Sharing is Caring

The day after the steak night in Regina was Myles's first day of preschool. As we were on our way out the door Owen says, "Mom, how are you going to spend your first two hours by yourself this morning?" I laughed at him and said I wasn't too sure what I would do...I assured him that I'd probably just be lonely here without them!

He shocked me in his response, "Mom, I think you should use your time to write your blogs. I was the only kid that listened to you when you spoke at the supper last night. I didn't realize that we had cancer in our family. I think your blogs are important." I took a minute to give him a hug and say thank you before we got him off to school.

I realized that we had underestimated his ability to understand what I've been working towards this year. Obviously the boys know that I've been running quite a bit, but we hadn't thought that they would (or maybe at this age should) understand my motivation for doing so. As I had shared in a post back in January, Owen's reaction to Heather's passing was more profound than we had anticipated too. The way that he accepts that cancer and the consequences of the disease are terrible, and yet he seems able to take solace in the fact that we are doing our best to help, reassures me.

In the couple of weeks since then, he has enjoyed learning about Terry Fox at school. They watched a movie, had an assembly and learned all about Terry Fox and his attempt to run across Canada.

Last weekend we had a garage sale. I thought setting up an iced tea stand would be a good way to keep the boys occupied and out of trouble while my parents and I tried to keep the place organized and running smoothly. They were EXCITED! Grandma helped them make their sign, mix the first batch of juice and organize their table. They were open for business!

You should have seen the cute little faces they had as they waited to make a sale (I am so angry with myself for totally dropping the ball and not getting a picture of them!). It didn't take long until someone took pity on them. After their first couple of 'customers', Owen came over to me and said, "Mom, Myles and I have decided that we are going to give all of the money we earn to the Canadian Cancer Society and we'll take it to the school for the Terry Fox walk." That was one of my greater PROUD MOM moments to date!

We put a little sticker on their table that said they were donating their earnings and suddenly business was BOOMING! What started out as an innocent attempt to keep my boys busy, ended up keeping my mom hopping for the afternoon! She mixed pitcher after pitcher of iced tea, she ran to the store for more cups and just when she thought she'd caught up Myles would holler, "we need another fill up Gramma!" When it was all said and done, the boys had made $26.15!!! At 25 cents a cup....you do the math....WAY TO GO boys!....WAY TO GO Grandma!

My mom was so proud of their efforts that she pledged Owen an additional $20 for his walk. He was thrilled when he took his donation to school on Monday.

Yesterday, the kids and I went to the school to join the walk. Again, Owen caught me by surprise. I had to fight back tears when he came out with his classmates. They each had a big sticker on their fronts that said, "Terry Fox 2012. Today I'm running for..." Most of the kids had filled it in with "Terry Fox" a couple had "For Grandpa" or "For Grandma". Owen had filled his in "For Heather".

He was happy to have us there and we were happy to join him. It was a BEAUTIFUL Fall day to walk around town.

Owen has always been a deep thinker and he's wise beyond his years. Teaching him to share when he was younger, was one of my very hard fought battles! I can see now, that it was well worth the effort. I am so proud of the thoughtful & compassionate little man that he is becoming.

An Inspiring Mamma!

I met my friend Annette about twelve years ago. Although we were both born and raised in Regina, we didn't meet until our husbands (boyfriends back then!) went through their professional training together. We've never had the chance to live in the same town (or the same province actually!) since, but we've always kept in touch.

Our friendship is based on our many similarities that go beyond the fact that we are both Prairie girls: We both lived in the North and dealt with the isolation, quirks and benefits that came with it. We both struggled with our weight during those same years. We were at each other's weddings. We both loved dogs. We had our first babies around the same time. In 2008, they came here for a concert and although we hadn't seen each other in years, it was like we'd never skipped a beat. We had a blast! I remember discussing our reservations about having more kids.....but it wasn't too long after that we both welcomed our second sons to the world! Annette and I both support our husband's careers; and are thankful in return, to have the opportunity to stay home with our boys.

So, over the years our paths have been very similar. Then this summer, Annette had been running with Nike + and her runs were being posted on Facebook. After I had written an encouraging comment, Annette phoned me. It was so nice to talk to her, but the longer we were on the phone, the more obvious it became that something had happened.

Here is Annette's inspiring story:

I had found my niche.  Everything was perfect.  I was 30 years old, and in a strong, loving relationship with a great man who I was lucky enough to call my Husband.  I had two beautiful and healthy baby boys with him and was fortunate enough to be a stay at home mom.  I had also been following an exercise and eating program that had me comfortable in my own skin again after years of ups and downs with baby weight.  Okay… if I’m being honest, it was not just baby weight.  In fact some of those ups and downs happened before my children were around.  Indulgence weight, emotional eating weight, lazy weight… I’ll face facts.  I love food. All kinds and lots of it!  So to be in a consistent and healthy routine with occasional indulgence was a win!

My fall from grace started in June of 2011 when camping season began.  I’m not sure what camping is like for anyone else, but in my head it means hot dogs and burgers, potato chips and marshmallows, sunflower seeds and beer.  I quickly decided in an effort to feel somewhat balanced I needed to keep up my running while I was indulging in my favorite summer junk foods.  I started running outdoors which I’d never done before. I noticed after every run that my feet were sore.  I mean REALLY sore!  The pads of my feet were painful, even my toes hurt.  I kyboshed the running and decided to have my indulgent summer, and if my feet weren’t better by the fall, I would head into the Doctor.

