Robin's Blog

11 Randoms

2012-01-28T08:30:00.002-05:00

I was tagged by Linzi at Beyond Destination 26.2 for 11 Random Things:

Here are the rules:

1. Post these rules
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

Here are my 11 Random things:

1) I used to smoke 2 1/2 packs of cigarettes a day...Quit about 10 years ago, before I got pregnant
2) I wear progressive lenses but was 20/20 vision until I was in my 30's...now can't drive at night or see far or even read a label without glasses.
3) My mother is German and my father Canadian (from Nova Scotia). She came over from Germany on a vacation, met my dad and never went home
4) I work at a bank and have for almost 30 years, my first job in the bank was ordering stock cheques (checks for my American friends)
5) My best friend Lisa and I have been friends since we were around 15 (32 years now)
6) I don't like mushrooms
7) my career goals when I was in high school was to be a secretary and I was early on in my career. I even had to do dictaphone and shorthand for some of my bosses...
8) I met Otis Williams from the Temptations with two of my girlfriends, when I was about 18, and we hung out with him for the evening after a show....fun!
9) My ears don't bend forward
10) My biggest achievement in life is my daughter Amelia...she's the best!
11) I only started running in 2008 because my best friend wanted to get some exercise.

Now to answer Linzi's Questions:

What is your favorite dish to make? Nothing really I hate to cook but do a lot of stuff in the crock pot covered in salsa.

Would you rather sing in a karaoke contest or be in a dance competition? Definitely the dance competition. Used to enter dance contests in the clubs all the time when I was young!

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would it be? I've been a lot of places but still want to go Alaska

Pepsi or Coke? Pepsi

What is your favorite movie? Sound of Music

High heels or flats? Definitely flats
Where were you born? Toronto, Ontario
Do you watch Reality TV? (If yes, which shows are your guilty pleasure?) Heck yeah...lots of it. Bachelor, survivor, Amazing Race, Big Brother...to name a few...I love Reality TV except for the Housewives shows...don't watch those
Have you ever met anyone famous:
famous? (Name them if yes). What a coincidence mentioned this above, Otis Williams of Temptations.
What’s one thing you would like accomplish in 2012? Successful Boston Marathon
Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate or White chocolate? Anything but white chocolate

Here are my Questions (not too exciting):

1) What is the worst thing you've ever eaten?
2) What is the most exotic place you've ever visited
3) If you won the lottery what would be the most important thing you did with the money
4) Biggest pet peeve?
5) Are you a commuter to work
6) Favourite TV show
7) Do you get enough sleep?
8) Have you ever experienced what you think is a miracle?
9) Biggest goal for 2012?
10) Winter or summer?
11) Favourite person

I'm supposed to tag 11 people but I'm not sure I have 11 people to tag that haven't already done this, so I'm only tagging 5. Broke one rule

Nicole: I've Always Been a Joiner
Johann: Run Tall, Walk Tall
Cynthia: Balls in the Air
Tina: Gotta Run Now
Anabela: It's a Life, Max it Out

My New Hat

2012-01-22T09:32:00.003-05:00

I love my new winter running hat. I saw this in one of my running magazines and went on line to buy it. Found it at Sporting Life and it was on sale which made it even better!

I don't like how I look in the winter running hats (in fact I don't like how most people look in the winter running hats, I don't think they are very flattering). So I usually wear mine with one of my running caps on top. So when I found this hat that combined it all in one, I was thrilled! Loving the new hat.

These photos I took of myself after my 16 mile run yesterday. It was only -6 celcius and it was great. We'll have to wait and see if it's warm enough on the ears (snug enough), in the colder temps.

2011 Recap

2012-01-17T08:41:00.003-05:00

I know, a little late, but this is my 2011 recap as reported by Dailymile:

Not too bad since I took one week off in February, a week off in August and a week off after each marathon this year. All in all a great year, broke 2000 km and managed to run 224 times. Wish I knew how many of those were on the dreadmill, I'd guess most of them though.

Too bad that 37lbs of lbs burned isn't more apparent on my backside!

Broken Things

2012-01-09T18:28:00.002-05:00

I've been on a roll...things keep breaking. In the past few months I've had my Nike+ GPS sportswatch stop working (Nike replaced it), 2 car repairs (and another one on the horizon), my water bottle carrier strappy thing this weekend, a candle plate, zippers on my only two winter coats, and finally the zipper on one of my running jackets broke this weekend. Let's not forget to mention the computer virus/hack that had my computer not working properly.

Yikes....I'm getting tired of things breaking!

As for running, training is going well. Had a pretty good week last week, ending off with a 12 mile run. I'm switching my weeks around (which I do for daycare reasons), so this week will be a very light week. It'll be full on come next week though, as this is the point in training that most other training programs start, so no planned "light weeks" left. However, I am taking a week off in February to go to Jamaica and I doubt that I'll run at all that week. I don't generally run on my vacations, so I guess you can call that an upcoming super light week.

It's now less than 100 days to Boston, but who's counting!

2011 Year of Running

2011-12-23T12:27:00.002-05:00

Copies from Marlene who was inspired my Miss Zippy

1) Best race experience? I would have to say the Ottawa Marathon in May. I had been trying to break that 4:00 marathon time and this was #4. It was a humid race at the start, then we had pouring rain. I ran through that finish line and broke 4 hours. Arms in the air I was thrilled. It was a good race, ran the whole thing. Steady pace throughout. Good day! I since ran a faster race but nothing compares to finally getting that 4 off the clock. Oh and I qualified for Boston too!

2) Best run? Probably Rebecca's Run for SMA this summer. It was a PR in the 5K but more than that, I paced my girlfriend's 15 year old daughter Marisa to an awesome PR and a 2nd place age group finish!

3) Best new piece of gear? Definitely the Nike+ GPS Sportswatch

4) Best piece of running advice you received?
Not sure it was advice but something I remember "It's a 20 mile warmup and a 6.2 mile race."

5) Most inspirational runner? This year, without question it has to be Ethan Zohn....New York City Marathon while under chemo treatment for relapsed Hodgkins Lymphoma.....

6) If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be? I have shown myself this year that anything is possible!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I've Been Hacked!

2011-12-21T12:58:00.002-05:00

My computer was hacked. I was at work the other day and two co-workers sent me emails saying that they'd received a scam email from me from my yahoo account....thing is, I don't have a yahoo account. So I quickly log into my email through the email providers website. I see there's an email from facebook saying that I've added a second email to my account and if that's ok don't do anything, if not, click on the link provided.

I can't get into facebook from work so rush down to the internet cafe, log back in and email gone.... Another friend calls me to tell me that he's chatting with the guy on FB. I've been locked out of facebook as after that new email he created got added, he took my email off. I no longer had access. He also disabled my wall so no one could post.

I tried to get facebook to shut him down but it wasn't taking my email, so of course it took a while to figure that out and to put the fake email in. Page finally got frozen.

Called my internet/email provider and had them reset the password and remove the info he had put in. He was having all my emails responding to the fake yahoo account and any replies I typed looked like they were coming from the yahoo account.

The friend that was chatting with him on facebook gave him a run for sure and the exchanges were quite interesting to read. It was a Nigerian money scam I'm guessing. The appropriate reporting was done as well.

Here's what got sent out through email to my contacts and facebook friends, and what he was saying to people on facebook.

Hello ,

I'm writing to let you know about our trip to Hayes United Kingdom has been a mess. We were having a great time until last night when we got mugged and lost all our cash,credit card cell phone.It has been a scary experience, I was hit at the back of my neck with a pistol gun.

Anyway,I'm still alive and that's what's important. I'm financially strapped right now and need your help.As we speak i need $1250 to add up and sort my bills,don't worry i will def refund it as soon as we get home.

You can get the $1250 or some part of it,to me via western union as it takes only few minutes for the money to get across to me,below are my details needed to send the money;

Receivers Name: XX
Receivers Location: XX

You should send me the below details as soon as you sent the money using western union as suggested;

Sender's Name:

Amount Sent:

Western Union Claim #(MTCN):

I promise to reimbursed your money including the transfer charges back to you as soon as i return home safely.

Thanks
Rob.

So spent the last couple of nights trying to get all the trojan viruses etc. off my computer. These guys can get access to your computer through these trojans, take over your computer completely. They work quickly and don't seem to stick around long.

Anyway, fun times for me! Certainly cutting into my running time though.

Oh on the bright side, I made my 30th blood donation today!

Pooped!

2011-12-16T08:54:00.003-05:00

Well my training is back in gear, and last week I completed 31 miles, which included a 14 mile long run on Saturday. I know, that's not much for most marathon runners, who would consider that off season training mileage. But for me, that's all I can handle. I don't mean all I can run, heck I could double that no problem if I was able to get outdoors more. But since all of my week night runs are on the treadmill, I can't possibly face mid week 10 mile runs....not without having therapy to go along with it, as surely I'd lose my mind.

My plan actually only has me go as high as 45 miles, and that's only once! It's not a lot of mileage but it seems to work for me. I qualified for Boston (almost twice...missed this year's by 4 seconds), and I keep achieving PR's so I stick with the plan, at least until I can get outdoors. Here's the snapshot of my marathon performance, based on my Intermediate Level 1 training plan

Now that I'm heading to Boston though, I am trying to pull up my socks a bit and while I can't increase my mileage, I can try and increase my speed.

What I have changed is that I've started interval training this cylce. The plan always called for intervals, I just ignored it. That's not to say I did no speed work, I try to register for 5K races, and try to increase my speed on the treadmill so that my fastest running is at the end of a run. There's certainly benefit to that. I'm not going to change those things but I am going to add the intervals as well.

So far I've done 3 interval runs, and boy they're tiring. Last night I was supposed to do 5 x 3 minute intervals in a 5 mile run. I could only muster 3. I was just too tired. After the 31 miles last week, the first heavier week of training, I was just too pooped. I'm not giving up though, I'll continue and wait and see what Boston brings me in April!

Happy Training!

All Things Santa!

2011-12-11T08:40:00.005-05:00

Amelia is officially ready for Santa! The letter is written/mailed and the visit to Santa at the mall is complete (a very long and slow process there). I always keep a photocopy of the letter, figuring she may want to see them when she's older. She's asked Santa for a Nintendo DSi XL and the "if you can't make it" statement refers to Santa's ability to "manufacture" the product. I told her that he may not know how to make those. Good thing she has a back up plan....to manufacture a camera...

As for running, I did my first 14 mile run yesterday. That's the farthest I've run (in one run) since the Scotiabank Marathon in October. Now I feel like I'm back in the swing of things!

I received an email from the race directors for the Angus Glen Spring 10 Miler as registration is open. I have to say, that I'm a little sad I can't compete. This is the 4th annual and I've participated every year since it started. It was my first 10 mile race and maybe even run.... It's a great, hilly workout through the golf course at the Angus Glen Golf Club. They give out a great jacket, and the swag bag is usually awesome! Lots of good stuff. It's nice to have lockers, showers and a great meal afterward too.

Why can't I run it this year? It's the same weekend as Boston.... As much as I'm excited about running Boston, I have to say I'm more bummed about missing this race...for some reason it's really bugging me. I guess it's because of Easter, it's that weekend or none...darn.

But anyone looking for a great spring tune up race...the 10 miler is awesome. It's expensive but totally worth the money (in my opinion).

Oh I noticed that they've put information about the jacket on the web page. I know there were some complaints in the past as every year, the jacket is a new style so sizing changed. Last year the jackets fit big but the year prior, they fit small. So the end result was that last year, a lot of women received jackets that were way too big for them. It's a great idea to post the sizing of the jackets on the web page. It seems that the women's jackets will be white and the men's will be black.

Tis the Season

2011-11-29T19:45:00.003-05:00

Well it's that time again, Christmas photo time. Here are our photos for 2011

Amelia's piano recital is on Sunday! The tree is up and decorated, and Amelia is making paper chains to add as well. Most of the shopping is done, well ok, maybe 75% but nothing is wrapped yet. Slowly but surely, we are getting there!

As for running, training is on schedule. The plan is still pretty light at this stage which is good. Allows time to get other stuff done. It'll start picking up more in the New Year I'm sure.

Race Results

2011-11-21T08:52:00.007-05:00

Well yesterday Amelia and I attended the Whitby Waterfront Races. She ran the 1K and I ran the 5K.

She did great, finished 18/61 in 6:01.

I ran the 5K in 25:31 (gun time) and finished 61/163 overall; 5/17 for my age group and 18/90 for females. This isn't bad considering I stopped at one point and walked a couple of times to catch my breath. I started out way to fast (to try and get space...read why below) and held it together for about 3K then was just too winded, and had to catch my breath. I'm actually amazed I finished as well as I did. Not my finest race though. I've only ever walked in one 5K race and that was my first one ever, that I wasn't trained for. Really the only time I've ever walked in a race is two of my five marathons. Anyway, it's been a rough running for me the last few weeks, so time to kick it up a bit.

Now normally I'm not a complainer at races, at least I try not to, but this time I actually have a few complaints.

First off, people were late arriving to the venue that had to pick up their race kit. This delayed things by about 15 minutes. It was a difficult area to pick up the race kits, single file up a set of stairs so that doesn't help. However, I've attended this race before, and there have never been any problems. I went up at about 10:15 and there was no one there picking up (kid's race started at 10:45), which means that the masses of people that were delayed, showed up after me. That in my opinion, is too late.

Then the kid's race started. While they were out on course, someone told runners to start lining up. So down the course they walked and into the start area. This is the same area that the kid's are going to come running back on. Their finish line. So spectators (probably mostly parents), started hollering at people to get off the course and out of the finish area...to no avail. Finally a race person came out and they "somewhat" listened.

Then we all lined up for the 3 events that this year, they decided to start all at the same time. 5K, 10K and 10 miler. It was a timed event so no worries....that is until they said that it was gun time only and they had no start mat and well that faster runners should be at the front. Well you have a few hundred people all lined up already...that isn't going to happen. They should have announced that first. Told 5K runners to go to the front etc. That was frustrating as well. Took a lot of speed (faster than I should have run) to get around the tons of people starting this race that were going slower because they were running longer events or were just slower runners.

