'puke if you have 2' ...Around the Bay 2011

Granny underwear-Check
Gu Chomps-check
Lucky Necklace-check
pee 33 times before race starts-check
Jack wearing race shirt for good luck-Check
Chip on shoe-check
Etc. Etc.Etc.

The night before the race, Jack asked me to pull out my medal/trophy collection from years gone by so he could see the 6 ATB medals I already have.

I went to clean the bathroom and when I returned he had them all organized on the floor.

"See Mom! If you can do this than you can do that race tomorrow NO PROBLEM!"
Wow! Way to pack a punch for nostalgia and to cheer me on.
I used to be fast. 5 km 22:10// 7 km 31.43//16 km 1:29:15//Half marathon 1:48//and marathon 3:56:01//ATB 30 km 2:52
I forget 10 km pb...mostly because I HATE 10 km races.
It bugs me that I can't go fast. It bugs me that I'm super super super slow. I try to console myself that the doctors had said I would never be able to run more than 5 km and yet, I'm training for a 50 km and have done 3 more atb, a couple halfs and 2 fulls in the last 2 years and 9 months.
Still... I am SO embarrassed at how slow I am. So embarrased, as if I'm not as good as I used to be.
I have to get over it.

THE RACE:
Started out SHITTY for the first 10 km, which Ironically was the slowest 10 km of my race. I always have that happen to me and it sucks. My knees hurt, toes went numb, had to pee in an orange portapotty and then at 7 km started to feel like I was gonna puke.
Seems I'm a glutton for punishment because I just got faster and faster as the race went on even though my tummy hurt and I was feeling tired......
I decided to take action:  I needed my sister!!!
 I had my iphone on my since I had to let my cheering squad know when I was 5 km from the end so they could get to the finish line in time.  I did something that seemed so weird to me. I text and ran at the same time! I text my sister.

 She helped me through that point and then the moment came that I had been waiting for....the part of the race where I can relax and feel 'at home'.....THE HILLS. You see, the first 18 km of the race is flat and then you go to Northshore Blvd in Burlington where it's rolling hills and even a very big one by Lasalle park. You chave a slight reprieve on Plains Rd but then around the 25 km mark you go down Valley Inn Road which brings you to a gorgeous part of our Royal botanical gardens. Therein lies the MFH (motherF...erHill) as it is known as. This is the hill that will make or break your race. If you go up it too hard you will maybe find yourself crawling the last 4 km to the finish.
So...where was I....oh yes....my second wind. I love that hill section...it's where my race begins.. I start passing people and I don't stop passing people until I get to the finish line. Now, I'm not competitive for time etc but it sure is good for the psyche to be passing 30 people every km you run when those people either misjudged the difficulty of the route,
went out too fast or didn't hydrate/eat properly and have hit the wall early on.    I plan for this...it's my style and I trained so hard on those hills this year that I ran every step of those hills and it was the fastest part of my race. This, all on the verge of puking and having to do a run and puke'' at the side of a road as I had barfed in my mouth while running and had to spit it out. (TMI?? Well...that's how it goes!!)
 My stomach felt much better after that and I was super super happy!!!!!! I just kept passing those people and when I got to the MFG I had to check to see if Beth had text me. She did. I nearly cried with her kind words of encouragement and love.

I had to call my peeps to let it ring 2x to let them know I was near the end. turns out they were far from the finish line.They were suprised at how quickly I was going the last 10 km because I had told them to take their time as I was feeling crappy and had an upset stomach.

My sister had encouraged me via text and the classic text was...."Wow? You're almost there!
Puke if you have 2!" My sister is the best. She knows that there is no way I won't finish this race or give up.

I saw Jack at the 21 km mark and it pepped me up so much. Nothing like a hug from him part way through the race to keep me happy. (This was before I puked...)

