Summer! And a bit of race fun...

Thank goodness summer has finally made it’s appearance in Calgary… I was beginning to think it was going to completely pass over us this year

We had an amazing hot weekend, and even more amazing, two whole straight days of HOT sun!

Today though, was epic.

6:30am was our wake up call. My husband Marc entered a 10k race, here in the city, and we needed to get up early for the 8:00 race start. We got ourselves together, Marc had his Vega gel, pre-workout drink, and prepped his recovery drink for after the race. It was already 15 degrees. We knew it was going to be a hot one for sure.

To give you a bit of background, Marc has been a competitive runner for 20 years now, but hasn’t raced in almost two years. He’s been plagued with injury after injury, very close to completely giving up. He thought his racing days were over. Like me, he has been struggling to find out why these kinds of issues are happening, continuously… doctors have had no answers.

It was when we attended a seminar with Brendan Brazier a few months ago, that things really started making sense for him. Some of you may wonder if Marc is on the same journey as I am with vegetarian/veganism. Well, not entirely. Meat is not brought into the house, hasn’t been since January, but he does consume it when we go out for dinner on occasion. Having said that, he is starting to value the benefits more and more on his own. Let me repeat that, on his own. I am not here to preach, or coerce anyone into anything, not even my husband of 11 years. All I can do is share my experiences, how certain ways of eating works for me and why. I had to come to all of this on my own, why should I expect others to do exactly what I say, no questions asked? I most certainly didn’t respond well to that approach.

It wasn’t my intention to have any product placement here, as no one has asked me to do so. But Vega has been an incredible addition to Marc’s daily routine (especially the EFA oil for his joints), and to his training. Because Brendan is a professional triathlete, trainer, and vegan guru, Marc immediately related to him and what he had to say. It was also Brendan’s quiet, very unassuming way about him that Marc related to as well.

Getting back to the race. Long story short, Marc ran an impeccable race. It was hot, it was tough, it was a bit nerve-wracking for this girl watching. I just wanted him to be happy with how he ran, that’s all.

He didn’t come in first, not second, but he did come in third at 34 minutes and 50 seconds. The same time, and the same placement as he did two years ago. Needless to say, he was thrilled. If you are a runner, especially a competitive runner as Marc is, you know how rare that can be. There have been times that Marc has come in first, but still wasn’t happy; because his time was terrible, or he just didn’t feel good.

Today, powered by plant-based supplements, and slowly changing his diet, he had the best race he’s had in a very long time. No injuries, no hip issues, not even any cramping in his calves that has become a normality after his races. All of this has made a huge difference in his training. He is more focused on recovery, and I can’t remember him this happy, and this healthy when it comes to running.

He’s an amazing runner, and I am an extremely proud wife. Both of us have made incredible changes in our lives, and thankfully, it has brought us closer than ever before.

The racers of the day – Marc, his cousin’s husband Kent, and two very sweet, energetic little runners Sierra and Ethan (adorbs!)

BUT, the day didn’t stop there! After hanging around, watching a kid’s race after the adult one (SO ridiculously cute), and getting through the awards ceremony, we went BIKE SHOPPING! It was such a glorious day, that we thought it would be a perfect day for a ride. We had talked about getting me a road bike for a few weeks, but today was the day. We headed to our favourite bike shop, tried out a few bikes, and ended up with this beauty…

Please excuse the awkwardness… love the Lululemon attire, but this girl needs a proper jersey!

We immediately headed out for a long ride around the reservoir to break it in, and we both agreed; it was the perfect end to the perfect day. I love how we can get a little adventure back into our lives now and again, it definitely keeps us both on our toes!

Today, was epic. This summer is going to be just as epic!

Question of the day: What was the last big thing you did to add more adventure into your life? If it’s been too long, what would you like to do??