running Archives - wildtalesof.com

September 29, 2015

Micro Kickboard Mini Scooter Review

Bergen’s balance bike now has some competition when it comes to getting out and about. For his 4th birthday, he received the micro mini scooter, and after just a day or so of learning, he’s been zipping through the neighborhood and around our local parks. I believe his balance biking skills carried over to make the transition to scootering easy, but I also attribute his success to the design and engineering of the scooter from Micro Kickboard.

We’re loving this new form of mobility. Now he’ll often ride his scooter when we take our daily walks, which allows Slaed and I to actually carry on a conversation instead of constantly “encouraging” him to keep up. We’ve also started to run/walk/scooter to school instead of driving the mile or so distance making for a much more active and productive start to our mornings!

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June 23, 2015

Thule Urban Glide Review: Strolling for Active Families

Thule. You know, that Swedish company that makes those racks for your car? From skis to bikes to cargo boxes, they take transporting gear seriously, so we are super excited to get to be a part of their latest project, “Active with Kids“! Included in this line are carriers, bike seats, bike trailers, and today’s review: The Thule Urban Glide Stroller.

If you are a regular reader of the blog, you probably know that we are quite active. We are outdoors everyday, and long walks are a part of our daily routine. Thule contacted us just when Georgia (6 months) was ready to to transition from the carseat+bar system in the stroller to actually sitting in the seat of the stroller, and since it’s arrival, we’ve put the Urban Glide through the ringer!

The stroller has traveled with us on the rough Seattle city sidewalks, down gravel trails of parks, and even along the forested paths of the Washington Park Arboretum. In addition, we’ve tested the suspension down short flights of stairs, and through it all, our little adventurer has remained content in her cushy ride.

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March 10, 2014

Stuck in Defeat: Moving Past Trail Running Excuses

My run had barely started, and I was already feeling defeated.

On my last trail run after just a mile or so climbing, my mind was out of the game. It wasn’t that my body couldn’t continue. That would have made more sense. My head was the one telling me to stop running, and just hike for a while. I started making excuses. Not enough sleep. I must not have properly fueled even though I’d enjoyed 2 big pieces of toast, an egg, orange juice, and coffee before heading out. Maybe that beer after the soccer game the day before was too much.

I just wasn’t that into it.

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January 14, 2014

Training for a Half Marathon Trail Run…in the Winter

As we all know, the New Year brings new goals, new ideas, new adventures, new endeavors, and even new challenges, and of course changes. One change, I’ve fully embraced this January is NOT taking a break from running.

In the past, my running routine has gone on hiatus during the winter months. A whole lot of excuses come to mind:

It’s too cold.

It’s too wet and rainy.

It’s too dark.

It’s too complicated.

I’m ignoring those excuses. Instead I’m relying on (and being encouraged by) the positives; those lovely benefits of putting one foot in front of the other and just going:

Exercise.

Time spent outdoors.

Stress relief.

More energy.

More exploring, more adventure.

Specifically, I’m all signed up and committed to the Squak Mountain Trail Run. Yes, one of my biggest motivators in addition to the above benefits is having a race or run on the calendar. It’s in writing, it’s paid for, I can’t quit.

The big event takes place in Issaquah, Washington (just a short 30 minute or so drive from Seattle) and has me running the obvious 13.1 miles on trail, but also includes a challenging 3,650 feet of elevation gain!

Have you set any exercise goals for the year? Any races or runs on your 2014 calendar? Please share!

Come join the conversation! You can keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email. We’d also love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter! If you enjoyed this post, please “like it”, “tweet it” or “pin it”!

More on running:

July 10, 2013

Trail Run in Yellowstone National Park: Beaver Ponds Loop

With only one day on our travel itinerary to explore Yellowstone National Park last June, we knew we had to make the most of the visit. First on the agenda was setting up a trail run for me so that I could keep up with my half marathon training. I researched the options the night before and had a loop trail in mind. I was pretty excited: 5 miles, moderately strenuous, close to the the north entrance of the park where we were coming in.

North Entrance: Yellowstone National Park

On the drive down it dawned on me though that hiking and running in Yellowstone was different from the parks I was used to back home in Washington. Higher altitude and drier conditions were two things I was thinking about, but my biggest worry was bears. Since I’d run the trail on my own (while Bergen and Slaed hiked and explored), one of my “protectors” (staying in a group) against an incident was taken away. I also didn’t have bear spray. When we entered the park, I began to worry even more when we received a flyer warning us of bears and other wildlife in the area. One of the top cautions was DO NOT RUN.

I decided I’d check-in at the Ranger Station at Mammoth Hot Springs, talk it over with one of the rangers, and decide. The ranger felt that I wasn’t taking a huge risk. While it wasn’t a high traffic trail, there would be other hikers around. She assured me that the “do not run” warning really means “do not run AWAY” from the bear given the rare encounter. She sent me on my way with a few suggestions that I dutifully followed. I was definitely nervous, but felt confident with the ranger’s advice:

Clap hands frequently to make noise and show presence on the trail.
Use voice, especially when the trail is not visible ahead (coming around a turn, up a hill, etc.) Example: “Hey Bear, I’m here, Hey Bear…”)
Keep a distance away and turn around slowly and go back if bear is on the trail.