So I cross the finish line and they hand me my medal...the same medal I got last year. This in itself doesn't bother me, a lot of events use the same medals every year. However last year they used said "Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health". I thought it odd last year that they gave us a medal that didn't include any event info on it, and was just the name of the venue. Well at least last year that was the venue, this year we weren't even there.

However later on I discovered them giving out these really nice new medals that said Whitby Waterfront Races on the ribbon, big round finisher medal. I asked who got those and they said 10K runners...which was not true, it was the slower 5K runners that were getting them. What happened was they said...get rid of the old stuff first and then give out the new stuff. So because I was, in the big scheme of things, a very early finisher, I got the old one. One mom was beside me and her son had ran the 5K (quite quickly it seems) so they got the old medal. She was trying to get a new one at least for him. I totally agreed. Went to the box, took the new medal and exchanged it for the old one they had given him.

Amelia's medal was an old medal from the WIN marathon they held in the summer. So for her Whitby Waterfront Race 1K it says WIN full marathon...at least it's a nice medal but really...don't give anything, but giving away medals from the wrong venue or old medals (that weren't that great the first year), that's just tacky.
I'd just as well have it be a no medal event myself.

Anyway, I like this event, will run it again as well as other races in the series, but I don't think that they should let the quality of the venue slip. I do feel that happened this year.

Whitby Waterfront Races

2011-11-16T12:07:00.003-05:00

Next up: Whitby Waterfront Races 5K on Sunday November 20. Amelia will be doing the 1K. This is an event I've done annually since I started running (which is only 3 years). In 2008 it was my first 10k race, in 2009 it was the 10 miler, and last year I ran the 5K where I placed 1st in my age group (first and only AG placement). So lots of firsts at the Whitby Waterfront races. It was Amelia's first 1K as well, back in 2009 and she ran it again last year.

So the Whitby Waterfront races seem to have become a staple in my running itinerary.

This year I'm doing the 5K again. I didn't want to run another distance event so thought this would be a good way to get some speed work in.

I've been pretty sluggish since the Scotiabank marathon, feeling heavy and tired when I run. I'm hoping this quick burst of speed will kick me back into shape.

Great event for anyone looking for something to run this weekend!

Amazing

2011-11-04T08:59:00.003-04:00

After being in remission for almost 2 years....Ethan's hodgkins lymphoma has returned. He's once again going into battle against the beast and will be hopefully heading into transplant within 12 weeks. What does he do....run the New York City Marathon, to raise funds for his Grassroot Soccer Organization! That's just awesome.

He's trained and willing to go. Ethan says this "The doctors think I'm crazy but they gave me the okay," he said. "Cancer isn't going to slow me down. I want people to know that you can still live a fulfilled life and move forward."

Ethan's strain of hodgkins was rare and pretty resistant to treatment. He's a tough cookie though and persevered. I think he can do it again.

All the best to Ethan on Sunday as he runs what we all know is a very difficult distance. Most of us don't have to do it with localized hodgkins hanging out around our lung!

Oh and apparently, Ethan's guiding a blind runner in the NYC marathon as well!

Go Ethan....

Boo

2011-11-01T08:47:00.005-04:00

Halloween was a fun time last night! Amelia had a blast. Went trick or treating with her dad around the neighbourhood and then stopped so she could hand out candy at the door! The pumpkin above she did. Most of it anyway. I cut the top off, then she cleaned it out and poked the stencil holes for the pattern. I cut it and voila!

2011-10-31T08:54:00.001-04:00

My training program is supposed to start today however, with Halloween tonight really not sure I'll have time to squeeze the treadmill run in (unless I feel like doing it really late, which I doubt), but we'll see!

Happy Halloween everyone. Amelia is dressing as a "dead bride"....her idea not mine. Will post some pics this week.

Gotta Love the Fall!

2011-10-29T16:45:00.002-04:00

I did my first outdoor run since the marathon today. Just over 10 miles in this beautiful weather. A glorious day for running...about 6 celcius and sunny. A little wind but that's ok (when you are not racing).

Monday is the start of my new training program...24 weeks that will take me to the Boston Marathon in April! Wow, not much of a rest that's for sure.

Too bad we can't bottle up the weather and uncork it every time we want to run outside!

29

2011-10-26T13:21:00.004-04:00

Nope not my age, it's the number of times I've donated blood! I made my 29th blood donation today.

I've was a little late making this one (usually go every 59 days), but was sick off and on for quite a while leading up to the marathon. Had a few appointments booked and each time I had to cancel it because I was sick. Then it started getting close to the Scotiabank Marathon and I didn't want to lose a unit of blood too soon before the race so I put it off until today.

I originally started donating blood in memory of Allie Scott a beautiful 2003 baby that contracted AML at 4 months of age and passed away at 9 months. Being a 2003 baby (like Amelia) it hit close to home. Following Jenny's blog and Allie's journey was one that changed my life forever. Since then, I've been active in fundraising/volunteering for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (primarily through Light the Night) and try to donate blood every 59 days. It's a small thing but it's something.

Allie's journey also opened my eyes up to the world of pediatric cancer. I try to provide support when possible, in whichever ways I can. These children have truly inspired me and also, changed me forever. Words like Lukemia, Neuroblastoma, Rhabdomyoscarcoma, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, Wilms Tumor, Ewings Sarcoma, Hepatoblastoma, Medulloblastoma are some of the words I never thought I'd learn about. In fact, did I spell these right? Because if I did, it's from memory....from the too many time's I've had to read about them.

Anyway, always important to raise awareness....

What can blood do for others? Here's an example:

Oh and another quick and easy thing to do? Become a bone marrow donor. A simple swab or blood test will put you on the registry. Then, if you are one of the lucky ones, you'll get the call to save a life...how cool is that!

Rest is Over

2011-10-24T12:34:00.003-04:00

Well my week off is over. I ran 5K last night on the treadmill. I guess the Nike+ watch and foot sensor didn't know what to make of the lack of running. The foot sensor went into sleep mode and had I had to "wake it up" before the run. Forgot how to, since it hasn't happened for a while and had to google to find out. Then I had issues with the watch after the run and it reset so I lost the run. No big deal but thought it was funny how the equipment seemed to get confused!

Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

2011-10-17T13:15:00.004-04:00

I ran my 5th marathon yesterday, my second STWM. Last year I did the death march and was determined to not do that again.

There was confusion at the start of the race. Was on the wrong side of the road to get to corral so had to walk a block at least and around the bottom to get into the blue corral. Didn't actually get in it...was too crowded and was behind it, behind the gate. When the crowd moved up, I was basically moved along into the corral by the crowd. Felt like a cow...

The race started and it was hard to get a clear path for some time. Also had to use the washroom again....quickly. I ran the first few k's looking for a place to go (port-o-potty or business) but nothing...So at 7K I spotted the Fleet Street Lighthouse and just past it, a bunch of bushes. So there I went...I figured hey, men do it all the time so why not...ducked in with thousands of people running past.

On with the race....finally settled into a pace of 5:28/km and held it for quite some time. Felt great through the half running it in 1:56:18. Ran the 30K in 2:45:45 which I think is my fastest. After that started to get a little uncomfortable. Had a wicked pain in my mid back (diaphragm I think), lower back pain and terrible pain in my hips. Made for a tough run...but kept running. Was determined not to walk.

Made the turn around in the Beaches and bam what a headwind...smack right in the face. I thought oh crap. I used every argument in my head to stop and walk and it was quite the battle going on in there. But I kept running. The pace had slowed down to about 5:30 and then to 5:31. My goal was to keep it below 5:34 which I thought would get me a PB and a 3:55 for my second BQ and first under the new standards.

Kept running and running and the last 2.5k were pretty brutal (took me about 13 minutes I believe) and I crossed the line with an average pace of 5:32/km....funny though, the overall time was 3:55:03.7....4 seconds too slow for a BQ. However I was surprised because I thought anything better than an average of 5:34 would get me the time...guess not. Guess the first km pace on the pace band is not sufficient to carry you through. Guess it's the last .2 km and all the extra mileage (my watch read I did 42.48 km) messed me up. I didn't have a pace band for 3:55 only for 3:50 (which was my A goal), so only wrote down the pace...but it wasn't right.

Oh well...still very pleased with the result...especially the fact that I didn't walk...it took everything in me not to as I really wanted to...and for that I'm proud. I'm in for 2012 Boston, and won't run it again, so the BQ was really just to make the standard not to get in (thank goodness or I really would have been sad).

It was a tough day for racing (the last 8K), but a great race. Was able to see the elite's on course, Mr. Singh and was thrilled to hear how well Ed Whitlock did.

I came home and watched the race and it was quite exciting to watch. Reid Coolsaet did awesome (and had to take a bathroom break too according to his coach's comments on the live coverage...hmmmm). Congrats to Eric Gillis with a Olympic qualifying run....wow the stress, crossing with one second to spare!

When interviewed it was a relief to hear all the elite's complain about the wind too, made me feel like less of a whiner....

Here are my official stats:

Chip Time: 3:55:03.7
Overall Placement: 1511/3955
Category Placement (w45-49): 47/182 (love this)
Gender Placement: 331/1400

Got Some Great Mail Today!

2011-10-13T19:36:00.003-04:00

One Week To Go!

2011-10-10T20:31:00.006-04:00

Well there is less than one week to go until my 5th marathon...Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. This event is somewhat of my nemesis. The first year I started running, in 2008 I did the 5K (my second race). I misjudged the distance and had a really hard time finishing. Crossed the finish line and thought I would die...not a great race. I was just learning and didn't pace right and made a whole collection of errors. The 2nd year, 2009, I did the half marathon (my second half marathon). My friend Oliver paced me to my first sub 2:00 half marathon, and while we met the goal, to this day, I can say it was one of the hardest races I ever ran. It was tough. If he was not there, I surely would have slowed down. Last year, I ran the marathon. It was horrible. Started out way too fast, and at 11K my Nike+ disconnected from the Ipod so I lost my timing/pacing device. Was running blind so to speak. Was trying for a BQ (4:00:59) and started using the clocks (gun time) to pace. Overestimated how long it took me to cross the start mat and started "allowing" myself time to walk. Started doing the death march in the last 6K even 2K out from the finish was walking. Knew I would kick myself if I fell short but couldn't get my brain co-operate. Ended up running a PB but missed the BQ by just over 1 minute. In hindsight, I'm glad I didn't qualify because it was not a great race. I didn't want to qualify that way.

So here I go again, Scotiabank...what will it bring me this year...I'm hoping a clean race. I love this event but so far, it doesn't love me!

As for this past weekend, Amelia and I headed up to Ottawa where we participated in the Somersault Events - Fall Colours 3K. This was Amelia's first 3K race and she did awesome. Here are her results:

Time: 19:39
73/144 overall
34/73 females
22/35 category (which is 13 and under...she's only 8)

So all in all...awesome!

Run For The Toad 2011 - Race Report

2011-10-05T20:06:00.002-04:00

Here's a great video from the Run for the Toad! Unfortunately I don't know how to make it fit on the blog properly, but at least you can watch it. A good 3 minutes!

Taper Time

2011-10-03T08:27:00.003-04:00

I ran the 25K at the Run for the Toad on Saturday. It was a really horrible day at the start. Left the house around 6:00 am and it was anywhere from 5 to 6 celcius. It was raining and dark and the wind was blowing like crazy. It was the wind that was the worst.

Got to the event site at around 8:00 and it was already pretty crowded. Picked up the race kit which is a really nice Saucony duffel bag with Run for the Toad, 10th Anniversary embroidered on it.

The race started at 9:30 with the 50K runners going first. The event was actually the 50K National Championships so there were some great runners in that field. Saw one guy pass at some point and just flew up a hill...literally, he flew, his feet barely touched the ground. A man beside me told me he thought the guy was an alien! Amazing.

The 25K started about 10 minutes later. Everyone was standing around freezing and shivering it was so cold. I wore a long sleeve top and a light jacket at the start. During the first lap, we actually ran past my car so I was able to get rid of the jacket that by that time, was tied around my waist.

It's a great course, and in spite of the rain the few days before, the trail was mostly dry. Gravel in some spots, paved on the roads, and the runs through the woods were not muddy. Dirt was packed.

There are a couple of killer hills, but for the most part, I didn't find the hills too bad. I walked up quite a few of them (which is actually harder on the legs I find), but that was just because I was trying not to overdo it too much before the marathon. Didn't work too well, the legs are pretty sore today! Shins, quads, butt....hopefully it passes quickly..

Overall result was 2:45:55 (first lap 1:25:31; second lap 1:22:51). Overall placement 416/804; category placement 85/208; gender placement 181/480.

The medal is really nice, and the after race meal is fantastic. Had the opportunity to meet a fellow Daily Miler Becky, which was awesome. Would definitely run this one again. A very well organized and great event.

That was my last longer run of this training cycle so taper time begins. My legs are pretty sore today so may do a slight run tonight, maybe with Amelia if it's not raining (to prepare her for her 3K this weekend), but if not, may rest another day.

Run for the Toad

2011-09-30T10:21:00.004-04:00

My 25K Run for the Toad race is tomorrow in Paris, Ontario. I'm looking forward to this race as I've only heard really good things about the event. It's two weeks out from marathon day and hopefully provides some benefit to the training cycle. I'm going to go easy, definitely won't be trying to win this one. Just a race for fun.

As for Boston, the room and flights are booked...talk about expensive. I didn't want to stay too far away so the room is pretty close to the action. Thankfully the Boston Marathon site has a link to a company that provides accommodations and discounts for the event. While it's still expensive, not nearly as expensive as it is if you try and book directly through the hotel...yowza. I'm bringing my daughter as well, want her to be able to experience it. She'll have to be pulled out of school on the Friday and the monday but don't think she'll object too much to that! I have friends going. I'm amazed...like 7 people are spending a ton of money (did I say how expensive it is....) to come down and enjoy this experience with me. How cool is that! It sure is flattering but now I have to perform. So much for me running slowly and snapping photos along the route...hmmmm

Have a great weekend everyone and good luck to those of you who are racing!

