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!