Successful fundraising and running!

I want to thank everyone who has supported me on my running adventure for the past few months. The purpose was ultimately to raise 3 000.00 dollars for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and I can happily say that goal was reached with a total of 3 040.00 dollars thanks to your donations! I can honestly say no matter how the race itself went I felt accomplished in being able to gether the donations of so many giving people.
On that note I have an insatiable amount of competitiveness inbedded in me that I can not ignore. After reaching the half way mark I decided it was time to push a little more now that I wasn't as fearful of collapsing or coming out of the starting blocks too fast. I managed to qualify for the Boston Marathon in April winning my age group (18-25) and coming 16th out of all females, which was approximately 550 in total. I was deliriously happy seeing my Dad and his girlfriend Brenda greet me with hugs, food and gatorade!
The surprising thing about marathong running I experienced was the atmosphere. Although I'm sure many are equally as competitive as I am, everyone cheers everyone else on! As I was passing people they would actually encourage you to go faster or win it all! Being apart of organized sports teams does not breed that type of mentality. Everyone was there to do their best if they win that's just a bonus. Either way I've fired a few light within me that wants to see what type of runner I can be if I really put an effort into learning about marathon training. First step, buy a watch. I'm never running a marathon again not knowing how long I've been going for!
Again thank you all for supporting such as important cause as the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. An improvement in treatment and care is necessary and you have helped in that endeavour.

sensitive nerves come out in last days before the run!

I begin to wonder if all of these pains I'm starting to feel are merely phantom pains i'm imagining out of heightened sensitivity to my body. Knowing the run is coming on sunday I'm much more aware of every pull and ache I feel in my muscles, a light throb of my head, anything. Maybe I'm sore but I think I'm just nervous these baby pains will under the strain turn into significant problems. regardless I'm stoked to get my gear on and be surrounded by equally as adrenaline-pumped runners! to the start line! 

Tapering training feels wonderful!

The marathon is in 5 days and the training at this point feels lovely! It's much less time consumming and my body never feels excessively strained. My long runs now are about 6 miles which is chump change compared to earlier excursions. I feel much more relaxed then the week before. Maybe it's knowing I'll be able to put my training to the test soon or the finally joint decision Julie and I have made to enjoy the race and support each other as long as possible unless someone really gets injured. I think the 3 marathoner deaths recently shook us up a bit but looking at stats made me realize how unrealistic it is i'll drop dead from a heart attack. (knock on wood. no need to jinx myself). I'm happy to starting getting back to a regular routine where I have time to see my friends instead of run for a few hours in the afternoon. My ankle and hamstring still feel a bit tugged at, so hopefully they'll pull through during the race. right now getting antsy! time for the big day to come already!

LAST 19 MILES before Toronto!

This saturday was our last 19 mile run before the big day! I'm getting really excited to go to Toronto and finish my first ever marathon! I look back at all the training and realize how demanding this endeavor truly is. You sacrifice alot of personal time for sure and you're usual routine is out the window. This last run made me realize how far I've come. I wasn't even winded by the time I was done and would have felt great if not for my hamstring/bum. I've pulled the region that connects my hamstring to my bum in my right leg and it aches when I run. I think it may be from misaligned hips or my bad back causing me to alter how I move. I am very lucky the marathon is a flat race because I look like a moron attempting to shuffle up hills or hop onto curb sides even. I'm just hoping my adrenaline will push me through the tough spots. All 26 miles of them.

Run for the Cure

What more could I ask for then a morning of pink boas, bras, and broads?! Going to my first Run for the Cure in 5 years (since my mothers death) I was almost nervous to go. I'm not sure why but there was a definate uneasiness in my belly. Maybe I thought I would be sad or uncomfortable. I hate to say it, but occassionally being around so many survivors made me question why my mom hadn't been allowed to live? anger follows. Regardless I think I've developed my "grieving process" and was elated to be surrounded by so many fuzzy headed women !! I loved seeing the first signs or hair growing back after chemo and the smiling faces of so many women and men out to support their loved ones. I even unexpectedly ran into my good family friend Richard who was running for my mother! Imagine if I had just sat in my bed wasting away my morning instead of experiencing such a reviving environment as the run? What a loss. For me at least at this stage, I love to talk about the successes and possibility of a future without the painful losses and see many many more smiling fuzzy headed faces : )

Finish line in sight! only two long runs left.

