Training with Natalie

My amazing friend Natalie approached me in June and expressed interest in learning to run. She gave birth to an wonderful little guy, Evan, in March and wanted to get into a fitness routine. I was so excited to start a run program with her. Natalie has been absolutely amazing! We are gearing up for the Royal Victoria Marathon 8 km this coming Sunday. It will be Natalie's first official race and I am so excited to share this special moment with her. It has been so inspirational to be on this journey with her and to also focus on a regular run program for myself after taking a few months off after Italy. I love running in the fall! Only 5 more sleeps...

Positano

Positano

Truly a piece of paradise.    We hopped on an early 6am bus from Sorrento to Amalfi.  This is a drive not to miss!  Narrow winding roads perched hundreds off feet above the ocean - sheer rock face on one side, straight drop on the other.  Amalfi was small and quiet with not much going on in the early morning.  All we wanted was a beach to relax at so we went back to Positano.  There is no other place on earth that would have been more beautiful and quaint in that moment.  Small houses crawling up the steep steep cliffs from high up the mountain right down to the ocean.  We rented beach chairs and towels and settled in for the most relaxing day imaginable.  We ate fresh proscuitto, mozzarella and tomato sandwiches, fresh lemons and drank an entire bottle of Prosecco in the sun.  I could have stayed forever...

Pompeii

We took the train from Sorrento to Pompeii.  The day was hot, clear blue skies and barely a breeze.  We skipped the guided tour and equipped with a good map and the guided audio tour we set off to explore.  The city is HUGE.  I never realized how big the site actually was.  You can explore for days.  We were there for 3 hours and did not even see half of it.  It was amazing to see frescos still on the walls, smooth marble, house numbers, temples still standing.... I think I took 150 pictures.  The energy of the city is still very much alive.  You can imagine rushing through the streets thousands of years ago.  I loved it here.  Pompeii made an incredible impact on me.  It was overwhelming the amount of information they have discovered!  Pompeii was everything I had hoped it would be and more.

Sorrento

After days of whirlwind sightseeing I was looking forward to relaxing on the Amalfi Coast.  From Naples to Sorrento you take a smaller, regional train which was an experience in itself.  There were gypsy children playing accordions for money on the train.  I arrived in Sorrento and it was hot, sunny and stretched along the ocean.  Sorrento thrives on tourism and the people there are falling all over themselves to make your stay enjoyable and happy.  Almost everyone spoke english.  It was so nice to slow down and relax.  The first day was spent exploring this cute little town and eating and drinking at a wonderful little restaurant that had the most wonderful Pinot Grigio and prosciutto wrapped melon, and pizza, and.... yum!  Sorrento was definitely more expensive, but worth the splurge.  Afternoons were spent lounging at the pool.  I met some amazing locals and ate some of the best food I had in all of Italy here.  I will go back for sure next time I am in Italy.

Rome

Rome renders me speechless.  I got the same chills driving through Rome for the first time that I did in New York City.  The power of the city is amazing.  I stayed in a great monastery hotel right outside the walls to Vatican City.  I checked in and took myself out for lunch and who should sit down at the table beside me but this lovely woman also traveling solo from Vancouver!  It was nice to chat to her for a while.  I spent the afternoon touring the Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.  The art was stunning.  I thought I would feel a huge spiritual connection to the Vatican, even though I am not catholic, but I felt nothing.  I searched for that connection the whole time I was there, even praying in a temple to the Virgin Mary....nothing.  While I was in Florence my left ankle on the inside started to hurt and I just assumed it was from the run and walking so much.  By the time I got to Rome I was in so much pain I could barely walk.  I spent the night in my hotel icing my ankle and leg and relaxing with some wine.  The next day I did a walking tour of Rome.  We hit the Spanish Steps, Trevi fountain, and the Pantheon. 

As soon as we came around the corner and the Pantheon came into view I got shivers, and it felt like everything around me got quiet.  I felt overwhelmed with emotion and tears came to my eyes.  The Pantheon is quite possibly the most beautiful building I have ever seen in my whole life.  There is was, the spiritual connection I was looking for, and it was beautiful.  I sat at the foot of a large granite column and was transported back to a time where God's and Goddess' were worshipped equally.  There was balance and passion on earth.  I felt calm, reassured and connected - to myself, to Rome, to my beliefs, to the earth.  