GOING TO BOSTON!

2011-09-26T13:36:00.002-04:00

Dear Robin L Brunet,

This is to notify you that your entry into the 116th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 16, 2012 has been accepted, provided that the information you submitted is accurate.

A Confirmation of Acceptance card will be mailed to you via US Postal Service mail in October.

In early April 2012, an official Number Pick-up Card and Welcome Booklet regarding the B.A.A. Boston Marathon and related race week activities will be mailed to you via US Postal Service first class mail. If you do not receive your Number Pick-up Card (required to claim number) and brochure by April 7, please contact our Registration Office at registration@baa.org. Registration related inquiries may also be directed to 508-435-6905.

Note that bib numbers will not be distributed on Race Day. Your travel arrangements should take into account picking up your number at the Seaport World Trade Center in South Boston on Friday, April 13 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., or Saturday, April 14 or Sunday, April 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

JetBlue is proud to be the Official Airline of the Boston Marathon! Take $10 off each way with Promo Code RUNBOSTON12. Book your flight to Boston between September 24, 2011 and April 11, 2012 for travel departing April 12-15 and returning 16-18. Promo codes can only be redeemed online at www.jetblue.com/promo.

Get the best hotel rates by using the Official Lodging form from Marathon Tours and Travel. For more information, email info@marathontours.com or call 617-242-7845.

For additional tourist information, please visit www.bostonusa.com

We look forward to seeing you in April! Best of luck in your training!

Sincerely,

Boston Athletic Association

What's Up

2011-09-22T08:35:00.005-04:00

Well training is moving along. I did my one and only 20 mile run last weekend and it was awesome. Felt great. Yesterday, I ran 10 miles at a little faster than MRP and it was ok for the most part (last couple of miles a little rough). So all in all, training going well.

One 20 mile run doesn't sound like a lot to most people but I've found that for me, at my age, it works. I don't do a lot of speed work, in fact I don't do any. Unless I register for a race (5K or 10K) I seldom run my fastest. I do hills when I can get outside, and try to do some incline work on the treadmill. Oh and I have done 3 18 mile runs as well. I've run a few more races than normal this training cycle, including a couple of 5K's and a half marathon, where I ran PB's at all of them.

Bottom line is it works for me. I tend to peak in my races, which is what you want. I almost BQ'd in my first marathon, and finally did in my 4th. I am hoping to improve my PB on October 16th by how much though, is yet to be determined. I guess it depends if I get into Boston. If I don't I may aim for a 3:50 to give me my BQ-5 to get me in a little earlier next year for registration. It's a pretty lofty goal though as it would mean carving 7 minutes off my May marathon time. If I do get in, then my goal will be just to better my time of 3:57, perhaps 3:52-3:55.

There's definitely lots of room for improvement in my running. Right now, according to McMillan, my fastest race is my marathon...that's backwards. According to my fastest shorter distances, I shouldn't be able to run a marathon faster than 4:05-4:10. So definitely room to improve. Once this marathon season is over, may concentrate on shorter distances and improving my times in those categories (like the half marathon which according to McMillan, based on my marathon time, I should be able to run in 1:50).

The one thing I am curious about, is if I had the time and ability to really train how fast could I be...hmmm.... I'm thankful though that I can run at all and I try my best to meet the training plan with the limited time I have. Not getting outside for my runs is a real struggle as I love to run outside. The treadmill is a tough way to train and I whine about it the whole time. Though I am thankful that I have one and that I'm able to at least train.

Next up, Run for the Toad

I'm running the 25K next weekend which should be an awesome last longer run before the marathon!

Here We Go....Let the Wait Begin

2011-09-19T08:58:00.003-04:00

BOSTON MARATHON ATHLETE REGISTRATION
Registration for the 2012 Boston Marathon will re-open on Monday, September 19, 2011 at 10:00AM ET and will continue through Friday, September 23, 2011 at 5:00PM ET.

During this period, any eligible qualifier may submit an application for entry. Please note that entry is not first come, first served.

At the conclusion of this period, those accepted for entry will be notified via email and their names will be posted to the "Entrants" page of this web site. Entry will be based on remaining space and an applicant's qualifying performance.

Due to field size limitations, it is probable that not all qualifiers who submit an entry will be accepted. Those not accepted for entry also will receive an email from the B.A.A. at the conclusion of the application period, and their credit cards will not be processed (though credit cards will be held for authorization through the week of registration.)

The B.A.A. expresses its sincere appreciation to all applicants for the cooperation they have displayed through this new registration process.

According to a wonderful person on Runnersworld who waited until 9:56 on Saturday night to register (just so everyone could see what his entry number was), they have about 15,240 registered so far So some of us BQ to BQ-5:00 are getting in, the question is how many.....

UPDATE:
It's done, my registration has been submitted, I was submission #2015731:

Running Shoes

2011-09-14T08:49:00.007-04:00

When I ran my first race, a 5K in August, 2008 I wore a pair of "running shoes" that I purchased at the Shoe Company. Well anyway, the resulting Achilles Bursa injury took me a few weeks to get rid of. After that, I went to the Running Room and got fitted for a proper pair of running Shoes. The resulting shoe was Brooks Trance 8

I wore a few pairs of these and had no problems with them at all. When the Trance 9 came out, I switched to those

I can't say I liked them as well. There's nothing wrong with them I don't think but I did prefer the 8's. Well when they released the 10's I was super excited. The reviews on the shoe were great. Apparently the shoe is super improved and well designed, and comes in this really pretty colour!

So what's the problem? The problem is no one in Canada is carrying this shoe! Running Room cut down on their lines, so stopped carrying the Trance. I contacted Brooks and complained...told them I was going to switch to Nike's. They were very nice and said that they'd have them shipped to a store for me to try on and purchase. When I called the store though, they were nice enough to explain how high the price point on the shoe was going to be. In the USA, the shoe is $140 so to pay almost $200 for the same shoe here, not something I can do. Everyone is selling the Adrenaline which according to the internet is a comparable shoe to the Trance, but a lower end model? Thing is...price tag on the Adrenlaine at most places is $159!

So I essentially paid the same or more money for a shoe that according to Brooks is supposed to be less expensive then the Trance....

I ran 4 miles on the new shoes last night (which are also 1 full size bigger than the Trance's...don't get that either), and the jury is still out. I guess they are fine, there were no immediate pains or discomfort but they just aren't my shoes. I guess I'm just bent about having to switch shoes.

I have tried shopping online for the 10's but with cost of shipping and duty etc. they are still to expensive. I was in Chicago a couple of months ago, held a Trance 10 in my hands and didn't try them on. Figured I'd wait and get them at home (dumb)....

So anyway, how attached are you to your shoes? Are you willing to be adventurous and try new brands? I tried on some Suacony's, Addidas and New Balance yesterday before I bought the Adrenaline's but they didn't feel right. The Adrenalines felt the best....but they are still not my Trance's....

Amelia's Hair Donation

2011-09-11T21:24:00.003-04:00

My daughter decided she wanted to donate her hair. In order to donate for children's wigs she would have to donate 12" (Angel Hair for Kids). She could have donated 8" to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, but they make wigs for adults. So 12" it was. Amelia has always had long hair so this is a pretty big deal....12" all at once!

I'm so proud of her, and she's pretty proud of herself. She thinks it's great that she can "help the kids with cancer that don't have any hair". I'm just thankful that she has hair to donate and that we can both appreciate the children who do not. What a fitting tribute during September "Childhood Cancer Awareness Month".

She likes her new hairstyle, and says her head feels lighter.

Boston Marathon Registration...

2011-09-09T14:18:00.004-04:00

...opens on Monday for two days, for those runners who ran 20 minutes or faster than their qualifying time. The next four days to those running 10 and 5 minutes faster, respectively. Then on Friday registration will close and re-open on Monday, September 19 at 10:00 am for those who qualified but by less than 5 minutes.

So there was a lot of speculation on running boards etc as to how this would work, the 2nd week of registation. So I decided to email the BAA and ask, as it wasn't covered in the FAQ section of the site.

Here is the response:

To clarify the selection process during the second week of registration for 2012, the BAA will select times that are fastest in relationship to their qualifying standard. For example, if a 58 year old male achieved a 3:42:30, he would have bested his required time by 2 min and 30 seconds. If a 38 year old male achieved a 3:13:30, he would have bested his required time by 1 min and 30 seconds. Because the 58 year old man's time is faster in relationship to the standard for his age and gender, his time would be selected before the 38 year old man's.

So I qualified about 2:30 minutes faster than my qualifying standard. What does that mean? Who knows there probably won't be any spots left after the first week of registration anyway, but we'll see.....certainly going to try!

Grade 3

2011-09-08T08:58:00.003-04:00

This week Amelia started grade 3! I can't believe how fast she's growing up. It just seems to zoom by. The first day went well, and thankfully her fears about getting a 'really mean teacher' are gone. She doesn't have a lot of her closest friends in her class this year, but there are a couple of girls she knows that were friends, so that's good. It will help to eliminate a lot of the "girl drama" time.

The new schedule has two "nutrition breaks", one at 10:45 and the other at 1:05....makes figuring out when to eat your lunch a little difficult. She ate the big part of her lunch the first day, at the second break but was starving. The second day, she at it at the first break and that seemed to work out better.

My baby is growing up....

Race Attire!

2011-09-06T14:05:00.003-04:00

I purchased my new race/running shirt today. Anyone who races knows that I couldn't possibly need more shirts. After all, you buy a bunch of shirts, and get one at almost every race. However, I've determined that I've run my best marathons when I'm wearing a new shirt (wink wink). So October 16 is just around the corner and this is what I'll be wearing.

The shirt is the Addidas Supernova Sequentials Long Sleeve Running Shirt. It has thumb holes which might be great for October 16, if it's a little chilly at the start of the race.

I purchased the shirt at Winner's, you know they have some great running attire, at a fraction of the cost!

So it seems that I've created a new superstition for myself. Thankfully it only extends to marathons, otherwise it would get really expensive. Does anyone else have marathon/race superstitions?

Amelia's Triathlon Photos!

2011-09-02T09:52:00.003-04:00

Here are a couple of the photos from Amelia's first Triathlon in August. Since it was her first, I purchased the magazine cover that they offered, which we will frame and hang in her room. She loved it. Thought it was pretty cool.

Training Update

2011-08-29T09:04:00.002-04:00

(photo borrowed from http://lapetitemort73.blogspot.com/2010/05/37-you-better-get-your-as-in-gear.html)

I have a cold....It actually started the Sunday night/Monday after the Midsummer Night's Run and hasn't let up since. It started in my chest for the first week with congestion and coughing. This week it's still there and also in my head....today it's even affecting my eye...gross. Along with those symptoms (which I can actually handle) is the extreme fatigue, tired legs etc. That's the part that makes it hard to run.

I was trying my best to push through and continue training. Amelia was with me this weekend so I switched my long runs (was supposed to do 20 miles this weekend and switched it to 16). I managed to run 12 miles. She actually rode her bike with me for the first 5 miles at Tom Taylor Trail. Then spent the rest of my run, visiting with Oma!

So while my mileage wasn't where it should have been, I did manage to get in 29 miles in total. However, I think that had I rested more during the week, then maybe I'd be feeling better by now. So I'm going to listen to the expert advice and rest at least for another day or two and then see how it goes.

That 20 mile run is scheduled for this weekend now...we'll see.

A Midsummer Night's Run....er walk

2011-08-22T09:31:00.006-04:00

I ran the 30K Midsummer Night's Run on Saturday night...well most of it anyway. That was the race from hell! I ran 5K on Friday night and my legs were really, really heavy. That coupled with the fact that I had raced a 1/2 marathon the previous Sunday, should have been enough to tell me to go easy on Saturday night and use the race as a training run (which is what I did last year). I was also thirsty at the start of the race, which is not a good sign. It was hot and humid and everything "should" have told me this would not be a great race. Not only did I want to run a PB, I went out too fast. Before I realized it I was about 30 seconds/km too fast and couldn't slow it down. I did have the plan before I started though, that I would give it 5K and if things weren't working out then I'd slow down and finish as a training run. Well I gave it until 7.5K and was done! I felt horrible. Legs were heavy, I was tired and desperately looking for a way to bail out. Yes I was trying to find a way to DNF. I wasn't even sure I could run the distance at all.

I spent quite a long time during the race trying to figure out how to do this. Here were some of my ideas:

- Turn down the street where the finish line was and just stop. Unfortunately missed the street.

- Just turn around at any point around the 8K mark and go back to the finish.

- Contemplated asking a police officer in a car for a ride back.

- Out on the spit, considered taking my bib off, throwing it in a bush and turning around with the runners already heading back. (Taking the bib off was so that people didn't think I was cheating...I would just look like a runner out for a run).

There were more, that was just a few.

I met up with a woman who felt as bad as me and we did a lot of the race together. Walked and ran and shared our misery! Thanks Debbie! It was great to have the company. I also spoke to another runner, a man, at around 28K who was also saying the same thing, how unusually awful he felt. I think that it was a tough night and a lot of people were feeling the same. Some were able to push through better and there were a few PB's to be had. Congrats to all runners, that was one tough run!

Here are my results:

Chip Time: 3:06:03
Finish 514/834 overall
Women 40-49 59/128
Females 213/432

The distance was short of 30K (I measured 29.41K).

Here are some photos from the race...you can see quite of few of me "walking". There's one with the CN Tower in the background which is nice. The finish line photos are great as well....(not)

http://www.zoomphoto.ca/eventgallerysearch/15365/186/1/

Great lessons learned and sometimes that's more valuable. I've had some good races this summer and perhaps was getting a little to over confident. This was definitely a good wake up call. I don't want to do this during October's marathon so valuable lesson learned indeed.

The medals were the same as last year (which was Act V). All they did was change the ribbon. I was a bit surprised by that. They should have made last year's medals with no Act V designation then no one would have known.

