Just in case all of my vacation posts are getting a bit boring, well never fear! I’m back on a training program!
I woke up in Vancouver on Tuesday morning and was ready and raring to go. I stayed at the Sunset Inn & Suites, a great hotel in downtown Vancouver. Most of the hotels in downtown are super expensive, then they charge you ridiculous amounts to park your car while you stay there too. The rates at the Sunset were reasonable, plus parking was included, plus they had a bike locker as well. The hotel is a couple of blocks away from the Burrard Street bridge and the beaches.
Speedy Tuesday
I had speed work on the schedule and I figured that a run along the beach front towards Stanley Park would be a terrific option. I had 8 x 2:00 intervals with 2:00 of easy running in between. I wasn’t sure how speedy I would be since I’ve been enjoying plenty of good food on my vacation. I just focused on the scenery and never paid attention to the intervals. I just waited for the Garmin to beep at me to let me know what to do. In fact, I got so lost in the scenery that I was surprised when my 8 intervals were up. 5.8 miles done in just under 55 minutes.
Wednesday Grind
My first ever “hike” was the summer after my second year of university. A few of us working at the City of Vancouver got together one weekend to hike the Grouse Grind. Honestly, the Grind isn’t much of a hike. It is a workout!
Length: 2.9 kilometres (1.8 miles)
Elevation Gain: 853 metres (2,800 feet)
Base: 274 metres above sea level (900 feet)
Summit: 1,127 metres (3,700 feet)
Total Stairs: 2,830
The first time I did the Grind I thought…it is a hike…I need hiking boots. Except I didn’t have hiking boots. I had steel toed boots that looked like hiking boots, so I wore those. Like I needed to make it any more difficult! Now I know that you are best off dressing like you are going for a run instead! Here is a shot of the beginning of the trail, while it is still easy:
%20%20-%20Time%5B3%5D.jpg "Hiking 26-08-2009, Heart rate (% of max HR) - Time")
I had no real goal for the Grind since I can’t remember any of my previous times. I figured if I went under an hour that would probably be pretty good though. All done in 53 minutes! 
Thursday Long Run
I didn’t have any specific instructions for a long run, just to run 1:15 to 1:30 and base the length of the run on how I felt. I wanted to take the opportunity to run the entire length of the sea wall in Stanley Park. From the entrance to the exit of the park the sea wall is about 9 km in length. I figured that to get from my hotel and back would be the perfect distance. I got going early at 7 am and it was beautiful out. Crisp and sunny. There are water fountains at various points along the wall, generally wherever there are kiddie parks, so I didn’t worry about carrying water. Just my room key, my ID, and some cash for a coffee after. Unfortunately I didn’t bring a camera either, so I don’t have any pictures to share with you from the run!
The sea wall has been one of my favourite spots in Vancouver for ages. Back when I was a kid and we would go to Vancouver for vacations we used to rent bikes and ride the sea wall. I just marvelled at the scenery and didn’t pay attention to pace or anything. All said and done I got in 8.35 miles and I felt great the entire time.
I do have some shots of Stanley Park from some previous trips though, so check out the scenery:
Friday, August 28, 2009
Back At It!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Change of Plans!!
As I was riding along on Monday morning I started to wonder how I was going to spend my day. After all, I would have the entire afternoon and evening ahead of me now! My plan was to drive from Winthrop through the North Cascades National Park and stay in Marblemount, about 88 miles away. Apparently there is phenomenal hiking in the park…but since I wasn’t so interested in solo hiking I wasn’t sure how I would spend my day. I started to think that I could actually make it to Vancouver in plenty of time instead…
The drive through the North Cascades was beautiful. Such different scenery compared to the southern route. 
Ultimately I decided to keep going toward Vancouver. The hotel I had booked had enough availability that I could arrive a night early and I got here just in time for dinner. Now where to go for dinner? It was a toss up between oysters at Joe Fortes, or some possible Iron Chef winner Rob Feenie cuisine at Cactus Club. Turns out that pints of Udder Ale are on special at the Cactus Club on Mondays, so that sealed the deal.
The place was packed, but I managed to snag an awesome table at the bar. Shortly after this arrived…
…a lady approached me to ask if I would mind sharing my table with herself and two other folks. They were teachers in town for a BC Teachers Federation conference and I wound up having a blast chatting with them all night. One of the ladies, her daughter is racing Ironman Canada this weekend, plus will be racing Clearwater in November. Turns out her daughter and I live just a few blocks apart. Weird coincidence!
So the moral of the story is that sometimes a change in plans is a good thing. You never know where it may lead you! For me, it was a terrific night at the Cactus Club, plus something fun on Tuesday morning…