Running with Holga

Where have I been??

2010-02-24T15:38:00.003-03:30

Don't you want to know the answer to that question? Well I broke my legs running. Gah, it's so embarrassing to admit but it's true.

I did a very tough race. 20km of hills. Big big hills. Up and down. Down and up.

I beat my time projection! Yay!

And got a couple of stress fractures to show for it. Boo!

So needless to say had to take a few months off running. I started that process thinking I'd swim and otherwise keep up fitness . . . instead I ate cookies and gained 10 lbs.

Just before xmas I started up again. Slow and steady. Like a turtle. On flat surfaces. Flat and slow. I was bored out of my head. Since I was so unsure of it all I did not take any photos for a while. It was really tough. I was amazed at how quickly you can lose all that stamina you build up. I had to constantly remind myself of last year when I started running and how bad I was and how I got better with time. I kept going.

Now I'm back, baby!! And I've even taken pictures and EVEN developed the film. I am on a roll now. Look out.

So I just signed up for a race a month from April to October.

Legs . . . don't fail me now.

Blueberry Blast 10 K

2009-10-07T20:51:00.003-02:30

A few weeks ago there was a 10k race in nearby Harbour Grace. I decided last minute to go for it. I figured that since my only other race experience was 10 miles, a 10 kilometer run should be a peice of cake. So confident was I that I decided to stay out late with some friends the night before. In fact, I had exactly two hours to sleep before I had to get in the car and drive the 1.5 hr drive to the start line. Part of me was actually pretty curious as to how I'd feel running on no sleep. It was a test.

There were 100 some people running. A small run with little fuss. I thought it was just a nice way to spend a Sunday morning. I took my Holga, but only a few shots left on the roll. (In my early morning haste I had forgot the extra film. I remembered running shoes though, that was a close one!)

So I set off and after a few K's I was feeling ok, not great. A few more k's and I was feeling no better. I was just enduring this event, that was all I could muster. Only one water stop and I took a 10 second walk break to drink. A few more k's and I'm thinking *please let there be another water table*. Not because I was thirsty, no. I was dying to stop and walk for another 10 seconds. Alas it was becoming obvious that there were no more tables and I was just going to have to run the rest and shut down my complaining mind. I saw the 8k mark and I decided to turn off my music and just run it as fast as I could. I was operating under the premise that the faster I get to the finish line the faster I could FINISH! I was very miserable. I thought for sure I was going to barf. I couldn't even sniff the snot from dripping down my face because it made me gag. Eventually I came within sight of the finish line and - wow I was so surprised to see my time! It was really great (for ME people, for ME). I got a great rush from seeing that clock.

Inside the arena where the food and such was spread out I managed to find a chair and sat. I was still feeling like I was going to barf. I amnaged to eat some of the delicious blueberry goodies that were available. It was a nice reception and I know that despite my bad physical feeling that I was enjoying this experience.

I drank coffee but I was exhausted and driving the 1.5 hours back home was rough. I listened to Cage the Elephant on bust (aside - that is a great album) and sang along with it to force myself into alertness.

Seriously - this song kept me on the road. I know it by heart now, lol. I wonder if any other drivers thought I was yelling at them? LOud as you can - *you're a no good, lazy motherfucker . . . "

Lesson? Sleep is important. Very important.

Only two lonely photos. One is the faster runners coming back from the turn . . .

And a very Newfoundland-ish sign.

How to carry the Holga?

2009-10-07T19:39:00.003-02:30

It was asked *How does one carry the Holga while running?*

This is a question with many answers. I'm certain the gang of us Holga Runners are using different techniques. As with most answers . . mine is the best.

I use an old disc man waist pack. It is meant for using during exercise (check), is lightweight (check), adjustable (check) and fits one Holga camera. (Check Check Check!)

I just googled images and there are some ugly disc man waist packs out there! Mine is all black and not ugly at all. In my case I actually have one from the years using a disc man (actually my husband used to use it at the gym - like 15 years ago!). If one was not such a pack rat and does not still have one - I'm sure they can be found at thrift shops around the world. Eventually I realized the problem of needing to carry water and a Holga. So I have gotten into the habit of carrying a water bottle in my hand. Or I plan things to take one or the other. Whatever works.