There are only 2 long runs left to do before the big day! one 19 mile and one 15 mile. Honestly I am ready to get out there and just give it a go. Maybe thats being arrogant that I can bypass the program but I think i'm just getting tired of the huge time constraints training brings. It is a huge life change if you think that about 10-12 hours a week are dedicated to running. Aswell I don't do as many social activities based on trying to be as fit as possible, which is tough for a 23 year old in halifax! But mostly I'm very happy about how well this endeavor has gone. I've raised more money then I thought at this point and am well on my way to my $3000 goal. Thanks to all who have contributed and to those who plan to! Staying focused now is key in these last few weeks! mind over body aches and pains! 

Stay Fit, Have Fun. Yoga break.

this morning I was encouraged by a friend of mine meg to join her for a morning Hot Yoga session at Moksha Yoga on Spring Garden.For people who aren't sure what that is, it's when they turn the room into a sahara and tell you to actively stretch for what feels like a millenium. As cynical as I was with all these new trends and fad workouts it was exactly the mental break I need right now. My ankle is causing me trouble which is frustrating and I needed a timeout. I haven't felt this sharp in the morning in awhile and it definitely wasn't my restless sleep last night I have to thank. Either way I recommend a yoga session to marathoners to release the building tension in your legs. well that's my advice today. We'll see how I feel after I wake up tomorrow!

Jazic my running bodyguard pushes through the 12 mile NB trail!

I forgot to mention who ran with me on that stunning trail I mentioned earlier! Since we all know I can't find my way to the washroom in my own house I needed someone to come make sure I didn't get lost in the backwoods of NB. Alan Jazic the assistant coach of the mens soccer team who is also a police officer took it as his duty to protect! Granted he used to run alot for his police academy training he had taken the month off. Willing to push through I can say I am honestly impressed by the human body to push through every thought, feeling, and body signal that says DON'T RUN! Bless his heart he made it all the way at a good solid pace without complaint and alot of michael jackson musical motivation. I hope he's able to walk today and he doesn't have to chase any hooligans in the next week! 

Moncton NB trail running is stunning.

I was traveling with the Dalhousie womens soccer team over the weekend to Moncton and Fredericton. I'm really proud of them for traveling on a bus for 4+ hours getting off and playing a soccer match (which they won 1-0! ) then getting on a bus and driving to Moncton for the night followed by another match the next day (which they tied 2-2 in the final minutes of the game). Either way within all this driving I had to find time for a 12 mile run, which Julie later informed me was meant to be 15 but I figure I can push out 3 miles during this week to make up for it. Turns out Moncton has a stunning run along the bogs which is breathtaking. The tall reeds a sunrise to die for and a crisp fall breeze. No traffic just birds. What else could a runner ask for? It was the change of scenary I needed. 

treadmill training has it's benefits.

I've started to do some of my training on the treadmills at the gym where I have so many fun weight lifting experiences. I'd like to say it's because it's a nice change of scenary but honestly without Julie telling me to go outside I find the brisk cold a little much for me in the mornings. Meaning I'm a huge baby when it comes to the cold and would rather drive to the grocery store (which is approximately 5 minutes walk) so I can get in my car from the inside heated garage. Enough of my whining. The treadmill has been awesome. I actually think it's good to up your pace since it's such a controlled environment. I'm certainly not able to slack off on a certain level since I'll obviously just go flying off the end instead of on the road when I can just stop. I can up the pace of a few miles and easily follow my progress. I know i'll have to go back to the road to get the pounding back into my legs, but for now my knees and back love me just a little more then last week. 

