Author: admin

This may be my favourite marathon ever and 14 weeks ago, I could only dream of the kind of day I had on London Marathon Sunday. The shocks of actually winning a 2nd chance Abbott lottery and being booted with a fractured meta tarsal knocked me for a surreal loop.  Post confirmed diagnosis, I knew I had to follow my support team’s advice to the letter.  This was an actual broken bone that needed to be healed before I could do any running. No “almost” healed and try it out.  Actually healed.  I had to figure out a different kind of training plan with Coach Erin under the guidance of Physio Monica/Chiro Monique and with a renewed support of Strength Coach Bea. 

I began a healing journal (much like my training journal) creating colour codes for progress & regression (thankfully not too many of those) and noted every step of this recovery until I was cleared to run.  As I was booted for a conservative 6 weeks and couldn’t do any cardio, it was a good time to up the strength game (anything above the knee) and Bea guided me through this. I was allowed some cycling (but had to wear my boot to and from the gym) which gave me the opportunity to buy new spin shoes (yeah me) and pool running (not a fan despite a good Aqua Belt).

Then came a period of every exercise I could think of besides running and elliptical.  I had to rebuild that aerobic capacity through spin, row and swim.  I can’t believe that it took me 30 years to get back into the pool, but I actually love it and am now substituting one run a week for a good swim.  All this before a 2-week return to run program consisting of building up to the 10 and one…. We’ve all been there before, but being able to do this as well as get some runnergirl inspiration in Bajan heat made it all that much more bearable. BTW … LOVE Barbados and can’t wait to go back!

Finally I could get on with training… kind of.  This was going to be a short 8 week build (half of what I usually do) with no speed work and 100% guided by physio and strength coach.  Can’t say that I loved all those exercises or drills but these ladies know their stuff and despite my complaints got me to stick with them🤪. There would only be one build to a 32K a couple of weeks before race day, so it felt like a lot was riding on this one build.  Some days the runs felt easy, most days there was some kind of challenge including a truly icky 29K run in freezing drizzle where the tin man looked more flexible than I did.  I even had to cut galpal Jody loose and it took 2 hours for the feet to thaw afterwards BUT I finished it.  I finished every run whether it was pretty or ugly. After all I started this training session with a new hashtag #runugly !

Everything seemed to be coming along and then of course, the drama of this training cycle wouldn’t be complete without one more episode of let’s chase the pain around the knee/IT just 2 weeks before race day. Why?  Who knows.  I had my team in place, so I was lasered, massaged and adjusted; and I stretched… a lot.  I canned a several runs and only got to test it out around St James Park in London a couple of days before race day.  This was so last minute I couldn’t decide which running shoes to bring so I brought 2… and I only had carry on.  Do you know how much space running shoes take up in carry on?  A lot! Luckily I’m an expert packer 😉

Any trip to London, must include a theatre stop or 2 so I figured an extra day to help with jet lag could be squeezed in to take in the expo, enjoy some shows, shopping on Savile Row, mushy peas yumminess and Leicester Square chaos.

Then the big day came.  Hopped on a train to the start area and while I had no idea where I was going, the marathon organization was incredible!  There was no mistaking where to go or what to do and it was smooth.  Rain, no rain – weather changes every 5 minutes in London … crazier than Halifax weather!! Other than the rain, it was perfect.  

Coach Erin had me break the race down in 3 parts:

GENTLE FOR THE FIRST HALF: As this was not going to be a time goal race, I really needed to pay attention to my body and spirit throughout the race and to not pull any bonehead moves.  Having me think about gentle for the first half was perfect.  Be gentle with the pace and be gentle with me. In this marathon there are so many runners on pretty narrow streets, so one of the advantages is that this crowd actually keeps you honest to your pace.  Basically, if you are weaving in and out of the crowd, you are probably going too fast.  Keeping “gentle” in mind, gave me the mind space to take in all of the crowds, the costumes (there are more World records broken for costumed marathoners in London than any other marathon) and the sites. Going around Cutty Sark was as chaotic as going through the scream tunnel in Boston, but this felt like a bit of a sling shot and was able to get back to gentle.  Gentle got me to the half point and Tower Bridge in great shape, great spirits and ahead of schedule.  While the crowds are fantastic throughout the race, going over the Tower Bridge was such a highlight!!  It was quite overwhelming, but what a boost. 

PATIENCE FOR THE NEXT 11K: For me, this meant simply stay the course.  I was super happy that I was feeling pretty good after 21K and wasn’t even wishing it was over😂. But it was around this point, that I was feeling some discomfort in my good foot.  It took about a K to figure it out, but I was getting a blister on the bottom of my foot!  I sat down for a bit to  make sure my sock wasn’t bunching… it wasn’t.  So, patience for me also gave me space for grace.  I had to remind myself that my goal was to enjoy marathoning again and to be thankful that I was able to do this (repaired broken foot and all!). This section brings you through the least inspiring part of the course, but those London crowds are absolutely the stars of the show.  I was never alone and every time I had to stop to walk out the pain of the blister, I was lovingly encouraged every step of the way.  I have never been so “brilliant” in my whole life. Even when I would joke with them about wanting a pair of dry socks (did I mention it was raining pretty much throughout the whole race?), they would laugh with me and gently encourage me. Patience also meant, to not beat up on myself as I was slowing down.  My energy levels were great.  I didn’t tank once and when I was able to run, my pace was good. It did hurt more to walk, but I needed to walk to give the blister a break.  So thank you Patience for getting me through the hard part. 