Once I got to the MFH It was clear sailing......I ran the last 5 km as my fastest of the ENTIRE race!! I saw a friend of mine at the 28 km mark who scolded me for having far too much energy at the end of the race and I should be pushing as hard as I can.....BUT...therein lies the problem. If I push too hard, my back could get very injured and I won't be able to recover
well to run another race. I also have to be able to walk after the race, to take care of Jack on my own that day as well as to work the next day. I'm on my feet a lot for work and I need to be able to work. I can't get injured. I just don't have time for it. I have to go slow and steady and kick ass for the alst 5 km at all my long races so that I don't make those nagging back problems flare up.
So....at 4:05 as my official time I am torn. I'm embarrased that it is so far from my 2:52 personal best but I'm so pleased that I can run it.


"The miracle isn't that I finished....the miracle is that I had the courage to start" J. Bingham.
 I remind myself of this as much as possible. 3 years ago...I wasn't running and would hide away on the day of the ATB (the route went by my apartment) and wish wish wish I could run that race, remembering the days when my runner buddies and I would train so hard for it. Remember the 4 times I had already run it and  getting tears in my eyes as I thought that I'd never again be able to run it.              
My miracle is getting to the start line of the last 3 ATB Races....Finishing = winning in my books and if it wasn't for those people that believe in me accomplishing my dreams, and my
dear son who believes that If I can do it, he can too someday, then I would still be thinking those doctors were right. That I'd only be able to run 5 km max.  I NEVER Run a race alone...it's my fb peeps that cheer me on(one had just finished his first 50 km in India! Congrats to him!!) with their comments and notes, my family and friends who come to cheer me on and my little Jack who is at the finish line to make me want to get their faster and stronger.
Ok.......so now for that 50 km Ultra Trail Run in May.......better get running!!!

Cheers!

Granny Underwear and other Pre Race Rituals...

Wear the wrong underwear during a long distance race and you'll be cursing yourself when it's all done. Whether you chose granny, bikini, things or none at all...you gotta make a choice. Chafe chafe chafe chafe...a five letter bad word for runners!!
I remember getting ready for the New York Marathon and watching/hearing my male running friends(we shared a room so there was no escape from the discussions) put liquid bandaid on their nipples and their....nether regions. I guess underwear choices matter for men too. Luckily, for them, the liquid bandage worked!

I have lots of rituals...some I would be embarrassed to tell but mostly it's stuff like this:
Race shirt that I get as a part of the race cannot be worn until I have actually run the race.
It's bad luck to wear the race shirt until you have crossed the finish line. That shirt becomes a good luck shirt if Jack wears it while he cheers me on at the finish line (but it isn't mandatory)
You can't even try on the shirt until after the race is over because it's not a good idea.
All clothes must be laid out the night before: absolutely NOTHING that hasn't been worn in training for this particular race.
Do not eat any new, high fat foods within 2 days before the race.(don't want an upset tummy)
Wear my lucky necklace.
Blah blah blah...I could go on...I'm sure it would bore you.


Above all, I can never go off to the race without a very important item:
THE RACING GITCH!! The one piece of clothing that is saved for long runs only. Not worn at work, definitely not worn on date night but saved for long races only.

Yes, I'm that runner with pantylines that would make you laugh (but you'd still be behind me so who's laughing now?!)
because I have to have that huge, no chafe in sight, granny underwear.

I won't tell you what colour it is or it wouldn't be lucky underwear anymore!


Many runners have superstitions or pre race rituals. I just happen to be brave enough to share a few of mine... :)

"4 More Sleeps"...

...until the Around The Bay Race!!
My 7th.
I'm excited but mostly nervous since I know that route inside and out. I even know where I will be at certain landmarks base on my pace plan and previous races. Silly eh?


I just had to shovel the driveway with wind, snow and what seems to be hard snow pellets. It's technically Spring, by calendar date but the snow we were showered with seemed neverending.
I liked shoveling. Weird? I like being outside, even if it means an upper body/core workout via my shovel and several cm of snow.


