that they’re for the public quite yet. Let me just say that their design team is exceptionally creative!
3. Bought your Nuun yet? Don’t forget to use coupon code: afternuundelight to receive 25% off.
4. Hill training started last week so I should have a fairly good base going into HTC. I just need to make sure that I do a couple of runs where I focus on my downhill technique. I still want to try to run down Mt. Seymour, but will need some assistance from my friends. Hopefully at least one person is as nuts as I am – I don’t really want to have to run it alone. More from a wildlife encounter perspective than anything else.
That’s about it for this week. Things should be swinging into full gear soon enough since there are only 22 days until I have to be in Seattle to meet my teammates. I know that HTC should be announcing start times on the 6th so that’s what I’m looking forward to for the next few days.
Team Nuun Tuesday: Too Good To Wait!
Generally this is news that I would share on Team Nuun Tuesday, but it’s so sweet it’s going up today!
Our amazing coordinator at Nuun, Kimberly, has offered up a coupon code for purchases at the Nuun Store that is valid until September 30th!
One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other…
What’s the most random search that’s found your blog?
"What’s Nuun?" Wednesday
Hood to Coast van-mate Dorothy at Mile Posts commented on Facebook that we all kind of take for granted that our readers know what Nuun is. Yes, I spout on and on about how I love it and how grateful I am for the opportunity they’ve given me. But I guess I am assuming that everyone knows what it is and how it works. And I know that isn’t true. Case in point: I’ve found myself explaining it to co-workers and we sell it at our store! So here’s a cheat-sheet, so to speak, about Nuun.*
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What is Nuun?
Simply put, it’s flavoured electrolyte tabs that you put in your water.
What is in Nuun?
Stuff that helps you NOT bonk. Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B2. There’s some other scientific-y stuff too. If you love the extra boost, there is caffeine in Kona Cola and Lemon Tea.
What’s not in Nuun?
Carbs (so use food or gels/chews too!), Sugar, Gluten, Corn (but some products used to make Nuun might have it so not totally corn free) or Animal byproducts.
Why is Nuun good?
See the not bonking part! The worst part about sports and exercise is running out of steam. By replacing your electrolytes as you sweat you keep your body happy. Here are the cut-and-paste reasons electrolytes are important:
“The body has to perform a delicate balancing act to keep water and electrolyte levels just right. For example, whenever sodium levels dip too low, the kidneys are stimulated to produce more urine, which restores the balance by lowering the amount of water in the blood. And when the sodium level gets too high, thirst develops, stimulating the person to drink. A hormone is also secreted by the brain in response to thirst that causes the kidneys to produce less urine. Together, these effects result in dilution of the sodium and the restoration of balance.”
Under 8 calories per tab, which is technically 2 servings.
How does one use Nuun?
Find favourite bottle or glass. Fill with 16 oz of water or cut a tab in half and use 8 oz. Select one of 11 Nuun flavours – or 15 if you add in the 4 U Hydration flavours – and drop in water. Watch it bubble and dissolve (it’s not carbonated, but does have a slight fizz if you don’t let it sit for a couple of minutes). Drink and Enjoy!
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Who can use Nuun?
Anyone. You don’t have to be an athlete to like it and use it. It’s not going to hurt to get electrolytes.
Hopefully this gives you an idea of why I love Nuun. If nothing else it’s another tool to keep in your running box!
If you have more questions ask away! I’ll do my best to come up with an answer for you.
* This is good practice because I’m going to have to explain it to people on site in August!
Team Nuun Tuesday
⇒ The big news for the week is that Team #2 is now officially Nuun Platuun. I think that it is a great name, especially with already built-in costume ideas! And it is totally the opposite from us. When I saw it the first thing that popped into my mind was that Team Nuun Platuun vs. Team After-Nuun Delight has a very late-60s Hawks vs. Doves feel to it. We’ll be the mellow, “have a try, man” team and, in my head at least, they’ll be the “drop and give me 20 and then we’ll see if you deserve it” team. I’m sure it won’t be quite like that, but it gave me a laugh.
They “released” their top secret info last week: each blogger had the same post consisting of bios of all of the members. You can check it out at XLMIC’s blog, Taking It On. She did the compilation so that’s the link you get.
