Sunday 16 January 2011

I'M IN LOVE!

Now before you go flipping the switch, calling for a wedding planner or throw yourself off a cliff, let me qualify why.

Today was the Richmond Road Race = Awesome!!  It was flipping cold and windy, but really fun nonetheless.  I've learned over the years that at this time of year, I'm loving the 5K run!  It was an out and back on slippery snow covered roadways, but a really fun race and exceptionally well run by the Run Ottawa Club.  You are greeted with pumping music, the smell of chili and homemade soups cooking, freshly brewed Tim Horton's coffee and a gymnasium full of 500 runners!  (I think my race time was somewhere around 33 or 34 minutes...I forgot to turn off my garmin, total brain freeze).

The Rideau Canal Skateway serves as a highway, a park, a sports center and an entertainment complex for Canada's capital city.Let's back up a little first.  Friday night I met some friends at Dows Lake to skate what was open of the world's largest skateway.  It was an awesome night, cold, crisp, -16C with little wind.  You skate along past some of the oldest private residences in Ottawa, needless to say they are stately homes with wonderful landscaping and many still had up their Christmas lights.  It was stunning just gliding along listening to the sounds of the other skaters whisking their way past us.

I have to admit I was nervous and tense but having fun nonetheless.  We skated 5km and decided for the first time out that was going to be good enough considering we had to skate back for a total of 10K.  It was when we turned to head back we realised we were head first into the wind.  Brrrrr, that is when I realised that my long underwear were getting a little old and not doing their job quiet as well as they had in the past...fast forward ....

Saturday arrives to our first real blast of winter snow and I had an hours drive into Bushtukah where the Road Race kit-pick up was.  I had volunteered to help out, so I couldn't let the other volunteer's down.  Off I went.  It was a busy spot what with 500 runner's picking up their race bibs and beautiful running shirts, aren't they GREAT?



After my shift was over, I had the opportunity of scouring the store to see all the products and items that are now on sale....so much to see, so little time.

This is where I started my love affair (shameless solicitation) with....Icebreaker Pure New Zealand Merino long underwear!!!

A very informed young man told me the pro's and con's, the this vs that and suggested that instead of purchasing the same brand I had been wearing for years I try Icebreakers....Well, I'm in LOVE!  I purchased a lovely 260 long undershirt and 260 long underwear!  Along with some matchy - matchy merino wool running socks....

All I can say is Winter, Look OUT!  I'll kick your sorry arse this year!!!

Icebreaker even informs you where your wool came from by searching your special unique BAA Code (isn't that a hoot?  A Baacode) on each item, it will direct you to which Sheep Station in New Zealand your items started off from.  Well, those who truly know me, know it doesn't take much to entertain me, so once I got to see where my items came from, I'm hooked.  My lovely new aubergine top came from Lindis Peak Stations, baacode.  Amazing!  Now I'm totally hooked and will likely purchase a few more items from Icebreaker before the end of this kickass winter because I'm in LOVE!!!

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

13 comments:

Unknown said...

No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing choices and now you are kitted up with some killer long underwear. Watch out Winter, here she comes!

Anne said...

I know you didn't mean it as a pun, but when you are in a Canadian winter and experience "brain freeze" I gotta laugh. Love the shirts too.

MrDaveyGie said...

ahhh an endorphin inspired blog report always makes for a good upbeat read. :-)

teacherwoman said...

Awesome! Love that shirt!

Marci said...

Thats a great shirt, I would love to ice skate on the canal!
I recently bought a wool running top and I love it, those wool base layer pants sound great!

EndorphinBuzz said...

Amazing baacodes, lol!

Great shirt for richmond too, too bad I didn't participate this year.

MarieA said...

hilarious. clearly their marketing tecniques are working wonders. AND congrats on the run.... in that weather. whew.

Runner Leana said...

That is very cool - love that they tell you where your wool came from!

Grey Beard said...

Congrats on the wool base layers! BAAaa code indeed...lol. I too have noticed that wool far outperforms the tortured oil derrived alternatives. Wool is more expensive, but much better. I suspect linen outperforms in summer too.

I have been soaked to the bone (losing over 10 lbs of body weight to sweat) while over-dressed riding in winter, and when I got home the only thing that was dry were my wool knee socks.

So nice to see you getting outdoors and to see it's elevating your mood. Get some for me. Still nursing a broken wing.

Wes said...

baacode?! bwahahahaha! too funny. I could use some those thermals for the forty degree weather here ;-)

Nat said...

Hey, nice tech shirts! Maybe I'll do that next year.

Right now I'm thinking a half in Dallas in December.

Black Knight said...

Beautiful picture and beautiful shirt!

Stuart said...

Love that shirt.

You can get Icebreaker kit through WRC, go through the button on my blog and use quad10 for a 10% disount!