Barrie Waterfront Half Marathon

2011-08-14T12:05:00.006-04:00

Today I ran the inaugural Barrie Waterfront Half Marathon. Official results are 1:55:27 for time; 81/214 overall placement; 6/35 age group placement; and 20/96 gender placement. This is a new PB for me in the Half Marathon, which is great, especially since I haven't run in a week. The course was nice, two out and backs. The first one a little hilly and the 2nd half pretty flat. Beautiful run along the Barrie Waterfront. The event was sponsored by Honda and it was awesome. A $60 entry fee which is quite reasonable these days. Nice shirt and some great (big) bling.

I accidentally started my running watch about 15 minutes before the race (duh) so didn't know my time/pace. I knew I was making progress when the starting pace of 35:00 minutes/mile (due to error) improved to around 10:00 minutes/mile at the end!

This marks the end of the vacation too. Back to work tomorrow. We came home from camping at Bon Echo yesterday, after 5 nights of fun! No running but lots of walking/hiking. The weather could have been better but all in all a great trip.

7

2011-08-07T18:05:00.005-04:00

Second blog post of the day, as I discovered I was tagged by Bela

The Goal: To unite bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again.

The Rules: 1) Blogger is nominated to take part 2) Blogger publishes his/her 7 links 3) Blogger nominates up to 5 more bloggers to take part 4) These bloggers publish their 7 links and nominate another 5 bloggers 5) And so it goes on!

And here are my link:

Most Beautiful - My daughter She's my heart and soul.

Most Popular - Ottawa Marathon most comments ever received.

Most Helpful - John Stanton giving me the 4 hour pace band for my first marathon. My goal would have stayed 4:15-4:30 otherwise

Surprise Success - First AG win at the Whitby Waterfront 5K in November 2011.

Most Proud - Definitely the Ottawa Marathon this year. Not only was it a BQ but I got that darned "4" off the clock, which was even more important. Was almost in tears crossing that finish line.

Most Controversial - Not sure if this applies but my back to back halfs one weekend (that allowed me to become a Half Fanatic

Not Enough Attention - September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month....there can never be enough attention

Thanks Bela, I've never been tagged before!

I now need to tag, I tag:

Laura - Live well, Laugh Often

Nicole - I've Always Been a Joiner

Barb - Still Running

Johann - Run Tall, Walk Tall

Amelia's First Triathlon

2011-08-07T16:41:00.010-04:00

We spent most of the week at my mom's cottage this week and on Saturday, Amelia competed in her first triathlon. It was the SunRype Kid's Triathlon Series a non-competitive event who's goal is "completion" not "competition". So while the event is chip timed, the results are listed in alphabetical order. Amelia completed the event in 23:54. The event was divided by age group and then within each age group there were heats. Amelia was in the 8-9 age group and in heat #19 (first heat in her age group, 19th of the day).

She was a little scared prior to the start and was crying before she went in. She had to go into the pool area quite a while before the race and she was scared. However she recovered and did an awesome swim. She finished fourth (out of 12) in her heat. The swim was 75m (3 laps). I waited outside for her to run out but she wasn't coming. Turns out she forgot her flip flops and went back to get them. Ended up running to her bike with them in her hand but she lost quite a bit of time (no running on pool deck). Transition was a bit slow as she was trying to get socks on wet feet. Finally gave up and went barefoot in the running shoes. Walked her bike out of the transition area and started her ride. The bike course was 2 loops for 3K total. She rode back into the transition area and she gave the volunteer her bike/helmet and off she went for the run. By this time she was pretty tired and did a bit of walking. However she finished strong and ran across the finish line.

All in all a good experience and she wants to do another one! Next time we'll skip the flip flops.

As for me, did all my runs at the cottage this week so lots and lots of hills. Amelia joined me on a lot of the runs, riding her bike behind me. I cut my long run short (8 miles), to get ready to take her to her triathlon.

Tomorrow we are heading out camping for 5 nights so not sure how much running will get done, but it sure will be fun! Next Sunday is the half marathon in Barrie!

What's Up!

2011-07-29T07:49:00.006-04:00

Well the last two weeks I've been able to do my running outdoors! It's been great to be outside again but it's been a hot two weeks to run that's for sure! Not that I'm complaining (ok myabe just a little bit).

Well today is my last day of work before my two week vacation! This weekend is Kempenfest in Barrie, so I'll head up there with my girlfriend tomorrow after my long run. The long run will be 16-18 miles long. I'm not sure yet because while 18 miles was planned, 16 miles were scheduled for last weekend to which only 12 were completed. It was the long run from hell. I was at my girlfriend's cottage and it was hot and very hilly. I did a lot of walking and even stopped for coffe half way.

So really not sure what I'll be able to pull out. The longest I have ran is 14 miles since the marathon at the end of May....

Monday Amelia and I will head to the Scenic Caves in Collingwood with my sister for the day. Then on Tuesday, we'll head up to my mom's cottage for the rest of the week. I'll be able to get outside for my runs there as well which will be nice.

On Saturday August 6, Amelia will compete in her first Triathlon. I had to buy a bike rack for the car (a Beetle) and bought her some bike shorts from the sports store to pull on after her swim! So she's all set. Oh and she got a new bike too because the one she had was too small...So my baby all geared up for her first tri!

I'm going to try and run the new Barrie Half Marathon on the 14th as well (last day of vacation).

So that wraps it up!

Summer Fun

2011-07-19T20:38:00.005-04:00

Last week I took Thursday and Friday off and we headed to Great Wolf Lodge for a day of fun. I had been there previously and quite frankly, wasn't too impressed (too crowded, big adults not watching for other people's children etc) but this time, it was much better. But first, we went to Niagara Falls. This time, we even took a ride on the Maid of the Mist. I've been to Niagara Falls at least a dozen times, but have never gone on the boat!

This is the Kid's Cabin Room. They have a cabin sort of built right into the middle of the room. Received an A+ from the kids!

Amelia on the Lily Pads. Last time we were here it took her quite a few tries to get across. This time she made it across on her second try.

Relaxing on the Lazy River with my number one girl!

On Friday night we headed up to the cottage in Muskoka to visit my mom. It was super hot and lots of fun. On Saturday I went for a 10K run on the cottage roads which are hot and hilly (and there were deer flies and horse flies though they didn't seem to bother me).

On Sunday I headed into Gravenhurst to watch my friend do her first "sprint" triathlon. She did awesome in the swim but had a rough ride on the bike (lots of hills and boy was it hot...about 40 celcius). So come run time she was feeling a little uninspired. She hates running (can you imagine!) so I ran with her. Jean shorts and all! I managed to keep her going for most of the run (though it was hard...she just kept wanting to walk) and she managed to run the 5k in 38 minutes. This brought her total time 1:59:xx which was her goal (a sub 2:00 finish). So that was awesome! I told her if she can compete in those conditions, with no real hill training then she can do anything!

Amelia is off with her dad for the next two weeks so I'm able to get outdoors at night to run. So on Monday and Tuesday I headed out for 10K runs. Boy is it hot out there. I'm not complaining though (really I'm not), because it still beats banging out those miles on the treadmill.

Heading up to a friend's cottage on Friday for a 4 day weekend and will do my long run up there on Saturday.

A New 5K PB

2011-07-10T17:10:00.006-04:00

Yesterday I ran Rebecca's Run for SMA in Newmarket. I had a couple of friends with me, including my friend's 15 year old daughter. Her personal best for a 5K was around 27 minutes and I knew she could go faster. So I decided to pace her (though at times during the race I think she hoped I'd leave her). I still managed to get a personal best as well with a time of 25:19 (a PB by 4 seconds). I finished 76/334 overall; 5/35 for age/gender placement; 21/195 for females. My young friend managed to finish in 25:16 which gave her a 2nd place in her age group of 15-19. She's also only been 15 for about 6 days so that result is super awesome. She also has asthma and had to puff 3 times during the race and took 2 water breaks...so even better considering that! We were all super proud of her. Here are some photos. The first is both of us on course and the 2nd is me crossing the finish line.

That wasn't all of my running for the day. I ran a 10K before the race and 8K after the race for a total of 23K (14 miles) for the day. It was super hot out yesterday and got a nice sun burn to show for it, but all in all a good day!

Rebecca's Run is a great cause, raising money for SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) and it was great seeing the photos of the SMA children along the route, including Jacob Procter-Trick a beautiful little 2003 (same as Amelia) boy who I followed that unfortunately passed away in 2005 from Type 1 SMA. Jacob is definitely not forgotten.

Rebecca's Run for SMA

2011-07-08T10:18:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow morning at 10:00 I'm running the Rebecca's Run for SMA 5K in Newmarket. I just ran a 5K last weekend but that one was supposed to be a 10K. I'm supposed to run 14 miles (around 23K) tomorrow though, so I'm trying to figure out when to do it. If I run it afterwards it's going to take up a big part of the day, so I'm actually thinking of running it before the race. May not make for the fastest 5K but it will free up more of the day...hmmm what to do...

I have some friends running with me tomorrow, including my girlfriend's teenage daugher who's just started running recently, so that'll be great!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

My First Race Bail

2011-07-04T14:07:00.003-04:00

On Friday Amelia and I attended the Barrie Canada Day Races. I was supposed to run the 10K. Started out way tooooo fast (about 4:19 for first km), and had a hard time recovering after that. It's a double loop course so as I approached the turn around to start the second loop I thought, do I really want to do do all that again...nope. Since the bail out was such an easy option, I took it.

The marshall was saying "no go this way for the 10K" and I'm like "no I'm bailing out" to which he said "oh ok". I finished the 5K and the timing guy was nice enough to switch me to the 5K event, so I didn't have a DNF.

My official results were 25:53 (gun time as there was no mat at the start) which resulted in a 51/272 overall finish; 7/59 for my age category (F40+); and 19/184 for women. Not to shabby for a bail out! Here are some photos of me just before I took the 5K turn off that my sister took. There are obviously, no finish line photos.

Amelia ran the 1K and had a great time. It was not a timed result so not sure how long it took her. She finished around the middle of the pack.

It was nice to meet fellow bloggers on Saturday as well Bella and Marlene, both of who ran amazing races (Marlene finished 3 overall female)

Saturday saw Amelia and I strawberry picking in the morning, and seeing Judy Moody in the afternoon. On Sunday, we made some strawberry jam (Amelia mashes the strawberries). A very busy and tiring, but fun weekend.

Marathon training is certainly going to be hard this summer, with all the other fun stuff to do, but going to try and get in as much as I can! I bought a new stand up fan for my room, that hopefully in addition to the ceiling fan and air conditioning, make the treadmill runs a little more tolerable.

Let the Summer Begin

2011-06-30T09:03:00.003-04:00

Well Amelia finished grade 2. I can't believe she'll be going into grade 3 in September. Yesterday was her last day of school (today is a PA day), and the summer has begun!

We are starting our summer off with Canada Day on Friday, and we are doing the Barrie Canada Races at Heritage Park. Amelia is running the 1K and I am running the 10K. I haven't run a 10K race in a while so figured it would be a good time to do it. We both did these races 2 summers ago (2009) and that was actually her first race ever. I did the 10K that year as well and wasn't crazy about the double loop of the course (I have trouble with those) but figured I survivied it once, I will again. I'm running a 5K next weekend so didn't want to do to 5K races in a row.

I officially started my 16 week training plan with Canadian Running Magazine Marathon Quest on Monday, and the first week of the plan calls for a 10K long run. So it fits in. I don't think however, that I will be able to use their training plan for the rest of the 15 weeks. It's a great plan and if I could get outside to run more I would certainly follow it. However, as my week night runs are restricted to the treadmill for the most part, pulling out 8 or 9 mile runs is just too tough. So I think I'll flip back to my old training plan for the rest of the training cycle. I still would have joined Marathon Quest as I like the emails, guidance and other perks that go along with the registration (including a VIP waiting area and bagage check at the race).

So that's that, let the summer begin!

8th Birthday's and Running...What Life's About

2011-06-17T09:00:00.014-04:00

Well on Sunday, my baby will be 8. I have no idea how that happened..well I do, but can't believe how fast it's gone by. It was just yesterday that she was born, it seems, and now she's going to be 8. Thing is, thought she would never come, took forever, those years dragged on. But now that she's here....zoom gone in a flash!

Here's my baby one day old

1 Year old

3rd birthday

5th Birthday

Stay tuned for the 8th birthday photos!

As for running, I completed my second 5 Peaks Trail Race on Saturday at Hardwood Hills. I did the Enduro event, which was about 12.2km. It was so much fun. There's a lot to be said about trail racing and hopefully one day, I'll be better at it (at least the big toenail on my left foot hopes so). I did much better this time then in the first one at Albion Hills. Here are the official stats:

Time: 1:33:19 (7:39/km)
Overall: 142/215
Category: 18/32
Gender: 51/94

A big improvement over the first race. We started at the back of the pack which is probably not the wisest, as it makes it hard to pass. However, being relative beginners to the trail circuit, we don't want to interfere with faster/competitive runners. I think we need to figure out where is the best place to start. Based on their stated waves, that would have put us (based on road race results) at the front of the pack which clearly, is not the place for a beginner trail runner. However the back of the pack is not it either...maybe somewhere in the middle next time.

The course was a lot of fun. I think a lot of people took wrong turns and things, but if you listened to the instructions at the beginning and followed the correct mountain bike route (ours was "gnarly"), then even without 5 Peaks signs, you wouldn't get lost.

Haven't registered for the next one yet, but definitely going to. If I can find one where the date works, I'll be there.

Sun Rype Tri Kids Triathlon Series

2011-06-09T09:31:00.003-04:00

Amelia has been entered for her first Triathlon. It's the Sun Rype Tri Kids Triathlon Series. It's on August 6 in Bracebridge. We will be at the cottage (near Gravenurst) then so it's convenient. I like this series, although it's a timed event, it's non-competitive. Amelia is a pretty good swimmer, she's level 8 Red Cross. She's run a few 1K's so far, and will probably do another one on Canada day. Oh and of course, she can ride a bike. So will be a great event for her. Lots of fun. I showed her the photo gallery for past event, and once she saw that there were little kids wearing life jackets in the swim and training wheels on the bike, she felt more comfortable.