BE IN MY K FOR THE LAST 10: Those of you who have done a marathon know that when you get to this part of the race and you haven’t hit a wall, you’ve got this unless you let that IBV (Inner Bitch Voice) come out and ruin the show.  Getting me to just BE in each and every K, really worked for me as I was hobbling through with this blister.  At around the 35K mark, I realized that my shoe was loose.  Talk about a rookie mistake.  Had I realized this at the half mark when my blister started, it may not have gotten that bad. So I sat myself down a second time and retied my shoe.  What a difference that made.  I was still in pain from the blister, but my foot was more secure and a bit more comfortable when running.  Still had to walk but was able to time this more with the water stops (BTW loved the mini water bottles they give out!).  Sticking with simply being in every K, allowed me to bring my head up a bit more and capture the most wonderful sites along the Thames, past Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and finally down the Mall.  That last K was so topsy turvy. I was struck with overwhelming emotions that almost brought me to my knees. I was finishing this marathon pretty close to my secret realistic goal considering I had a broken foot 5 months ago and I was enjoying this despite the blister pain and I was already looking forward to my next one.  I had to stop to thank a spectator for being spectacular and once again to have a quick chat with a guard so I could get a selfie by Buckingham Palace.  He did point out that finish line was about 200m away, so I gave him a quick thumbs up and cruised across the finish line.  I almost couldn’t believe how good I was feeling about this whole thing … and THAT is my major win of the day!

Can’t finish this recap without giving a shout out to the organizers and the volunteers, not only was the start area perfectly planned, the finish area surpassed the start.  I’ve never been able to leave a large race so quickly and easily and even if I had left a bag in a lorry, it wouldn’t have added more than 2 minutes in the finish chute!  Kudos.

A tale of 2 finishes: What an incredible performance for Sifan Hassan who felt she had no reason to be out on that course that day! And then there’s me, with the “I can’t believe I liked it” hands on the head 😂

While there may be a bit of post race delirium (oh and a lovely parting gift of COVID … leave it to me to finally get it when the WHO declares it is no longer a global emergency🤪) happening, I highly recommend this as a destination race.  If the lottery weren’t so difficult, I would be doing this one again BUT I have another goal.  This is World Major #4 and I have 2 more stars to grab.  Next up:  Berlin in September.  

Bonjour ma gang!  Here’s another attempt at reviving the Runventurer blog once again!  The universe poked fun at me so I’m feeling a bit compelled to share this with those who want join in the poking, share their POV or just giggle. 

Let’s just say that my running partner in crime and I have dreamt up a big ass goal (#BAG2025), which will be revealed at some time when we are ready. This in part led me to this latest plan of me putting my name into 2 Abbott major world marathon lotteries: Berlin (which I was going to complete in September 2020 but COVID shut the world down) and London (which like NYC, where my no-getting-picked-for-lottery-luck was in high gear).

For those who may not know, there are 6 world major marathons and if you complete all 6, you get an extra really pretty medal. See for yourself: https://www.worldmarathonmajors.com/six-star While it’s all about the bling though, let’s not forget that while I have 3 of them (Boston X2, Chicago and NYC) I’ve retired from full marathons…they are much too long😂 Long story short, here’s how the universe howled at me:

1. Panic because I had retired from marathons, a bit of disappointed relief occurs when my number doesn’t come up for London.
2. Then shock that my number DOES come up for Berlin, so begins the self-doubt mind games, I change the wall paper for my phone.  Daily reminders are good:)
3. Then the “oh crap” moment, when an injured foot ends up being a 4th metatarsal fracture. NO major panic though, as Berlin is 10 months away, plenty of time to heal up and get back at it. Thankfully it wasn’t displaced and a clean oblique fracture and not much other damage to the foot.
4. Then comes the WTF moment!  Abbott had a special lottery for those who’ve already completed 3, 4 or 5 world majors. 500 spots.  Chances would be better, but Redmond doesn’t do well in lotteries.  No harm no fowl…right? But of course, my number comes up… whaaaaat? 

London, at that point was only 5 months away. How on earth will this senior master queenager runner pull this one off. Older bodies take more time to heal.  Dr Google has lots of scenarios to make you think you are an amazing healer and can get back on the road within 3 weeks or that you will be hobbled for life and will NEVER EVER run again.  Luckily for me I enjoy planning for every possible scenario, I love my lists and I have a village including H, family, run gals, coaches, ever patient work friends, family doctor (who expects to go to high tea at the Ritz for her), physio, chiropractor and more.  

The plan, in reality, is quite simple: heal first, then rehab and then run.  The fun is the timing of what to do and when; as I will clearly not be in a regular 16 week marathon build. The challenge is not to second guess everything and keep me out of stupid town as a setback could put me back in my Aircast which I’ve kept out as a reminder of what will happen if I don’t behave.  At this point, I am spinning, rowing, pool running and ellipticalling my way to an aerobic build. I feel like I am working harder at this than I did running.

I am doubling down on building strength and dedicated physio/mobility exercises. I’m working on stability and balance (which amazingly disappears when a limb is immobilized).  This has been the first 2 weeks of my marathon build and I suspect it will be like this for at least 2 more before I can start running again. If all things go to plan, I will be hitting the pavement in the best possible way and into a shorter marathon build. 

Early on in the healing process, I came across an IG post from Justin Sua that helped frame my path forward and has since been added to my mantra especially for this race. We all know about the putting one foot in front of the other, but when faced with what you see is a big obstacle, not too big and really not awful if you don’t make, but you really, really want to you have to be willing to win ugly 

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A post shared by Justin Su'a (@justinsua)

Some have asked if it ever crossed my mind to not go to this marathon, and I have to honestly say no.  The universe spat this opportunity out to me and I can do this.  It may not be the prettiest marathon effort ever (and I’ve had some pretty epic blow ups … like running NYC with a pulled groin) but it will be an adventure. 