5 hour energy supplements not as sustaining as gelpacks.

First I just wanted to say how great it felt to finish 20 miles and know I could pump out another 6 to finish of the race! It was not nearly as easy (relatively) as the 19 mile we did a few weeks ago due to A) no rain to cool us off and distract us B) the sun was more dehydrating C) we didn't bring gel packs. The last was the biggest dilemma of the event. I biked over to the running room to pick up some packs before our run around 8 and the store doesn't open up until 9:30. This alone through me off wondering why on a weekend for all the group early runs it's not open at like 6am. anyway I hate biking before running because it feels like unwarranted extra working out so I skipped searching other stores and went straight to Julies. The run was going great until we stopped at the local ultramar for gel packs. Again no gel packs but me being the visual person I am same a running person on the label of the 5 hour energy shots and said "oo they look fast, lets get those". Bad idea. Within the next 40 minutes I couldn't even feel my legs. It's the oddest feeling to be moving when you think your legs have gone numb. Julie equally felt the energy seeping from her legs. We barely managed to get the 20 miles done but knowing we could push through wobbly legs was incredibly motivating. Next time we'll know replenishing our glycogen stores won't come from gimmicky advertising (or effective advertising) brand items. 

Nerves make 20 seem exponentially larger then 19 miles.

I'm sitting here eating my pre-run breakfast of oatmeal and thinking about the 20 mile excursion ahead seems slightly daunting. For some reason the round number of 20 seems like it will be significantly more challenging to push through then the previous 19. It's like when you turn 19 years old and you feel light year older then those underage 18 year old friends you still have. I should have been drinking more water . 

Scheduling conflicts cause more solo running

Now that soccer season is in full swing and Julie has a big kid job. We're both stuck trying to get in our intervals and long runs without a motivating buddy. I'm honestly in awe of people who do this alone. Maybe i'm just used to supportive team environments but I can't imagine doing the entire 3 months training without Julie. Yesterday I had to run 10 miles without a partner and im sure it was significantly slower then usual but I'm still confident I could pump out a good time come the competition. i'm really hoping it won't be solo running for the rest of the time. we still have the weekends together which will be necessary for those long runs. This weekend is the 20 mile long run and i'm shaking! it's only one more mile from two weeks ago but that feels like alot! Regardless my partner will be there making me eat my gel packs.  

Training works! 20 minutes taken off 12mile route!

Today really showed the mass improvement in our running since we started on this new endeavor. our first 12 mile run left me lying on my floor practically past out trying to stuff food in my face so I could actually recover. We ran the 12 miles in 2 hours. Not very impressive. Todays run we ran in 1 hr 41 minutes. A huge success! Not only did we kill our time I am standing strong and about to go asst. coach a Dal practice. Quite the improvement. Starting to feel like we may be achieving something here. 

5 years since my mothers struggle with cancer ended

August 31st and the days surrounding that day is always a time of remembrance for my mothers passing. I can't believe it's been 5 years since she passed away. Sometimes the time has quelled the pain of her passing while other times without warning it is as fresh and real as yesterday. I generally choose to stay busy so my mind doesn't have time to think about the past. Thankfully the dal soccer season has kept me busy and occupied on my day to day routine. Unfortunately this is not the best method and I've felt mentally drained trying to keep my mind occupied constantly. I do not recommend avoidance as a healing pattern, it simply stays with you until you're ready to face facts and then you realize you wasted your precious days up until that point in a haze. Usually I am great at celebrating and appreciating the 18 years I had with my mother but for some reason this year felt oddly uncomfortable. Probably due to the fact this is the first time I've been physically living in Halifax with all the memories surrounding me since her death. I took off two days of running. With the mental strain I don't think I wanted to add on an emotional one as well. Regardless I am feeling fresh again and happy to move forward with my running and living! My intervals today felt great to be moving again and I am happy to feel like I would be doing something my mother would be proud of.  

