I sure over-promised and under-delivered on this one

So, here it is, the long awaited 1/2 marathon recap that by now you probably forgot that yo were waiting for.

First off, I should say that this isn't the post I wold have wrote if I'd gotten around to it that day..or the next day..or even 4 days later for that matter. This, my friends, is the post that stems from 10 days of rest and recovery and the benefit of a fading memory. Much the same way that they say you forget how much giving birth hurts (I wouldn't know but please don't correct me if I'm wrong), I know this one sucked in a big bad way but I can see past that now. Thank goodness!

To pick up where I left off in my last post would only draw out the agony from whatever recess of my mind that it is hanging out in, so instead I will leave it at this:


I would have had a better race if...

I didn't have to stop and find a washroom in a local Second Cup up at kilometre 5...

If I didn't start cramping, first on my right side then all across the top of my abdominal wall, at kilometre 7...

If my legs didn't turn to lead shortly after kilometre 7 and stay that way for the rest of the race.....



If when they told me 200m to go (in other words, "Girl, start running your ass of now!!") they hadn't been asking for a miracle that I only somehow managed to pull off....

If when I had tried to call The Boyfriend after the race to report that I was exhausted, in pain, cold and hungry (in that exact order) and could he come find me quickly please, my Blackberry hadn't been full of moisture and thus not working AT ALL!

So yeah, not the greatest run of my life. But now, 10 days later I can look back and even laugh about it. You can't win 'em all and I definitely didn't come out on top this time. Oh well, there's always next year right?

Another good sign that I have moved on from this mild disaster? I am thinking about signing up for a 30k race in March....but that's a story for another time!

So tell me, have you ever had one event go from bad to worse, to EPIC FAILURE? If yes, share with me please!!



Writer's Block

I'm back but once again empty handed as far as race recaps go. I just can't seem to find the words this time around. That and I really want to add photos but they won't be available until later tonight or tomorrow I am told.

What I will leave you with is a teaser of sorts to hold you over until the recap is ready.

On the morning of the race I woke up feeling good. I had gotten more sleep this time. I had been more relaxed the night before this time. I knew what I was getting myself into this time. This was going to be a good race!

That was until I accidentally deleted my running playlist on my iPod when trying to add a couple extra songs. F%^&!!! Not good. Not good at all!

Then, after frantically reloading some songs and gathering what I thought was everything I would need for the day The Boyfriend and I headed out the door and were on our way to the race site. That was until I gasped loudly after realizing that I had forgotten the Garmin at home (I had borrowed it from a friend to keep on pace for this race). Immediately we turned back to retrieve the gadget and then continued on our way.

The mayhem didn't stop there though. When The Boyfriend went to take a picture of me before the race began we realized that the Garmin wasn't the only thing that had been forgotten. The camera was in the bag but alas, the memory card was not. F%^&, F%^&, F%^&!!!

At this point I trudged to the starting line, trying to shake off the annoyance I was feeling but lets just say this was unfortunately only the beginning of what would be a very frustrating morning .....


Stay tuned for the rest of the recap tomorrow.

Another 1/2 marathon in the books..

Good afternoon friends. I'm here to say hi and as much as I would love to stay and chat about today's Toronto 1/2 marathon but I'm tired and oh so sore and need to just veg out in front of the current Jersey Shore-a-thon that's taking place right now.

Back soon with the recap. Enjoy our Sunday everyone!!

My Everest

Thank you all for the support and encouragement on my last post. It is always difficult for me to give up on something but I feel really confident that this was the right choice. In a busy life where a full time career, running and other fitness goals, a relationship, friendships, family and personal time are all hugely important and very much a priority, something had to give and in this case the part time job was the one thing I would miss the least. Its all about balance and priorities, right?

And now that I have freed up some time I am able to take on challenges like this:

Meet my Everest, otherwise know as the hill that will meet me at kilometre 3 of my upcoming half marathon. I'm not even sure if this photo does it justice but let me just tell you this one is a calf/quad/lung killer.

Bottom line, it intimidates the hell outta me. So much so that I wasn't going to sign up for this race because of it. I have attempted it before and it literally takes my breath away.

That was until I reminded myself that you can't avoid the things that are tough, you have to face them head on. I had avoided running for the very same reasons and had to get past it. When I did I proved to myself that I am stronger and capable of more then I give myself credit for. I changed my mindset then and can do it again this time. I will get over it, in this case literally.

And so in the battle of me and that hill I say "Bring it"

6 days and counting....


So tell me, is there something that you have had to get past to achieve your goals or prove your own strength to yourself?

Sometimes you just have to walk away...

By nature, I am not a quitter. I will relentlessly look for solutions. I pride myself in being resilient. I hang on, at times beyond reason, when everyone else would give up, call it a day, say goodbye.

This my friends, might all at once be my greatest strength and my greatest weakness. It all depends on the situation. It kind of depends on who you ask too.

That being said I uncharacteristically quit my part-time job today. The truth is that I was miserable, disgruntled and under no uncertain terms, a huge downer when it came to that job. I was selling my free time and in essence, a part of my happiness, for a few spare bucks. Not exactly a fair trade if you ask me. It was a resignation that was a long time coming and no matter how hard I tried to convince myself to get past all the unsatisfying things about it I just couldn't do it. Not for one more stinkin' day.

So that's it. I walked away. And I feel relieved. Sure I might have a little less cash to play with but I will also have my time and a little piece of my sanity instead. Now that's the kind of deal that I'm a little more comfortable with!

And now that I think about it, being a quitter kinda kicks ass!


So tell me, what have you quit and felt great about

The run that started it all...

One year ago today I completed the CIBC Run for the Cure, in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Society, for the third time. It was an important day for me because it's a cause that I feel strongly about but also because it was the day that I decided that I wanted to run. After years of excuses- Oh, I'm not built to run...Oh, its not in my genes...Oh, I have diminished lung capacity- I got out there and ran because it felt good and it was for something so much bigger than me. And for the first time ever I ran for over 1k without stopping and that was what I needed to finally believe that I could become a real runner.


2009 time: 34 minutes

Flash forward to one year later. I can now say that I have completed two 10ks, a 10 Miler and a 1/2 marathon. I have also logged countless kilometres in training and learned a hell of a lot about the importance of cross training, rest, stretching and good nutrition. To say that I have come a long way from where I was 365 days ago is an understatement. To say that I am proud of me would be the same.

2010 time: 27 minutes (my new 5k PR)

Today was definitely about the cause, but like finding a cure, this run proved to me that sometimes you just have to believe!

So tell me, what have you accomplished in the last year?