When I met my Barry, one of the things we dreamt about was how running would take us to places & experiences we may never have considered; and this one clearly falls into that category.  While it will not be a race for me, I just want to get to that start line as healthy as possible and be able to complete it upright and smiling. OK, maybe a bit more than upright and smiling, but it’s way to early in this process to project that one!  Stay tuned…

#winugly #queenager #seniormasterrunner #BAG2025 #

Much has been written about the impact of this pandemic on fitness.  As runners, at least in this part of the world, we’ve been relegated to many virtual events and club time trials, with a few in person events popping up here and there.  In the before times, these were frowned upon, but now they have become touchstones.  Runners have had to dig deep to find their reason for running.  While it is habit for many, even those that can’t breathe if they don’t run, have had to stop and take a deep think.  My big disappointment was not being able to go to Berlin, it would have been my 12th & final marathon and my 4th major.  I just can’t see my luck extending to London and Tokyo … but never say never right?  But with Berlin cancelled, I was truly settled with not doing another marathon, focussing on the shorter distances and appreciating the inspiration around me. I just had to look…

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It’s hard to miss an inspirational shot from this bridge….unless there are gale force winds !

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Look right….a bit of inspiration 😉

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Inspiration at my feet…

I, for one, have always been motivated by a challenge and I may be a bit competitive.  Be it being dared to run a 5K because “anybody can run a 5K” or wanting to push that PB envelope as a Queenager Senior Master Runner.  Up until COVID hit and even into the early months of the pandemic, I was definitely pushing that envelope, but at some point the heaviness of the impact did erode away at that trajectory. I can’t quite put my finger on exactly when, but it felt like it crept up on me.  Not that I was giving up on running and fitness, but the drive seemed to have geared down (with some of those COVID pounds adding up too 😂)

Luckily I have a great run tribe, and one in particular kept on putting a bug in my ear.  Let’s do a reboot half marathon on January 1st, suggests Jody, and oh look:  there’s a medal involved!  (Thank you Michelle!) and then wouldn’t you know that by the end of January she’s convinced me to a half a month. What I loved about this is that the PB quest was replaced with keeping up the fitness in as healthy a way as I could.  Since that time, we’ve competed one every month and will be on track to do an event a month.  That will be a subject of another blog in December 😉 

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So that would have been a great goal for 2021, but of course why stop there?  When Boston added a virtual option and Jody wanted to do it, I jumped at the chance to do that with her.  We were not going to miss out on the full experience package, so we made sure we registered the day it opened…but then it dawned on me.  I’m going to have to run and train for another marathon!  What have I gotten myself into?  AGAIN!

I am really excited to be doing this and to get to have this experience with Jody will be a lot of fun.  There are, however, a couple of hurdles I will need to over come and as my ever patient Coach Erin can attest, I am my own worst enemy.  I am an expert at undermining my ability and in these distance events that can sink you from that very first step. Erin has suggested that I restart this blog to help me work through my mind game(s).

So here I am, the runventurer queenager is back… Not only will I be working diligently at getting through this training season without hurting myself too much, I will be working on getting back to that mental toughness that I will need to call on during those moments I will need to dig deep during that 42.2K run…

What I do know is that this training cycle will be focussed on appreciating all the gifts running reveals to us and showing what badass queenager (for Jody is now part of that club) can do!  I do promise, Jody, that what is shared on the run stays on the run unless you give me permission to share 🤪. 

As we go through this journey, I invite you to share any and all hints.  They will be faithfully considered. #RedmondRules

Like many other runners in Halifax and Nova Scotia, this race weekend means so much to me. This race is maritime huge.  It has all the distances and consistently brings in thousands of runners.  I think last year they had over 14,000 participants! This race weekend is known as the people’s race and for me it’s more about bringing the community together than the run itself! OK…that’s a bit of a fib.  Ok … a lie!  But still, this recreationally competitive runner loves the community aspect of this and being able to complete races with the run crew💙

My favourite part of the weekend is volunteering for the kids race.  One year I got to corral the Grade 4/5s and by the time they lined up we were a run crew, regardless of which school they represented.  It was great to see some of these runner kids high five each other at the end….creating kinship that will always be there for them.  Most years they have me guiding strollers, 2Kers and 4Kers.  This is always fun too as I get to see the parents who let the kiddos go and those that go with them….just to be left in kiddo dust!  Last year was the best for me as I also got to guide them up Brunswick.  

The Brunswick mountain is a killer.  Who in their right mind puts a finish line at the top of a mountain?  OK….it’s a hill but it sure feels like a mountain at the end of your race. I had screamed myself hoarse getting those that were stopping a mere 100m from the finish line.  Little did I know that would be me the following day at the end of that killer 10K course despite witnessing all of those epic kid finishes !

This year was going to be my 5K year.  I’ve done every other distance.  The Full, the Half, the 15 and the 10.  I was finally going to get at that elusive BN 5K and PB.  I’ve been slowly chipping away at my 5K time and had bust through the 25 minute mark, but the sub 24 is beckoning.  Even with my Senior Master status🤪

COVID-19, not surprisingly, derailed this plan and to be honest, it’s been a particularly  challenging 2020 to date.  While the fact that I can’t participate in a race is not the most awful thing that can happen, it really did feel like something was missing this weekend and it was a bit depressing.  The weekend kind of snuck up on us and if it weren’t for the wonderful organizers turning this into a free virtual event, it would have gone by with most of us slogging through our new normal running routines with the heaviness of what could have been. 

Sherri, the RD,  encouraged us to run virtually in our own neighbourhoods and had us uploading results and finish line photos.  While it was completely different, you could feel some virtual spirit building.  The old run crew began signing up for some distances and then Meghan posed the right question: How would people feel about a BN 15K crew run? With COVID, our schedules have certainly been all over the place, so rearranging things is not always possible.  We really missed Jody….but we did have a couple of shout outs to her.  Especially when I forgot to restart my watch after a light😂

You know the saying “You get the run that you need”? Well today was that day and as we are downtowners, we actually got to do the real route! There is nothing like a run crew to lift your spirits on a most gorgeous sunny springlike day.  We create that safe space where everything and anything can be discussed or debated be it positive or negative, while hitting the streets of our beloved city. Today we got to do just that, we stopped and waved at our precious Northwood residents.  We cheered every Blue Nose shirts we could see on all sides of the streets (and there were lots out there). We noticed the pretty flowers. We decided this would be a cruise, not a race, and we certainly were cruising!