Fall came.  My potato chips had settled nicely on my backside, and my feet still hurt.  I went to the Doctor, who sent me to a podiatrist, who ordered my custom orthotics for collapsing arches. I thought, “Great, a solution!”  The orthotics did fix my feet, but the rest of me fell apart.  My pain went into my knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers.  I went back to my podiatrist to ask if this was typical.  He said in all of his years of practice, he’d never seen this kind of reaction to correcting arches.  He strongly suggested I return to the doctor and have them rule out systemic diseases.  

I returned to my family doctor.  2 months later, after x-rays, 3 rounds of blood work, a complete physical, and a lot of tears, pain and sleepless nights, I was sitting in the Rheumatologist’s office for my first appointment with him.  He came in, went over my chart with me, asked me my current symptoms, and had me copy movements with my body.  There were a number of them I just couldn’t do.  My pain crippled me to the point that I couldn’t make a proper fist, I couldn’t lift my arms over my head, I couldn’t reach behind me, crouching down was impossible.  Things I had always taken for granted, like grasping and turning a doorknob, were movements I had never thought twice about until I was unable to do them.  I think we spent about 15 minutes in his office talking about my symptoms while he examined my capabilities.  15 minutes before he dropped the bomb.  I have Rheumatoid Arthritis.

There are many different types of Arthritis, but my particular type, put simply, means that my immune system was recognizing the healthy tissues surrounding my joints as the enemy and attacking them.  I was given information on the medications available to me.  The Doctor told me which one he wanted to put me on, and sent me home to think about it.  I was devastated at the news, but needed to try something.  I had a life I needed to get back to.  I couldn’t continue this way.  I began the medication and hoped the Doctor’s plan would work.

A month later, I read Janaya’s first blog post.  It brought me to tears for many reasons. The line that smacked me in the face and inspired me was ‘Getting to "normal" has taken me a lot of effort....a lot of baby steps. But, if I can do it, anyone can’.  I’m anyone!  I wanted normal, and I wanted my life back!  I could do this, with a whole lot of baby steps.  After shaking off the heavy layer of pathetic self pity that had settled around me, I did the research and made the necessary adjustments to my life that were needed to get better.  Healthy food, lots of sleep and the medication I was taking were a successful treatment cocktail, and two months after my diagnosis I started noticing drastic improvements.  

I kept up with Janaya’s blog and events along the way, and was inspired to start running again. I checked in with my Rheumatologist who gave his stamp of approval, and I was off to the treadmill.  I literally cried tears of joy as I ran.  There was a point in the months I was sick that I didn’t think I’d ever see my body move with ease again.  I felt triumphant!  

I called Janaya in June.  I wanted to tell her how inspirational her ’12 in 2012’ is.  I expressed my gratitude for her blog, and how it helped me with my diagnosis.  There are few people in this world that shine like she does.  To be faced with such a profound loss, and to feel the impact of that grief but still go on to turn a devastating situation into a hopeful one is nothing short of incredible.  I was dealt a hand that was less than ideal, but I had the opportunity to turn it into something positive.  I had no excuses for watching life pass me by.  I could do something to help myself.  She inspired me to get my life back.  Slowly, but surely, I managed to do just that. 

With the motivation to power through my struggle with RA, I have gone from having trouble getting out of bed in October of last year, to running my furthest distance of 6 km this past week!  I know 6 km doesn’t sound like much, but considering I couldn’t even have walked 1 km a year ago, I’ll take it!  I participated in my very first running event last month at the Winnipeg River Run and completed the 5 km run.  I had SO much fun doing that event that I decided to sign up for another event! I will be running another 5 km course in November at the Jingle Bell Walk & Run for Arthritis in Brandon, MB.  

I will continue to slowly challenge myself, increase my distance, and do what my body will allow, and I will be thankful for every baby step along the way.  Running gives me a break from ‘life’, a feeling of power and strength, and one more reason to be thankful for my health. Thank you, Janaya, for being a strong inspiration to take charge of my health.  I consider myself so incredibly fortunate to call you my friend, and I am so proud of all you have done.  If you ever need your horn tooted, call me. You are extraordinary. 

Thank you SO much Annette for sharing your story. You have given me much too much credit. It is your spirit and determination that have helped you adapt & thrive in the face of your devastating diagnosis; but, I am thrilled that the blog was able to help you along your path. I too, am extremely thankful for your friendship!

Annette is running in the Jingle Bell Walk & Run on November 4th. Check out her personal page with the Arthritis Society if you are interested in supporting her or learning more about it. Way to go Annette!

A Steaknight to Remember

I grew up in Regina. My family still lives there and most of my extended family on my mom's side lives just outside the city in various communities. Growing up, my cousins and I were very close. I don't get to see them near as often as I'd like. Unfortunately, when we are home, our visits end up jam packed just by fitting in time with our immediate family.

I met my husband in highschool in Regina when his family had moved to the city at the beginning of grade 10. Just recently, my sister-in-law Lynn and her husband Evan have moved back. Evan is a Regina native too and most of his family are still based in the city.

So, we knew that we would probably have enough 'local' support (people living in Regina who would be happy to support our running and efforts to raise funds for a great cause) to organize a steak night. I called around to different places to see what was available. Surprisingly, there are not many places that do steak nights that allow minors.....I wouldn't be a "mom on the run" without my kiddos, so we kept looking.

Eventually, everything fell into place and we booked The Pump for the Sunday evening after the QCM run. I know....The Pump. It seems like a funny place to take your kids for a charity fundraiser, right!? But the kids had a blast! It's kinda funny too. My parents celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary this summer....and they met at The Pump!