Here is a photo from the other day. I know this is a sign for the Surveyor crew up ahead on the road . . but I'm going to pretend it's another Holga runner . . . using a tripod.

Quidi Vidi Birds

2009-10-07T13:11:00.005-02:30

I use Quidi Vidi Lake to run at least once a week. I used to drive there and run it. Now I run there and run it and run home. But I digress. ;)

Quidi Vidi is popular with boaters and runners and walkers and . . . birds. Ducks, pigeons, seagulls, and a lone goose. When running past the Dominion side of the lake the birds can be pretty plentiful. They are not shy. It would not be a good place to run if you were afraid of birds. Luckily for me I am not afraid of birds.

Usually I (and everyone) will run around the birds. A wide swerve does the trick. This day though I decided to have some fun running through the birds and taking pictures. They barely move, they are so annoyed at being bothered. I ran through them, back and forth, a couple of times and then stopped to compose a shot of that goose. He (she?) was watching the show and I'm fairly certain was concluding that I am a nutbar.

This is what we call Good Clean Fun.

Duck. Duck. Goose.

Butterpot Hill

2009-10-07T11:57:00.003-02:30

During a camping trip I ran a great run to the top of Butterpot Hill. I loved it so much I did it again the next day. Unfortunately the Holga I had with me was acting up and I only have this to share. But see - what a beatutiful run. 5 miles. Love it.

The bad holga has since been discarded. I have no patience for bad holgas. Disposable cameras. ;)

Was there a pony on the beach?

2009-09-13T15:45:00.005-02:30

I went on vacation a few weeks ago and did something I usually don't do -- I went running. In the past, even a little walk would have been pushing it.

I found that I really needed to get out early in the morning to clear my head, even on vacation, and the c25k program has been quite motivating. It was also fun to have a change of scenery, although running on the sand is tough.

One morning, on my way back to the beach house, I ran into my two older kids who were out with my friend searching for shells. As we were combing the beach, my eight-year-old daughter excitedly pointed out what she thought were tiny horse shoe prints in the sand. She asked, "Do you think there was a pony down here on the beach?"

I thought for a moment, then looked at the bottom of my shoes. It was just me who had been galloping around. I suppose I'm not as exciting as a pony, but who is?

If At First You Don't Succeed...

2009-08-30T00:46:00.005-02:30

Donna, you're a tough act to follow. I've got failure after failure to lay in your 10K wake. Here we go.

This roll was shot on the last run with my old, squeaky, beat-up shoes. Actually, they were hand-me-down marathon shoes from my mom years ago. Older than old. (Ummm, the shoes, not my mom.) After running for a few weeks, I began having pain in my lower leg--not traditional shin splints, but what I discovered were posterior shin splints. These here internets told me that I was probably an "overpronater" running in old, unsupportive shoes. The pain got worse and worse until I couldn't ignore it anymore. It hurt all day long, and made it impossible for me to run.

Which TOTALLY sucked, because I had just run my first 4 miles in years, and as long as I ignored the leg pain, was feeling great. I decided to rest for a good week, and to pony up the dough for a new pair of running shoes. Really, it was one of those moments when I had to actively choose whether I wanted to just quit this thing, or if I was going to invest the energy (and the one-hundred-freaking-forty dollars) to make it work.

I found a pair of Saucony Progrid Hurricanes that were exactly what my feet needed. Plus, the kids at the shoe store introduced me to www.pandora.com, which was a bonus.
So, this roll is horribly overdeveloped. I semi-salvaged a few on photoshop, but just barely. The one above (tire marks) and the one below (queen anne's lace) were taken on a long, hilly country road near my house.

And this next one is an accidental double exposure. Funny that I rotated the camera on one but not the other for a square image... The first snap was of a forest at the end of my street, and a "One Way" sign in the center. I stood in the middle of the street, with my iPod blaring, to get this shot. I did not, of course, see or hear the speeding pick-up truck until it swerved to miss me. Oops.

I was frazzled and y'know, thanking my lucky stars, so I forgot to wind the camera before taking this shot of my shadow. I love how the "One Way" sign goes right through my center.

On the way back, I waved enthusiatically to some stranger I thought was a friend and hawked a loogie into my iPod wires. I really am that cool.