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I added 4K after our run and that runner community high feeling was soaring.  Bumped into Abbass as he was supporting a friend of his attempting a 42.2K around the Commons (1.6K loops)….now that is an accomplishment.  40 minutes later, it was a great chat and cheer, I continued.  By then I could feel every step.  I had stopped for too long, but every time I found myself lagging, I was buoyed by thoughts of our great running community and what I was witnessing today. Every where I looked it felt like the Blue Nose spirit was there from the beeping cars, the shoutouts, the air high fives and virtual hugs. Not the same, different, but nothing can seem to keep that bluenose spirit down.  #NSstrong

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So what about that #selfiefail?  I’ve been quite proud of these as I’m pretty good at them and thanks to encouragement from Meghan and Sarah, this blog post. If you ever need a good selfie though….trust Allana !

#selfiefail in all it’s glory !

I managed a 5K PB last Saturday!  Despite the heaviness of living & training in a physically distant virtual world these days, I was super happy with my performance and on my cool down had thought out a perfect blog.  I wrote a few notes when I got home to not forget what I wanted to write the following day:

• expect the unexpected. 
• w/u – one gel, a bit too much wine the night before, new route plan, warm up – meh, drills – good… it will be what it will be.
• 1K – felt good but held back
• 2K -felt good, and I didn’t feel the need to hold back.
• 3K – only one little elevation but the luxury of down PPD (mitigation & recovery)
• 4K – realization that maybe I did have it in me to go sub 25 and hello self- doubt. Coach is gonna jump on my pain box so get ready.  Where is it?
• 5K – not feeling awful yet but panicking about where it is. 4:55 is enough just stick to it. I did until last 200 m. Felt like a wind up doll Dave thoughts to the rescue “ eyes up, chest out, you got this” 
• c/d – not completely cooked….maybe I had more? Slogged uphill, big Q – virtual COVID PBs count?

Ended up not doing my blog entry.  

Sunday April 19, 2020.  A day that would change our beautiful province forever with the loss of 22 innocent souls at the hand of a ….  I had no words.  We also got news that deaths due to COVID in our precious senior population is rising and the number of infected is getting ridiculously high.  This was too much and then the numbness set in. 

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So much pain, so much sorrow, so much love and so much life.  The ups and the downs.  Work has to continue. Training needs to continue (running is keeping me sane). Life has to go on. So much positivity circulating.  The critics weigh heavily. The artists sing & draw. The mourning is emotional. Our leaders must be exhausted. How do we explain this? Nerves are tight. Our go to Mother Nature spots are out of bounds. Physical distancing sucks. What are Dr. Strang’s 3Cs?  Right!  Care, Compassion & Common Sense.  Be kind….we have to be!  Thank god Bishop’s Cellar delivers🍷 False alarms make you jump out of your skin.  This is a shitty week and it’s OK.

One week post PB and one week pre Ella’s Front Yard Virtual Last Person Standing Run (that’s another story), it was time to look for the signs.  Off I went on my long run.  This run was harder than it needed to be, so the purposeful search for gratitude & hope began.

16K completed…goal achieved. This search for gratitude was a mood lifter. Still lots of emotion, but the numbness is almost gone. And then:

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So…I did end up with a blessing from Coach Erin the PB stood.  During my run on Friday morning, I remembered that pipers would be out on their doorsteps at 8AM, so I did a quick reroute and I leave you this beautiful performance by those who faithfully serve and protect us:

This weekend was supposed to be a goal achieving weekend.  I was helping Coach Erin in planning a fund raising #myhomecourse5K run for the North End Opportunities Fund.  Supporting local youth in sports and recreation is so important and combining this with something I love, felt like a natural thing to do… We simply could not have predicted when we started this that our little race where we were hoping to get up to 50 runners would come up against the COVID barrier.  So cancelling this before we had to in order to #plankingthecurve was not a difficult decision to make. Check them out and support if you can at https://www.neof.ca

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So what to do instead? A virtual 5K it is.  Coach had a name-the-race contest and we ended up with an appropriate COVID name.  We have tribe members around the province and the world participating in a 5K race some time this weekend.  I choose to do the course we would have done this weekend as the Africville route is a nice usually quiet run. Usually except for today, I’ve never seen so many runners out on this road in years … must be all those runners staying close to home!  WTG Bluenosers 🙂

Telecommuting and pandemic planning have taken a toll (physically and mentally), but running is one of the things keeping me sane and still squeezing into my jeans🤪. I had posted on my club’s FB page the following 3 truths & a lie. Reading this blog may help them figure it out🤔

• While a good night’s sleep was had, should take into consideration overall pandemic planning fatigue
• Potato chips & a glass of wine may or may not be the best night before pre race meal
• Security check in the middle of a virtual race to ensure physical distancing is a thing
• a tight hip on one side and a tightening hamstring on the other side should have been a sign to turn around and try again tomorrow

Warm up – 5.32K Yes, this is a bit more than Coach prescribed, but with our Premier telling us to #staytheblazeshome, I was not going to cross him!  My 85 year old aunt from Ontario called me the other day and in her conversation she stated (and she only speaks in statements) that she liked how stern our Premier is and that she doesn’t know how anybody would disobey him.  She is a former nun, twice married and former teacher…nobody is ever too stern for her!  So, I was not able to drive to the course. But knowing that as long as you don’t have to drive there, you’re OK…I picked the shortest route and I had to run to the start.  My body was not being very cooperative and my head was already playing games.  I reviewed my modified goal and 2 plans. Plan A: sub 25…would be a stretch, so hang on to that 5:00 min pace. Plan B: 25 would have to be in the result.  There was no Plan C.

The Race: 5:01K (had to remember to run to the 2nd light pole!) My body grumbled through the whole race.  I never really loosened up, but somehow my brain kicked in.  Lots of thoughts throughout each of the kilometres:

“Be the Storm”

“You got this”

“Fuck COVID”

“I am not part of the reckless few”

“What would Coach, Allana, Jody, Meghan or Sara do?”

“Slow down if you must, stop you won’t”. …. until I had to.  