⇒ Plans are underway for our van design. Nothing is set in stone quite yet, but think 70s, rainbows, flower power or disco (that’s the sticking point, but it looks like flower power is winning), paisley, etc. Lots of colour! You should be able to see our van a mile away! I’m a little freaked out by having my face plastered to the side of the van, but there’s no I in Team! Ha!
⇒ Loving my new flavours of Nuun! So far Tropical and Grape are the front runners. I still haven’t worked up the courage to try the Banana. It really does scare me.
⇒ Hood To Coast is one month away!!! That makes it sound so close. The major issue was my passport and it should be here in about 2 weeks. Other than that I guess I should start hauling stuff out of cupboards and drawers.
Monday Musings
» First off, go over to Sweat Once A Day and congratulate my HTC van-mate Emily on becoming an Ironman yesterday! She finished in 13:53:44. Yup, that’s hours. And while all athletics are totally relative to the athlete, here’s a comparison: she swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and still managed to finish the full marathon (26.2 miles) a good 20 minutes faster than I’ve ever run one. Of course, she trained her ass off for this!
» Only one more weekend of work before I finally have a weekend off! Of course it’s a holiday weekend (BC Day) so I’ll be there 3 days, but, as always, the money’s good so I don’t say no… And the reason I’m so excited to have the time off – besides the fact that I’ve worked every weekend in July – is that it’s Warrior Dash in Whistler! Time to spend with Colin and 14 friends that is kid free, I can drink as much as I like because I can be slightly irresponsible (but, let’s face it, I only drink about 2 glasses of anything before I’m ready to sleep or I totally shut up because I’m cognizant of the fact that I’m drinking too much), and I can run a “race”.
» Colin has finally heeded my advice and agreed to stop running at a local park. He’s been doing his long runs out on dyke trails that go around blueberry fields. Having grown up in the area he knows that’s where the bears like to hang out. I always ask him to avoid it since I’d like him to make it home in one piece. Sunday was the day he decided to stop. Now, it’s not because he was bothered by seeing 6 bears. It’s because it’s too much of a time waster to have to stop, back up, avoid, wait, etc. Glad his safety is his main concern…
» I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m going to have to choose between running and sleep. I’ve found that I just have no motivation to get out the door with Spud in the stroller and it’s killing my training. I’m going to be making the move to early morning runs. I’m still working out details, but at least one friend answered my Facebook plea to join me at an ungodly hour of the morning. Well, it is for me. It’ll probably still only be 6am, but that’s ridiculous for a girl who loves her sleep.
Wordy Wednesday: Things I Love & Hate Edition
Yesterday was our 8th anniversary! In true we-now-have-a-kid-and-therefore-no-money fashion we had a regular day. Colin worked, came home, I went to run clinic, Colin ran, we watched tv. My parents are making us dinner tonight to celebrate – much appreciated!
After sort of complaining yesterday morning about not receiving my Nuun gift pack yet it came in the afternoon. Score! I actually got a few more stickers and another bottle, but the bottle was put to use right away. Strawberry Lemonade and Grape were my first trials. I put too much water in the first one, but it was still good. I tried to smell it right after taking off the cap and ended up snorting a bunch of powder. Oops…
Grape, though, is awesome! The smell of it reminds me of gum I used to chew as a kid (Double Bubble). It contributed greatly to my perfect tempo run last night. Rarely can I describe a run that way, but everything came together just right. I felt so good. I found the perfect pace group (2:10 finish); it was cloudy and windy, but not cold; my leg that was bothering me from wearing old shoes to work on Sunday didn’t act up – thank you right Soleus; I was strong on the hill (little, but still a hill) by making up a really corny mantra about not quitting; and ended up doing just under 5km in 32 minutes. Yay!
Something To Hate:
Why is there no good way to get a good photograph for official documents? The above photos are from our currently expired passports (on the left) and the pictures for our new ones (on the right). Canada has this dumb guideline that you have to have a “neutral” expression on your face, meaning you can’t smile. I guess they want you to look like you would if you were apprehended… Let me just say that Spud did so well with not making faces. He looks like he’s in a lot of trouble in his, but he was very well behaved at the store.