19 miles in Hurricane Danny

As much as I love running the idea of trekking out in Hurricane Danny is not high on my thrill list, especially with my last experience with Hurricane Bill and my abode. I've just begun the Dalhousie Womens Soccer team tryouts and had already been standing in the rain watching soccer for 2 hours when Julie and I were supposed to meet for the biggest challenge of our training to date. A 19 mile run to Bedford. Torrential rain left me contemplating carrying goggles in my bra along with my powergel, ipod, and extra money for water. It's amazing how fast a bra can turn into a purse when necessary. staying warm wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be but I'd recommend investing in some gloves if you have the circulation issues I tend to have. Even after the first hour my hands were still green with chill. I think we both feel super stoked knowing that the marathon is only another 7 miles! I love that I'm at the point 7 miles seems like a jaunt in the park. 

There is no such thing as bad weather, just soft people. – Bill Bowerman

9 mile recovery loop isn't as easy as I remembered.

First run back in halifax after Dunbracks soccer victory and Julie and I decide to keep it light with 9 miles considering we have 19 miles to accomplish tomorrow. My legs felt very heavy and I'm praying it's just the jet lag and I've now run it out of me. A good nights rest should get them going for a serious day tomorrow! 

Dunbrack provincial champions led by miss Julie Lawrence!

So I come back from Calgary and the soccer team I've been "playing" for, sporadically attending at best, has won the provincial title!! Julie came out on top getting 2 out of the 3 goals! She's a Nova Scotia Soccer celebrity as you can see with her photo flying with outstretched wings in the chronicle after one of her goals and an article in the Metro. The game can be revisited in all its glory at tonight Friday the 28th at 7pm on Eastlink Channel 10. Julie and I planned our marathon choice to be in Niagara falls because it is on october 25th which would allow us to attend Soccer Nationals in Saskatchewan 2 weeks prior. Hopefully our bodies will withstand the extra abuse! Congrats Julie you're amazing!

Hurricane Bill takes the condo.

Just a quick update since getting back from the west. I took the travel day off running and started up again yesterday at my cottage for an 8 mile coastal run. I had to run at the cottage because I stayed there instead of my place in the city which had some trouble with the storm. I pulled a real hairbrain move and left a window open meaning water damage to some of the flooring. It wouldn't have been so bad if the manufacturers hadn't discontinued the flooring type so now the entire floor has to be redone. needless to say i'm noones favourite family member right now.  But the running continues. I never knew there was so much humidity in the air until I took a few jaunts out west. 

brother/sister Cory Pass Loop and Edith Mountain Banff hike

For a change of pace in the training my brother took me on a hike through beautiful Banff. We read "this is one of the most difficult hikes in Banff National Park, for strong hikers with good route finding skills. Return from Cory Pass by making a loop around Mount Edith and descending the Edith Pass trail" and thought this would definitely count for a training day. I just didn't think it would have to count for two days due to the after effects of using muscles I didn't know exist. Not only am I scared of heights but we were on our hands and knees crawling through some undefined terrain. I love giving people the misconception that I'm unathletic as I hiked a serious trail in my runners and lululemon gear. Even before we started the hike the typical skipole holding, huge sock-n-boot type of hiking group stopped me to make sure I knew the elevation was 915m. Man it felt good to pass them. We also passed another hiker who said he uses hikes as training for his marathons as well so I felt good about my substitution for a medium length run.  

how do you run outside when sydney crosbys in the building?

I went out to do 3 km loops of the local park before the lunch break crowds broke free and I ran into a ton of NHL coaches and players coming into the hotel. Even with all my international experience with soccer meeting many big name athletes I left just a little star struck. During the first loop of the run I really struggled considering i'm still ridiculously stiff from the mountain hike my brother and I did the other day but I persevered. On my 3rd loop in I got the amazing idea that NHL players=athletes=stay fit= WEIGHT ROOM IN HOTEL!!! so I ran back to the hotel to finish my run on the treadmill but secretly try to sneak a peak at some legends. Needless to say all i met were 2 commentators from rogers sports channel. No future husbands there (joking). I'm now sitting in the lobby on wireless internet before I check out hoping to see the Nova Scotia prodigy himself. I have a feeling I look like a huge groupie. Either way i'm looking forward to running back on known terrain.