~Terri

Bell Island Blast 10 miler

2009-08-28T07:25:00.007-02:30

Sunday past I did the Bell Island Blast . . . a tough 10 mile race on Bell Island . . . which is hills. All hills. Actually, never ending hills. It seemed to me that there were some road/geography things at play which made it mostly uphills. Either way I spent the better part of the race wondering why we couldn't do the race from end to start. Seems like it would have been much easier!!

It was the inaugural race. That was fun. It didn't take me long to look around at the ferry line up and realize that inaugural race meant that most of these people are fast. The running crowd. Much more experienced than I was. A fellow runner took this picture of me in the line up. He told me to put on my war face.

It was a few hours before hurricane Bill, so humidity was through the roof. That was worrisome. None the less once we were at the start line location I was feeling pretty good. I was hydrated and fed and had new tunes on my mp3 player. After watching the faster runner warm up I never saw them again until the reception. I lined up at the end of the pack which is where I knew I'd finish. This picture was about 5 seconds after the gun. I was full on running, which means a blurry picture!

About 1/4 mile in we hit the first hill. I remember thinking that it wasn't so bad. Then we hit another hill that was much worse. it was at about mile 2 when I thought this may be much more difficult than I thought. It was just past a big hill when we turned a corner and saw another, even bigger hill. Now the holga and it's wide angle lens is not the best for capturing this type of thing. You'll just have to trust me that there were a lot of groans by a lot of folks right about here. You'll also notice that the pack is really spreading out now.

It was at that point where I realized that I was sweating like a pig and to get through this race I'd need to just run. Concentrate. Forget the camera. Save the camera for a flat course or save it for next year when I have more experience running. Something. Anything.

So I kept running. Soon the sun came out and made the hot humidity even hotter. The hills kept coming. I kept going. Eventually I came to the finish line, which was of course at the top of a hill. I was 101/102, and I don't feel bad about that because I was just at the end, not far back, from the pack. It was a tough tough course. I was comforted by the fact that the after race chatter seemed to indicate that everyone thought it was tough, even the experienced ones. They mostly added about 15 or so minutes from the 10 mile race a month ago that was an easy course. I only added 3 minutes. This means that all my hard work and hill training is paying off. I"m still slow, but I'm stronger than I was and that is good.

Here is a photo from their website. It's me coming into the finish.

A few last frames. First is the dock from the ferry.

And last but not least . . we were treated to show of dolphins in the bay on the way back! Literally hundreds. It was pretty cool!!

SO all in all . . . it was a great experience. I have decided to do another race in three weeks. This time a flat 10K. It should seem like a breeze so that I can take many many pictures next time!!

The mailman has my film.

2009-08-16T17:55:00.003-02:30

Sorry, mail-PERSON. Letter carrier. Since I know he is a man I'll say that dude with my film!!

Alas it is Sunday and he sits home with his family today not one bit worried about my film.

The bad news: I took no pictures today. :(

The good news: I have been back running for three days since my forced little 5 day running break to ease up on my aching foot. I discovered spin class, but wanted to run . . . It was hard but I'm glad I did it because the foot feels fantastic now. Friday I eased in with 5k on the treadmill and felt pretty good once I got going. Saturday I was still feeling good but didn't want to push it so I just did a 4k jog outside with the dog. Still felt great. My foot might be a little tender, but no pain at all. Me and the dog were happy to be back in business.

This morning I did my scheduled 8 miles ( was actually 8.5) and one thing I've noticed is that aerobic fitness is so much improved over the past few weeks. I've really passed a hurdle. I am very excited by this. Three weeks ago I did the 10 mile race and spent at least the last 4 miles vowing not to throw up or pass out. At the end of it I was in great distress for at least two days. It was brutal. Today after 8.5 miles I trotted back into the house like it was nothing. Don't get me wrong, it was not THAT easy . . but I didn't feel like I was dying and I sit here about to start in on some good-time bathroom painting, so I'm clearly not wiped out. Hard work pays off.

As a result, I think for next week I'll do another 10 mile race. I'm scheduled to run 9 miles anyway, so I'll take it as a regular long run and get a chance to run around Bell Island and get a free hat. Well, a $25 hat.