The age categories are split so she will only be competing with 8-9 year olds as well. Here are the distances

Swim - 75m
Bike - 3km
Run - 1km

Rest is Over

2011-06-06T10:04:00.003-04:00

Well the rest is over. I took the last week off from running. Completely. Actually was able to get some stuff done around the house and also get to bed early every night. I was pooped this past week, still a little tired. I guess all the training (24 week training program), and the race itself...wore me out!

It's difficult my training, since so much of it is done on the treadmill. No matter what I do, can't get myself to love the treadmill. Really envious of those that can, but I've just never gotten there. I just love running outdoors.

Anyway, back at it tonight, on the treadmill. Just going to take it easy. I've registered for Canadian Running Marathon Quest. Well at least I told them I want to register. The program is supposed to start at the end of June, so I expect I'll hear from them shortly. They've acknowledged my email anyway. I figured it's a good way to be a "part of something" during training without actually having to leave the house and attend somewhere. The Running Room has great training clinics but unfortunately, I can't attend the weekly sessions and even some of the scheduled runs would be a problem.

I'll write more about Marathon Quest when I get some more information!

Oh yeah, and this weekend....5 Peaks Hardwood Hills Enduro....15K of trail fun! My second trail race of the season, and looking to improve my near last place finish at the first!

Photos

2011-05-31T14:45:00.002-04:00

Some preliminary race photos! Will definitely be ordering some of these. The video is pretty good too.

That's a Boston Qualifier

2011-05-30T09:26:00.004-04:00

Ottawa was my 4th marathon. I had a great race...I ran the whole way (walked through water stations), and held a steady pace for both halfs.

A day before the race, Nike+ downloaded some firmware into the Nike+ GPS sportswatch so Average Pace was there (wasn't previously), it was great, used it the whole way.

Loved the sprinklers on the side of the road a couple of times, and loved when it started raining. For me, the conditions were perfect. Really enjoyed it. There is a lot of crowd support in Ottawa which is fantastic. It's also very helpful at some critical times in the race!

Anyway, finally got that sub 4:00 finish, coming in at 3:57:25. A PB by of around 5 minutes, and a BOSTON QUALIFIER! May not get in with that but surprisingly, doesn't really matter...just thrilled that I qualified and got that sub 4:00 finish.

First time I ever ran through the finish with my arms up, and also screamed and hollered when I saw the clock (my gun time less than 4:00 too). Can't wait to see those pics...might be kind of funny.

Here are the official stats*:

Chip Time: 3:57:25
Overall Placement: 1643/4202
Category Placement: 45/226
Gender Placement: 298/1469

10K Split: 56:17
21K Split: 1:58:11
30K Split: 2:47:45
Overall Time: 3:57:25

*it seems some people running the mrathon took the half marathon turn off and cut their race short. They seem to have removed these people from the official results and therefore my stats have been improved slightly.

Off to the Races

2011-05-27T09:18:00.003-04:00

Well I'm off to Ottawa tonight after work for the big race on Sunday...what can I say about the big race...not much except I hope we get some half decent weather. Right now they are predicting high temperatures with a ton of humidty and a chance of thunderstorms..none of that sounds too good!

The Ottawa Citizen quotes "This Sunday's marathon is shaping up to be one of the sweatiest and least comfortable in the race's 36 year history".... it then goes on to say "if the current forecast holds, the 42 kilometre race (it should say 42.2 km as those last .2 km are often a killer...just sayin') wil be held on the hottest day of the year so far, with a predicted high of 28 celcius. Moist air from the Gulf of Mexico will push the humidex into the low-to-mid 30's with a chance of thunderstorms".

Woo hoo...the race is expected to start with temperatures in the high teens (at 7:00 am). Now I'm hoping that for once, the weather forecast is as accurate as they generally are (which is never), and this is not the ONE time they actually get it right.

To all my fellow racers, running Ottawa and elsewhere...have a great race!!

Behemoth!

2011-05-25T19:44:00.002-04:00

Well Amelia, my almost 8 year old daughter, rode Behemoth (with me). 230 feet up in the air, 75 degree drop all at a 125 mph! A 3 1/2 minute ride full of ups and downs and corkscrews. She said when it was done, "Mommy that wasn't scary"....

Fun Times

2011-05-19T09:00:00.006-04:00

So tomorrow I'm pulling Amelia out of school and we are heading off to Canada's Wonderland for the day. We've done this every year since she was about 1....same day every year. Thing is, now that she's in school, have to pull her out for the day. I try to go before it gets too crowded and too hot, and I'm all about tradition. She gets so excited and is really looking forward to going. She's big enough now that she no longer wants to go into the kid's section (now called Land of Snoopy...previously referred to as Hannah Barbara Land). Every year she waits in anticipation to get measured, to see if she's big enough for the biggest rides. She's up to Orange now I believe, so still not big enough for Behemouth, which is her ultimate desire (shown in photo above).

Then on Saturday we'll head over to Centre Island with some friends. My mom/sister/nephew will come as well which should be fun.

Then on Sunday BBQ at my place in celebration of my nephew's 18th birthday...fun weekend planned for us.

And oh yes, my last long run before the marathon planned for Saturday...10 miles!

Nike+ GPS Sportswatch Review and update

2011-05-16T09:30:00.006-04:00

First off, congratulations to all who raced this past weekend. The weather was not the best for racing but it didn't seem to stop anyone. I'm reading about a ton of PB's, lots of BQ's and just overall amazing races. Congratulations!

I didn't race this weekend, but I did my last long(er) run before my next marathon in Ottawa on May 29. I was able to use my Nike+ GPS sportswatch that came in the mail on Friday. I had to buy the watch on Ebay because the watch is not available in Canada yet. The marketing experts at Nike figured it best to release in Canada after the spring marathon season and probably too close to the fall marathon season to make anyone wait (rumoured late July release date). So I pondered buying the pretty pink Garmin 110 but having been a Nike+ user almost the whole time I've been running (almost 2 1/2 years), I decided I didn't want to switch technology. Plus the Nike+ is dummy proof...very easy to use which is essential for me. So I did what any impatient person who can't wait does, I went to Ebay.

Anyway, the Nike+ uses Tom Tom GPS system plus the shoe sensor (same as regular Nike+). I actually just synced it to my existing sensor as it is still working. This way I can still flip between the watch and the Ipod if I want to. The Nike+ foot sensor, automatically calibrates using the GPS continually, so it should be much more accurate than the Ipod system (when GPS not used).

Well the watch worked great. I ran with my friend who was using a Garmin and we compared the results...they were bang on...identical. The watch performed. It does not record average pace which is a complaint a lot of users have, but that's not a big concern for me. I use a pace band when I race with a goal time, so average pace not as important. Would be nice but not major. Overall I loved it.

It uploads your race route in addition to the usual information on the Nike+ site as well.

Well starting week 1 of 2 week taper before the Ottawa Marathon. Only one more 10 mile long run to go then it's race time.

Heading to Canada's Wonderland on Friday with Amelia (we go annually on this day), and then to Centre Island on Saturday...fun weekend planned.

Half Fanatic

2011-05-10T09:19:00.005-04:00

I am officially Member #1018 of the Half Fanatics (Jupiter)

Are you a half fanatic? Let's see:

Do your thoughts switch to the next scheduled race immediately after finishing a Half Marathon?

Are you signed up for more than one race right now?

Do you know specifics about many of the Half Marathons? Dates, courses, years run, etc.?

Do you know the story of how the Half Marathon got started?

Do you read books on running like Marathon and Beyond?

Is www.marathonmaniacs.com book marked on your computer? Do you look at the race schedule more than once a week?

Do you start to feel down when you haven't run a race in a while?

Are your closets and dressers filled with race t-shirts?

When asked about your racing from none running people, do you find yourself talking with great passion to the point that the person that asked the question regrets ever asking?

Have you run races on back to back weekends? Or better yet back to back days?

Have you run a Half Marathon as a training run? Or just to pace a friend?

When asked by loved ones what your plans are for the weekend, you feel guilty telling them your running another half marathon so you tell them "it's only a 10K this weekend"?

Do you plan all your vacations around a races?

Well if you answered yes to any of these questions, you just may be a Half Fanatic!!!

Next stop......Marathon Maniacs??

RIP Danny Kassap

2011-05-02T12:39:00.003-04:00

I was very saddened to read today that Danny Kassap passed away this morning. I saw him daily at work as the Running Room location is on the main floor of my building where I work. I went into the Running Room regularly for most of my supplies and he's always been such a cheereful, funny and great person to deal with. Truly a huge loss and I'm very sad.

Help give Danny Kassup the send off he deserves by donating to the Danny Kassup Memorial Fund

Race Weekend Complete

2011-05-02T09:38:00.002-04:00

Well we completed two races in two days! That was fun but a little rough on the legs. My thighs (quads I guess) are shot. After the trail race on Saturday they were sore, getting up Sunday morning for another half was rough. That race was super hilly as well even though it was a road course. So here's the recap:

5 Peaks Albion Hills 1/2 Marathon

This was super fun. Unfortunately the park ranger advised the race organizers that they couldn't use the originally planned sections of the park. So it turned out to be a 6.2 loop, with all three races on the same course. We started 1 hour early so had at least that much time before the super fast Enduro and Sport racers joined in. We started out too fast and so the first loop was a little rough. Ended up slowing down and letting people pass and at one point were were dead last! Had the whole course to ourselves, no one in sight in front or back. It was actually kind of nice, and definitely peaceful! Overall I finished in 2:17:xx. I finished 53/63 overall (guess I passed some people in the 2nd or 3rd laps), and 9/9 in my age group. I've never come dead last in a race before, and especially being so proud that I did. I had a great race.

Now the one advantage of being dead last most of the race...great photo ops! There were a couple of photogs on course and I'm hoping some good photos are going to come from this.

Run for Southlake

Getting up Sunday morning was a little rough, was not at all feeling like racing. Got to the race for an 8 am start. I forgot my sensor for the Nike+ and had not watch on so totally did not know my times. I just ran at what I thought was a eisurely pace. It was a really hilly course, really hilly....did I say hilly? Anyway I just went along as best I could hoping I would finish. At the half way mark I saw the clock at 1:02:xx and was amazed...I figured I had been going much slower than that. I had a great second half of the race and finished in 2:01:xx which means I ran a negative split. I finished 66/108 overall; 5/16 for age group placement and 13/44 for women overall.

Hopefully didn't mess up my upcoming marathon by killing my legs, but it sure was a fun weekend.

Pics will definitely be forthcoming....

Nike+ GPS Sportswatch

2011-04-28T14:55:00.002-04:00

Well I've done it, I've purchased the Nike+ GPS Sportswatch I've resisted buying a GPS watch as quite frankly, I find them complicated, I can't even reset my Nike digital watch without assistance. I've been using the Nike+ system since December 2008, with my Ipod Nano. When I started using it, I calibrated it, and it was remarkably accurate recording a 12.89k distance on a 13.1k half marathon. However, I haven't recalibrated it lately and it's off quite a bit. I use it now primarily just to log the overall time and not much else.

So when this technology came out, I thought hey, a way to make the Nike+ a little more accurate, why not. Plus it's apparently dummy proof, meaning really easy to use which is essential for me.

I had to buy the watch on Ebay because it's not available in Canada. In fact in the USA it sold out the first day of it's release but has since been restocked. I tried to purchase it through the US site, for delivery to a US address, but it wouldn't accept my Canadian payment. So I had to resort to Ebay since I don't have the patience to wait until mid to late July to purchse it in Canada.

So I'm hoping for the best and looking forward to my new running gadget.....

Back to Back Half Marathons

2011-04-26T09:30:00.005-04:00

Well this weekend, I will participate in back to back half marathons. This is the first time I've ever done back to back races of any distance. I'm scheduled to do a 22 mile long run this weekend, the thought of which did not appeal to me too much. However doing 26 over two days in a slightly faster pace...yes that I can work with.

The first event, on Saturday is the 5 Peaks Trail Running Series - Albion Hills Approximately 13.9km of trail running! On Sunday, it will be the A&B Courier Run For Southlake, a 1/2 marathon road race in Aurora. This is a fundraiser for the local hospital and I'm raising money as well. Click here for my personal fundraising page
So that's that....

Split Long Run

2011-04-17T20:20:00.004-04:00

Well this weekend I was scheduled for 20 miles (32K). I headed out Saturday morning and it was lightly raining and a little windy....well as I got further into the run the rain got heavier and so did the winds. At one point, the wind was blowing me into traffic. I was soaked through and the rain was pelting my face....freezing rain and it really hurt. My fingers were frozen, my face hurt and I had a long way to get home. So what did I do? I called my best friend to come and retrieve my butt! I kept running until she got there and managed to finish about 12 miles (19K). The winds were about 40km/hr with 57km/hr gusts....yeah not a good day to run. That's only the 2nd time I had to be rescued on a run, the first time being two winters ago when I ventured out at 5:00 am in about 25 below zero (celcius weather...plus windchill).

So I ended up heading back out at about 5:00 pm for the rest of the run. The wind had died down quite a bit (not entirely) and it was only spitting. So I squeezed in the last 8 miles.

This is the first time I ever split a long run,and I have to say it wasn't easy. Running on tired legs was hard. I was pooped when I was done. Stopped at Country Style Donuts for a chocolate chip cookie (refueled) at about 6 miles....

Anyway, got it in for a total of 40 miles this week. One of my heaviest (if not the heaviest) mileage weeks ever.

Angus Glen Spring 11.2K??

2011-04-11T09:00:00.002-04:00

The Angus Glen Spring 10 Miler was yesterday but turned out to be an 11.2K'er instead. Only 28 runners were able to finish the full 10 miles, the rest of us, about 325 were detoured and ran only
11.2K. Sportstats actually has 2 sets of results for the race to reflect this. So in the 11K race, my results were as follows:

Chip Time: 1:01:48 (pace 9:03/mile)
Overall placement 57/321
Category Placement 17/116
Female Placement 25/221

Now my time was actually a bit faster. You see, I listen to music and wear earphones...guess this is why they tell you not to. So when I got to the top of the "last" hill and saw the finish line, I just assumed I had taken a wrong turn somewhere, so didn't cross the mat. Stood there trying to figure out what I had done wrong. Of course when I finally could "hear" what the race organizer said, about calling the race, I had wasted quite a bit of time standing there like a dummy.

