Yesterday I had a great run - 25km on Christmas Day! (ask me a year ago if I would have thought that was possible.. Haha no.)

This was my longest distance to date!

Now I am aiming for a new goal.. 30km, then 35, then 40, and the big goal - 50 km on my birthday (the end of June!). After all.. If you wanna be an ultra runner.. You've gotta train like one.

The weather was surprisingly warm for December (12 degrees!) .. And for the fact that I live in Canada. I ran all the way to a marsh trail. I didn't know about until my step sis mentioned it and said I would like the view. She was right.. The trail was beautiful and I will definitely be back!

Also.. Please note the beautiful camelbak my amazing boyfriend got me for Christmas!! I've been talking about getting one for ever, he's so thoughtful. It's fully insulated and holds 2L. I feel so safe running long distances now without worrying about getting dehydrated, and it's got a pocket that fits my phone and snacks perfectly.

Also.. Dad got me a hilarious pin that I stuck on my pack..

Hehe that little broccoli is so cute!

This Christmas was extra special to me because I got to spend it with Kirk. Our first Christmas together, and many more to come. We sat around the tree watching Christmas movies with my family eating tons of food and having some wonderful drinks that my step mom created, called Jack Frost.

Loved the red and gold theme we had going.

Judy's delicious drinks! I may have had a couple too many.. But it's the holidays ;)

Our gorgeous stuffed chicken. I don't eat meat anymore due to health problems, but I hear it was great! My sis Keshia raises them with her hubby.

We had so much leftover food holy moly.

Quinoa is the shit! Super good in salads too.. Just sayin.

I made this stuffing for everyone, and it's delicious! But takes like an hour to cook.. So never again. Also.. Yes I was drinking and cooking haha. I don't drink often, but holiday flavoured stuff is my weakness!

#whitegirlSolutions

I've eaten so much food this week.. I believe that Runger (running+hunger) is a thing.. And that's what I blame my appetite on. You run that far for training and can't help but be hungry after burning basically thousands of calories.

Seriously.. Keep your carbs away from me, cause I'll eat them.

It's like whenever I get home from a long run, I instantly turn into a bottomless pit. I ate an entire box of triscuits by myself haha. The Runger is real.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with family and friends, and hopefully you were able to stay active as well!

The Rural Runner

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The past week I've been spending time with Kirk and his family in Cape Breton. There's no better way to spend the holidays than with family. I baked some vegan cookies before I left to bring with me, since I hate showing up empty handed if I'm staying for a bit.

I found an awesome vegan eggnog spice cookie recipe and decided to give it a try. Original recipe here. I love it when websites offer vegetarian alternatives!

They didn't spread out as well as I thought.. Opps. Had to flatten them with a fork.

Kinda look like timbits, YUM!

The finished product was a hit!

I stayed with Kirk and his family for a few days and had an amazing time as always. I love Cape Breton and plan on living there eventually.

Of course while I was visiting, Kirk and myself went for a couple runs.

Our first run was 8km on the Ceildh Trail. It's old an old train track trail that runs for hundreds of kilometres along the Western Coast of Cape Breton that's well maintained and (for the most part) sheltered by trees. It's also pretty flat, so it made for a good run.

Zoom, zoom!

Of course we also found some obstacles to play on.

Some day, I plan to climb across this entire thing.. Ninja warrior training!

The next day we did a quick 5k up the mountain and back down, which really made me realize how much I need to start adding hill training to my workouts!

It was a much more difficult trail than I normally train on.. With a couple technical climbs and some rivers to cross. We go until we reach a hunters cabin hidden in the woods, then turn around as our half way point.

It was a great week away and I love spending it with Kirk and his family.

This week we're planning on spending time in the valley with my family over Christmas, and fitting in our long run tomorrow on Xmas eve! My longest distance ever - 24 km (cause we're all festive and shit). Stay tuned for a recap.

Merry Christmas friends,

The Rural Runner

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