Oh ya..back to the Around the Bay Race...
I was reminded today about my little coach's view of what my race strategy should be.
We were in the car. Slip, sliding around the snow and ice covered roads. I said "jeez, I hope it isn't like this for the 30 km on Sunday!"
Jack (in 8 year old coach mode) said "mom, you have done this race so many times and you've done harder races than that. Just remember, when you get tired sit down and rest then get up and run some more and rest again when u need to, find a bench to sit on and then run some more until you get to the end. You know I'll be at the end for our usual high five!"

Our usual high five......what he doesn't know is that there is nothing ever "usual" about it


for me. Seeing him there, waiting to high five me is a mental picture I never forget. It means the world to me to have him there. I never take that for granted and cherish that picture.
Thankfully I have had wonderful friends to help him get to the finish line and this year it's my ex-father-in-law. He's a runner and we're very good friends. He isn't running the race but he always comes to cheer on the many many runner friends he has.

One day, when Jack was about 6 years old, I was doing a boot camp workout outside and I was hurtin'! I said "oh man! I can't do this stuff."
My little coach replied "mom, I've seen you run a 42km race. If you can do that, then you can certainly do this little workout!"

Wow! Words I've never forgotten. Words that I remember vividly as I train for this upcoming 50 km ultra in May.

He's a pretty good coach eh?
I'm a lucky mom!

Transplanted blog March 13th, 2011....from facebook to here.

This was a note I put on my fb account until a friend suggested I start a blog and I did.
This was from March 13th 2011...backtracking a bit but I wanted to make sure it was on here as the first official running blog I ever did.

First of all, I decided to start to note my trail runs as they have become more than just runs for me.
I write with stream of conciousness so if I seem scatterbrained in my notes is because I am.
I just came home from one of the fastest, muddiest, ice covered trail runs  this winter. I am amazed at this run as I ran so hard and fast that I nearly puked at the end. I run  with a group of women and men that run faster than I do except for one lady that is often slower than me but she wasn't there today so I was up for a new challenge..... when we run in the trails it's like every man for himself but wait up for the people behind you to make sure no one gets lost or is injured. I know it sounds harsh but these are serious trail runners and as much as we will slow down to  chat and shoot the shit at times we also can take off, run that brutal hill and wait at the next junction for the peeps behind us. it is very different from road running. We are also very protective of each other and will stop to help navigate the ice together and hold branches aside so we don't get smacked in the face. now, you might thing it's rude to be  running with someone and then mid conversation they take off and you;'re left on your own, but that's ok in the world of serious trail running. Road running is very different.
What's cool is that my strength is navigating roots and rocks, jumping over streams or navigating through them and major downhill parts of the rocky bruce trail, all this while still running and not stopping.  So,when  they have to stop and hike these sections they kindly move over to let me pass them and take off until the next junction, where they call me 'Crazy lightfoot' and pass me.