Oh well, another new experience.

The whole race was run in the rain, and I did hear a couple of rummbles of thunder but I didn't see any lightening, though apparently others did. Lots of hills on this course, but I feel the biggest ones are towards the end and we didn't get to run those.

The jackets are great again this year. I'm awfully glad I didn't upsize as a lot of people did (because the jacket was a tight fit last year), and now have jackets that are too big. This is the 3rd year, 3rd jacket, 3rd completely different style. Lots of swag in the bag...and a great bbq at the end. Will definitely register for this event again. I'm pretty sure this will be the one race I'll run every year.

Nice medal this year too....too bad I didn't truly earn it...

Race #2 - Third Annual Angus Glen Spring 10 Miler

2011-04-06T09:23:00.005-04:00

Race #2 of the season is this Sunday, the Angus Glen Spring 10 Miler. This is the third year they are holding the event, and the third year I'm running it. This event, in the first year, was my first 10 mile run/race ever, I had never run that far. It is part of the Angus Glen Running Series. I remember the first year I started running the race only to realize once the race started, that it was 10 miles of hills... Of course it would be, what else would the golf cart paths be. Not only had I never run 10 miles before, I never raced on hills. I ran the whole race, didn't stop, was very proud of myself that year! Last year, knew what to expect, had a huge improvement in time.

In 2009 I ran the event in 1:37:07
In 2010 I ran the event in 1:29:46
In 2011 I hope to run it the same or faster.

This run is supposed to be "race pace" in my marathon training program. Well if I aim for a 4:00 marathon time then technically, my 10 miler should be completed in 1:31:32. However, as I intend to run my next marathon without a pace band, I'm technically not sure what my "race pace" will be. My untimed pace tends to result in around a 2:00 half and around a 4:00 marathon so this strategy seems to be in line with that result.

Last year's photo:

Photos

2011-03-31T09:34:00.001-04:00

Around the Bay Roadrace

2011-03-28T08:53:00.006-04:00

I ran the Around the Bay Roadrace yesterday, first race of the year. I always doubt whether or not I'm training enough and hard enough. I read blogs and posts of other runners and amazed at how many miles they do and then look at mine. I stick to my training plan though, and hope that it's enough. Then I run a race.

I like others, had a really hard time figuring out what to wear. There were predictions of as low as -19 with the windchill. Had my whole running wardrobe on the bed the night before. Settled on a long sleeve race shirt, a short sleeve race shirt overtop) and a technical race jacket (from Angus Glen 10 Miler). I wore my winter running pants, two pairs of gloves, a running toque with my baseball cap on top. As it turns out it was a glorious, near perfect day for running. Not sure how cold it was, but know it was cold because the water at the first station was freezing in the cup. You didn't feel it though. The sun was shining and it was almost windless in most places...great. I took the first pair of gloves off and tied them to my race belt, and that was pretty much it. Took the 2nd pair off with around 5K to go. I did get a little warm a couple of times but not bad, and not long. I was dressed ok.

I ran the race without a pace band! I did not check my times or monitor my pace at all. The only time I knew what my time was, was when I crossed a mat (10K, 15K and
20K). I also checked at 21K just to see what my half time was. Other than that I just ran based on how I felt. This worked well for me as I finished with a new PB (personal best) of 2:52:06...a PB by around 5 minutes. Even better, I ran a negative split...a negative split at Around the Bay where the last half of the course has rolling hills and one big monster hill (450 meters) at 26K.

My splits were 10K - 57:03; 15K - 1:26:32; 20K - 1:54:55; 30K - 2:52:06

I placed 2510 out of 5878 runners. 128/494 for my category placement. 836/2915 for gender placement. My overall pace was 5:51/km A good day for racing.

I ran all the hills including the big one (wasn't fast but it was still a run) and that thrills me as well.

Found this great video of "the hill" http://www.thespec.com/videozone/507212--video-around-the-bay-running-the-valley-inn-hill

First Race....

2011-03-21T09:49:00.002-04:00

....of the season is this weekend Around the Bay Roadrace. 30K (or 18.6) miles. I haven't run that far since the Road 2 Hope Marathon in November. I've hit 16 miles and this weekend ran 14 miles (for a weekly total of 34 miles). I will use this largely as a training run, and may try to run a little quicker but will pretty much wing it...no plans. Just run and see how it goes...

Looking forward to starting off the race season though! Hoping the weather holds out for Sunday.

Fun in the Sun

2011-03-03T20:52:00.003-05:00

Well my girl and I went to Jamaica for 4 days last week...we had a great time. Played in the ocean for hours! Amelia got her water slide time daily at the kids' club from 3-4:00 pm. Great time. It was a run free vacation so back at it this week. I'm doing last week's training plan this week, as it had heavier mileage. 16 miles scheduled for this weekend. Longest run I've done since my last marathon in November! Around the Bay is fast approaching...first race of the season.

Some shots from the vacation:

The Changes Are In

2011-02-17T09:06:00.006-05:00

The changes to the Boston Marathon Qualifying standards are in...I for one, think they did a good job. There was a ton of speculation on "what they could or should" do. These changes....never once suggested on any of the boards that I saw.

I think the rolling admission is a great idea....I think that a woman in my age category, that runs 20 minutes faster than me...should get in before me...absolutely. Here's how the rolling admissions play out:

September 12, 2011 20 min., 00sec. or more below their qualifying time (based on age/gender)

September 14, 2011 10 min., 00 sec. or more below their qualifying time (based on age/gender)

September 16, 2011 5 min., 00 sec. or more below their qualifying time (based on age/gender)

Second Week

September 19, 2011 All Qualified Runners

September 23, 2011 Registration closes for qualified applicants

September 28, 2011 (appx) Qualifiers from entry during second week of registration are notified of their acceptance.

So essentially, if you qualify with the current time standard, you will not be able to register until the 2nd week,assuming there are spots left. Wil there be spots left? People automatically assume not. I don't think there's any way to know that. People are trying to calculate registration chances based on current entries etc. But unless you know how many people "didn't" get in, how many people have been shut out in previous years, there is no way to calculate your chances. The race always fills up so there are always people that didn't get in. some of thse people will fall into the 5-20 minute faster categories I'm sure.

I don't think there's any way to know how this will work until after the 2012 registration plays out.

As for the increased times in 2013...hey it's only 5 minutes :)....that's manageable.

In a nutshell...perhaps this may prevent me from ever going to Boston, but I don't think it'll prevent me from qualifying! Onwards and upwards.

Week 10

2011-02-14T10:38:00.003-05:00

Well I'm starting week 10 of my 24 week training program, so almost half way. Week 9 was supposed to see mileage of 32 miles...I was 12 short. The long run that was supposed to be 14 miles, ended at 5 (plus a couple of others got cut short). Purely a time factor as life sometimes gets in the way. Also I'm headed to Jamaica on Sunday for 5 nights and won't be running at all there, so there will be a shortage in milage on week 11 as well.

So....week 10...gonna be a good training week. Will switch my 12 miles on Saturday to 14 to compensate and try and stay on track for the rest of the runs...so weekly total should be between 32 and 35 miles if all goes well.

I'm trying not to stress about the missed runs, as I know that sometimes it's unavoidable, and at the end of the day, it's only running.... I'm just thankful 'today' that I can run....because you never know what's waiting for you around the corner...you know...life getting in the way.

Happy Valentine's Day

Guilty

2011-01-31T09:02:00.003-05:00

Missed my long run this weekend (which I usually do on Saturday), whcih was scheduled for 12 miles. Just couldn't fit it in. Time wise, it was gonna be tough anywa. Plus in order to get it done outside, I would have had to have had someone available to watch Amelia for a couple of hours. When the time was available (after she was in bed), the thought of hammering out 12 miles on the treadmill just wasn't doing it for me. On Sunday I went skiing with Amelia. First time out in a couple of years, so come Sunday night, really no desire to again, climb on that treadmill and run. So there you have it...a skipped long run.

Now had I been able to get outside and run this run, I would have been up bright and early Saturday morning and would have found the "time" to squeeze it in before the day began. I love running outside! Treadmill, not so much.

I have to say, this is the first time since I started using training prorams, that I've ever missed a long run. I've cut them short a few times (not that many though), but never actually missed one in it's entirety.

Amazing how guilty I feel.....strange....

Going to Jamaica

2011-01-25T09:56:00.003-05:00

Amelia and I are going to Jamaica for 5 nights in February! Woo hoo....very excited. The timing couldn't be better either...it's cold here in Toronto and we've had a lot of snow this year. Also may have some medical decisions coming up soon that make this trip even more welcome. I've been here before, when Amelia was about 17 months old. She wasn't able to walk yet (started about a month later), so of course, she doesn't remember it. It's not a super fancy place, but good value for the money, and lots of things for the kids to do.

Gonna start packing soon...have to pull out all the summer clothes that are packed in boxes for the winter.

Oh and no running for me...I don't run on vacation. Couldn't really anyway, as I'll have Amelia, but even if I didn't...I wouldn't....

2011 Is Here

2011-01-10T13:39:00.005-05:00

2011 has begun. I think it's going to be a good year. I'm really looking forward to it actually.

Christmas was great. Amelia had a lot of fun and that's what it's all about.

I have 4 weeks of my marathon training 100% completed. Mileage is still pretty reasonable with weekly totals under 25 miles. This week will go up to 27 miles.

I've got a few races scheduled so far including my first 1/2 marathon trail race. I'm entered for the 5 Peaks Albion Hills on Saturday, April 30. I may go for my first back to back and run the Hartwell Challenge Half Marathon in Aurora on May 1st (assuming they are still having it...limited information so far online. Still trying to decide on which full to do (Ottawa or Buffalo)on May 29th . The next races up are Around the Bay on March 28 and the Angus Glen Spring 10 Miler in April.

Oh and I've booked a 5 night vacation for Amelia and I in Jamaica in February. Can't wait for that...super excited. It will be a run-free vacation as well (as most of my vacations are). It's been a while since we've been somewhere warm in the winter (2008 I believe) and it will be our first trip just the two of us.

Well that's it for now....

Hope everyone has a terrific 2011.

First Week Completed

2010-12-17T19:00:00.002-05:00

The first week of my new training program is complete. There was a little adjustment in my days/distances but the overall weekly total is bang on. I ran my long run today, Friday, so that I could get outdoors. Rather do that then run on the treadmill.

Also bought a pair of trail running shoes today and used them on the run. They are Nike Air Pegasus + 26 GTX. The GTX is for gortex and that was amazing. My feet were totally dry and warm. They weren't too heavy as a lot of trail shoes can be, they only weigh 10.1 oz. They were definitely more heavy then my regular running shoes though.

Overall they were not to bad, I did get a little foot pain in the ball of my foot so will look at getting an insert. I have custom orthotics for my regular running shoes so hopefully I can find something similar for these. Don't want to use my good orthotics in shoes that will probably get all wet and stinky.

I'm going to register for some of the 5 Peaks Trail Races this year and will look forward to running in these shoes.

Let the Training Begin

2010-12-14T13:40:00.002-05:00

I started my 24 week training program last night, in preparation for my next marathon on May 30, 2011.

A lot of my training will be on the treadmill this time (unfortunately), so I'm going to try and vary the speeds and inclines to get a better workout. Last night I ran 4 miles. I did the first 3 miles at 6mph at 1%/2%/1% inclines and then did the last mile at 6.5mph at 1%.

Tonight will be rest night as I have my daughter's Christmas pagent at school, but then tomorrow I'll climb back on for 5 miles. This is a relatively light week with a long run of only 8 miles on the weekend.

I'm again using a Nike+ training program*. I've been using them since training for my first half marathon that I ran in May, 2009. I'll be again using the Marathon Intermediate 1 program but will incorporate more of the speedwork etc that is suggested.

*I don't use the new series of training programs as they are not flexible. I use the old training programs that are listed in the forums under Nike Coach.

So here we go again! Break over.

2011 Season is Approaching

2010-12-02T08:56:00.005-05:00

I've registered for two races so far for 2011. The first is Around the Bay Road Race (30K) on March 27, 2011. This will be my second time running this event. Last year was my first, and it was my first race at a distance beyond the 1/2 marathon distance. In fact it was my first "run" of 18 miles (even in training).

The second is the Angus Glen Spring 10 Miler. This will be my third time running this event, and the third time they are holding it. I'm partial to this race. It was my first "longer" distance race (10 miles), and a warm up to my first half marathon (that I ran in May, 2009). It takes place on the golf cart paths and it is a little challenging as it's lots and lots of hills. This event is a little pricey (I think) at $95, however you do get a great jacket. The jacket from the first year (red) is my favourite and I wear it a lot. This may be one of those events that I run every year. It's nice to get a locker and have a shower afterwards, and there's always a great BBQ lunch.

I'm also trying to pick my spring marathon. I've considered running the Mississauga Marathon as this is where I ran my first in May of this year. I've also considered the Ottawa Marathon as a lot of people rave about it. I've also been looking to the south at the Cleveland Marathon (they have a great medal), but I'm seriously considering The Buffalo Marathon I've read the reviews and while there are some bad ones, most of them are good. I also have a friend who says he runs with a bunch of guys who do this one every year (and it's one of the only events they repeat). It's not too far from Toronto and it might be fun to try something new. Anyone have any comments on this one? I still have a month to decide, before my spring marathon training begins, so will continue to ponder. Oh the Buffalo Marathon does need to update their website though, as they are still advertising the 2010 event.

More Fat Ass Photos!

2010-11-24T09:54:00.005-05:00

Straight from the course itself!

First in Age Group and a New PB!

2010-11-21T20:13:00.006-05:00

Yes it was really cold....look at my feet ha ha ha

Photo of me getting my age group award!

