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Hi everyone, I am back safe and sound from an unforgettable day in the Mountains of Tahoe National Forest. It was magnificently beautiful and I am so thankful to have had the chance to view such amazing terrain. Although short-lived it was an incredible learning experience. My hat goes off to all those who finished with Dave and Gilles from the North Shore way to go as you are both super-men in my books!!!! These are two local athletes who beat the heat and crossed the line. Here is my story for those interested:

It's a drag being injured.  I fear nobody at the Capilano Eagles running club will remember me if I were to show up at a Tuesday evening workout.  Friends are out running Western States 100, doing Ironman tris, ramping up for the Knee Knacker and I'm surfing the Internet looking for a silver bullet for my bum knees so I can get back on the trails.  I guess it's divine retribution for my misspent youth?

Well the North Idaho Kick Ass is set.  It has been very hot here the past couple days and is looking to get really hot.  Anyone that wants to stop by my house the day before the race feel fr

Some of you know that I got into adventure racing since my return from Central America, and a few of you know that I am competing in an adventure race called Primal Quest in just 6 days. For the rest of you who have been wondering why I have been so lame at e-mailing this year, it's because on top of everything else that is life, I have been training 25 hours a week since October.

So I'm happy with this finish, I'm not used to running 5 minute

I'd heard of it.  I sure couldn't spell it.  Before I got it, I figured anyone who whined about their foot being sore was a wuss... but this injury sidelined me for the better part of 9 months.

Despite worsened asthma symptoms and a long recovery from a cold virus, I have been positive about training and running this month.  Given that I lost all the endurance I had built up earlier in the year, I focused on getting back on track and running shorter distances. 

I see by my countdown calendar that I am closing in on the midpoint of my four month stay here in Fukagawa. I was delighted to be a guest of the city mayor at the recent Cherry Blossom Festival, a mixed event with lots of barbequed lamb and some talent among the several entries in the Karaoke contest. The mayor, up for re-election for a fifth term this fall, was one of the Karaoke singers.
The highlight for me, though, was discovering a winding 2km bark-mulch path winding up, down, through and around the hillside park.
I've been needing longer runs, and worrying about the lack of mountains for running. So, I heeded my runner partner, Cheryl's, advice and I headed back last Thursday morning on my street cruising bike for the park, 4-5 km north of the city to do my personal Enduro of laps.
I was surprised and delighted to find runners at the park. A dozen or so. Runners. Speedy, young guys in singlets and running shorts, complete with a couple of coaches posted at the top of the rises. Runners! I started plodding through my slow and steady routine of laps, admiring the fleet-footed fellows each time they passed. I felt at home, a path underfoot, trees around and fast guys hot-footing it past me. Who were these runners? In the few months I've been here running through the rice paddies and along the river dike, I'd seen no other runners.
I noticed, after these runners had finished, had a drink and rested a bit, they walked across the road and all climbed into the camouflage-canvas covered back of an army truck. I kept at it, slow and steady, knowing the nearest military base is about an hour away, on the Sea of Japan coastline, at Rumoi.
What a fabulous day. I'd found my local Nirvana, a running path worth driving in the troops for training, and certainly worth my few km bike trip.
Rhonda

Sit down, grab a coffee.  This write-up turned out to be more of an epic than I expected.

Sometime during the week Tim tells me that Craig’s planned a Vancouver 100 training run to cover the route from the new start of the Knee Knacker (KKNSTR) to Cleveland Dam.  Apart from the training benefits, there are two main goals for this run: 1) familiarize ourselves with the new KKNSTR start (or the Vancouver 100 ½ way point, if you like); 2) check out the snow conditions on the top of Black and Hollyburn Mountains.  “Sounds like a great idea”, says I.  “As long as I can work out the kid arrangements, count me in.  Where do we meet and when?”  “We’re to meet at 7 am at Cleveland Dam Saturday morning and car pool it to the start.”  Huh?  7 am?  What kind of sick person would plan a training run for 7 am?  Tim, being the astute fellow that he is, manages to scrounge us up an extra ½ hour of sleep by arranging to have his amazingly accommodating wife Maureen drop us off at 7:30 at the start.  We’ll meet everyone else there.