I wandered the streets of Rome all afternoon, lunching at this great restaurant close to the Spanish Steps.  You could wander Rome aimlessly all day for weeks on end - in fact that is what I recommend!  In North America we are in such a state of constant hurry.  I had been struggling with the urge to "fill my time", feeling the need to get it all in and cram as much as possible into every day.  This afternoon I stopped.  I enjoyed just being in the city.  Quiet.  Just be.

Florence

After the magic of Venice I found Florence dirty and crowded. I managed to navigate the public bus system up to Pizzale Michelangelo which overlooks the city. From there I set off on foot with a map in hand in search of Villa Agape. I found myself wandering the beautiful Tuscan landscape following winding roads going up higher and higher. The villa was so beautiful! The nuns that run the villa are very sweet and kind and of course speak only italian. Me speaking only english proved to be entertaining, but we figured it out. I had a tour of Florence and the famous Uffuzi museum which was amazing. The next day I spent the whole day on a tour of two beautiful Tuscan towns, Siena and San Gimiarno. I loved Siena so much I actually recommend staying there and taking a day trip to Florence. I picked up a beautiful handmade leather journal in Florence. I can't wait to finish my current journal and start my new one! So far I have been fine traveling alone. I am surprising myself with my fabulous navigational skills and quick understanding of public transit. 

The following is a journal entry from my first night in Florence:

I have caught a glimce of heaven and this is what I saw - luscious rolling hills blanketed in rich shades of velvet green, the sun bouncing off the tops of the trees.  The green ocean of foliage stretched out across the valley and down towards the city.  I am perched on a quiet hilltop off of Piazzale Michelangelo watching the sun go down, enjoying a crisp white wine and a caprese salad.  The tomatoes grown in a garden nearby, the mozzarella so fresh it tastes as if it was made this morning.  In Italy the flavor of olive oil lingers in your mouth caressing the back of your throat.  All of the food is so simple and fresh.  Caprese salad is my new addiction...

Venice

The magic of this city still lingers in my soul. I love everything about Venice. The old, tiny winding streets, the wine bars, the gelato, the people - I could go on and on. The monestary was simple and clean. Kulbinder, Rhonda and I wandered the city for two days, getting lost continuously. A map in no good in Venice, really only useful to to find the approximate area you are in. There are signs pointing to major landmarks so you follow them and wander in that general direction. Often times there is a sign for San Marco and arrows pointing in opposite directions - you can go in either direction to get there following the winding streets - this suits the gemini in me just fine. We went to the island of Burano, which is the island famous for it's lace. Each house is painted a different bright color, a photographers dream! So beautiful. My last night there Gary and I attended an orchestra performance with an operatta in an old church that only seated 75 people at the foot of the Rialo bridge. It was stunning. Their performance of Pachbel's Canon brought tears to my eyes. So beautiful. I love love love love Venice! I can not wait to return...

After the race

I was delirious, thirsty and shaky legged. I somehow stumbled back to the hotel, went to the bathroom, washed my face and lay on the bed for 20 minutes. I really wanted to see Kulbinder finish her marathon and Jo finish the half so I got up and went back out. As I left the hotel Jo was right there so I walked the rest of the way with her. I am so proud of her she finished walking the half marathon over 30 minutes faster than she expected! Kulbinder finished strong at just over 5 hours. We all stayed at the finish line for hours cheering on our fellow JIMers crossing the finish line. Chris, our JIM trainer, always crosses with the last marathoner. Her name was Britney and she came down the main street of Trieste towards the finish line, the last one on the course, a Canada flag draped over her shoulders, with a police and ambulance escort and her sister running at her side. There was not a dry eye in the house. We all ran behind her as she crossed the finish line. We gathered for photos with the race organizers and then sang O Canada together as a group. The Italians then sang their anthem. It was amazing. We were so welcomed and celebrated as the largest international group to attend the race. I am honored to be part of Joints in Motion - what an amazing experience!!!