Anyway, I was really happy with the organization of their team. They printed us some beautiful tickets and were really easy to get along with! Between me, my mom, Gavin, Lynn & Evan, my extended family, Sarah and Andrea, we were able to sell 140 adult tickets and 22 kids tickets!!

That evening was SO fantastic! It was so nice to get all of those people together in one place! Cancer is a disease that has meaning for many of us who were there that night. It felt good to get together and try to make a difference. Thanks to their generosity, we were able to raise $2475 in ticket sales and raffle & silent auction donations!!!!!!

We had some great prize donations:

• A set of gel nails- Nailed It!!
• Three annual family passes- The RCMP Heritage Museum
• Mary Kay basket - Auntie Dot
• Motorola Blue Tooth- Blair's
• Frito Lay Jacket- Gavin McGown
• Chakari Spa $50 certificate- Kim Skrypnyk
• A shawl and a frame- Joanne McGown
• Scentsy burner, wax blocks and travel tin- Tricia Anderson
• Scentsy shower gel, dryer sheets & handcream- Laura Volman
• "Running" by John Stanton & Running backpack- The Regina Running Room
• Skincerity- Leah Barnard
• An HTC Desire C android cellphone- Jump.ca
• 3 running shirts- The Track & Trail
• Two buckets of kids' toys- Lynn Anderson
• A Roughrider Canvas Chair- Traveland Leisure
• Homemade jams- Heather Entner

I was touched when my Auntie Dorothy (my mom's sister) made a beautiful quilt for us to auction off during the evening. My Auntie Dot has always been a constant support in my life. I really value any time we get to spend together. Most of which, we have spent doing various sewing projects. From all the special things she made for me when I was young, to the sewing we did together with mom: my grade twelve grad dress, the quilts we made for my babies, the quilt we made when Gavin & Brandi were married, these are times I treasure. I was so pleased when Gavin won the auction! Alivia & Violet will love that special quilt!

On top of the proceeds from the steak night, the relay teams were able to gather an additional $1180 in pledges. So the week after the run, I was able to go to the Canadian Cancer Society and turn in $3655!!!! That felt GREAT!! Thank you for all of your support and generosity.

This donation takes the total raised to date for my 12 in 2012 event with the Fundraise for Life program to $8358!!! This is so unbelievable! Thank you.

My Mom

My mom has always been my biggest supporter and I don't mean just the quiet behind the scenes kind of support. Mom was always actively involved in everything my brother and I did. She drove us and our friends to where we needed to be, she sewed my dancing costumes and came with us to the out of town competitions and when she couldn't, she'd be at the airport cheering and waving an encouraging banner! Even now that I'm grown (and have myself become a banner waving mom!), she continues to be a huge source of support for me. I know that I always have her in my corner.

Growing up, I watched my mom struggle with her weight. I know that was always something she hoped that I wouldn't have to deal with myself. When I gained weight and became unhealthy, I know it was disappointing for her. But, over the years we have worked at becoming active and healthy & we are both much happier because of it.

Mom has transformed herself. She has not only changed her physical appearance by shedding weight, she has also been able to drastically improve her health. I was so proud to have her participate in the relay at the QCM. Here's what she had to say about it:


During Janaya’s first year of university, she brought home a vibrant, lovely, off the wall, friend. She would gallop off in wild antics and then rush back to calmly chat. This was our introduction to Heather.

A few years later when I made the bridesmaid dresses for Janaya’s wedding, Heather was so easy to please. She did a little pirouette and said “You made me beautiful”. It wasn’t me or the dress that made her beautiful; she did that all by herself. 

When we lost her to cancer, I was overcome by such a sense of helplessness and despair. No one can ever replace Heather. 

When I heard of Janaya’s plan to run a 1/2 marathon per month in memory of Heather and to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. 

As Janaya has already blogged, cancer is very prevalent in our family. I have lost my sister Jean and a number of good friends to different forms of cancer. I worked at the Allan Blair Cancer Center in Regina as a registered nurse so I have seen first hand how much the donations are needed and utilized.

When plans began for the Queen City Marathon in Regina, I volunteered to walk a portion with one of the relay teams. 

In 1999, I underwent a six vessel coronary artery bypass surgery and in 2009, I had a intra-cardiac defibrillator implanted so it just felt wonderful to be able to be there with my nieces and nephews and their friends in memory of our dear relatives and friends and in support of Janaya. 

I didn’t do any extra training for the relay- my portion was only 3.5 km and ever since my heart surgery, I have walked further than that every day. I can not run but my team mates assured me that was OK.

I’m not going to talk much about my “Walk”; It wasn’t picture perfect but, I FINISHED it.

We decided we would do a steak night fundraiser on the Sunday night after the run with proceeds going to Janaya’s 12 in 2012 event with the Canadian Cancer Society. I would like to sincerely thank Larry’s and my friends, neighbours, relatives and co-workers for coming out and buying tickets, donating prizes and pledges, taking part in the door prizes and silent auction and supporting us and Janaya in this endeavor.

As a mom, I am allowed to brag a little bit. I am so very proud of Janaya. The first time I ever saw her run a 1/2 marathon, I was bawling and she still can bring tears to my eyes. 

This year has been a wonderful tribute to the life of her very good friend, Heather Stearn. It has been a year of very hard work and dedication. I look at Janaya in awe of how she has turned her whole life around into one of physical well-being. She, herself just looks fantastic but she is inspiring and encouraging so many other people, family, friends and strangers alike to live more active lives  and develop into healthy individuals. Janaya, my heart bursts with pride.