Julie Conquers 17 miles solo!!

I had to put up the redeeming feat Julie accomplished while I was gone! I got a message that while I struggled to complete 8 miles without Julie pushing me along she did all 17 miles by herself. I'm looking forward to having my running buddy back come tuesday!

big city running for a small town girl.

I've gone to calgary to visit my brother for 5 days but I brought my sneakers with me and have had my first experience trying to run here. I used to think halifax had sidewalk traffic, but in calgary the sidewalks are equivalent to boston city rushhour. I laced up and tried getting my run over with at lunch hour which is when every single person leaves work and runs/bikes/ rollerskates (yes people still do it) around the Eau Claire Park. It was slightly stressful constantly dodging oncoming business men who run as if they just dominated a board meeting and won't move aside for anyone. Regardless I started getting frustrated with their "my-road-only" attitude so I started playing their games right on back. One shirtless middle-aged man taking up waaay too much room started coming at me and I got my stubborn streak rolling and decided I was NOT moving this time. 25 meters....20  meters...... neither budging....15 meters.....10 meters....come on try me....5 meters...3..2..ahhh...1 BAM! we nailed left arms and spun out enough like a total brat. I apologized as a good small city girl does while he sneered and kept going. I'll stick to my none aggressive running tactics from now on but I felt mighty proud I wasn't standing down for anyone. Even if it is a juvenile game of chicken... I didn't lose : )

running for mental sanity

Today is a "take-care-of-me" type of day. All these miles I'm running take up alot of time in your week and I'm realizing how mentally strenuous it can get when other areas of your life get neglected. Such as forgetting to do mundane but necessary chores like laundry, that turn into day events like the 3rd load i'm on now....all mostly socks and sports-bras since that's all I wear now anyways. regardless I took one of my many therapists (or friends as some people call them) on a walk/jog of the first part of my 10 mile run today. It was exactly what I needed. Friends are always great at giving that outside perspective you never seem to see still with your best interest at heart. I think more people need to take time out of their day to think about what they want out of life. For me my big questions of the day were am I looking after myself? This running can get exhausting and it isn't easy. Having my friends be the lighthearted addition to my day keep my legs light and ready to keep moving!! thanks for the chat therapist! love you!

weight lifting responses

ok so my last post with the weightlifting meathead experience got alot of responses from my Uconn soccer ladies who felt I hadn't fully painted a fair picture of my lifting abilities. Although I KNOW I am a ridiculously strong athlete it doesn't show with the same conviction on paper. By the end of my 4 years at university of connecticut I was able to pump out a solid bench press of about the bar plus a 5lbs addition on either side. Either way you wouldn't offer to run miles for someone trying to lose weight as much as a pick up the weights of a girl at the gym. Most of us are there for a reason and it's not to get a date! 

back to the treadmill

So this morning I ran without my trusty running buddy, Julie so that I could go out to my cottage and "work" poolside. I'm bringing an office frien, Magda, so really i think it counts as an official work day. without my running partner to track the runs so I don't get lost in the very city I grew up in, I iresorted to the gym. It's embarassing how easily I can zone out and get lost once I get in a good rythm so the safest way not to waste a full day is to go on the treadmill. I hate to admit it but I love going to the gym now. its convenient and I've found the corners where the meat heads will leave you alone. my favourite gym meathead encounter must be when a juiced up guy came over to me while I was carrying 15lbs dumbbells and asked if he could help carry them for me... I just looked at him and responded "I think the point is I need to lift them, but thanks". I'm sure he was being nice but something about his chivalry seemed misplaced in a gym. The gym is always entertaining, you never know what youre going to get! for today I managed a quick 4 mile with sprints and nothing special about it. Theres no way I could do another run in this heat! the marathons in october so really i should train in air conditioned areas right?