2:32:13

My first half marathon was amazing! I could not have asked for a more beautiful location! The course was great. The italians said it was a mostly flat course, if by mostly flat they mean 14 kms of steady downhill running then I guess it was mostly flat. Downhill running is really hard on your quads and knees if you have not trained with a lot of hills. I hill trained for three days. Needless to say I was sore the next day. It took about 4 or 5 km to really get into a groove, which is pretty typical for me. The next 11 km were amazing - I ran strong and steady. I stopped to take photos as we were running a route high on the cliff tops above the adriatic winding down towards the ocean. Around 16 km a strong wind came up and blew something (water? a bug?) into my ear. It felt like I had water in my ear and it was quite uncomfortable. It made me dizzy and feeling sick for the next 4 km. I could only run a few minutes at a time and then had to stop and walk to stop the spinning. Around 20 km I was taking my last walk break - so exhausted - I did not think I could run 1.1km without stopping. I thought I would walk for 300 or 400 meters and end the race running. At that moment I felt someone touch my right elbow. I looked up at a tall, Italian angel, a man about 45 or 50 years old, "No, no bella" he said to me and pulled me into a run. I ran the last 1.1 km strong and by his side. We crossed the finish line together. If it was not for him I would not have finished so well. Of course I needed a photo with him afterwards. My marathon angel.

Leaving for Italy

I am on my way to Italy in a few minutes!  I have never been to Europe before and am so so so excited.  I am pumped for the run, which is Sunday May 3rd at 10am, for traveling, sightseeing, and eating - oh the food!  YUM!  Thank you for all of your support and love.  Keep checking back for updates on my great Italian Adventure!

Times Colonist 10 km - 1:05:56

I started a learn to run program in January 2008 in order to prepare for the TC 10 km.  Last year my time was 1:11:09 - one hour, eleven minutes, nine seconds.  This year the TC 10 km was on April 26th, 2009 - exactly one week away from my first half marathon.  I stood at the start this year overwhelmed with emotion.  I thought about how far I've come in one year.  Since I have been training for distance and not speed I thought my time may be a bit slower this year.  Was I wrong!  I finished this year at 1:05:56, almost 6 minutes faster than the year before!  I am extremely happy with my time!  I learned a lot this morning that I can take with me for my half marathon.  

1.  Start slowly - don't get too caught up in the excitement - you will need energy later on!

2.  Take a walk break before you feel tired.

3.  Run hard at the end - harder than you thought possible - finish strong.

What a beautiful day in a beautiful city.  I felt blessed running in the early morning sunshine breathing in the salty sea air.  I love Victoria!

$8050

As of today the fundraising total is $8050!!! WOW!  I am filled with so much gratitude and love for each and every person who has supported me along the way.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your generosity, support, kindness, compassion and love.  We are supporting so many people in our community living with and affected by arthritis.  Thank you.  I would not be here without you.  

"If we have the opportunity to be generous with our hearts, ourselves, we have no idea of the depth and breadth of love's reach." Margaret Cho

20 km run

Today was the last long run before the half marathon.  20 kms.  I had not run in two weeks.  Kevin was concerned I may injure myself.  I know my body and was confident I would decipher it's whispers.  The run was fabulous - until 17 km - when I encountered what they call "the wall".  Now, I have heard of the wall, but never encountered it.  It is the moment during a run where your legs feel like 50 pound weights have been tied to your ankles, you can't breath and you feel like you can not move forward a single inch.  I saw the wall in the distance.  I thought I could be sneaky and avoid it.  I walked a bit to rest, took sips of my Gatorade, mentally pictured my success, closed my eyes for a moment to regroup.   I opened my eyes and smacked right into the wall full force.  My body lay in a metaphoric heap at the base of the wall.  I considered ending the run.  I could not go on.  Or could I?  I looked for a way around the wall and realized the only way to overcome it was to go over it.  I reached up and dug my fingers into the wall hauling my beaten body up inch by inch.  Fingernails broke off, blood, sweat, tears...it was ugly.  I reached the top and threw myself over the top.  I crashed to the ground on the other side laying in another metaphoric heap, surrounded by a cloud of dust.  The dust cleared, I was alive.  I overcame "the wall".  I picked myself up and finished the last 3 kms of my run.  I did it!  YAY!  I got home, stretched, stood in the shower hosing my legs down with cold water, had a shower, took some aspirin with built in muscle relaxers (thank you Linda!) made the best turkey sandwich of my life and crawled on the couch.  I am glad today is over, proud of myself and so excited I leave in 10 days for Italy!!!!