Thanks Mom!

As always, when Lynn & I passed the teams at the first relay exchange zone, my Mom's cheers of encouragement were the loudest of all! And my boys were thrilled to have the chance to cheer for grandma as she completed her leg of the race.

42.2 kms....Why??

You've met my friend Sarah before. She ran with me from a distance in January and then for real at the SPS run in April and again in August when she came and encouraged me through the River Run.

I was SO happy to be able to share in the excitement as Sarah completed her first full marathon in Regina. Here's her post about running 42.2 kms....what led up to it, what kept her going and how she was able to not only finish the run, but surpass her goal!


When Janaya first asked me to blog about my runs she asked me just to “tell my story” so for the last three entries that is what I have been doing.  For this entry, I am going to leave the story and blog about “why I ran my first full marathon”.  

After completing the SPS half at the end of April, I realized that I really did enjoy running and that I had reached a point where it was easy to maintain my half marathon training.  Don’t get me wrong it’s not EASY to do all of the training; however, I was no longer at the point where an interruption to my training plan was detrimental.  Missing a run no longer set me back on my progress...however, mentally I am a whole different person if I have had to miss a run.  It is not EASY getting up and running at 4:15 am every day. However, something that had started out as motivation to improve my time for the SPS, ended in habit. I kept the routine going perhaps looking for something more.

I started setting challenges for myself, on May 13 I wanted to see if I could run into town to our friends’ house and back, not knowing how far it was.  In the end, it was 16.94 miles and took me 2:33:47 (9.05/mile).  The next weekend I did it again 16.58 miles but this time in 2:20:26 (8:28/mile).  The next weekend I felt good when I got back to our grid road so I kept going to see if I could reach 18 miles, and I did in 8:26/mile.  The next weekend I was in Saskatoon staying at my parents’ in Lakeridge, I set a challenge (not knowing how far it was) to see if I could run to the river to Idylwyld bridge across and back to circle drive bridge across and back home, it was 20 miles and I ran it in 8:28/mile (2:49:27).  I remember thinking during the last 3 miles that I was getting nowhere, I felt like I was hardly making any progress but in the end they were three of my strongest miles 8:24, 8:33 and 8:26.  I had been posting about these runs on facebook and getting lots of “you are crazy comments”. That was until after this run when Janaya said “you need to run the QCM full marathon” (I couldn’t enter the 1/2 as it was already full).  I easily laughed it off.

At this same time, a friend in Regina, who I had run a couple of QCM and RPS relays with in the past was training with the Regina Running Room for the QCM full and posting about it on facebook.  I had sent him a message wishing him good luck and commending him for his efforts.  He wrote back asking if I was running and I gave my consistent response when asked if I would ever run a full, “no I don’t have time to train for a full with 2 boys and a husband that works shift work - I can’t do the long run training”.  The more I talked to Janaya the more she too realized that perhaps we could actually do this together...and I realized that I did have the time (and my excuse was no longer valid). I had been running 16-20 mile runs already and you don’t have to run more than 20 miles while training.  So I pushed my excuse aside and on June 6th I signed up for the QCM full (gulp) and Janaya started her journey as she wrote about in her last entry “A half + a half = a whole”.

So, I was committed and the real training started...that weekend I decided to aim for the soccer center in PA and home. It was 20 miles (perfect!) and in 2:50:47 (8:32) so I was staying consistent it wasn’t a fluke!  I emailed my friend in Regina to ask if he could send me his weekly Running Room plans as he received them from their coach, and he did.  My hardest realization was that I was going to have to cut my running from 6 days a week down to 5 to get adequate recovery after my long runs.  I cut my running back down to 16 miles and my speed went up to 8:21...wow was I feeling great and confident!  

Then 16 miles went to 8:43, not only was my speed down something weird was going on with my hip, it didn’t hurt but at mile 11 it just felt weak like I couldn’t push.  I cut my long run back to 14 miles and was back up to 8:20 but miles 11-14 didn’t feel great.  I gave 18 miles a try again and was back up to 8:44....what to do?  I went to the doctor, got a referral for physio and massage and started booking appointments.  Physio assured me it wasn’t an injury just a weakness and I could continue to run and he gave me some strength training to do.  I went for my first massage (deep tissue myofascial release) and it HURT, yet felt GREAT!  

The next few weeks my long runs struggled, and the weather kept getting hotter and less in my comfort zone.  At one point I even had to quit a run (I was 3 miles from home) and walk.  I was stressed....my training at this point required my parents to take the boys to the lake with them when my husband was working, and my husband had to always drop a bottle of gatorade in our friends’ front garden so I could pick it up at my half way point.....everyone was putting in effort and I was failing.  

I continued with physio every week and sometimes twice and things seemed to be getting worse, he decided I had a SI joint that wasn’t moving so he mobilized it and then I had terrible SI and nerve pain that started.  The only relief came from my massages.  

On August 26th I went for my last long (although still shorter) run, I ran from Saskatoon to Clavet for my nephew’s first birthday. It was 12.46 miles and took 1:41:04 (8:07/mile)....my confidence came up a bit (just a bit) I was almost back to my 1/2 marathon pace from the SPS. 

Then came the hardest two weeks....tapering....very little running.  I abandoned physio and booked 2 massages for those 2 weeks.  The last 4 days were the hardest. Carb loading and NO running (ok 2 miles on 2 of the days so it felt like nothing).  I had found a carb loading plan and followed it:  

BREAKFAST: beagle, yogurt, banana, juice 
SNACK: nature valley bar and gatorade 
LUNCH: 3 baked potatos, sourdough roll, oatmeal cookies and chocolate milk 
SNACK: protein bar and gatorade 
SUPPER: pasta or a chicken/quinoa wrap and sweedish fish (like blue whales)...how many diets have candy for supper?  