Julie collapses on mile 10!

Julie and I took on our first 17 mile run and it was officially the hottest day halifax has seen yet. It reached 34 degrees celsius and we didn't start our run until just after 9am. The heat must have fried my brain because I totally forgot to carry the money for water in my pool of boob-sweat in my bra. For those who also don't run in Halifax or Dartmouth its basically just a series of hills. so were on one of those horrible hills in Dartmouth just before the bridge, and Julie just stops and instantly curls to a semi fetal position. I've never seen heat stroke but this was pretty much it. she started dry heaving and crying and basically I have no words for that feeling where you want to make it stop and have no idea what you can do. The poor thing must have felt like death and she still wanted to keep on running! we had to walk all the way back from Darmouth to the Dalhousie region in Halifax. I HATE walking. it is the slowest way to get anywhere. Hence why I love running. It gets you from A-->B at the fastest means possible without needing any expensive machines! Also i'm not great with cars.. but thats a whole other series of disasters.
Anyway finished the run in a solid 3+ hours in scorching heat but Julie is alive and kicking and running again! hopefully the weather chills out a bit.. or I remember water. sorry Julie.

The Genesis

Let the Blogging begin! This is my first day I've ventured away from facebook and hotmail in my attempt to explore what else the internet has to offer... or me offer to it. This is a symbiotic relationship I have good motivation to dig into. I'm going to run 26 miles in the Niagara Falls International Marathon to raise money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
If you asked me a year ago running for 26 minutes would have been a big enough feat in itself but hey, we all know alot changes in a year and I figure if i'm going to be addicted to something it might as well be endorphins... they're cheap. So until october 25th (judgment day!!) i'll be hitting trails, roads, and treadmills around halifax with my buddy Julie Lawrence to get our legs and mostly our minds ready for each step of each mile.

I guess the best introduction should be why am I running? and why is it for breast cancer?

Well I certainly wasn't born to run, really I don't think anyone is born to run 26 miles but I do believe some people are given a gift for active living and I've certainly been overly blessed in that area. I was apart of the junior canadian national team programs from when I was 14 until 2 years ago when I turned 21 and had my last year playing before I would have to join the full womens squad. I played in two junior world cups in russia and thailand, and have traveled all over the world to domican republic, trinidad and tobago, italy, germany, finland, mexico, brazil, and all over the USA and Canada. When highschool friends are recounting all the parties and details from nights out my highschool memories consist of all the different types of grassfields and turfs I would collapse on after pushing my body to its collapsing point. I then went to college at the university of Connecticut where I played 4 years with an amazing group of girls. once all the soccer was over though I realized I just have too much energy and it has to go somewhere or else I am one hard to handle person. So for the sanity of my friends and family.. especially you dad.. I took up running. Turns out it's not as boring as it looks. I have a fabulous imagination that can keep me occupied for hours. So I thought here a new skill I can apply to another area of my life.

the WHY cancer response.
Well I guess my reason is both selfish and communal. My mother died from breast cancer when I was 18 after she struggled with the disease for 5 years. It was brutal to watch and I know many women and friends who've witnessed the same disease attack their lives and the lives of those they love. my grandmother is a breast cancer survivor, but with my family history i'm in the high risk category. I'll touch on the subject of cancer and my experiences and feelings with it all later in detail. I think as a woman with high breast cancer risk it is something I wake up knowing may affect how my life ends but I won't let it effect how my life is lived. Thats why I'm running to raise money for the canadian breast cancer foundation. check out their website, they're on the right track funding not only ways to find a cure but on resources to improve living with this disease.

all in all. I know I can run. I know both women and men are fed up with losing loved ones to cancer. this is my way of trying to keep up awareness and hopefully some funding to one of the leading organizations on promoting a cancer free future!