"The long run is what puts the tiger in the cat." - Bill Squires

Mom

My Mom is truly the most amazing woman I know.  I am so grateful to have her in my life.  Every kind, generous, thoughtful bone in my body is because I have her as such a wonderful role model.  She has always been such a source of inspiration and strength for me.  My greatest hope is to one day be as wonderful a mother to my children as she has been to me and my sister.  This whole training and fundraising journey is because she is my hero.  Thank you Mom for all that you do and for giving so much of yourself to every person in your life.  My Mom is doing really well and has started on a new drug for her Psoriatic Arthritis called Enbrel, which is an injectable biologic drug.  So far, so good.  Thank you to everyone for your continued support, well wishes and love.  And Mom, I will be thinking of you every single step of my 21.1 km run on May 3rd - an early Mother's Day present.  I love you with all my heart xoxo

2 weeks

In 2 weeks I will be on a flight from Vancouver to Amsterdam en route to Italy.  I have to admit I have gotten a little comfortable in the past two weeks and perhaps a bit overconfident.  I have not been running nearly as often as I should be.  I have one more long run - 20 kms - to run this Sunday and then taking it easy from there.  I am looking forward to this Sunday's run.  20 km.  Wow.  I just registered for the Times Colonist 10 km Sunday April 26th.  My goal for last year was the TC 10 km.  It felt amazing to complete that run.  I can't even imagine the emotions I will feel on May 3rd after the half marathon!  I am so excited for my trip I am barely sleeping.  On that note...my pillow is calling my name!

Inner Dialogue

Today a friend asked me what I thought about while running.  It changes from day to day.  I give thanks and gratitude to every person who has supported me and my fundraising.  I list off all of the reasons I love my life.  I fantasize.  I day dream.  I think about my upcoming trip to Italy.  I make grocery lists.  Most frequently I hold a focused inner dialogue between my mind and my body.  Today it went something like this:

MIND:  Wow, beautiful, clear, sunny Sunday evening - perfect for our run!

BODY:  Define perfect.  I am sore.  Attention: Pain in lower left calf!  I think we should walk.

MIND:  We have been running for three minutes.  Hang in there.  Legs: you have done this many times before, you know the drill.   One foot in front of the other.

BODY:  Walk break.  Walk break.  Walk break.  Walk break.

MIND:  Be quiet.  You sound like a spoiled, whiny child.

BODY:  Better than a mean old drill sergeant.  You are not the boss of me.

MIND:  Yes, I am.  Run until you get to the stop light.  You can take a walk break crossing the street.

BODY:  Thank you.  

MIND:  You are welcome

Run continues for 5 kms.  Body is begging to stop running period, turn around and go home.  Mind knows better and distracts Body by reciting Shakespeare and telling whimsical stories about Venice.

Around 7 km we approach a hill.

BODY:  I am NOT running up that hill.  I will run to the bottom and I will walk up the hill.  This is ridiculous.  Alert:  right thigh muscle is seizing!

MIND:  Relax your right thigh.  You are moving smooth and fluid.  You will run up that hill.

BODY:  I CAN'T!  I WON'T!  Give me a break.  I haven't run in a week.  I have been sick.  I am still healing.  Let's take the bus the rest of the way.

MIND:  You love hill training!  Remember?  You can do it.

BODY:  I remember nothing of the sort.

MIND:  I believe in you.  Remember the feeling of standing at the top of the hill with a sense of accomplishment?  It will only take a few minutes.  You are shortening your run tonight by 2 kms, challenge yourself with a hill run.

BODY:  Fine.  I will not like it.  It won't be easy.  It is going to hurt.  I may die.  (I am at the top already?)

MIND:  See, you did fine.  You can walk for a minute to rest.

BODY:  Whew.

The next kilometer glides by nearly effortlessly.  We approach a second and final hill.

BODY:  Don't even think about it.  This one we are walking up.  You already made my run the last one.

MIND:  Why don't you try this one too?  Imagine your body floating up the hill.

BODY:  Float?  These legs are heavy as lead.  No.

MIND:  Wimp.

BODY:  Bully.

MIND:  Fine, you are recovering from being sick.  Walk up this hill.  You deserve a break.

thirty seconds of silence...

BODY:  Maybe I'll run half way up the hill.