I had hoped to get some rest, leave work early and have a nap, but of course it turned into the busiest week from *$%& at work, so that didn’t happen.  Saturday morning, there was no turning back..we were off to Regina.

We got to Regina and went straight to the package pickup, went to the hotel took the boys swimming and then went for a very plain pasta supper and back to the hotel.  Kevin got the boys to bed while I got my race gear ready and then I sat and read an entire book before settling in for the night.  I didn’t sleep well, never easy when in the same room as the boys, so it wasn’t long before my alarm went off at 5:30.  I got up and ate a beagle and some gatorade and stretched.  The boys woke up and we did some sitting around and I got changed and did some more stretching.  I planned to meet Janaya and the relay teams her family and friends were running on, at 7:15. I swear I went to the bathroom about 6 times! I grabbed my pre-energy drink and banana and was out the door.  I met Janaya and we made our way to the start...a stop again at the bathrooms, oh no we were in line they were singing O Canada, panic!!!  They started the wheelchairs I was behind barricades, I jumped the orange fence and stepped into line right beside a guy from my gym (another story in itself but he didn’t really train and decided to run and I was so frustrated knowing he was a great athlete and would probably beat me even with all my training).  

I was off! The first few minutes were good, crowded trying to weave around people and find my stride, then before the first mile was up my calf got tight, I was hoping it was from the cold and a fast start.  However, it didn’t loosen up until 12 miles - there were actually 3 points in the first half I thought I might have to stop and not finish.  I had arranged for Kevin and the boys to meet me at two spectator areas with gatorade and energy bars, it was so great to see them as I ran by.  The course was crowded for the first half and then thinned out as the 1/2 marathon runners turned off.  It was mentally challenging to maintain a pace when a relay exchange would occur and a runner with fresh legs would go sprinting by me.  

I was surprised how strong I felt up to mile 20, I managed not to look at my watch once as my goal was just to finish, after mile 20 I thought, this is it, new ground, I have never run this far before!  And so I kept going, my feet hurt, then my groin hurt, then my hip started to feel weak.  At mile 22 I noticed that runners started slowing up or stopping all together, I had not passed anyone in a long time and all of a sudden I passed 1, then a second, then a third, my confidence was gaining.  Then at mile 23 I got a feeling that I may have “hit my wall” and would need to stop. 

I thought about what was waiting at the finish, my boys and how proud I would be to cross that finish line and how much had gone into getting me through the last two months. I actually shed a few tears and then kept on pushing.  

The last 4 km of the course is through a residential area and it became even harder to keep going as 3 houses had FREE BEER stops...oh how I wanted to stop but I kept going and I kept passing people.  Each mile seemed longer than the last and I knew I was close, as I saw the finish line I broke into a sprint (or what felt like a sprint but was probably normal pace).  I saw Janaya standing cheering for me and then I saw the clock and it was approaching 3:43:00, and then I crossed the finish line, and I thought there would be more emotion but there wasn’t. 

My first thought was “I need to find the boys” and then they came around the corner and my next thought was “when can I do this again”.  For the first time I looked at my watch and to my surprise it was 3:42:51 (8:34/mile), I was actually in disbelief I was able to maintain my training pace for the last 6 miles of unknown ground!

The boys and I went to the food tent, chatted with a few friends along the way and then went to sit with Janaya and her family to cheer on the relay teams that were still on the course.  As we were waiting I was shocked to see the guy from the gym (the one I thought was going to beat me) come running in at 4:30:00..I was sure he had finished ahead of me!  

I was so relieved to hear that Janaya had completed her 1/2 and felt good in doing so...and it was very exciting to watch her friends and family cross the finish line together in support of her.

We took off back to the hotel so that I could get showered and then we went and walked around the science center for 2.5 hours before going and enjoying a steak supper with many others in support of Janaya. And then the long drive home.  For the few days after the race my body stiffened up and wasn’t bad except going down stairs was not a fun task!  I forced myself to take three days off from running and then got back on the treadmill for some easy short runs until my legs were back under me.  
Over the week since the run, I have realized that I am an extreme type A personality. I am at a loss not having a goal to work towards.  Running is a habit that starts my days off happy and completes my day by allowing me to get a great nights sleep.  I will continue to run and I look forward to more races to come.  I know of some others with goals of completing a full marathon and I will do all I can to run those with them.  But as I mentioned I am someone who works best when they have a goal to reach......so now I am in search of that next goal......happy running everyone (as it really does make you happy)!  

P.S. I could not have done this without the constant encouragement and inspiration from Janaya, the patience of my Kevin, Brady and Rylan, my parents for taking the boys so many weekends, my massage therapist for many last minute appointments (and long appointments), Chad for the training programs....and all you moms running!!!!!!

Way to go Sarah! You are an amazing and determined runner! I'm SO looking forward to running 'with' you again in Vegas!!

The "To-Do" List

My sister-in-law Lynn, has always been someone I've looked up to, even back when we were in high school. She just always seems to have her 'shit' together (I'm sorry, but I can't think of any better way to say it, lol!). She's organized, she works hard at a career she loves, she's a great mom & supportive wife, fantastic Auntie and among other things she's always been fit and healthy (something I looked up to especially when I struggled with my weight).

