Whistle While You Workout

09/28/2026

Run the River Fall Challenge 2026!

Such a beautiful day for a fall half marathon! Thank you to Athletics Alberta for hosting such a great event! Top tier volunteers (loved the smiles at every turnaround), a well marked course, the race distance was pretty much bang on and the bananas were perfectly ripe... what more could you ask for?!!

The stats:
3rd in my gender/age division
5th woman overall
19th overall
1:41:18 for 21.06km (4:49/km)

I'm really happy with how the race felt today, my pacing, and just the experience as a whole! If you're looking for a fall race, I would recommend this one :)

09/20/2026

Terry Fox Run 2026!

I can't even remember the last time I raced a 10km, but fundraising for cancer research is definitely worth it!

Usually I'll run a 50km in the name of Mr. Fox, but running this year has been kind of janky. But! I still wanted to participate, so joining in on the community vibe it was!

I was 2nd place overall and really happy with how the run felt today 🥳 This is always such a well run event, thank you Terry Fox Run Sherwood Park for hosting!!

It's not too late to donate to my run! All donations are appreciated! Link in the comments too https://run.terryfox.ca/page/whistlewhileyouworkout

09/15/2026

PSA: if your heart rate while running is noticeably lower than it was a month ago, cooler weather could be the culprit.

Wrist-based heart rate monitors use an optical sensor, which typically emits green light. Blood absorbs this light, and when your heart beats, the volume of blood in the vessels under the sensor increases. The watch detects these changes in the amount of light reflected back to the sensor and uses them to calculate your heart rate.

But when cooler fall weather sets in, your body restricts blood flow to your extremities to conserve heat. That means there's less blood near the surface of your wrist for the sensor to detect, which can cause your watch to underestimate your heart rate.

And cold temperatures can also reduce battery performance, so your device may have a harder time keeping up in really cold weather.

The natural solution is to keep your wrist and watch covered. But assuming you actually want to, you know, read your watch, some tricks that work for me include:

🧣 Using a tubular scarf (eg. Buff) looped in a figure 8 on either side of my watch.

🧣 Wearing my watch on the underside of my wrist. That way, the fabric of my long sleeve naturally pulls away when I twist my wrist. This also seems to help keep the watch a little more protected from the wind.

🧣 In really cold weather, putting a very loose tubular scarf over my watch that I can easily pull away when I need to check it. Inconvenient? Yes. But a dead battery halfway through a winter run really stinks. 😂

Do you have any tricks for improving heart rate accuracy in cold weather? Drop them in the comments. I'd love to learn from you!

08/31/2026

I'm excited to be back again for the 46th annual Terry Fox Run and fundraising for cancer research! This year I'm running a modest 10km and enjoying the community vibes in Broadmoor Lake Park lol. The distance may be less than my usual 50km, but the cause is just as important! Thank you in advance for your donation. Our collective effort is literally changing the lives of Canadians facing cancer!

Donations to my run can be made here (link also in comments) https://run.terryfox.ca/page/whistlewhileyouworkout

08/21/2026

08/14/2026

Pistol squats are going well 😁

I've noticed that my left leg isn't nearly as good at balancing as my right and I'm not a fan of that discrepancy. So naturally, I'm training it! 💪🏻

08/10/2026

07/26/2026

Moose Is Loose 2026 Half Marathon (21.1 km)!
⏱️ 1:40:37�🏅 4th overall�🥇 1st woman 🤯🤯🤯

I did not have high expectations for this race: smoke, summer heat, one heck of a storm last night, and a rainy summer (read: lots of mud, puddles, and mosquitoes). On top of that, training has been spotty because of a lingering foot injury.

The course had plenty of surprises too! An entire spruce tree blocked the trail at one point, there was a reroute because high water had washed out part of the path, and a flock of Canadian geese with their babies decided they owned the course (honestly, the greatest threat of the day 😂).

So I ran based on perceived effort and what I felt capable of today. A few months ago I wasn't sure I'd be racing at all, so crossing the finish line pain-free felt like a win before I even saw the results.

I think that's one of the hardest parts about running. You can spend months, or even years, preparing for race day, and any number of things, big or small, can change your plans or even lead to a DNF (Did Not Finish).

👏 Run 👏 with 👏 gratitude👏

We're mortal, life is lifey, and you never know what obstacles you'll face. I was just grateful to be at the starting line, to feel strong and ready, and to run completely pain-free. (Shout out to the practitioners at Brentwood Chiropractic and The Bridge for continually fixing me. 😂)

Needless to say... I was ASTOUNDED by my placing! That was the cherry on top.

Aaaand! I got to see several familiar faces, including the lovely Michelle Uytterhagen !❤️ I love the camaraderie of this race and the beautiful course.

If you're looking for a summer half marathon or 10 km race, I definitely recommend the Moose Is Loose!