oh christmas tree

Nothing says Christmas like cutting your own tree. In Alberta, anyone can do that for just $5 (here).

Family photo with our trophy.

S and K with their find.

Doing the deed.

Taking it home.




Heading to the truck.

Loaded and ready to go.

Running, I've missed you.

Seems I got a little off course. I was in the middle of my second long run on a brutally hot July weekend when I realized I wasn't having any fun. It wasn't an exhaustion-induced "why-the-hell-am-I-doing-this" kind of revelation. Somewhere along the way I lost track of why I ran. The freedom, relaxation, and adventure that I looked forward to on every run was replaced with routine. Training had become a job and I didn't need another job, especially one that I wasn't getting paid for.It was time for a change of pace. I was mentally and physically exhausted, and I'd fallen behind on or completely lost track of every other aspect of my life. I wanted to get away from training so I could reconnect with the rest of my life and rekindle my interest in running.

It's amazing what you can do with an extra 15 to 20 hours  a week: gardening, hiking, hunting, time with friends and family. I've even done some work on my thesis. Imagine that. While the past few months have been fun, something has definitely been missing. My sleep patterns are all messed up, I ache in places I have no reason to ache, and I'm continually stressed about things not worth stressing about. In short, I don't feel like myself. It's time to start running again.

When I was in my early 20's I was in Jock Sportswear in Saskatoon buying a new pair of shoes. The second and last pair of Nikes I've ever owned. "What are you training for?", the salesperson asked. The question caught me off guard. I wasn't training for anything. I'd been running regularly for several years at that point and had never thought about entering a race. I ran because I like running and because I liked the way it made me feel. "Life", I replied. He chuckled but was otherwise unimpressed.

I don't have any plans to race again. Then again, I don't have any plans to not race again either. I'm just going to run for awhile and see where that takes me. Maybe I'll see you out there.