When Lynn started running, I was so excited for her! However, she soon admitted that she didn't really love it the same way I do....but she stuck with it anyway! Here's her story:

Well, we all think we are busy. That is, until we get busier. I think back to my single days or even early married days and think why didn't I run then? But instead, I decided to "become one of them" shortly after my first son was born, and VERY soon after discovered my second was on the way. Perfect time to start, right?! 

For me running is "quick and dirty". It allows me to check a lot of things off the to do list which is one of my favorite things to do. A) exercise B) spend time outside C) get some alone time D) give our 100lbs dog, Wilson, some attention and exercise. So I run. I don't love it. I don't get any crazy "runner’s high" from it. I don't count the minutes till the next run. I just don't. Maybe one day? Maybe not? But for me, it is just an easy way to get a lot of things off the list. 

To say I "trained" for the QCM would be a lie. I did run and ran as often as possible. But as I mentioned earlier, not loving it and all, I found I would peeter out and head home between 5-10km. So why not try and run  21.1km on race day?! 

I did it, ran the race, set a personal best time and shhhhh don't tell anyone, I actually enjoyed it, yep it was FUN! 

And what good are any personal best times unless we aim to beat them, right? 

To do twelve of these in a year is incredible! Glad I was able to participate in one and to support such a great cause and fabulous sister-in-law. 

Cheers 



Thanks for a great run Lynn! You did so well and I'm so happy that you had fun!

The Saskatchewan Credit Unions Queen City Marathon

The Scenario

Sunday September 9th was the Queen City Marathon in Regina. As I mentioned prior to the event, many of my family members and friends registered for the QCM.

My husband, his sister Lynn, her husband Evan & I had all registered together, back in April, to run the half marathon. We each approached our training a little differently.

I had been consistent in my running until the month leading up to the QCM. Being forced to 'rest' and barely run at all (never mind doing anything of any decent distance), I wasn't sure how things would end up. I had no choice but to put my faith in the fact that I had listened to the advice that I had been given....I was hopeful that I would finish.

Lynn had participated in a couple 10km events, but had rarely gone beyond that distance. She is a busy teacher and mom to two boys (my beautiful nephews!!), so she planned to wait until her summer break to focus on training for the event. Surprise! They found out that their summer would be a little busier than expected. They ended up moving from Yorkton to Regina and lived out of suitcases for the better part of a month! But, once they were settled, Lynn was able to get in a couple longer runs and was feeling decent about completing the half.

My husband doesn't love running the way I do. He does it, but he goes as fast as he can so that he can be done! Once he got going with his training though, he started to enjoy the challenge. He pushed himself to go faster on his short runs and increased the distance of his long runs. This would be his second half marathon.

Evan took the cramming approach to his training! He got out for a few runs in the couple weeks before the event, but was not feeling confident that he could complete the half. He was a trooper though, he laced up his sneakers, donned the red shirt and lined up with us at the start line!

My friend Sarah was registered to run the full marathon. Her FIRST FULL! I really enjoyed sharing the ups and downs of her training with her and was SO excited for her to run the event!

My cousin Curtis and his awesome wife Nicole organized two teams to complete the relay event. Curtis's mom was my auntie Jean. She was my mom's sister and we lost her to breast cancer when she was only forty years old. We also lost a family friend, Ralph Thauberger the same year to cancer. The ten people that made up the teams, did so, to honour Jean & Ralph and to support me in my efforts to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society.

So, together with the approximately 4000 other runners, we lined up at the row of biffies in the parking lot at the MacKenzie Art gallery!  Ha, ha! Seriously, the line was SO long we nearly missed the start of the race! The weather was crisp and the sky was clear. It was the perfect day for a run!

The Event

The Credit Union Queen City Marathon is relatively new on the running scene. It's inaugural year was 2001. A group of local Regina runners decided that the Queen city should no longer be the only Canadian Provincial Capital without a marathon; and thus, the QCM was born!

My mom and I went to the race expo to pick up our race packages on the Saturday. I was pleased with the expo and surprised to see that they had quite a few interesting booths. They had some neat products being showcased. The race packs had mostly coupons and other advertisers. The race shirt is nice and fit well. I will definitely get some use out of it.

Despite it's large size, the QCM is really well organized. This year there were 475 people who ran the full marathon, 1 person completed the wheelchair full marathon, 169 teams (of 3-5 people each) completed the full marathon relay, 1601 registrants in the half marathon run, 214 half marathon walkers and 393 kids who participated in the mini marathon!

I ran the QCM in 2008 and I was glad that the course had remained the same. It is a nice route that loops around Wascana Lake and through the park. It goes across the Ring Road and through a residential area and then back in front of the Parliament Buildings to the finish line. It is scenic and FLAT! There were great spectators along the course. One cute family had set up an aid station on their driveway with posters, water and music blaring! There was a group that were handing out jelly beans and Sarah told me later, there were people handing out beer along the full marathon course! The official race aid stations were good too and spaced well. Regina is a city full of spirit!

If you've been following me, you will know by now how much I LOVE a finisher's medal! And this one is fantastic! 

The Excuses

Ah, I think it's clear that things have been a bit of a struggle for me over the last few weeks; but, you know what? When we crossed the timing mat and the race got underway, it felt SO good to be running!

Lynn and I ran together at a good pace until just after the 10km marker. At that point, I was forced to acknowledge the pain in my knee and slow down. Lynn was doing great, so I told her to keep going and kick butt! Before we parted she very quickly said to me, "It's okay if you don't finish. Don't hurt yourself. But, I'm sure you'll catch me near the end when I run out of steam." I really appreciated her support.