MIND:  That's the spirit.

Half way up Body wanted to show Mind how strong it was.  Together they ran the hill.  At the top there was no stopping.  They continued to run.  Body and Mind smiled in unison.  

"Each of us is something of a schizophrenic personality, tragically divided against ourselves." - Martin Luther King Jr. - Strength to Love - 1963 

tough run tonight...

I bought new shoes last week and was so excited to wear them tonight for my 12 km run.  They are actually exactly the same as my old shoes, but a new pair, and a different color.  I got home from work, laced up the shoes and hit the road.  Three minutes away from home my calves started to ache.  I ignored the pain and kept going - for 5 km - I battled my body.  Every muscle in my lower body was screaming.  I have not had such a difficult run in months!  I think it is pay back for me loudly declaring that my body had finally fallen in love with running and it was getting easier and easier.  I ran 16 km last Sunday and it was an excellent run.  I did get sick right after that and spent several days on the couch.  I did not run again until today.  I shortened my run to 10 km to ease myself back into a routine this week.  The second half of the run was definitely better.  I am humbled.  What did I learn?  Take it easy and listen to my body.  

"Jogging is very beneficial.  It's good for your legs and your feet.  It's also very good for the ground.  It makes it feel needed." - Charles Schulz, Peanuts

14 km

Today I ran the farthest I have ever run before in my entire life.  14 kilometers.  I googled 14 kilometers and found out some interesting facts.  14 kms = 8.6991967 miles.  14 kms is also the shortest distance between North Africa and Spain.  The troposphere, which is the lowermost layer of the atmosphere, is placed at approximately 14 kms above sea level.  I know that 14 kms took me 1 hour and 45 minutes to run, with walk breaks.  Slow and steady.  I also know that something magical happened at 14 kms today.  Something clicked inside my body.  I have known for months in my mind that I will be able to run a half marathon.  Half the battle is psychological.  Today my body agreed with my mind.  My body started to like running today.  Seriously.  I started running in January 2008 and today, March 9th, 2009 was the first day my body actually liked the motion of running.  Hallelujah!  Now, you may be laughing to yourself and that is ok.  I started laughing to myself, too.  Out loud, at the gym.  I have wondered for so many months when exactly running wasn't going to feel so hard.   When will it click?  Today.  Today.  Today.  I had tears in my eyes after my run.  14 kms down, and all I need to add on it 7 more kilometers?  8 more weeks of training?  Victory is mine!

"We improve ourselves by victories over ourself.  There must be contests, and you must win." Edward Gibbon

Thank you's

Thank you to the following people for their love and support:

Allison Shivas , Amanda Rose, Andrea Ting-Letts, Barbara Young, Bob Ayers, Bonnie Knight, Carol Anne Weiner, Helen Strohschein, Christina McBride, Cindy+Don Reynolds, Dawn Henderson, Diana Shivas, Kiff Acres,  James Clark, Jennifer Beattie, Jennifer Clark, Dale Guillemette, Jessica Schmidt, Julie Oye, Kari Cheveldave, Kelly Webb, Ken Wallace, Kevin Clark, Lauren Knight, Hunter Webb, Linda+Clive Lytle, Linda and Ian Grant, Lindsay Archdekin, Lorna Vulliamy, Lynn Hooper, Marnie Carrier, Mike Knight, Nancy Shivas, Natalie and Shawn McKay, Nicole Lopez, Peter Cooch, Rebecca Montgomery, Rita Chand, Robin Biernacki, Melissa Honey, Samantha Allen, Sean+Michelle Wallace, Shayle Melin, Anita Hill, Morgan Westover, Kate Westover, Rees Wallace, Shelagh Lytle-McGee, Stefanie Blackburn, Tony+Elizabeth D'Eramo, Tosh Grant, Tracy Cheveldave, Valerie McCutcheon, Vivian Lim Souza, Wayne Cheveldave

all the lovely MAC Cosmetics girls for eating copious amounts of cookies and other bake sale items! 

other friends and familys show of love, support and encouragement! 

Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you

$6700 Fundraising Goal Achieved!!!

