We have been in Calgary a little over a week and so far so good – despite being greeted by snow upon arrival. Thankfully the weather has returned to normal.
On Sunday we were driven around the city to numerous open houses. It was great to get out and familiarize ourselves with the city & to see what your money gets you.
The housing market in Calgary is VERY different compared to Vancouver. In just 10 blocks from Colum & Jen’s house Matt & I counted 25 for sale signs. And the best part? They are all in our budget. We don’t think we will have any trouble finding a house we love.
I still find myself getting a little homesick for Vancouver. It’s hard to adjust to a city where things are no longer in walking distance of my living space. Purchasing a road bike is on the to-do list (along with a car) so hopefully that will make things easier.
Will post another update after week 2. A few family get together’s in the next week which I’m looking forward to!
Tomorrow is the big day. We finally leave for Calgary.
It’s going to be super busy & crazy. Matt needs to go to work for a few hours before we can pick up the moving van & trailer for the motorcycle – which of course are at two different UHaul locations. We then need to pack the van. Hoping to be on the road by 3pm at the latest.
We are driving as far as Kamloops, resting for the night, then continuing on to Calgary on Saturday morning.
Of course this move has been made A LOT easier thanks to Colum & Jen who are letting us stay with them until we find a place of our own. We are very grateful!!
I’m excited for the change (and it will be nice to be closer to family & friends) but a little sad about leaving Vancouver. I love this city & was happy to call it my home for the past four years.
Now it’s time to enjoy a glass of wine & one last Vancouver sushi meal.
Matt & I spent the past weekend in Tofino at the Long Beach Lodge Resort. We are trying to fit in as much BC living as we can before heading to Calgary. It was our first in Tofino and it was amazing! We took surf lessons from a super nice guy named Josh – who also takes photos for the resort (you can check out some of Josh’s photos here). Matt was great on the surfboard! I managed a low crouch once and most of the time just got to my knees before being knocked off the board. But I had a great time and there is no other way to get over your fear of swimming in the ocean then by hopping into the Pacific Ocean in May on a surfboard! So I’m checking off #33 on my Life List – go surfing.
A few months ago one of my yoga instructors had sold me on the idea of compression socks. She also happens to be a competitive runner, so I trusted her advice.
Compression socks help improve blood flow and circulation – which in theory is suppose to help runners run longer and faster, however evidence on this is not statistically significant. They seem to be better for recovery and helping to reduce shin splints. Check out Canadian Running Magazine for their review.
CEP are a popular brand and it seems that is what all the local runners are wearing (especially the ones leading the race). So naturally those were the ones I was on the hunt for. I found them in hot pink which made me want them even more. However, I wasn’t prepared to part with the $75-$90 it was going to cost me.
I ended up purchasing a pair of knee high Lululemon Compression Socks, which only set me back $24. I didn’t wear them during the half marathon, but put them on when the run was over to help with the recovery. I wore them for about 6 hours and noticed a difference compared to the parts of my legs that were not covered by the compression socks. My calf muscles felt great – hamstrings not so much.
I have yet to wear them on any long runs, just a few short 3k’s. Haven’t really noticed any difference while running. Will keep wearing them on long runs to see if there are any improvements.
However, for $24 they have been worth the investment. Love them for the recovery benefits.
This weekend I purchased a pair of Salomon Speed Cross 2 Trail Runners – to round out my running shoe collection of course. I needed a replacement for my tradition hiking boots. I had them for 10 years and they were still in great shape, but they were so clunky and awkward that I hated wearing them on long hikes. In recent years they were used more as my winter boots. I wanted something light & easy to move in, but sturdy enough for trails and rocks. The Salomon’s seem like they have all of that. Wore them on a long walk around the city just to break them in before hitting the trails. Hoping to put them to the test this weekend with some hiking/trail running in Tofino.
The roof on BC Place Stadium was deflated today to make way for a new cable supported retractable one. It will be the largest of its kind. Almost all of the old roof’s 720,000 sq ft of PTFE fabric & inner liner will be recycled and will take approximately two to three weeks to remove before construction can begin on the new one.
The day started with my alarm going off at 6:00am. I jumped at the sound of it, forgetting why I had set it. Then I remembered - it’s race day. We ate, changed and headed out the door. As we were walking towards the start we could hear O Canada being played. Got to the start line just as they were doing the 10 second countdown. Perfect timing.
Race conditions were great at the start, overcast and 10C. Then the rain started, which resulted in some major blisters. We seemed to breeze through the first 7km. Didn’t really start to feel any pain until right before Prospect Point (the only hill on the course and it’s a long & windy one). But with some words of encouragement from Matt I made it to the top without stopping. The race was all downhill from that point - literally.
The crowd cheering runners on during the last stretch of the run gave me the extra boost I needed to make it to the finish line.
As expected there was no 2hr finish time for us today at the BMO Half Marathon. But despite the lack of training we managed to pull off a 2:23:50 which is not our best time but not our worst time either. And most importantly we finished strong and with smiles on our faces.
We are now looking for a 5km or 10km run to do between now and the time we leave for Calgary. Once there we will find the next half marathon challenge!
Time now for a much deserved lunch at the Irish Heather!
After four great years in Vancouver, it seems that we will be packing up and heading East…to Calgary.
The moving debate has been going on for quite sometime now. We both love Vancouver and all that it has to offer. However, we are tiring of the city life and renting. This is my biggest reason for wanting to move. Housing prices in Vancouver are the highest in the Country. And, well, I would like to own a home & pay off the mortgage in this lifetime. Check out these sites to get an idea of what it’s like – Crack Shack or Mansion , Vancouver Sun Article.
I’m excited about the move but am also wondering how I’m going to handle not living near an ocean and those damn winters. That being said there is a lot to look forward too – specifically being closer to a lot more family & friends.
9 days and counting. My sixth half marathon. Last year M & I ran this race in 2:15 – a personal best for both of us. A full 15 minutes faster then our previous time.
Training this time around has..well..been lacking. Although there was a big push on training the past month. I know the goal of every run is to really just to finish, but I really want to run this one in 2 hours.