I slowed my pace a bit but never stopped running. That seemed to be the best way to balance my sore hip (that hurt when I walked) and sore knee (that hurt when I ran). It wasn't my most beautiful race, but it wasn't my worst either. I finished in 2:23.


The Best Part

Having the chance to do this event with the support of my whole family, was an amazing experience! Although it certainly isn't be my best personal run, it will definitely be at the top of my list of best events....ever!

Myles and I were able to go down to Regina Friday evening and get together with the relay team runners. They were gathering at Custis & Nicole's for a pasta supper carbo load to go through the relay instructions.  In addition to Curtis & Nicole, the teams consisted of Nicole's brother Darren Entner, his girlfriend Kim Skrypnyk, my cousin Barden's wife Sara McCullough, my cousin Chara Blair, my mom Joanne McGown, Ralph's daughter Christie Robinson (her husband Brad also ran the full marathon!!), a friend of theirs James Porter and finally my friend Andrea Schick.

I know, all of that is probably quite confusing, BUT suffice it to say, these people are all FANTASTIC and I REALLY appreciated their support. I really enjoyed having the chance to see and meet everyone before the event. It was awesome to be able to hear how training for the relay had been for each of them. How they had fit it in to their busy schedules. How they had enjoyed it. How they were nervous for the event. How they were excited to come together and work as a team and support each other as individuals!

Sunday morning, we met the relay team members and dropped mom off with them. But, it wasn't until the first relay exchange point that we saw them again. And when they saw us, their cheers were so encouraging!

Right before the 11 mile point in the course, Nikki came running up beside me and wished me well. Just a short distance later was the second relay exchange. It was OVERWHELMING to see not only the relay runners, but my Auntie Dot, my cousin Crystal, my uncle Larry and Evelyn, my cousins' little kids...they were all there. I knew then that I could make it the last 2 miles!!

After I crossed the finish line and received my medal, I didn't have to walk too far to find my dad and my boys. I was so happy to see them! They said that their dad had finished and so had Auntie Lynn.

My husband did a great job of his run and he finished it in 2:06. There was no catching Lynn. She finished strong in 2:18! Way to go!!

Dad hoisted the boys over the barrier and together we set out to find the others. We didn't get too far before we found my brother and his family.

Growing up, Gavin was one of my best friends (mom will tell you otherwise because, being only 18 months apart in age, we sometimes fought like cats & dogs). He still is. Even though we are both busy with our young families and we don't get to see each other as often as we'd like, we are still close.

Two weeks before the run, we got to go to Regina to welcome our second niece to the family. I think it is just great that my husband and I have two boys and Gavin & Brandi have two girls. I plan on spoiling Alivia & Violet with all things girly!

Gavin is NOT a runner and has NO interest in starting, but it was awesome to have him, Brandi and the girls at the finish line to support us.

In case you can't read it, his shirt says,

"when I'm feeling athletic, I go to a sports bar"

Despite his reservations, Evan made it through his first half marathon in 2:44 (and I hear he was even out running again just a couple days later....maybe it wasn't so bad!)!!! Shortly thereafter, we were re-united with the others and our nephews and Evan's sister were there too. We made our way through the food line and settled in for a picnic while we waited for Sarah and the relay teams to make their way to the finish line.

Sarah had predicted that she would complete her run in about three hours and fifty minutes. So when we were nearing that point, we made out way back to the other side of the finish line to see her come in. I am a very emotional person, but to see Sarah come over the little ridge and finish her first full marathon made me shed a couple tears. I know how hard she worked this summer and the setbacks she faced and overcame throughout her training. She finished strong and surpassed her goal coming in at 3:42:51....she was the ninth female finisher!!!!

Sarah met up with Kevin and her boys and then came back to join us as we waited for the relay teams to finish.

The first team blasted past to the finish line. A short while later, the second team crested the ridge. My mom was completing the last leg for that team, and she looked pale as a ghost. Without giving it much thought, I ran out to join them and make sure she was okay. Myles had run out after me and I hoisted him up on my hip, so we ended up crossing the finish line with them. I remember the announcer saying, "here comes the 'Mom on the Run Supporters' relay team and Janaya Stevenson". It's funny how it worked out. Great job guys!

We gathered the two teams together and met up with Auntie Dot, my cousin Crystal and her baby Chyler, Gavin, dad, my husband and boys. What a great morning!! 

I am excited more than anything, to have finished my ninth half marathon of the year! This run put my total distance to date for 2012 over the 660 mile point. Now, I've got until October 20th to get rested up and ready for the Saskatoon Roadrunners' Ultra Marathon Relay.

A Half + A Half = A Whole....Except in Running it Equals a FULL!

I decided to tackle a full marathon. GULP! I have always had the thought that one day I would maybe try to run a full marathon....one day. I'm not sure when I thought that day would be, but I DIDN'T think it would be this year!

Three consecutive weeks after we ran the Saskatoon Police Services Half Marathon in April, my friend Sarah posted runs of 16 miles, 18 miles & 20 miles. I 'liked' the first one, made a 'comment' on the second one and finally after she posted that she'd blasted through 20 miles, I sent her an email. I asked her if she had a marathon in her sights. I suggested that she register to run the beautiful flat course of the Queen City Marathon before it sold out (it was June 3rd and the half marathon had sold out in April and the marathon was already 75% full). Her response? If I upped my registration from the half marathon to the full, she would register too!

To blame Sarah isn't entirely fair. The seed had already been planted a long time ago, but she definitely gave me the little push I needed.