I used to run trails...when I was 23 I started. WEll, I  should say that I ran cross country in school and was TERRIBLE at it. I ran for year from 23 to 29 in the conservation area and loved the fact that you are always either going up or down a hill and there isn't much flat anything in there. The hills range from steep short hills to long semi-steep hills that go on forever and you think you'll die until you get to the top and push yourself to keep going obecause there has to ge a downhill somewhere. What really sucks is that in Dundas conservation area, there are a lot of those hills and when you think you made it to the top you see that there is just a bit of a reprive until there is another uphill. There were a group of us who would run an 8 km route frequently and have social time together after. I stopped running trails during my 10 year hiatus from running but have started going out there again in the last couple of years.
I used to be fast...I could run faster 8 km in those trail than on the road. Now I have many more issues to deal with. Pain and problems from my car accident, and a 20 pound backpack of lard on my body that I didn't have before.I'm slowly shedding it, bit by bit but it does slow me down. I decided a while ago that instead of seeing how fast I could run a marathon that I would start to see how far I could run. Slow and long distance is what makes me happy. I really disliked road running and now I can barely stand it. I found there is an entire sub-group of trail runners that create many races all over Southern ontario...part of the ultra series. I can't stand running on sidewalks, roads, in the city, with cars around etc.once I have discovered that I can run in the trails in the winter with people.  I will run on trails in the spring, summer and fall but runing in there alone in the winter is just plain stupid.
Ultra Trail running is hard, harder than  I can explain. It is also the most rewarding running ever. It's like this: When I was a little girl, i could be found in trees, lying on the grass, playing with mud and dirt and then running through the field behind our house, chasing butterflies. I guess that's a bit of what I feel when I run on the trails. My running is faster, more efficient because I'm trying so hard not to fall down that I dont' feel the fatigue of my fast breathing or lactic acid build up in my quads. It's an all body thing, so you're never using the same muscles for a long period of time, as in road running. Your arms and back strength propel you up the hills and your arms help you balance on those downhills so to not fall over the rocks and roots or on the ice.  When I'm out there, all worries are left behind. I see animals, animal tracks in the snow, hear the birds, watch the season change the way the forest looks and mostly...run as hard or slow as I want with one concern, get to the end of the run without falling down.
Today we ran 15 km. It was ICe, mud, snow, swollen streams and very hilly. I ran as hard as I could for the entire 15 km, breathing super hard and pushing myself beyond what I thought I could do. I ran some hills that I figured would get the best of me and they didn't. my trail running buddies were ahead of me for the majority of the run, but when the trail became almost un-runnable  for the rocks and roots and streams I'd fly past them (at  least it feels like flying) and we'd all laugh!
 Our trail leader knows the trails like the back of his hand and sometimes it seemed like he'd pick a direction through the brush and call it a trail. We'd run single file and pass some 6 foot ravine drop on oone side and then further up, a 20 foot drop. This is the part of the trail where we all run together, waiting for each other to make sure we get through it unscathed. This is where I'm glad I have my cell phone with me, in case of emergency AND there is a gps on it!
Maybe now, it makes sense why road running seems so boring. I am running the around the bay in a couple of weeks and after that, I'm picking only trail races to do. I don't need to race, I am not competitive with other people but picking a race gives me a target goal to train for. Something that helps me get off the couch and run the roads if I have to or on the treadmill and cross train for.

I've heard people say that I shouldn't run such hard routes, that it is irresponsible and as a parent, I should make sure I don't get injured so I can take care of my child. I think of it this way. Some people like to ski, snowboard, cycle, mountain bike, play hockey, waterski, ski-doo, play soccer, go atv-ing, sky dive etc. All these activities could include injuries. I love what I do. I am fortunate to have good friends to do it with and good friends to cheer me on! I'm hoping I don't have to stop any time soon and I plan on doing it the safest way possible!

Finishing = Winning !! Viewer discretion advised!

Today I ran 2 hours and 48 minutes in the woods.
I encountered hills that made me think that if I just leaned forward a foot I'd bump my forehead. They were steep. Steeper than I thought I could handle.

I had a very hard time today. I wasn't able to concentrate on my pace. The mud was awesome and we all had mud covered soakers when we were done. Roots and rocks were the nice part of the run.
I was tired from the start. I dunno why. I rested so much yesterday and other than cleaning, didn't do anything physical. I ate well, hydrated but today I nearly sat myself down on the trail and cried. I was tired and frustrated. I didn't hurt. I wasn't injured or sore.
I just had a plain old shitty run.
Each bad run is a test. A test of my mental strength. Today I used all my mental tricks to get me through.
I nearly puked, I nearly pissed my pants too. Not because I had to pee but because the physical demands to get through this one section of the trail were tough on me. Women who have had a baby would know what I mean! ;)


Why did I keep going? Why didn't I cheat and take the easy route back to the car? Why didn't
I just stop and rest? It's like this: on race day, I will have to get to the finish line. Every hard run conditions me for that distance. I had to push past the wall to make my body realize it can push further. I REALLY want to finish this 50 km ultra trail marathon. Sitting and resting isn't going to get me in better shape.
I was determined to get there, to run it and to not give up.
My fellow runners wouldn't let me! They cheered me on and reminded me of the techniques I was forgetting to use to push myself further.
I have had hard runs, bad days before and they make me stronger to get through another bad run down the road. We only ran less than half of what I'll have to run on race day.
I have a lot of work to do still!