Woo hoo!! I ran the 5K in the Whitby Waterfront Races today. I was curious to see how I'd do in an 5K as I haven't run one since August, 2008. I was wondering if all the endurance training and the longer runs would translate to speed (like all the books say that it will). My fastest 5K time in May, 2009 was 26:33.

It was freezing cold. The race was along the Whitby waterfront and it was chilly. Windy. I almost ran with my down filled jacket on. If you look at the pics, you'll see my bib was on the outside of the coat. I decided at the last minute to take it off. My jaw was frozen until about 1K and then I warmed up.

I didn't use any timing device on the course so had no idea how fast I was running, so when I came around the last corner and saw the 25:00 on the clock. I was so surprised.

I finished 25:23 and first overall in my age group (of 8). I finished 5th female overall (out of 42) and 18th overall (out of 77).

When they called my name for the age group award I was so excited!! Anyway, really happy with this result!

Ran My First Trail Run

2010-11-15T11:56:00.006-05:00

I ran my first trail run yesterday, the Fat Ass Trail Run...7.5K. Finished in 48:30. I placed 24 out of 137 which is much higher than I thought. I didn't realize I was that close to the front of the pack actually. I placed 8th overall for women.

All I have to say is man was that fun. I loved it. Running through the forest and jumping over branches...fun stuff. The conditions were perfect, sunny, warm and dry ground. So I guess if it had snowed or rained and the ground was wet, it may have changed my perspective a bit, as going up those hills would have been even tougher than it was. There was just so much more to keep you interested/going compared to a road race.

The course goes up the side of the ski hill (through the wooded side of the hill, not the actual ski hill), and through some trails and back down the other side.

I'll definitely consider going back next year and perhaps running the 17.5K (or maybe the 25K)...and will look into some more trail events.

I would definitely recommend this race to anyone. They apparently started 6 years ago with 23 people and this year, had almost 300. They used a Garmin to time the race but I understand they will introduce chip timing in 2011.

Photos courtesy of Adam Paulin

3rd Time Not the Charm

2010-11-07T20:02:00.003-05:00

Ran the Road2Hope Marathon today. Was going for that Boston qualifier and was on pace to 40K....couldn't hold it together for the last 2.2K...really tired, both legs and cardio. When 4:01 hit and I knew I wouldn't qualify, I slowed down and just took it easy into the finish. End result 4:04:35. I finished 729/1116 overall; MF45-49 41/80; Gender placement 211/410.

I'm surprisingly ok with this. Maybe it's because Boston registration for 2011 is full,maybe it's because I really left it all out there this time. Took a few walk breaks in that last 5K (had a buffer so was still on pace till 40K), but they were needed. They weren't taken because I was just giving in.

So upwards and onwards!!

Next race Fat Ass Trail Run this weekend (7.5K), and then the Whitby Waterfront Races on November 21. I registered for a 5K. Haven't run one of those in a while and figured it's time to switch things up a bit!

Thanks to everyone for all the support!

Atlantic City Half Marathon

2010-10-25T15:06:00.004-04:00

I ran the Atlantic City Half Marathon on October 17! It was a trip planned for quite some time, with some great ladies I met online. We've been "virtual friends" for around 8 years, and finally got to meet for the first time in Atlantic City. Unfortunately, only 9 of us were able to go, but fortunately, the 9 that went had a great time!

3 of us participated in the 1/2 Marathon (1 walker, 2 runners). What can I say about Atlantic City? For the 3rd oldest marathon in the USA, it was pretty unorganized. Race packet pick up was slow and painful. They had trouble finding our bibs/packets, and one of the women ran as an "unidentified runner". The swag bag, well they didn't have those ready. I made a joke about them giving to us before the race and having to run with them. Well that's exactly what they did. Fortunately, there was enough time for us to take them back to our room....others, not so lucky.

The course itself is pretty good, flat for the most part. It was a beautiful day and the weather was perfect for running. On the boardwalk going out it was peaceful, as it was an early start. However towards the end of the race (and I assume it got worse as the marathoners started coming in), the boardwalk was crowded with tourists and you had to do some dodging. Hopefully in the future they can dedicate a lane to the runners to make it a more pleasurable experience.

The mile markers were off and hard to see. Port-o-potties were apparently there, but not to many. I didn't see any. The finish area was crowded with runners and spectators. Generally spectators are not in the food area, but here they were. Made it hard to see what was available and hard to get anything.

It was my first "destination" race and my first race in the US. I'm glad I did it, but don't think I'd go back to this one. Unless of course it was just to meet up with some great gals again!

OK so what I did in the race:

I didn't pace myself. I ran at what I felt was comfortable and listened to my body as best I could. I saw my times when I crossed a timing mat a couple of times, and I did check my watch to see how long I'd been running overall, but without a pace band, really just had an idea of where I'd finish.

So I finished 2:00:31. I'm pleased with that result!

Overall finish 410/900; division 32/114; gender 163/492

Boston is Full

2010-10-19T09:40:00.002-04:00

Well it's official, the Boston Marathon for 2011 is full. Registration opened at 9:00 am and closed at 5:03 pm with 26,800 runners. So that 1 minute failure to qualify in September will officially haunt me forever!

I'm running a qualifyer in 2 weeks. I knew when I registered, that it may be tight to get into Boston even if I qualified. I didn't think though, that it would be that tight. I believe it closed in 6 weeks last year which was a record!

So that's that.....

I'll post my race report from Atlantic City later...

Atlantic City Bound

2010-10-12T12:36:00.003-04:00

I am Atlantic City bound this weekend! Going to hook up with, and hang with some amazing ladies who are gathering from various parts of the USA! I'm the lone Canadian this time around. Then on Sunday morning, going to run the 1/2 marathon at 8:00 am!

Will have my camera so hopefully will take lots of great photos!

Third Time's A Charm?

2010-10-04T13:25:00.002-04:00

Well I'm registered for the Road2Hope Hamilton marathon on November 7.

I figured that since I was already trained, I may as well give it one last attempt before the winter. So that's what I'm going to do. Using my last training plan, I'm going to do the last four weeks backwards for the first 4 weeks, then the last two weeks again for the taper. I found a few training plans on-line that offer advice on training for two marathons 6 weeks apart but this advice seemed the best. I may tweak here and there but not too much.

So...here we go again!

Close But No Cigar

2010-09-27T09:19:00.006-04:00

Ran my second marathon yesterday, the Toronto Scotiabank Waterfont Marathon. My objective was to qualify for Boston, and for a good portion of the race, I was on pace to do so.

My race started out faster then normal but I wanted to bank some time (even though I know it's recommended you don't do that), in case I had to take a few extra walk breaks at the water station. I was concerned about my training (or lack thereof) and thought that might happen. I never felt really "strong" but felt ok through most of the race.

At 12K I went to adjust the earphones on my ipod and disconnected the sensor for my Nike+...this created a huge problem. I no longer knew what my pace was based on my chip time. I started pacing to the gun time, and doing a lot of mental math using my pace band and the watch. I crossed the 21.1K at around 1:59 (gun time) so knew I was on pace...(2:00 was what I needed based on chip time).

I started struggling in the last 5K and this is where I made some errors in judgement. I started walking a few times (which was kinda dumb because you don't feel better anyway), and did this based on the assumption that I had 3 or 4 minutes over gun time. I crossed the finish line with a gun time of 4:04:29 and still didn't know what my chip time was. Found out soon enough that it was 4:02:01... 1:03 too slow for a Boston Qualifier.

I'm disappointed I would be lying if I said I wasn't. However,when I took those walk breaks I knew this could be the result, and knew that I'd be disappointed...and I took them anyway. I guess this is where the mental game comes into play in a marathon. I had a tough race but got through it and still with a new PB. So I'm only going to whine for a day or two, then start thinking about trying again in the spring. Again I'm too close not to try and perhaps the third time's the charm?

Here are my official results/stats:

Finish 1222/2713 overall
W45-49 35/125
Women 326/1032
Chip time: 4:02:01.2
Gun time: 4:04:29.3
Pace: 5.48/Km

10K split: 54:10 (fastest 10K ever)
21.1K split: 1.56:56 (fastest 1/2 marathon time ever)
30K split: 2:49:19 (fastest 30K time ever)
35K split: 3:18:53
40K split: 3:48:52
42.2 split: 4:02:01

Day after.....ouch....not as bad as the day after the first one but still pretty sore!

Thanks for the encouragement on my previous post and yes Francis...so close lol....

2 More Sleeps

2010-09-24T09:40:00.004-04:00

Well there are two more sleeps until my second marathon. I'm nervous and excited and quite frankly don't know what to expect. Training in the summer has been tough. The weather was hot, and then there were the vacations. A couple of long runs were missed, and some were cut short, and compared to my first training plan, the mileage is down.

I ran my first marathon in May, and fell 2 minutes short in qualifying for Boston. So I'm putting it out there, on Sunday, I will try to qualify for the Boston Marathon...maximum allowable time 4:00:59! By writing it out it makes it more real and harder for me to back out of the attempt. I will give it my best.

I had an IT Band injury on my left leg during Mississauga that kicked in around 31K, lost the 2 minutes and I couldn't get it back. Ironically, my right leg has been acting up lately. Made a visit to the chiropractor this week and had accupuncture in both legs that will hopefully help me this time.

2 more sleeps!

Marathon #2....

2010-09-22T10:12:00.002-04:00

...in 4 sleeps....

Toronto Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

2010-09-20T16:06:00.007-04:00

Childhood Cancer Facts (Taken from Candlelighters Children's Cancer Foundation Site)

- Each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.

- One in 330 children will develop cancer by age 20.

- Although the 5 year survival rate is steadily increasing, one quarter of children will die 5 years from the time of diagnosis.

- Cancer remains the number one disease killer of America's children - more than Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Asthma and AIDS combined.

Ways to Help:

Childhood Cancer Foundation

Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario

I also have numerous links throughout this blog for individual fundraising efforts!

Types of Childhood Cancer

Leukemia

Leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and tissues which produce the circulating blood cells. Leukemias are the most common childhood cancers.

Types of leukemia include:

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL): The most common childhood cancer. Almost 75% of children with leukemia have ALL, a cancer of the lymphoid cells in the bone marrow and the lymphoid organs of the body. They are involved in the body’s immune system.
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML): AML (also called acute myeloid leukemia, acute nonlymphatic leukemia or ANLL) is cancer of the myeloid blood cells which are produced in the bone marrow and which help fight bacterial infections.

Cancers of the Central Nervous System

Brain tumors: There are many types of brain tumors; the most common are called gliomas.

Neuroblastoma: is a cancer of the sympathetic nervous system which most often originates in the adrenal glands above the kidney.

Sarcomas
Sarcomas are cancerous tumors involving the bones and soft tissues.

Bone cancers

Osteosarcoma: the most common type of bone sarcoma. These tumors often are located at the growing end of the long bones of the extremities, close to the joints.
Ewings Sarcoma: a bone cancer that often appears in the middle of the bone. Commonly found in the thighs, hipbones, upper arms and ribs.

Soft Tissue Sarcomas:

Rhabdomyosarcoma: a soft tissue sarcoma that develops in muscles. Most often found in the head, neck, kidneys, bladder, arms and legs.

Lymphomas

Lymphoma is a tumor of the lymph tissues, which are part of the immune system. Types of lymphoma include:

Hodgkin disease or Hodgkin’s lymphoma: affects lymph nodes nearer to the body’s surface, such as in the neck, armpit and groin area.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: affect lymph nodes found deep within the body. There are many types of lymphoma, include Burkitt’s, non-Burkitt’s, and lymphoblastic lymphoma.

Liver Cancers

Liver cancer is an abnormal growth (tumor) in the liver. The most common forms of liver cancer in children are:

Hepatoblastoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma

Cancers of the Kidney

Wilms tumor: also called nephroblastoma
Clear Cell Sarcoma

Other Types of Cancers

Retinoblastoma: is a malignant tumor of the retina (a thin membrane in the back of the eye).

Germ Cell Tumors: Germ cell tumors appear most commonly in the testes, the ovaries, the area at the bottom of the spine (sacrococcygeal) and in the middle of the brain, chest or abdomen.

Progress in Childhood Cancer

Since the mid-1950s, cooperative research has improved the survival rates for childhood cancer from less than 10% to almost 80% overall. Cure rates vary according to each specific type of childhood cancer. Some types remain very difficult to cure. All cure rates need to be improved.

Multi-institution cooperative research of major scope has also paid dividends well beyond childhood cancer, contributing to:

-understanding the abnormal biology of cancer cells, treatments for adults with cancer,developing principles of team management for other diseases of children and adults, and pioneering the enormous advantages of multi-institution cooperation in clinical research.

Important Steps in the History of Childhood Cancer Research

Multi-institution Cooperation in Clinical Trials

One of the most important contributions to developing better treatments for children with cancer was the formation by the National Cancer Institute of the first group of hospitals that agreed to cooperate in clinical trials of new drugs that had been developed to treat acute leukemia, the most common cancer among children.
Cooperative clinical trials of chemotherapy for acute leukemia were begun at seven hospitals scattered through the U.S. in 1955. Research grant support was provided by the NCI.

Leukemia Chemotherapy

The original seven member hospitals of the group were convened by the National Cancer Institute to cooperate in conducting trials of new chemotherapy for acute leukemia. This was the optimal way to quickly evaluate new chemotherapies that showed promise in laboratory experiments on leukemia cells. The first cancer clinical trials cooperative group treated only one type of childhood cancer; acute leukemia, using only one modality of treatment: chemotherapy. The era of chemotherapy for cancer had been heralded by discovery of several chemical agents that could eliminate leukemia cells from the bone marrow and circulating blood in children with acute leukemia. This was a breakthrough that demanded rapid trials of many potentially effective new agents. The NCI developed groups of institutions to cooperate in joint conduct of clinical trials to perfect new chemotherapies being developed in many laboratories. National cooperation in clinical research was very successful. Many new agents were found to be effective in treating acute leukemia and gradually the remissions of leukemia extended from several months to several years. At that time, however, there was little discussion of cures.