WOW WOW WOW WOW!  I have the honor and pleasure of sharing that together we have raised $6790 as of today!  Thank you to each and every person who has both donated money, as well as supported me in numerous other ways throughout the past 5 months.  There are truly some angels in this world.  It is so wonderful to have the love and support of family and friends, both new and some from many, many years ago.  I am humbled by the support.  The run is still two months away and I figured why stop here?  What are the possibilities of raising $10,000?  Put that out to the universe!  I have raised my goal to $8000.  Once that is achieved, onward and upward.  Everything is possible.  I believe. 

"It is paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life that the most liking way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it." - Arnold Toynbee

Hill Training - Day One -

I have been looking at my training outline and dreading the day that I started hill training.  Basically you pick a hill you can run up for approximately 400m and do exactly that.  Run up.  Run down.  Run at the bottom of the hill for a minute to catch your breath and do it all over again.  Tonight was three times up and down the hill. 

According to curriculum notes on the Running Room layout "Hills are a wonderful way to add some resistance to your training.  When you overcome resistance to your training, your muscles get stronger and the intensity of your training increases.  Runners have used hills for decades as a way to increase endurance, strength, and speed."

I don't know what got into me but I found myself having to hold back from all out sprinting up the hill.  It was challenging, and instantly rewarding.  How amazing did it feel to get to the top, turn around and look at what I had conquered.  I was grinning during the last hill and laughing quietly to myself at how much fun I was having.  

Call me crazy...hill training is my new friend.  I can't wait until next Wednesday to add one more trip up and down.  Who knew?

Pain Free

Quick update on my neck:  The day after my massage I was quite sore, my muscles sure got worked.  The next day I rolled my shoulders back in a stretch and tilted my head at an odd angle and CRUNCH - my neck cracked in a way I have never, ever felt before.  My co-worker thought I had broken my neck.  My bones shifted and presto, no pain.  Nothing.  No pain since.  I am convinced my god of a massage therapist relaxed my muscles enough that my neck could correct itself.  I am forever grateful to him.  Thank you Matthew!

Elk Lake 10 km

I ran the 10km loop around Elk Lake yesterday for the first time.  I am so blessed to have such a beautiful place to run.  My run felt a bit hard at the beginning and I had to keep reminding myself that this was my long, slow run and to take my time and enjoy it.  I learned that I prefer to not listen to music when running outside.  I find it very distracting.  It is easier to pace myself when I can listen to my breathing and focus on my form.  The sun broke through the clouds around 8km.  I couldn't help but feel it came out just for me to light the last stretch of my run with radiance and beauty.  When I entered my first 10km last April, the TC 10km, I finished in 1 hour and 11 minutes.  My run yesterday felt much slower and more difficult.  I took a lot more walk breaks than I did last year.  I finished in 1 hour and 12 minutes.  This tells me I am getting faster and making marked improvements.  I am proud of myself for being so focused and working so hard.  I look forward to running the 10km loop and turning around and running it backwards - the day will come in my training that my long run is 20km.  Until then I bask in the glory of once around the lake!

"Our calling is where our deepest gladness and the world's hunger meet." Frederick Buechner

Yoga Wear for Charity!

Exciting new opportunity!  If you click on the below link and purchase any Naturals Apparel yoga wear the owner of the company Ken Auty will donate 15% of all sales generated to my fundraiser! Take a look at the line, it is small, canadian and great quality.  Ask me if you'd like to see any pieces or if you'd like to hold a yoga wear party! 

http://affiliates.naturalsapparel.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=119

Pain in the Neck

Literally.  The car accident on Sept. 29th, 2008 is causing me grief.  I woke up on the morning of Dec. 31st, 2008 with a very sore neck.  I assumed I had slept on it funny, pinched a nerve and perhaps the pain would go away in a day or two.  Wrong.  The pain has been building and building.  My  chiropractor is not sure what is wrong and continues to adjust me.  I feel better when I leave her office, but by the next day the pain is back full force.  I finally got in to see my fabulous massage therapist yesterday.  That man works wonders!  All day I felt so amazing.  Late last night I was reading my new book (Secrets of Supplements) and realized...no pain!  I woke up this morning....hello pain in the neck.  Morning is always when it feels a bit worse so I know as I go through out my day it was ease up a wee bit.  I am confident working with my massage therapist will continue to ease the pain.  The first week or so I ran through the pain.  This week I did my long run on Sunday, attempted one run on Thursday and that's it.  I need to rest my body and assist it with healing.  I will do my long run again this Sunday and hope for the best.  I have been walking between 5 and 15km a day to keep exercising.  Praying for this pain in my neck to leave my body....