I didn't piss myself, I didn't puke (although it was a near miss)
I finished the run. I focused on my pacing, took joy in the terrain and the view (3 deer
today!)

When I was running I was discouraged, kept thinking that if I wasn't so damn fat that I'd be

able to run faster, that I don't train hard enough, that I suck at this stuff...the demons of negative thinking. Then I remembered this. FINISHING=WINNING.
I remembered sitting in the specialist's office a year after my car accident and countless hours of physio and hearing him say that I'd never be able to run long distance again. I remembered how much lower my fat percentage is now than it was
3 years ago, that I'm far from fat. I remembered people I know who are suffering and above all, I remembered Jack and how I'm always telling him to work hard to reach his goals and to not give up on himself.

There you have it. My whining, my jibberish and my mushy sentiments.

My kid sister and me. Two bad motherrunners!!

No pain no gain?? At this point I hope that's true because I'm sore sore sore!
That 2.5 hour road run that I did this past Tuesday has left me with aching calves, quads and butt. I am NEVER this sore after a trail run of the same distance. Just another sign that my body responds better on trails, even though the route is much more difficult.
The good thing is that the Around the Bay is soon and in order to not torture myself
on race day, I needed to get my legs conditioned to the road running.

Yesterday my sister rubbed my feet! My sister is the best sister in the world.
She is 4 years younger than me and at this point in our lives we are are super close!
Only thing is; she lives 1.5 hr drive away and we don't see each other as much as we'd like.
She was visiting me for a couple of days with 3 of her 4 kids (2 are stepkids) and we had a blast! Hiking and feeding the birds at our local Royal Botanical Gardens as well as playing outside at my house, eating green pancakes for St. Patrick's Day and loads of cuddles!

My sister runs as well..she enjoys the half marathon distance and I wish we could run together. She is the person who got me running again after my 10 year hiatus. She wanted to
run a certain 5 km race and asked me if I'd do it too...one of the best memories of my life is running that race with her and singing at the top of our lungs as we ran together then high five our kids before we crossed the finish line!
I do recall trying to train for that race as feeling like
I would pass out when I walked/ran 4 km my first day out. I remember being so proud that I did it an amazed that I could.
Before we had our children, so many many many moons ago, we ran so many races and runs together. The difference was that when we ran a race we would run our own individual pace and NOW i'd never think of leaving her side. It's the joy of crossing the finish line together that is the joy. Singing and laughing while we run and high fivin' the kids before we cross the finish line. Race time means diddly-squat now. We don't care. We enjoy the moments, the look on the kids' faces when they see us coming and most of all, the new memories we are making. We are planning to do a 5 km in June together.

Amongst our busy lives, work, kids, house cleaning, laundry, paying bills etc. we run.(I never put housework before running ;p)
Anytime the feet hit the roads/trails is an accomplishment! We got out the door. If it's 2 km or 20, it took a ton of work to get out the door! I am proud of my sister! Even if she never ran a step. I'm super grateful for the foot rub too :)!!
Hoping her feet feel better today too!

"This IS my race pace!"

Looks can be deceiving: I don't look like a distance runner.

I am round in the hips. I have 20 lbs of fat on me that I didn't have when I ran 15 years ago.
I was in a car accident several years ago and the doctors claimed that I would never be able to run more than 5 km at a time as the whiplash injuries would leave me in constant pain and I'd have referral pain as well.

So I run slow. I saw a slogan that read "I run slow, Get Over it".

I run slow but for a very long time, with no walk breaks on the roads.
Now, having said that..I can run fast when the urge strikes me (24 min 5 km) but that's when my back problems get worse.
I do stretch EVERY day to try to keep the headaches and pain at bay!
When I started running again 2.5 years ago after a 10 year hiatus, I never imagined I could run a marathon again. The doctors had said I couldn't. Now I have done 2 more marathons and am working on my first 50 km ultra trail race.

