Less than a week to go!

Less than a week to go till we'll be running the 'Strip at Night' in Vegas with 44,000 other people. I'm super excited. Not only is it vacation time for us (after all who doesn't love a vacation!) but I'm so looking forward to the vibes and atmosphere of a really big race. The OK 1/2 marathon I've done the last 2 years has something like 2000 runners! We have both run a 'big race' - the Vancouver Sun Run has around 50,000 people so we know what it's like - and yes it's crazy busy, but I love it!!
Chris has struggled with a calf strain (well that's the problem we're not sure it's a strain it's just pain!) for months now so hasn't really been training for this at all! I've certainly tapered off a lot since my October race aswell (It's been tough for me to keep up the motivation and pace I think - I've yet to figure out how not to have that 'dip' after the culmination of training for one race)

We both agreed pretty early on that we'd run it together. And that most importantly we'd soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the moment. And for me, I'm happy to not run competively. I want to be able to take photos along the way and have fun. I want to Elvis-spot, and enjoy the bands playing along the course and I want to experience it all with Chris at my side. So we're going to take it easy (we're on vacation right?!) Making that decision made it easier this last month (since the clocks went back really) with not pressurising myself to train in the same way. I still haven't totally figured out snowy dark training runs. (Cold I can handle but the dark nights and icy roads and idiot drivers which I can't control still leaving me sitting at home in the warmth on the couch!!)

Less than a week to go.....I can't wait!!

Seattle

A couple of weekends back we took a long weekend trip to Seattle. We've been there countless times now, and invariably end up at the same spots but I love it each and every time! The weekend started with a trip from hell being stuck on the Coquihalla for 3.5 hours while it shut down to traffic due to adverse weather conditions (in mid-November - this is why any of our winter guests are strongly advised to fly right on into Kelowna!). So what should have been a 5.5hr journey was 9 hours!

We wanted to put in some tourist time on this trip, rather than just shopping till the credit card reaches it's limit. (But we did spend some time at the mall and I feel awesome because 80% of the Christmas shopping is done - in mid-November!! A very successful day and presents have even been mailed!!)

Pike Place Market on a easy Sunday morning

We drove downtown for a lazy Sunday morning stroll - and lucked out with a car parking spot RIGHT in front of the original Starbucks at Pike Place Market! We weren't even trying, we just got stuck in traffic and someone pulled out right in front of us! It would have been rude to pass up the opportunity!

We also stopped by the EMP museum in the Seattle Centre. For starters it's the most incredibly funky looking building on the outside - reminds me of a giant space age jellybean sitting at the foot of the Seattle Space Needle!! Inside it's all about Music, Sci-Fi and Pop Culture. There were exhibits about Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix (both Pacific Northwest artists) plus an Battlestar Galactica exhibition with costumes, full size ships, interactive exhibits and props. A great basement exhibit about the Lure of Horror films with clips, artifacts and recorded interviews. But probably my favourite bit was the Avatar Exhibition - with tonnes of information about the creation of the film, behind the scenes footage of filming, interviews and props  - we watched clips of the film with the final version and several of the in process versions running concurrently so you could really see how it developed into such a polished finished product - an amazing film (And to think at the time I really wasn't bothered about going to watch it!)

So nice to get away! To spend some time together away from work and regular life!

Catching Up...

I'm just wondering how many posts I've called 'Catching up' this year?!!! Seems to be a constant process! Ho hum!! And only a few days left of November before I'll have another page to do!

Taking photos has become a little easier for me finally since I got my new phone - hooray I'm in the 21st century with the latest iPhone - I'd been waiting a long time for this, making do with a crummy old flip-up phone. It's been fun playing and trying out so many apps with lots of funky filters to try - you may well start noticing a lot of square photos around here - they seem to be back in fashion!! Hilarious really that we have this crazy advanced technology and we're all picking apps that make our photos look like they were back in the 70's!!

After worrying that I wasn't going to acheive my goal of running 600 miles this year (#2) I ended up blowing it out the water! Reached my goal in late October - so I'm (belatedly!) annoucing I've upped the ante and decided to make it to 700miles (belated because I'm only 35 miles of reaching that too now!)

I also finally got that loaf of bread baked (#14) and I've been baking ever since. We now nearly always have dough ready made to go in the fridge - I love that we're eating something so natural (compared to the bought stuff with ingredient lists as long as my arm!)

Here are my layouts for September and October.