DECEMBER 21st, 2011 - wednesday

-3*C 

Got a run in this morning.  Usually I have noon hour hockey on Wednesdays but  today we have a Chirstmas Lunch.  So, I decided to scrap the hockey and do a run this morning.  The weather has been beautiful for running.  I started the run at 20 after 10a.m.  There was a light snowfall.  Part of the run was down in Rotary Park.  I met the little tractor on the pathway clearing snow.  Any park is a  great place to run.

MERRY CHRISTMAS  to all you runners out there,
KEEP GIVE'N'ER,
Karen and Garry Kennedy

TUESDAY, the 13th of December, 2011

Around the By-Pass, the old by-pass, clockwise.  6Left Arena parking lot at 4 minutes to 6a.m.  A pretty good wind.  "Around the Horn" - you must have heard that expression.  That's what the by-pass wind reminded me of today.

Can you imagine going around Cape Horn in a clipper in the 1600's?

Here are some interesting facts from the net on the sailing conditions "around the horne".  

 
Several factors combine to make the passage around Cape Horn one of the most hazardous shipping routes in the world: the fierce sailing conditions prevalent in the Southern Ocean generally; the geography of the passage south of the Horn; and the extreme southern latitude of the Horn, at 56° south. (For comparison, Cape Agulhas at the southern tip of Africa is at 35° south; Stewart Island/Rakiura at the south end of New Zealand is 47° south.)

The prevailing winds in latitudes below 40° south can blow from west to east around the world almost uninterrupted by land, giving rise to the "roaring forties" and the even more wild "furious fifties" and "screaming sixties". These winds are hazardous enough in themselves that ships traveling east would tend to stay in the northern part of the forties (i.e. not far below 40° south latitude); however, rounding Cape Horn requires ships to press south to 56° south latitude, well into the zone of fiercest winds.^[16] These winds are further exacerbated at the Horn by the funneling effect of the Andes and the Antarctic peninsula, which channel the winds into the relatively narrow Drake Passage.

The strong winds of the Southern Ocean give rise to correspondingly large waves; these waves can attain enormous size as they roll around the Southern Ocean, free of any interruption from land. At the Horn, however, these waves encounter an area of shallow water to the south of the Horn, which has the effect of making the waves shorter and steeper, greatly increasing the hazard to ships. If the strong eastward current through the Drake Passage encounters an opposing east wind, this can have the effect of further building up the waves.^[17] In addition to these "normal" waves, the area west of the Horn is particularly notorious for rogue waves, which can attain heights of up to 30 metres (100 ft).^[18]



When we are running against a strong wind - we can think about those poor buggers in the 1600's  sailing around the horn.  It must have been frightening to say the least.  We were in Australia on the Southern tip  (South of Perth) where the Indian Ocean meets  the Great Southern Ocean.  The water churned and looked very inhospitable.  There was a lighthouse there that we visited and carved in the wall upstairs was some sailer's message that he left:  It said something like:  "If you go to sea here, you best  know how to prey".

Keep give'n'er,
gk

Saturday the 10th of December 2011

4 mile run today in PlaP.  To the bridge and back at 7:30a.m.  The bridge goes over to the Island (where the PCU center is) and Mureen's house is 2 miles from there.  1/2 the run is on an ashpalt trail along the lake shore and it's kept clear of snow.  A very nice run.  This morning was about -10*C and no wind.  I think there is about a 1/2 hour difference in the morning here for light.  At 7:30a.m. in PlaP it seems like about 8a.m. in Swan.  Hard to believe that as it's only 300 miles South but.... that's what I'm thinking.

A lot warmer today than yesterday.  As we were driving down I'm sure the windchill was in the -30*C.  Bloody wind eh?  When it gets -20*C with a wind - that's when the going gets tough.

Have a good one,
Keep give'ner,
gk

the 8th of December, 2011 THURSDAY

Got my run in this morning but I cheated a bit; I ran at 10:00a.m. instead of 6a.m.  I think it's ok to do that ??   It's harder for me to work it into the day schedule.  I like to get it in before the day starts.  But hey, whatever works.  I like running with a group and I like running solo as well.  The group is good as each one feeds off the others.  It's company and you get the feeling of participating in an interest that other people share too.   And solo is good also, lots of time it's tough enough to balance your own daily schedule little own trying to fit into others.   As long as we are getting our exercise in, what the heck. 

I started with a loop in the Legion Park, then 2nd St. N. to the bridge, Duncan Cres, Athlone/River Road, CNR tracks off Athlone, CNR bridge, Cresc. Drive., TD Bank to 2nd St. S., Valley Road, Ross, 9th Ave to Curling Rink and stop run.  Then a cool down walk home.  50 minutes/ 5 miles. 

-15*C and a wind out of the Southwest............ but Sunny. 

Keep give'n'er,
gk

TUESDAY, The 6th of December, 2011

-8*C
Pretty windy - out of the South West.

A nice morning actually.  It's very nice to have the mild temps.  -8*C is quite a bit better than -20*C.    You still have to dress warm as the wind is a factor, but that's not a problem.  The wind is good resistance.  Once you turn into it; you know it.  It's good - like hills.   It's like a program on the treadmill.

I ran with Tara Stephen and Donna Kopecky this morning.  A 4 miler route in town.   Because of the high wind overnight, there were some soft finger drifts that added to the challenge.  When you hit that soft 2 inches of snow, the footing became tougher.

It all adds to building caracter.  If you can battle the black darkness, the snowy-slippery-footing, the cold, the wind - you can run the beautiful weather like a piece of cake.    And there always will be beautiful winter days to run.  I like the days when it's snowing heavy big flakes, calm and maybe 8 to 10 below.

Keep give'n'er,
gk

DECEMBER 1st, 2011, thursday

At 6a.m. -13*C.


Got out of bed this morning at 5:30a.m.  Made sure this time.  At the Arena Parking lot at 5 to 6:00a.m.  Did a 4.05 mile loop out  PTH #83 as far as the street lights (Ash Avenue) then turned around and came back down Main Street to Northern Specialties, turned around there in Bill Mussey's lot and back home. 


A 37 minute run.   Home, showered, changed clothes and biked to Timmy's for coffee with the walkers (Colleen, Carol, Dianna, Joan).  The walkers never miss a day.  Back in the house at 25 after 7:00a.m.


A nice run, cloudy (no stars this morning).  It's cold out but what effects or "holds us back" more than anything is the "thinking of the cold" outside.  But, you know what, with the right clothes on (layers) it is as comfortable and enjoyable as running in the summer time. 


And so, the first run of December 2011 has happened on the 1st of December this year.  

Have a great week-end.  Tuesday morning, December 6th is the next run, launching from the Arena Parking Lot.  December 6th - see, it won't be long before we're eating and preparing big meals and consuming happy hour stuff like creamy dips and chips and things.  eh?  Running is the answer.  Take it in but burn it off.  Hey, that can be the quote of the day. 

"You can take it in;  but you gota burn it off"



Keep give'n'er,
gk