Mammoth Hot Springs Area: Yellowstone National Park

The beginning of the run immediately took me uphill and as I huffed and puffed, I began to question whether or not I should continue. Maybe this was a sign that I should just call it a day? Seeing my first fellow hikers on the trail changed my attitude though. It put pep in my step, and along with the fact that the hardest climb of the loop was now behind me, I knew I could go on.

Wildflowers were scattered all over the trail’s edge and I loved looking off into the distance to see the great mountains that surrounded me. No beavers were spotted (by me) when I reached the ponds, but nonetheless, they were a neat sight to see. I felt lucky to be away from the crowds of some of the more popular and “drive-up friendly” parts of the park. I also cherished the time that I was spending alone in my own thoughts.

Toward the end though I was happy to see Mammoth Hot Springs get closer and closer into my view. I knew I could stop worrying about bears and whether or not I could run the entire 5-mile loop. I was done. Meanwhile Slaed and Bergen (22 months) hiked the loop in the reverse direction. They decided not to take on the entire distance, but the pictures shown throughout the post are thanks to their explorations.

Have you explored Yellowstone National Park? What did you enjoy most? Not explored the park yet? What’s on your list of sights to see?

Come join the conversation! We’d love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter! You can also keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email.

More Adventures from our time in Montana:

June 25, 2013

Running Down a Dream: Rattlesnake Ridge Half Marathon Trail Run

If you’re stuck in a running rut, where you’re bored, unmotivated, or just plain not running for no-good-reason, try trail running.
If you want to put a challenge into your running, but don’t really want to increase the miles, try trail running.
If you need a great excuse to get outside with your family and explore the parks of your region, try trail running.
If you like setting a goal for yourself by signing up for a running event, but hate the huge price tag that comes with larger events, try trail running.
If you’re sick of running the same old routes for your long runs on the weekend (or even your short runs), try trail running.

If you’ve ever thought about tackling or trying an official trail run,

DO IT.

The above series of “if’s” describe my situation a few months ago. To tell you the truth, I hadn’t run, not even a couple of miles, since my half marathon in late November. It took being laid up due to a tooth extraction to motivate me to sign up for a future race. I suppose even just a day or so of being “immobilized” was all the push I needed.

As a newbie to trail running, I did my best to prepare for the half marathon run, running the easier arboretum trails near our house during the week, and choosing tougher, hillier trails for my long run on the weekends.

When I lined up at the start on Sunday, I was nervous. At the same time though, I was confident. Confident because I knew what to expect. The previous weekend, I scoped out the course, so the challenging, never-ending hills with 2700 feet of elevation were no surprise to me.

With plenty of time to think as I traveled through the great trees and bright greens, I came to a few realizations:

Mile 1 & 2: Trail Runners walk. I read about this previously, but I had to see it for myself to fully believe. At times, it’s just more efficient and faster to hike up a tough hill rather than run.

Mile 3 & 4: It’s important to train for the race/run conditions. Knowing the course would be uphill for nearly half of the run, I focused on hills a lot during my training. I also feel like pushing the jogging stroller during training was a huge boost for my strength. Without the extra weight of the stroller to push, I feel so much more open and free making the hills feel less daunting.

Mile 5 & 6: Dress for the part: 20 degrees warmer than air temperature. Just a few days before the big half marathon, my husband Slaed picked up this piece of advice from a radio commercial of all places. With temperatures in the low 60’s, I chose running shorts and a tank top. Sure it was chilly waiting around for the run to start, but I was almost immediately comfortable while others ended up having to tie jackets around their waist.

Mile 7 & 8: Run with water. Before this half marathon training, I had never really run with water. If I run with the stroller, sometimes I stash some since it’s easy to carry, but otherwise, I would just plan a route with water fountains. On road race days, I knew aid stations would be there for me regularly, so I never had to worry. Trail running is a different story. There are no water fountains on the trails. With only 2 aid stations throughout the course, I prepared by toting water via a handheld carrier.

Mile 9 & 10: Downhill running is taxing. Light, shorter steps are best. Sure, uphill climbs can be downright torturous, but after awhile the downhill wears me down. Breathing is easier, but I feel like my mind has to be engaged much more to keep aware of roots, rocks, and other obstacles on the trail and keep my speed in check. In my training, I found that if I went down hills too fast, the pounding with each step traveled all the way up to my head, neck and shoulders leaving me with a headache for the rest of my run. During the half marathon run, I tried my best to stay light on my feet with shorter, quicker steps. Tougher to do as people start passing me by, but better for the body in the end.

Mile 11, 12 & 13.1: Trail Running takes a lot longer than road running, but what a thrill to finish! I knew trail running would be harder than road running, but I didn’t realize how much more time (conditions pending) it takes to run a mile on the trail compared to a mile on the road. I’m not entirely sure of my finish time, but I think I came in at about 2 hours and 45 minutes, compared to just over 2 hours for my road race last November. The scenery of the trail run, time spend outdoors surrounded by nature away from the cars and busyness, and the feeling of accomplishment made that extra 45 minutes truly worth the effort.

Are you a trail runner? What do you love about it? Thinking of giving trail running a try? What’s motivating you?

My amazing support team!

It’s too cold.

It’s too wet and rainy.

It’s too dark.

It’s too complicated.

Exercise.

Time spent outdoors.

Stress relief.

More energy.

More exploring, more adventure.

Have you set any exercise goals for the year? Any races or runs on your 2014 calendar? Please share!

If you’ve ever thought about tackling or trying an official trail run,

DO IT.

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