Whaaaat?  Let’s just say that even if nobody is at work (a rare occasion for Irving Shipyard), security still is and be aware they are serious about enforcing COVID expectations!  

Kilometer 1:  Slight down hill. I dragged my body to a sub 5 minute K.  I told myself, OK….just try to hang on to this even though you are breathing way too hard.  You can do it.

Kilometer 2: A turnaround across a road and slight up hill.  Completely lost the 5minute pace, but didn’t panic.  I knew there was plenty of time to make it up on flat Terminal Road.

Kilometrer 3: Still a bit of uphill and when I hit the flats on terminal road, I could feel myself easing into it.  My body was finally warming up and while I was no where in PB territory, I had hopes of getting close to that first goal.

Kilometer 4: I had a group of runners in sight and was using them as an inspiration to pass them.  My pace was getting quicker and I was closing the gap. Then all of a sudden a security guard jumps out of his parked truck and stops them. As I was about to run past, he motioned me to stop so I did.  He was scolding them for not respecting the 6 foot rule.  Fortunately the group told him that I wasn’t with them, so he let me go. But my pace was broken and I was gasping for air, so I had to do a quick circle back and then restarted my watch at the point where I think he stopped me. I knew I had lost around a minute and it was so hard to get back into that rhythm I had finally captured. It was time to bring out the general and push this out of my mind.

Kilometer 5:  My fastest K of the day!  It’s amazing what a little downer can do to get you to buckle down.  I wasn’t on the pace I should have been on.  I had run long run intervals faster than this just a month before, but based on this last month I really couldn’t care less 😉 I was just happy to be running as fast as I wanted to at that moment, gasping for air and feeling grateful for good health and a supportive tribe & coach!

Conclusion: Strava says 26:16, but I’m going to take my Garmin 25:14.  I know this isn’t totally legit, but so be it!  The only other time I’ve had a race interrupted was Boston in 2013 and I wasn’t able to finish that one.  The BAA gave us an estimated finish time based on what we had run before the bombings happened.  I got to finish this one, so I’m adjusting the time.  I have total respect for the security guard taking his responsibilities seriously and nothing but a “tsk tsk” to those runners not respecting #physical distancing 

Cooldown – 5.64K It was a slooow uphill slog back home but feeling completely satisfied with my run today.  The sun started coming out, people were out for walks and each one making an effort to keep appropriate distance between them.  Success all around.  The Premier and Dr Strang would be very proud !

Oh and any guesses on which one is the fib? This should not be difficult 🤪🤪😂🤪🤪

💥 I’m baaaaaack !

Soooo… it’s been awhile since my last blog post about my little bucket list run in the Big Apple.  I took a good break, healed up and am bringing myself back to a good base of running.  I’ve also taken the time to think about my 2020 goal chart.  I’m not going to share the whole chart (yet), but here are some of the highlights to have a healthy happy run year:

• checklist goals: run 2020Ks in 2020, improve my minimum 2Xweek strength training and maintain my good warmup and stretch routines
• pace goals: mostly at the 5K & half distance this year.  There will be other distances run, but will focus the PB goals on these 2.
• race adventures:  the Banque Scotia 21K de Montréal and the Berlin Full (a moment of woe is me self pity leading up to New York resulted in a hasty lotto application…and gefunden, marathon #12 coming up in September)
• run community love: searching for ways to give back to the run community and am going to focus more #gratitude thinking this year.

For the first time since I started running I took a pass on the Hypothermic Half marathon event.  I love this event as it brings out the winter warrior in all the participants.  Almost each one of these events have been marked by frigid temperatures, freezing rain, ice-rink-like or snow storms.  Remember the year those that could get out of their driveways were treated to running 50 plus times around the only cleared parking lot in Halifax and then those that couldn’t got to run in the pouring rain the following weekend?  This event defines the annual winter running routine of figuring out which day would be the best to get your runs while reducing the risk of slips, trips and falls.  Winter running for me adds that special “je ne sais quoi” spice to life.  It makes you be more flexible with your schedule and slaps you with a lovely sense of reality.  I wasn’t even close to race ready this year and couldn’t trust myself to treat this as a training run, so I stayed away.  To be honest it was an icky day, but I found myself feeling a bit down for not having participated.  I felt like I missed out on an important element of my running year.

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Don’t know why I was worried that our Maritime weather mania wouldn’t provide other opportunities for me.  This past week certainly fit the bill🤪 I had to shift my run days around to avoid snowfall and still managed to find challenging winter conditions.  My workout run had a lovely skiff of snow hiding little patches of black ice.  Choices for a long run were a frigidly cold clear sunny day or a warmer snowy day.  Lucky for me, Love Training More tribe members came through for the -15C (felt like -22).  Sidewalk conditions weren’t perfect but the company was 💙  The run started off cold, but quickly settled into a beautiful run day.  Did my best to keep us on routes that would block the wind and managed to a route that didn’t cycle over the same roads.  Now of course, it wasn’t perfect, our paths diverged yet despite our challenges we all managed to finish together(ish)….perfectly acceptable !

 #gratitude list for this run:

• run tribe … always
• Embracing feelings of being let down..It’s OK especially when you were expecting more
• Winter warrior wonders
• Post run brunch with the parents
• Properly interpreting Coach’s “may wish to consider” suggestion 🥰

Nothing, and I mean nothing, really prepared me for how awesome this experience would be!  Everyone I knew who had done this run always stated with how amazing the race was (even the elites I know said this).  My expectations were high and they were surpassed!  From the amazing crowds, to the inspirational athletes, to the incredible volunteers, to the seamless race kit pickup (they have clearly done this gig before), to the 5 boroughs….simply WOW!  Caution (this will be a rather long read) and spoiler alert (it will be a whole lot about running and not so much about running well) 😉

I ended up at the start line in the best possible condition considering that I only got 72 limpy kilometers on the road the past month after my leg went on strike trying to take care of the adductor strain.  I had tried to maintain fitness, but it just didn’t make up for missing peaking and the 220K that I should have gotten in.  Based on my last pre-marathon run, I was left with desperate hoping that my last sessions at Maritime Chiropractic for physio with Monica & electro-acupuncture with Bridget would do the trick. 