There were many reasons that I thought that it sounded like a good idea:

• I LOVE Regina! I have always thought that the QCM course would be perfect for a first marathon attempt. Mostly because, as I said, it's FLAT!

• The timing would work out beautifully. I would have the whole summer to dedicate to training. Also, I was having a difficult time finding a half marathon for October that I wouldn't have to travel to. This way, I figure surely to goodness we could count the full as two halves. Also, it would give me a nice break to recover after the marathon before I needed to be ready for an event.

• The thought of training for the extra distance of the full marathon gave me butterflies, but the good ones! I realized that I hadn't really followed a training plan in quite a while. I mean, I always have a plan, but I had been running to maintain my ability to run the half marathon, but not really driving myself beyond that. It was probably time that I take my own advice and have faith in my abilities and push myself to the next level.

• Many of my family members are going to be there running in the half marathon and as part of two relay teams. What better time to do it than when I have the support of my family, in my hometown, during this wonderful year of running!

However, there were a couple reasons that really caused me to hesitate:

• I had NEVER ran further than the 13.1 miles of the half marathon. I had no idea how my body would react to the extra distance. The last thing I wanted to do would be jeopardize my ability to complete my twelve half marathon this year by hurting myself. 

• I had registered for the half marathon months ago with my husband, sister-in-law and her husband. I didn't want to do anything that would take away from their experience running their first (my husband's second) half marathons.

• 42.2 kms IS A LONG WAY!!

So, at first I replied to Sarah. I convinced her that she should still register, but as much as I wanted to, I couldn't join her. I gave her my reasons why I couldn't and blah, blah, blah, blah....that night I lay awake and couldn't sleep. I WANTED it.

The next morning, a friend of mine posted this picture on facebook:

So, I wrote an email to the race director explaining my situation and asked if there was any way that I could be granted some leniency. I held my breath as I hit send....wouldn't you know it, he replied that, yes, they would be more than happy to give me until the end of August to upgrade my registration if my training was going well!!!

OKAY, SO THAT WAS THE FIRST STEP....NOW WHAT!?!

Ha, ha! I was excited! 

The second thing I did was discuss the training requirements with my husband. Unlike the prep for my half marathons, I wouldn't be able to fit in my long runs without his help. They are too far to do on the treadmill and even if I could mentally handle it, it wouldn't be fair to the boys. He was TOTALLY on board! He could see how excited I was at this prospect and as always he has supported me 100%.

Together, Sarah and I each put together our training plans and decided that to do a proper job of this we would have to also do the required Maintenance. We had faith that if we put in the work, our plans would get us across the finish line. Actually, Sarah had WAY more faith in me than I did....until I ran my first LONG run! 

The weekend after running at the Mogathon, I got up early Sunday morning and hit the road. I welcomed the overcast weather that was unusual for Canada Day. It meant that I was able to make my way around and around Warman without the fear of overheating. I was aiming to go 16 miles, but kept going to 18 because things were going so well! I felt great when I got home in just under three hours and fifteen minutes!

Two weeks later, the Sunday before my half marathon in Edmonton, I did my first 20 mile run! Again, the weather was overcast and perfect for running. The clouds opened up and I ran the last 10km in a beautiful rain. I was a soggy but extremely happy mamma when I finished....and I felt strong and confident that I could have kept going for the additional 10km that the full marathon would require!

The last thing I needed to do was call my sister-in-law and make sure that I wouldn't be making her feel bad if I switched distances. Lynn didn't hesitate for a second when I asked her what she thought! She supported me 100% if I wanted to run the full marathon.

So, things were looking pretty good.

Then early in August, I tweaked my hip during a soccer game. I didn't think much of it, but I had also been pushing myself pretty hard with some speed work and interval runs during those couple of weeks between my July and August events. After the River Run Classic, my left hip was VERY mad at me so, I didn't run at all until the following Friday. I iced, stretched, rested and foam rolled my hip in preparation for my long run. That Sunday, I was hesitant as I set out on my scheduled 20 mile run; but, with the full marathon only three weeks away, I had to get in my last long run before I started to taper.

I was shocked when the discomfort in my hip wasn't what affected my ability to run that morning. My opposite knee had been tender after the River Run, but after icing and resting it for a couple days, it had felt recovered. It wasn't. Five miles into my run, I realized that if I kept going, I would do more harm than good. I stopped and walked a mile home. I have NEVER had to do that.

In the two weeks since then, I have been for physiotherapy, I have had two painful but very effective deep tissue massages, I've been to my doctor and she did X-rays to be sure I didn't have a fracture, I've rested, iced, stretched, foam rolled, done yoga, drank water.....if I thought it would make a difference, I would stand on my head!  Yesterday morning I was feeling good. I hopped on the treadmill ready for a slow run. But, it soon became obvious that despite my best efforts, I am not going to be able to complete the full marathon. In fact, I'll be lucky if I can make my way through the half.

Part way through the morning, my doctor's office called with the results of my X-rays. My knee is fine, but my hip has arthritis. I don't know much about arthritis and I sure wasn't expecting that. I'm sure I'll get it sorted out, it just comes as a shock.

To say that I'm disappointed, is a bit of an understatement. Hindsight is always 20/20, but I see now that I got greedy and pushed myself too hard to reach a time goal that I'm just not ready for. I wish that I had stuck to the cautious and conservative plan that I had mapped out for myself in June....but I didn't.

So, the saying was right. I couldn't see that this is where the staircase would lead me, but I am definitely thankful that I took the first step. Now I know that I am capable of pushing myself beyond the 13 mile distance and I am confident that I will complete a full marathon...one day. I just blew it for this go around.