Category — running

Its been a while since my last race. To get back into the spirit of racing I have registed for the Nike Runners Lounge Shamrock Shuffle which takes place on March 18. An 8 km race spring race sounds like the perfect way to get back into things. Is not too short, is not too long and best part…it is free to register. I even have signed up B (although he doesn’t know it yet! All part of mt master plan to get him exercising more!)

What do you need to do?

Check out the Lounge’s Facebook fan page. One of the tabs at the top is all about the Shamrock Shuffle. This will contain all the information that you need! They are also running free training runs Thursdays at 6 p.m.

Hope to see you there!

PS: A lot of people are curious about the Nike Runner Lounge it seems. The best way to find out about what they are up to is to go to their Facebook Page or pop by the Nike Store on Bloor.

One of my favourite parts about Christmas is my stocking. I’m X years too old to be excited about a stocking, but for me this is still one of the best parts about getting up on Christmas morning. If you are looking for stocking stuffer ideas for the runner in your life why not check out Etsy as there are some cute ideas to be found there. Some of my favourites are:

For 4.95 this magnet is sure to give any runner a smile.

For the women getting ready to run her marathon these hair clips would definitely be appreciated.

As a lover of the colour of pink I really like this poster. Simple and modern looking. I think it would look great hung and framed. The seller also says they would be open to custom prints.

Could the real Santa be running with me?

Today was a day of firsts.

 My first race where I ran in costume.

The first time I have ever dressed up as Santa.

My first time running the entire way with friends (normally there is a natural split at some point during a race).

But today was different and it was kind of fun.

The Santa 5km Jingle race was a fun way to get into the spirit of the holidays.

I have now officially run the ‘People’s marathon’ (a.k.a. the 34th Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.). This was my third marathon and by the far the best race I have run to date. There were tough parts, but as a lot of signs said “pain is temporary, pride is forever”. It was not a personal best race for me and I did not beat Oprah’s marathon time (although I kicked Al Gore’s ass) yet none of this seems to matter right now.

Running a marathon has always been an emotional experience for me, but this race was particularly so. There were a lot of individuals running in memory of US military who have died in combat and no matter what your thoughts are on the US’ presence in the Middle East it is still sad to see.

The overall highlight of race was as usual the renewed belief in me and what I can achieve (yes this is the cheesy part of the entry). Running a marathon means you have a lot of time to think things over and by the time you reach the 35 km mark the main thing you are probably thinking is “why did I sign up for this?”. But a strange thing happens when you cross that finish line – you realize that you have accomplished something pretty remarkable which in turn makes you realize that you have the potential to achieve what you put your mind toward. At least this is what I feel.

Other Race highlights:

Running with friends - I have to admit I am a bit of a coward when it comes to running alone. 42.2 km is a long way to go completely alone, so I really enjoyed running the majority of the race with four of my running buddies.

Atmosphere - I have never witnessed that level of support and cheering before. The majority of the course was filled with people yelling and clapping. It was truly an amazing thing to be a part of. Definitely helped numb the pain of being on your feet 4 hours +. Is sad to admit, but I have never seen that level of enthusiasm at any Canadian running event.

Scenery - The Marine Corps Marathon is a beautiful course (apart from that ‘bridge’ at mile 20). You get to run through Georgetown, by the water, the Pentagon, the National Mall.

The Marines - hot marines in uniform handing out water. Enough said.

Working out some personal frustrations between 35km-41km. Was a bit of painful point in the race, but this is when I dig into my pot of things that make my angry and frustrated…Kind of like my own personal punching bag time.

Main Lesson learned:

Name on shirt = a lot of people yelling your name, so next time I’m putting my name on my shirt!

A special shout goes to Booty Camp Fitness for helping me be a lot stronger in this race. I actually think all those lunges and exercises I have done prior to this race has helped me be a better runner!

Every now and then I get my bee in a bonnet about something. This week it is Toronto’s response to having two marathons so close to one another. This morning’s Globe and Mail article about how the City wants the organizers of the two races to separate the events or merge them was one of many recent articles that was published about the situation. While I understand the reasoning and sympathize with Toronto drivers trying to get from point A to point B I do feel irritated by this news on a number of different levels, so I wrote the following letter to the editor:

Reading the number of news stories about the Toronto marathons causing road chaos has made me appreciate the fact that I have chosen to run my fall marathon in the United States where marathoners are celebrated and cheered on throughout the 26.2 miles they run by runners and non-runners alike. Guaranteed if those Torontonians inconvenienced by road closures put in the time and effort to run a marathon they would want Yonge Street closed down as well.

In a time when individuals are constantly encouraged to lead healthier lifestyles and to also be environmentally responsible (a.k.a. take public transportation Toronto drivers) it is shocking that Torontonian runners are being critiqued for causing people inconvenience.