Highlights prior to the marathon:

Expo:  This was so well organized.  Race kit pick-up was definitely the calm before the mayhem of the expo but managed to get some cool gear I really didn’t need, but really really wanted!  A shout out to Aftershokz’s excellent customer service…they came through in a pinch. #customerforlife  Even if I ended up not turning on the music…I didn’t need or want the distraction after all!

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Carb loading: Coach said to start carb-loading on the Friday and the mac n’ cheese pancakes did the trick! Who knew this lovely delight existed?  I know, at first thought, it doesn’t sound that appealing. It may need to become a staple from now on😋

Start village & warm up: Despite getting up at ugly o’clock and the super long wait in athlete’s village here’s my list of random thanks and learnings:

• Love to Barry for walking with me to the 5:30AM bus❤️
• Buoyed by all the positive pre-race messages….THANK-YOU !
• Comforted by my lists!!
• Robax heating pads are not only great for therapeutic use, but it’s perfect body warmer when sitting on cold hard ground.
• TP in the portajohns (as they say in the US) NEVER ran out! How did they do that?
• A well-oiled organized volunteer machine
• Awe and admiration for all the AWDs (athletes with disabilities) as I saw them prep right in front of me
• Runners have the weirdest warm up gear🤪 #DidYourMotherSeeYouBeforeYouLeftToday?

The next 4 sections are structured around Coach’s race plan & themes. Chunking it like this really helps me stay organized and on track especially with an unpredictable body!

13K in Staten Island & Brooklyn: Gratitude for the Health to Live these Race Moments!  

What a start!  I was in Wave 2 and as we were being corralled, we could hear and see the Wave 1 start.  To hear the introduction of the pros, the national anthem, 🎶New York – New York🎶 and have the white and blue “ticker tape” fall all over us got me excited and teary (it would not be the only time that day that happened).  I had been anticipating this moment from the first time I put the thought of me in a marathon together with my cousin Helene 8 years ago and there I was!  I was so excited that I forgot to get nervous 🤪

Coach’s orders to not go faster than 5:40 (based on my “tester runs”) were not hard at all to obey.  The first 10K went much better biomechanically than expected.  The hip was extending, the adductor wasn’t complaining and the run felt smooth.  It was easy to slip into gratitude for health in this section.  I was having a hard time believing that my body was working! I mean, not 4 days prior, I struggled to run without limping.  Electro-acupuncture works, as weird as it feels, check it out next time you have muscles that go on strike!!  Somehow, I got to that start line healed up…SCORE !!

But this was beside the point, Coach wanted me to be grateful for more than what my body was able to do.  I looked for people to talk to, but everybody was so focused, they were definitely in race mode and I wasn’t going to distract them from that.  I focused on being present so I looked to my left and to my right.  I was ON the Verrazano Bridge (how cool was THAT) and began looking for this massive uphill everyone told me about!  OK….folks, lets end the melodrama here:  This was NOT a big deal, and while there is sneaky elevation, nothing really felt like a big hill until well into Central Park after mile 24!  All that speedwork over and back across the old bridge in Halifax must have paid off ….thx Coach Erin😊 

I didn’t get the chance to be on the upper deck, but TCSNYC still put on a show for us on the lower deck!  Road crews and UPS trucks returning to the start with checked bags were honking and waving at us, as were a couple of officers in NYPD helicopters who were hovering at our level and accompanied us across the bridge.  The crowd was PUMPED!  Oh and another myth busted:  While the view would have been better up top, nobody got peed on from the upper deck.  Who would actually stop, in full view, on that bridge to take a leak anyway?  I still ran from the middle though, wasn’t going to take a chance 🤪

Once we got off the bridge, the crowds began and did not stop until the finish line (except the bridges and the Jewish sector in Brooklyn….more about that later).  New Yorkers LOVE their marathon.  I know I’ve said this about other cities and their marathons and it’s true…but it’s truer with the TCSNYC!  They are nutso about this race to the point where I had to stop looking at my watch there really was way too much to see and smile at, I had found my happy place and pace, kept the teenager grounded and allowed the senior master runner to marvel at what I was actually accomplishing.  

Then the legs started feeling a bit weird and I looked at my watch….almost 10K.  This was much too early for these feelings, but then I realized that I had not successfully run more than 9K in the previous 4 weeks. I came to the realization that while I could celebrate relative good health that day, it was not going to be that miraculous golden day where my body could run a sub 4 hour or a sub 4:15-4:30.  I had managed to heal up (just), but not strengthen enough to sustain at that pace, so I tried recalculating what I could expect and within a couple of minutes, I told myself to stop it.  I decided right there and then that today was going to be about looking for every possible pleasure on this route and to make sure that I will be running across that finish line. I was going to be OK with walking. #runtribe Jody told me to be kind to myself, and I was going to make sure I was!

Time to go through that gratitude list….and I did🥰

12K in Brooklyn 2 & Queen’s: Queen Shalane and Queen Doreen

Coach asked me to channel 2 Queens. The first being Shalane Flanagan with the “Shalane Effect” of her bringing her women-crew along by supporting, nurturing and elevating her tribe. The second being Queen Doreen…now I don’t mind being referred to as a Queen, I do like how it rhymes, and I love this leadership-from-within model.  My tribes exemplify support, elevation and nurturing of each other.  