"The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you.  If you do that, you are in control of your life.  If you don't, life controls you." Anthony Robbins

The Treadmill Experience

I woke up Sunday morning with severe neck pain (see pain in the neck entry) and decided I was not able to do my long run.  I was disappointed but knew I needed to listen to my body.  As the day went on I started to feel a little better.  I was on my way to Vancouver for work, always exciting!  I was feeling ambitious and took the 5pm ferry so I could get to my hotel early and check out the gym in the hotel.  In the past packing for any trip has never included an entire bag of workout gear - running clothes, water bottle, watch, shoes, socks, heart rate monitor, pedometer - I have used a treadmill once in my life and found myself quite dizzy as a result of my ear problems.  I am the person that always laughs at the people toughing it out on a treadmill when they could so easily run outside surrounded by nature and fresh air.  I never understood it.  Well who would be more surprised then ME when I hopped on that treadmill for 7km!!!  I laughed my way through an episode of Family Guy and the end of Scary Movie 2.  What a great way to be distracted.  I fell in love with that treadmill.  Instantly I was rearranging furniture in my house to accommodate a new piece of equipment - good bye dining room table!  I am looking forward to my next date with a lovely treadmill!

"Running is like mouthwash; if you can feel the burn, it's working." Brian Tackett

Prairie Inn Pioneer 8 km - January 11th, 2009 -

What an amazing day!  This event was so well organized and executed!  Kelly and I arrived fairly early to find parking and pick up our race numbers and timing chips (so exciting!).  The running community is truly one of the kindest, happiest, most supportive groups of people I have ever had the pleasure to spend time with.  The energy was so positive and everyone there was excited for the race.  There were people of all ages, sizes and fitness levels.  I finished the course in one hour.  We really took our time and enjoyed the experience and were careful to listen to twinges of pain in the body which required several longer walk breaks, but that's ok.  For me it's all about going the distance, not so much how long it takes me to do it.  We had a wonderful impromptu picnic of bagels and cream cheese, oranges, cookies, veggies, Gatorade and hot chocolate kindly provided by Thrifty Foods.  On our way home we went to a fabulous Health and Wellness fair in Sidney put on by www.siwc.org.  It was a great way to end the day.  It's now 4pm and I am out of my epsom salt bath and into my penguin pajamas for a wee bit of a nap :)

"When people ask me why I run, there's not really a reason, its just the adrenalin when you start, and the feeling when you cross that finish line, and know that you are a winner no matter what place you got." - Courtney Parsons

First official week of training is complete!

Welcome to my blog!  I have created this as a way to keep all my loved ones in the loop on all the nitty gritty details of my training for the European 1/2 Marathon which I will be running May 3rd, 2009 in Trieste, Italy.  I think it will also be a great training tool for me to review when I am in need of inspiration, motivation or a little bit of clarity.  Let the journey begin!

My first week has been great!  I eased back into running after three weeks off due to the snow and battling a major flu.  It feels good to be getting back on track.  The start of my official program seems quite easy, thankfully.  I ran a total of 10.37 km's this week.   I signed Kelly and I up for the Prairie Inn Pioneer 8 km tomorrow morning (you're welcome Kelly!)  We are both quite excited about the first race of the year.  Slow and steady is the plan.  I am currently running 6 minutes and walking 1 minute.  Tonight's run felt good, aside from the torrential downpour.  I think I will run this coming week at the same pace and increase it to 7 minutes running, 1 minute walking the following week. 

Thank you to all of my friends and family who have donated money to the Arthritis Society to help me reach my fundraising goal.  My goal is $6700 and we are currently at $1820.  I have faith we will be able to reach our goal.  I am picking up bottles for my bottle drive from several generous people tomorrow and Monday and will post totals as soon as I have them.  I am also organizing another second hand clothing sale with Jen for February 15th, 2009.  It is going to be amazing!!! Filled with lots of great treasures.  Let me know if you need details.  

I am off to bed to get some well needed rest for the big day tomorrow.  Ciao!

"I tell our runners to divide the race into thirds.  Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart." - Mike Fanelli - club coach