Treatment of Solid Tumors in Children

Due to the success of chemotherapy in acute leukemia, it was imperative to try chemotherapy against the cancers of solid organs. The NCI supported childhood cooperative research group pediatric surgeons, pediatric radiation oncologists and pediatric pathologists to their membership, in order to combine surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy in treating the solid malignant tumors of children. After a few years, the group required multi-disciplinary teams to be formed at each member institution. The group which had been formed originally to test chemotherapy for leukemia, was significantly re-organized to include the principal medical disciplines needed to diagnose and treat solid tumors of children as well as leukemia.

Multi-Disciplinary Team Care of Childhood Cancer

Childhood cancer groups developed special national studies combining surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy to treat certain types of cancers of the kidneys and muscles which occurred mainly in children. Combined modalities of treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy were found to produce the best results for these childhood solid tumors after surgical removal of as much of the tumor as possible.

New treatments based on immunology, bone marrow and stem cell transplantation and newer treatments derived from molecular biology and genetics are now in increasingly wider use as the research horizon expands. Multi-institution clinical trials by cancer clinical researchers are the most efficient way to apply new laboratory discoveries to advance diagnosis, selection of the most appropriate treatment and, increasingly, to prevent cancer.

The best response and survival rates of children with cancer have been achieved by treatment according to a clinical trial protocol at a cooperative group member hospital with experience in conducting multi-disciplinary clinical trials. To participate in cooperative national clinical trials, a member institution now must have a multi-disciplinary team of experts that can comply with all diagnosis, treatment, supportive care and laboratory requirements of cooperative clinical trial protocols and provide combinations of treatments adjusted to the needs of each child.
Laboratory and Translational Research on Childhood Cancer Research in cellular and molecular biology, genetics, immunology and epidemiology has become an important aspect of cooperative group cancer research. To improve diagnostic evaluation, to develop new treatments and to evaluate how they affect cancer cells, many group member institutions developed laboratory research programs to further accelerate progress in diagnosis, treatment and cure of all types of cancers that attack children. The cooperative groups have incorporated laboratory research programs in many basic sciences. These have led to new understandings of how normal cells transform into cancer cells and how to develop therapies to overcome that process without harm to normal cells and tissues. Current treatments that directly affect only cancer cells are referred to as “targeted” therapy. Many of the important discoveries of the Human Genome Project have led to better diagnosis and treatments.
The majority of the laboratory researchers conducting research related to childhood cancer are located at academic medical centers throughout the U.S. and Canada. When they produce laboratory research findings which have potential application to diagnosis, treatment, supportive care or prevention of childhood cancer, they have ready access to their clinical colleagues on the COG team at their institution. One of the primary objectives of the COG is to facilitate the translation of important laboratory research to clinical applications to benefit children with cancer. This has been a research priority of COG institutions for several decades.

The Concept of Total Cure

A major emphasis for the past two dozen years has been on improving the quality of life for patients cured of cancer during childhood. The modern definition of “cure” for children goes far beyond achieving disappearance of the evidences of cancer. It now includes the goals of psychosocial, educational, and occupational reintegration of the child into a successful life. In social terms, the impact of this achievement is considerable: The cure of a child saves an entire lifetime.
Taken from http://www.curesearch.org/

It's In You To Give

2010-09-13T11:12:00.005-04:00

I made my 26th blood donation today...in record time....4:55 to donate one pint of blood (excluding administrative aspect).

It is coincidentially, the 6th anniversary of the passing of Allie Scott, a little angel, whose story changed my life forever. Allie may be gone, but she is definitely not forgotten. I made my first donation shortly after Allie passed away, and have been making them ever since. I'm also registered on the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry (which is free in Canada).

First Day in Grade 2

2010-09-09T09:18:00.002-04:00

Amelia started Grade 2 on Tuesday. She was very excited but also a bit nervous. She's worried about homework and being able to do the work. She struggled a bit with math at the end of grade 1 and I think that scared her off a bit. However after the first day, she had renewed confidence. She'll be fine! She's in class with a friend she had in Junior Kindergarten. However the school split them up in Senior Kindergarten (though they remained very close friends), because they sometimes had little fights (heck they are girls....hello). Anyway, they are reunited in class and quite excited about that.

My baby is growing up!

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

2010-09-01T15:47:00.001-04:00

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

During this month alone, about 125 children in Canada will be diagnosed with cancer. Although seven out of the 10 of these children will survive, childhood cancer remains the single biggest cause of death (after accidents) in children over the age of one. And for those children who survive, many will live with ongoing health related issues and discrimination.

2010-08-22T19:13:00.004-04:00

We ran the Midsummer Night's Run last night, a 30K race in downtown Toronto. Ran a PB of 2:56:56 finishing 361/651 overall and 43/91 for age/gender category. I'm pleased with the result since this is the first 30K distance I've run since the marathon in May. Training runs this summer have been rough, with the heat and humidity so didn't know what to expect. I was trying to improve on my Around the Bay result which was 3:00 and I did that...by about 3 minutes.

It was a humid start last night but then it wasn't too bad. Even had some light showers at times which were welcome. Finished the race and got some really bad calf cramps...never had that happen before, but within 1/2 hour they were gone. Feeling pretty good today too!

Got to meet a fellow blogger/follower last night too...that was cool!

Next race....Scotiabank full....

Fat Ass Trail Run

2010-08-12T10:52:00.004-04:00

I've registered for my first trail race on November 14, 2010 (the 7.5K event....figured I start small). It's the Fat Ass Trail Run in Batawa, Ontario (near Trenton)

They are selling shirts, the front has the logo above, and on the back it says "You're not puking and nothing's broken...SO STOP WHINING!!!"....love it...had to buy one of those!

I'm really looking forward to this one...should be a great event.

Summer Vacation!

2010-08-09T10:29:00.003-04:00

Well I'm back at work after summer vacation...almost 2 1/2 weeks off....It was great. It's nice to have a vacation that is full of fun stuff, good people and great memories! Amelia and I went camping in Tobermory with some friends, and to the cottage with the family.

My running fell off the rails the first week but I managed to pick it back up the second week. Even managed to get a 15 mile run in this past weekend. I'm going to my friend's cottage this weekend so will probably miss my long run. Training all over the place in the summer....harder to train I think.

The Midsummer Night's Run is on the 21st, looking forward to the 30K run a lot....It will be a great event I'm sure....my first time.

Scotiabank full marathon is 7 weeks away!

Erin's Dream Laynards!

2010-07-08T10:09:00.002-04:00

Get Involved and Fund a Cure

Who Is Erin? Erin Buenger was an almost twelve-year-old fireball who lived large. She also fought neuroblastoma cancer for more than half her life.

What is her Dream? She lobbied Congress and raised money privately to increase funding for pediatric cancer research. She dreamed of a cure for her disease. The money raise by Erin's Dream Lanyards goes to support neuroblastoma research through the Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation.

What is a Lanyard? Lanyards are long necklaces with rings or clips on the end to hang ID badges on. School teachers, nuclear scientists, and hospital personnel are types of folks that sometimes wear lanyards as part of their jobs.

Visit Erin's Dream Laynards!

Atlantic City Marathon

2010-07-06T15:52:00.003-04:00

My flight is booked!! I'm flying to Baltimore, Maryland where I will meet up with some great ladies, and drive to Atlantic City! We will run the Atlantic City Half Marathon on the 17th then drive back to BWI for the flight home on Sunday.

I was originally booked to fly WestJet direct to Atlantic City for around $225. Unfortunately, received a notice advising that WestJet was discontinuing their flights to Atlantic City. There are no other direct flights to Atlantic City from Toronto. So for a while it wasn't looking good. While this flight is way more expensive, I'm just glad that I'm going!!

Stat Counter

2010-07-04T18:41:00.002-04:00

I love having a blog. A place to record some of the things that go on in my life, like my running and my daughter. I like that fellow runners and friends can visit and know what's going on. I like that good intentioned strangers visit as well, offering words of encouragement etc. It's also a place that I can link my fundraising page for the annual Light the Night walk for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, as well as links to other fundraising efforts that friends have, to raise awareness for pediatric cancers and other illnesses, something I'm extremely passionate about. A blog can be a good thing!

My blog has a stat counter It's really cool. You can see who visits your blog, how many times they visit, where they are from. In some instances, you can even see where they work, if they access the site from work. Even tells you which computer they are using! The other neat thing it does is tell you if they download your photos. I don't know why someone would want to download photos of me but there must be a reason. I think it's all well and good except for when I discover that someone is downloading photos of my daughter. That's not so cool. Yes, I know, when you are on the internet and you post things like that, those are the risks you take. This is exactly why I put the stat counter on my site. So that I could see if anything weird was going on, and then decide what to do about it...gotta love the internet!

2010-06-09T21:46:00.004-04:00

I've registered for my next two races..A Midsummer Night's Run (30K) on August 21st and Toronto Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon (42.2K) on September 26. Started training again this week! So here we go again!

Race Photos Are In

2010-06-01T19:48:00.004-04:00

Race photos from my first marathon came in the mail today!

The Toronto Women's Half Marathon

2010-05-30T21:11:00.004-04:00

Ran the Toronto Women's Half Marathon today. It was hot, around 30 celcius. I was feeling pretty sluggish from the start, knowing that I wasn't fully recovered from the full marathon 2 weeks ago. I really like this even though, and wanted to participate. So I went out and didn't pace myself (meaning I didn't check my time while running), and just ran. My IT Band started acting up at about 2 1/2 miles which is really early, but it wasn't that bad that I would have had to stop. I slugged along and at 6 1/2 miles was glad to see the muscle bound fireman with no top on, who was kind enough to pour water on me as I ran past...sigh.... There was a chocolate station at 19K as well. What more could a woman ask for?

I finished the race in 2:01:12 which is not bad considering I wasn't at my best. I placed 194/1129 overall and 34/215 for my age group. Not to shabby.

Angela ran as well and did great. It was nice to have the company as well. We had a nice lunch afterward but both of us are pretty pooped now I think!

Here's the finisher's medal from the race. I think it's kind of neat that they make it "girlie" for an all female event. It's on a short chain instead of the standard "ribbon". Not to bad.

A great event, well organized and lots of fun.

Finish Line Video from the Mississauga Marathon

2010-05-20T08:52:00.002-04:00

How cool is this?? I'm on the right side wearing turquoise top and black capris/hat

Mississauga Marathon: Half & Full, Sunday May 16th, 2010 - Canada :: FinishCam.com

My First Marathon

2010-05-19T09:00:00.006-04:00

I ran my first marathon on Sunday, the Mississauga Marathon. The conditions were perfect too. Couldn't have asked for a better day.

I've been running for just under 2 years, and the last 24 weeks were direct marathon training. I was a little concerned going into this race (not a lot, just a little), as I hadn't reached all the long runs that I was supposed to. The training program called for a couple of 20 mile runs and a 22 mile run, none of which I did. I did attempt the first 20 mile run and that's when the IT Band injury kicked in and I couldn't complete the run (only did 18.6 that day).

The IT Band injury caused me concern as well, but only to the extent that I wouldn't complete the race, just that I may have to walk.

I went to the expo on Saturday to pick up the race kits. While I was there, I stopped at the Running Room booth. John Stanton was there himself, handing out the pace bands. I took the 4:15 band, which was my goal, and then discussed with him a faster band. He gave me the 4:00 and said "here take this one too, you never know...if the wind is right". So I took it. This would by the way, be a time that would qualify me for the Boston Marathon!

At the race, I had Oliver put my pace bands on for me, I intended to put the 4:15 on my left wrist and the 4:00 on my right (which was covered with a pouch so harder to see), they got mixed up, and the 4:00 was on my left wrist....fate?? Who knows.

Started the run, felt great. Looked at my band about 7K in and realized I was on pace for a 4:00 finish. So I kept plugging along and thought "why not".

My knee (from the IT band injury) started aching a bit at around 11K but it was not probelmatic at that point. It started getting a little worse around 20K. Then at
31K the accute pain kicked in and I almost went down. I couldn't believe it. I hobbled along for about 30 seconds, then started running again, slowly. It hurt like crazy but I was too far into this race to not keep going.

Thankfully after running for a while, the pain subsided again (which it usually does). It only reactivated on changes of elevation (hills up or down), over curbs/bumps, around corners etc. I had a couple of hobbles in there but nothing too major. It hurt for the balance of the race though, just not the really sharp pains that make you almost collapse. However, I had lost 2 minutes and couldn't get them back.

My friend Holly found me on her bike at around 33K and rode the balance of the race with me. That was great, I think it helped me to keep my focus. This is us at about 41K. Holly's Aunt Linda, her husband Alfred and daughter Gaby were on the the road at that point, and Linda took the photo!

So I crossed the line in 4:02:52. That placed me 790/1710 overall; 31/141 for age/gender; 224/715 for overall gender. I missed the BQ by under 2 minutes, but I'm thrilled with the result, especially because of the injury. I know I can do it now and I'll probably do this again.

I took 3 Cliff Blok chews at 1 hour in (followed by water), then again 45 minutes later. After that I stopped at only 3 stations for gatorade. I felt great crossing that line, even sprinted at the end. I didn't hit the proverbial "wall" and didn't feel like passing out at the end. A good day.

Brief Update...

2010-05-16T19:00:00.005-04:00

We had a busy weekend...Amelia's tap recital was on Saturday morning...she did great. She looked down at the stage a lot, not sure if she was nervous or not. She had a good time though, and that's what counts!

Ran my first Marathon today and the results are in I finished 790/1711 with an official time of 4:02:52. I'm thrilled with that result (even though I missed a Boston Qualifier by just over 2 minutes). I finished 13/141 for age/gender and 221/716 for gender. I'll write a race report soon! Too tired today.

Amelia Can Ride a Bike...

2010-05-13T08:57:00.002-04:00

...on 2 wheels! No photo of the first ride unfortunately, but I'll take one withihin the next few days and post it.

Only 2 more days till my first marathon, and only 1 more run in training....tick, tick, tick.