Oh, and I'll bring a camera on the race course this time. ;)

-Donna

here and there

2009-08-14T02:09:00.004-02:30

Tomorrow will be my eleventh week of running. It's only August, but summer is slipping away slowly here. The darkness hangs around a little longer each morning, and tonight is so still and quiet.

I've become better friends with my neighborhood since I started this. There are funny little landmarks in my head: the flowery child-made altar atop a fire hydrant, the wacky goat riding a stationary bike on a carport roof, the house I imagine I could run into and suddenly live a completely different life.

None of these pictures are of those things. I have those in my head with words. These are the things I found wandering around in my heart the first time I ran with my camera. They're a little underexposed--I'm not surprised, considering.

Three of these things will be gone when I run tomorrow. The fourth might be gone as well. But I'll be there. And I'll wonder if they remember me too.

New header

2009-08-12T11:30:00.002-02:30

I've just edited the header to include a description so people know what they are looking at. I can't make it any clearer to the average blog surfer.

I'm really excited about this!!

I'm happy to add other peoples pictures to the header, as soon as y'all upload some. ;)

-Donna

Running WithOUT Holga

2009-08-11T22:52:00.006-02:30

My first post here will be without an image. You will just have to imagine a large oak tree, on the corner of the highway. Its small, old house is tucked behind it, shrouded in the darkness of the tree's shade. I'll come back to the tree.

I first began running (this time around, at least) early this Summer. Fitness centers irritate me, aerobics classes make me laugh. Treadmills and stationary bikes don't go anywhere. Running is free, and my "fat" jeans were getting tight. And that was that.

So I started running, easing into it with the Couch-to-5K plan. I'm telling you, it is the most pathetically easy way to start running. You simply have no excuse. (sorry!) At first, I ran/walked/ran/walked/ran/walked/ran/walked with the double jogging stroller. Then I took advantage of the excuse to be alone, without children, for a brief time.

It was when I ran alone that I noticed the tree. It stands at the corner just before my warm-up walk usually comes to an end. More specifically, I noticed a group of deflated balloons hanging from a branch.

Their colors had nearly faded from many days in the sun, the party they had announced long past. The balloons hung from a long white string, their wilted shapes holding pockets of light and shadow. I will drive by again later with my camera, I thought. I hoped the deep shadow of the tree would still provide that perfect, dark background, even when the sun moved higher in the sky.

The predictable end to the story is that I never got that shot. I noticed their absence one evening. I ran with my Holga the next.

~Terri

Middle Cove

2009-08-11T22:47:00.004-02:30

Another day alone with the kids and after many days on the treadmill at the Y . . . I couldn't do another treadmill run. (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Y's free childcare and it saves me a couple of days a week!!).

I packed up the kiddos and headed to Middle Cove beach on a chilly morning. It is about 1/4 km I guessed and I just ran back and forth, back and forth, back and forth while the kids played in the sand and rocks and had great fun. It was more interval training than the regular run I was supposed to do, but it worked. I don't think they would argue if we did it again. :)

The Fisheye makes the Holga 2x as heavy. Plus I'm a bit sick of it. I think I'll be leaving it home for a while.

-Donna

Dead Bird

2009-08-11T21:57:00.004-02:30

What can I say? I live near the sea! This was during a trail run on Signal Hill.

It stopped me in my tracks. I found this bird somehow artfully placed on the rocks and found it rather beautiful. I thought it deserved a blue-hue, rather than my usual warm tone.

-Donna

Working on Power Lines

2009-08-11T21:47:00.003-02:30

Spotted while on the way home from an 8km loop.

-Donna

Feilds!

2009-08-11T21:33:00.007-02:30

A regular 5km run on my father's long road. He lives on a rural stretch and let me tell you . . . I'd rather see people than cows! Peaceful, sure, but too peaceful. I could have fallen asleep. Maybe I was just tired that day. ;)

-Donna

See . . . snooze!!

So I took a picture of myself. ;)

I did see a few cows at least. Thankfully they were friendly. :)

Murphy's Law rules my world

2009-08-11T21:07:00.003-02:30

So I start a running blog, vowing to post regularly, and then get called away to a long birth (I was doula/photographer) that took me out of commission for days.

Shortly after I had an aching Achilles, but went out for 10km. You guessed it - now I have a really really aching Achilles. I've been running hills in prep for the next race and I figure I've over done it.

