Monthly Archives: January 2007

I tested out my new yaktraks today in the Devon river valley trails. I took the same route as the 5peaks trail race last year. Total distance was about 6.5 km according to my PDA GPS route I recorded while I ran the trail. I took my adjustable ski poles with me so the run was more of a Nordic walking punctuated by running. Some parts of the trail were quite deep and my feet did get wet but not cold. I was supposed to do 5 km today so I am ahead in my trek to Frostbite Falls. Guess where I’ll be training more often now that I have a decent pair of yaktrax? I took these photos with a cell phone camera that doesn’t focus very well. And here is a badly focused photo of one of our resident nasty squirrels on on of his crime sprees. Here … Continue reading →

So far this year I have run 64 km in this area and weather: Here is a photo looking out through my front door. To the right is our bird feeder and a red mesh bag containing suet that our squirrels like to hoard. The squirrels chase away the pileated, downy, and hairy woodpeckers as well as chickadees. We are convinced that the squirrels store the suet in their underground dens. This photo is looking out one of our living room windows. There is a pile of firewood under that tarp! The last picture is looking out to our back yard: Fortunately the weather is getting better, it is -5 C today and I am just about to go for my 5 km in order to make the above total distance true!

Yesterday was a 9.5 km day and I did very poorly. I decided to run 8:30 and walk 1:30. That will be my new Galloway type interval for LSD’s. I felt really weak and slow and yes, fat. I am *gak* counting calories! Like Lisa Lawrence, I don’t believe in diets, especially the fad ones. But having acknowledged (for over a year now) that I eat too much, AND, having just now given up on the idea that I can “exercise away the added calories”, I have decided to watch that I keep my daily caloric intake to between 2000-2500 calories. Preferably to below 2000 for a start. If you think that is high you are right but then again I was very often eating well over 3500 calories on a frequent basis which is easier than you think. Especially when you eat too much refined pasta and carbs. For … Continue reading →