Before you get to Queens, you pass through a Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn and just as I had read, I had to dodge some of the men dashing through the crowd to cross the street (all of them using the cross walks of course!).  I also noticed the women and the girl-children watching us out of the corner of their eyes.  It was in one of these groups, I spotted my first queen-to-be when one of the girls simply could not resist calling out “Your tutu is SOOOO pretty” to the runher wearing satiny pink tights and a huge flowy tutu. The other women in the group gasped a bit, but this little girl’s mother had a little smile of approval on her face. I loved that regardless of your background…tutus rock and girls will acknowledge you despite the risks. It was time for this queen to bust out:)

Got my boost to get through Queens by keeping each one of my #badassbosslady tribe and their wisdom, encouragement and successes in mind.  I called on my extended #fierceandfearless Love Training More family.  Cradling all of this, I summoned the queen of queens, the Empress Coach Erin.  I kept the spirit of these runhers in my heart as I ran (mostly) through Queens.

By this point in the marathon, I was well into #findingjoy and looking forward to the next section of the plan….and yes I walked over the Queensborough Bridge.  Lots of cool things to see from this bridge, including the runner selfies and a runner picnic….I kid you not!

10K in Manhattan – Bronx: Finding Fierce 

Coming off the bridge I was determined to be running as I knew Barry would be around the 26K mark.  I had heard that there would be lots of people in Manhattan and that I would hear the crowd before I saw it.  I wasn’t prepared for what sounded like a jet engine as I passed under the bridge on to 1st Ave. It was so loud and exciting that I literally bounced along the road and almost missed Barry!  It was great to see him and I stopped for a quick chat and a couple of photos.  His words after a told him that I was walking a lot:  “But you’re doing great!  So what, if you walk the rest of the way.”  Reassurance that I was on the right plan. I wasn’t even looking at my overall pace and time by this point.  This was the boost I needed to run/walk a bit more, continue to soak it all in.

Now to be honest at this point, I was walking too much.  To the point where my back was hurting when I walked.  Running felt better until I’d feel the strain about to strain….so the balance between the 2 continued, but this section was about finding fierce.  Despite all the encouragement from the masses, 1st avenue is too long, and I found my mind questioning whether I’d be able to finish this.  Why was walking hurting so much?  For a runner, walking is supposed to be your rest.  But what are you to do when the backup plan hurts?  

Cue the race nails. At one point I felt my nail polish and was reminded of my race nail story: LTM warrior being the storm in the big apple!  It was time to not panic and to find fierce.  Coach predicted this and said to hang in there and get to the second last bridge.  I called on the general, I used the crowd, I replenished my spirit, I marveled at the AWDs I came across and thought #noexcuses Redmond, #nevergiveup ….it all came down to #suckitupbuttercup as this was getting this done despite my injury.

I then gave myself the goal to run more during the last 10 K….and I did. 

I loved the Bronx!  I loved the grittiness, the people, the rap. It was so different than the other boroughs.  As I came off the second last bridge, there was a group of saucy teenagers (saucy teenagers feed my spirit…I am a junior high teacher at heart!) One of the girls yelled out “YOU are AMAZING”, so I called back out to her that she was amazing.  Well you know she wouldn’t let that go and came back with a “No gurl YOU are AMAZING” .  And you all know that I couldn’t let that go…. anyway, that went on a couple of more times and the crowd around me had a good laugh.

Thank-you #saucyteenagers…. you propelled me through the Bronx, I flew over that last bridge, or at least in my head I did🤪 And you prepared me for the last section of Coach Erin’s plan.

7.2K plus in Manhattan: Fearless Teenager Celebration of Me

My watch buzzed before I got to the last bridge. By this time, I knew I was running long (but not as long as others I know…. Right Paula !) While Coach told me I could let the teenager out in this section, but even the teenager knew that I still had to be careful.  However, it was time to get a bit delusional.  The jazzy tones of Harlem were surrounding me, the crowds were still hyped and at points I felt like I was flying in my sluggy kind of way.  Looking at the race photos later, I didn’t realize how much I was favouring my injured side, even if I felt like I was running straight….what a sight !

I still continued to take advantage of every water stop.  Oh BTW, but I rocked my nutrition and hydration plan.  I mean if I wasn’t focused on time, I was not going to screw up on hydration and nutrition this time 😂

Once again, I was told to brace myself for the 5^th Ave uphill…I never really found it but hello hills in the Park! Under normal circumstances, I would have loved the up and down of the park hills.  This felt like home, but as you all know by now, adductors don’t like the downhills, so I walked a bit more.  There’s a funny picture of me holding my back during one of these walks…and it was clearly one of those moments where I was wishing this was over. 

But, weirdly, I really didn’t want it to end. The park was so beautiful, and the spectators were ever-present and encouraging. It is so hard to describe how special this made me feel and then all of a sudden, I hear my name being called out and it’s Meaghan!  I knew she was in town, but what were the chances to see her along the course….clearly 100%  So I went over for a chat, and to whinge a bit (because I could).  She gave me a quick pep talk, a kick in the pants and sent me on my way.  Thx Meaghan❤️

I continued my saunter until I saw the 800m sign in the distance and then it became about me checking one of the goals off the list: I picked up the speed and ran across that finish line with a pumped arm in the air and #eff-yea …. for Coach….and for me.

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Epilogue:

While it wasn’t an eff-yea for a #marathonmiracle, it was an eff-yea for #marathonjoy !  I now have a marathon finish time that starts with a “5”.  I’ve never done that before and I guess it rounds out the ones I have that start with a “3” and a “4” 😂 Despite this, I’ve never had a marathon that went by so quickly.  Time literally flew and every time my watch buzzed for a new segment of the race plan, it took me by surprise. This marathon, for me, was a success….BUT it wasn’t over.  It took me an hour and over 5K to get out of the finish zone an back to the hotel.  This was the beginning of the post-marathon achy legs where I began to despise every stop light….only because it was so hard to start moving again 🤪

Time to celebrate !

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…AND time to give thanks to you for having stuck through and read this, to my #runtribe (those Cheer Cards were great :)), to the supporters of our running community (family, friends, colleagues & health professionals: I know we drive you crazy yet you put up with us), to my Empress Coach Erin (your patience and skill to get this Queen through this marathon cycle makes me want to be a better runner and feel that I could possibly do another one😂) and to my husband Barry (am blessed to have a partner who understands this craziness and still loves me❤️).