I've not been running since that 10 km, but I did discover spin class. (Hmmmm, I should take a camera to spin class . . . not quite the same, but it could do I s'pose.)

I'm hoping after a few days of ice and ice and no running and constant orthodics (even in the house - that is annoying!) I'll feel better. I actually already feel better, but I'm going to make myself wait until Friday before I attempt anything, running wise.

In the meantime I'm about to post a bunch of older film to make it LOOK like I've been running everyday, lol.

-Donna

How I got started

2009-08-11T16:00:00.007-02:30

I'll post my story. I hope that my fellow photographer-runners-bloggers will post their story too.

I had a really rough winter. Rotten. I was really sick with pneumonia and no voice, I was back and forth to various doctors and as I was nursing a broken tailbone I broke a couple of ribs. Needless to say I was not very active. By the time spring rolled around I was not very surprised to realize I had gained some weight. Nothing serious, but to someone who had never really struggled with weight it was disconcerting. I was also realizing that I was in a real funk. I was diagnosed with a voice disorder that gave me an explanation for the past 30+ years, but left me sad for the future. It is neurological, and like many thing neurological it would be up and down depending on many things - not the least of which is my own health and fitness.

Mothers day was my tipping point. I realized I had to make a choice. I could learn to rock the frumpy mom look and complain about my health issues or I could get off my ass and be fit and healthy. With my broken bones mended and the snow melted away up I had no more excuses.

The idea of running was always something I stayed away from. I had never participated in any kind of sports, never ran unless I was catching a bus, and legitimately thought I could not run without severe dizziness. Well my voice diagnosis taught me that I COULD run, I would just always have trouble running and talking at the same time.

So I headed out alone.

Day one I could not run 100 meters. So I ran 80 meters and walked 500 meters. Then I did it again and again until 2 km. By the next week I found I could run 100 meters. I thought I was on a roll. So I decided to run the local 10 mile race that was 3 months away. I figured it was good motivation and I was right. ( I DID initially think it was 10 KM since I live in Canada, but that is another story!!).

I started researching and learning all I could about running. I completed the race with only 4 - 1 minute walk breaks (through the water stations) and I beat my goal time by 5 minutes. I made some mistakes, but that is to be expected in anything you do for the first time. The biggest win in it all is that I am now 100% hooked on running.

I am a runner.

Here are some pictures from that race (Only before and after, being the first race I was nervous about carrying a camera. I'm over that now and will carry one from now on! )

-Donna

Shuttle buses.

Most folks were waiting in here . . .

but I went for a walk instead and found my corral . ..

found the guy that was maybe supposed to be holding the sign for my corral . . .

found them setting up the start line . . .

found the empty porta-pottys that sat idle until about 10 minuted from this picture when 2500 people tried to get in one last pee!!

And this is after the race. My great family had made a sign that read *let's go/let's go/1560*. (That's a rhyme, a chant . . . 156-oh). I was happy to see them.

I'll squeeze in one more just because my little guy was all caught up in my excitement and couldn't stop hugging me. So cute!

A photographers running blog

2009-08-02T08:41:00.003-02:30

A photographers running blog? What else is new?

But wait! It's not an on-going blog. Not THAT king of running blog.

This is a blog about running. By photographers. With pictures (because photographers like to take pictures!!)

I am Donna Ramsay. I am photographer. I like to run. It's all pretty simple really.

I like to use film cameras, more specifically I like to use Holga cameras. One day I realized that my lightweight Holga camera fit perfectly inside an old diskman case we had. I popped it in there and hit the streets. I realized that it made my runs even more fun and made me want to run even more. All the sights that I see everyday, the small things that I notice on my daily running routes, the many things that make running outside so wonderful . . . trapped on cellulose forever. Win Win!

I have invited some photographer friends to join me. I hope that they will pack up a lightweight camera and hit the streets running.

I have dedicated one of my Holgas to running. I pledge at least a roll a week. Maybe more, but never less. 12 exposures a week. Seems reasonable since I usually stop for a second to compose the shot. Stopping twice a run is enough! I'm logging miles here people!

Here is my first post. My legs. It's where it all begins. Legs and feet and camera. The fisheye confirms what I've always suspected. I have big thighs and small feet. :)

-Donna