I said on Facebook the other day that I’ve gone from fat head to slightly crazy eyes. I guess that’s better than Colin. He now looks like a normal, albeit tired, guy. I’ve always thought his 2006 photo kind of looks like a serial killer’s mugshot. I guess we’ve moved up in the world!
Challenge for the day: I dare you to post the “best” government issued photo you have!
Team Nuun Tuesday
Not a lot to report this week. The 2 things I want to talk about in depth are either unannounced or have not arrived yet. So here’s the pathetically short synopsis.
1. Team #2 has a name. I found out purely accidentally when their new group showed up in my Facebook news feed. However, I can’t in good conscience spoil it for them. I really want to spill the beans, but that would make me a bad word of the highest order. And a really crappy teammate. Let’s just say that it’s great and, even though I love our name, I kind of wish we’d thought of it. If Team #2 is reading – What’s taking so long?!?*
2. Nuun sent out a gift pack of sorts to team members. There has been much talk about it on Facebook. Unfortunately I do not get to benefit from the USPS’s efficient service. While everyone is either ripping theirs open or giving it away (I may or may not be that generous) I am patiently waiting. That would be the downside to living in another country. I get to guess when Canada Border Services Agency and Canada Post will get their acts together and deliver my package already!
*Seriously, I’m only half joking. I can keep a secret (well, Colin knows), but still. If the suspense is killing me, think about how everyone else is feeling… 🙂
Bread And Butter Dreams
Let me preface this by saying that if you find yourself up at 1:07am and you think you are hungry you’re not. Just go back to bed. Since neither Colin nor I could heed this advice here are the awesome dreams we had…
1. Colin’s dream was about Tofino. My family has been going there since I was young and this year would have been the 20th consecutive year. However, going to a now very popular tourist destination is not cheap. So unfortunately none of us will be going. Obviously Colin’s subconscious is still in denial… He dreamt that all of us were waiting at the ferry terminal getting ready to head over to the island. I drove my car with my mum and Spud on to the ferry. Colin waited for my dad who had a 4×4. When my dad came back he said that he was ready to go, turned around and drove away. He was convinced that he and Colin could drive there.
2. I had a very in depth dream about running an ultramarathon. It was based in and around Vancouver. Some of the route was on trails and some was on the road. At the start Dean Karnazes made a brief appearance and laughed at me when I asked if he could pace me. Of course I came to my senses and admitted that he would probably be able to finish a couple of times over before I did. He ran off still laughing at the newbie.
I didn’t really know the course that well so when I had about 10 kilometre or miles left (still not sure what the actual distance was) I got lost. I was running back and forth along the beach trying to ask people where I was supposed to go, but I was at the finish line and they were all done already. Eventually someone told me that I had to do a loop of the Stanley Park area and come back to the beach. By this point I was already well past when I wanted to come in and I was running dead last. I picked up the pace by using some sort of bulky metal pole/walking stick thingy to propel myself forward. I started to pass other runners – all of whom seemed really old or hurt.
Once on my way back I came to a fork in the road and didn’t know which way to go. Colin yelled at me from a restaurant that I was supposed to go left to get back on the beach. But I missed the turn for that and saw runners going to both Rogers Arena and BC Place. By the time I got to the arena it was closed to runners. So off I went to BC Place where they were deflating the roof. I ran down the concrete ramp inside and discovered that they were packing up to leave. There were about 4 firefighters giving out medals and the first one tried to hand me a junior medal (don’t ask, I have no idea what that is). When I complained they gave me the real one and then they all started taking my picture from different angles.
Then I woke up; face down on my stomach and both my arms were partially asleep. I have no idea what time it was except that it was early.
3. After I got back to sleep I had a dream about work. Yippee! My store kind of looked like my store, but it was bigger than usual. No one seemed concerned or in awe of the fact that I’d just done an ultra. All I got was a rude look and comment from a customer because I wasn’t helping them. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t working yet and didn’t have my uniform on. I think there was more to it, but it’s gone now…
So the moral of the story, in case you couldn’t figure it out, is don’t eat bread and butter in the middle of the night or you’ll dream of obscure things.
Love My Runners 