I'm not sure I'll ever get to Boston, you have to qualify to get there. I might not get close to my marathon personal best of 3:56:01 but for some reason, I don't care. I have an ability to run for long periods of time and I love it.

Later, I will write about my weight loss journey and goals. Right now, I have to go finish the laundry and clean up for my guests: my sister, 3 of her 4 children and then more kids tonight for a sleepover. 8 kids in total aged 3 to 10.
I don't have wine!!! Maybe a run to the wine shop??? ;)

Today's Run: 2.5 hour Road Run

"Cecilia. You're breakin' my heart..." ~ playing in my ears as I took off for a road run. Thankfully, I listen to music when I run on the roads. It's such a pain in my ass (literally) to pound that concrete but the Around the Bay 30 km is coming up
In 12 sleeps and I thought I should remind my body of what the terrain is going to be.
Why do I run the Around the Bay if I hate road running?
Because I have a love/hate relationship with that race. It's historical and several other reasons which I'll get to later.
I ran an out and back route, the hilly part of the race route and on the way back, those same
Hills in the opposite direction.
I used to dread that part of the route. After running the race 6 times I've learned that it's the part of the race that breaks runners down if they haven't trained well and I now love the hills.

I only ran 2.5 hours when I had planned 3.
I ran late. It got dark and that route is not well lit.

Now, I don't walk when I run roads. I stop to fill my water bottle but that's it. I just like it that way.

Smokers, tokers, Bus and car exhaust, drivers who try to run over pedestrians as a hobby (not
watching sidewalks) are challenges to face.

I sing when I run. As long as there is no one around. One thing trail running has taught me is to not care what I look like when I run.
I mouth words to the songs and yes, I'm that crazy lady singing lady gaga as she runs. I don't know those people! WTF do I care what they think of me? Life is too short and the run is far too long to not have fun while I'm running.


I also tried to cheat on my run. Any chance I got to run on grass, I did. My feet were loving the uneven terrain for some change in muscle use (my toes sometimes go numb...long story!). My legs loved the cushioning and my mind loved concentrating on not tripping on uneven ground.

Water stop: hmmmm...I am a water mooch. If I know someone who lives around the route I'll stop at their house to refill my water bottle. I carry $ in case I have to stop at the store but hey...they look at me weird when I run into their store. Today I stopped at my ex in-laws place. Odd----I am close to my ex husbands parents and I often run with my ex father in law.
They are also amazing grandparents and since my ex lives with them, my son goes there a lot for overnights. I digress, my water stop was brief and they had water ready for me!!!


Oh yes...why did I run so late? I went to my podiatrist and learned that a lot about my feet.
I already knew a bunch but today I learned that I have flexible feet. Yup! Something to be
Proud of I'm sure. I'd elaborate but it's jumbo jumbo that can wait until later.


This blogging stuff is dangerous. I've always been a journal
Writer... Pages and pages of absolute crap that I think about pours out on pages. I guess
It's a way to clean out the cobwebs of my noggin.
Cheers!

I am new at this.
I'm hoping to join with other runner bloggers as a way to motivate me on those days I don't want to cross train or go run when i am tired, haven't balanced my energy properly between work, single parenthood and other life duties.

I run because I like to run. I run trails. I live in an area where trails are plentiful and I can run for hours and not run on the same trails repeatedly!
I am a distance runner...the best (and fastest)part of my marathons is always the last 10 km. I train this way. Negative splits are awesome and I don't know why more runners
Don't train for this. I feel pace in my body and can usually tell you, within 3 seconds, what pace I am running per km without using a watch. Trail running...now that's a different story!

Over the next couple of months you will hear about my running history, some of my life history, my present life trials and tribulations that impact my running and hopefully, my
Achievements!

I am not competitive with other people at this point in my life. I wish I could be competitive with my personal bests but I can't....that's another story.
Must stop blogging because I'm gonna play with my 8 year old son!
Cheers!