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Well that’s it for this training cycle, it was a bit of a challenge to blog to this extent about this marathon journey but looking back on this…. #noregrets too !

Best laid plans.  We have all had them and we’ve had all the woulda/couldas when they don’t come to fruition.  So here I am one whole week out putting all those apples (pun intended) in the same basket with no real plan B.  Those of you that know me, KNOW that I always have a plan B, it’s just at this point, I’m really not sure what it’ll be.

I’m gonna start by taking 100% responsibility and want to acknowledge the luck and privilege I possess and have worked hard for as well.  Until recently, I had a pretty successful and injury free year with PBs in the 5K and the Half Marathon; as well as a very satisfactory 10K.  I didn’t have PB aspirations for the Marathon, but with my training plan from awesome Coach Erin, I had some solid thoughts about how this iconic #TCSNYC marathon would play out.

If …

1. I had rested more my original adductor strain after MRW (definitely no regrets about that race though).  
2. I had not let my strength training slip to the extent that I did (I’ve got some ideas for next year). 
3. I had taken more than a couple of days off after I stubbed and probably dislocated my toe (that corner of the shower will be bubble wrapped prior to any and all races from now on!).  

….I would not be in the position I’m in now.  I’m going into this race detrained according to Garmin, new shoes that didn’t get a long run in and a fuelling plan that has been untested. 

My right leg went on strike after I tried to “run through” these “icks”.  I thought a bit of time off would work.  After, when I tried a couple of runs, it became clear that not paying attention did not pay off🙁 The reality set in that I may not have more than 50K in the whole last month of marathon training, including missing one of my crucial 32K runs…  My marathoner brain went into overdrive (and still is).  Should I do this? Should I defer? I can always walk the 42.2K or maybe I’ll do the impossible.  These questions were spinning around in my head and depending on the hour of the day, the glass of wine or bourbon in my hand and the position of the moon, I was leaning one way or the other….

The good news is that I am now healed up enough to toe the line next week, the wildcard’s going to be how this run will look and what my body has in store for me after 45 minutes of running (the most I’ve done in the past week and the most leading up to the race).

To stop myself from going crazy, I have to take control of something so here it is:  I’ve got to go into this as if I’m running a race.  Who knows, miracles happen, but the bottom line is running or walking through 42.2K is never nothing.  Time to get out of the “will-she-or-won’t-she” mode and into “come-hell-or-high water” mode.

So here are a couple of race spirit preps whether the leg cooperates or not 🙂

#racenails Since Jersey, I’m now hooked on race nails.  The manicurist called in all of her co-workers to listen to the story of my nails, hence the title of this blog.

#kickasscoachErin #bethestorm Coach/therapist Erin.  Being a marathoner’s Coach automatically means therapist too!  Erin, as you all know, is awesome and pushes us to fearlessness and fierceness in the most gentle of ways.  She gave us the #BeTheStorm mantra. I will be channeling her voice as this warrior whispers back. I am looking forward to her race plan for me and know there will be moments she’s gonna have me push and moments where she’s going to make me think about the awesomeness of running one of the greatest marathon experiences.  If she can conjure up a cow in a field coming into Lunenburg at the right moment (you had to be there to believe it!), I know she’ll have some reminders for me to look up and see all the wonderful and beautiful things around me during those 26.2 american miles. 

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 #runtribe #bossladies #badassbossladies Your constant and persistant messages and offers to run with me during this “woe-is-me” period have fed me and have brought me back to reality.  Each and every one of you have personified the bad-ass-boss-lady I want to be and I will be reaching out in spirit continuously on Sunday.

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#runningcouples #extendedrunningfamily You inspire me regularly!  Jane recently gave me a book to read that reminded me of the joie de vivre of running and because of that as well as a planted idea seed from fellow LTMer Crystal, I’ve signed up for another major marathon lotto.  So maybe, I’ve got another marathon in me in Berlin?  When I told my ever-patient husband, he just rolled his eyes and confirmed that it would be cool to visit Berlin.  He puts up with so much, but as a runner he understands.  I am so lucky ❤️

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#daredtorun #perseverencerules One of my running mentors and asskickers, Bea, recently ran a half-marathon on Mount Desert Island, Maine.  I highly recommend this one!  Check it out here: http://www.runmdi.org/. This is a particularly challenging course run during the prettiest time of the year and for Bea this year she recognized it wasn’t her day but showed us that perseverance rules!  I will be calling on this kind of perseverance for sure.  BTW, I can actually blame Bea for all of this running foolishness, for she is the one who introduced me to running, by daring me to run almost 9 years ago. 

#mothermodels. I wrote a couple of weeks back about my mother’s knee replacement.  She is coming along great and walked 1.5K last week!  This is huge progress…an inspiration to keep in mind when I need to dig deep. I got her to send me a selfie of her doing her best #fierceandfearless look! What Moms will do for their daughters❤️

#applebling #exposplurge #goodr I have a list, and I’ve checked it twice (not even talking about my 2 packing lists: one for the run and one for the trip).  I’m talking about all the cool race goodies, bling and run stuff that I’ll be attempting to cram into my carry on (because that’s all I’m taking).  I’m pretty sure that all of the throwaway things I’ll be packing will leave enough room for the goodies I’ll be bringing back!  And I’ve already started as I could not resist the #TCSNYCgoodr.

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#bostonstrong Heat has been my friend lately while healing those strained muscles, I had a reminder me that sometimes things that are beyond your control bring out the best in humanity and that you need to keep your spirit open to those possibilities. In the picture below you can see a blue and yellow scarf wrapping the heating blanket around my leg.  This is my #bostonstrong scarf, gifted to me by a mid-western USA group of quilters who were part of a nation-wide initiative to welcome Boston Marathoners back to the race after the explosion in 2013.  I was there in 2013, 800m from the finish line, was not able to finish the race and was therefore invited back in 2014.  These quilters wanted to give us courage by wrapping us in their love.  I’ve not worn this scarf since, but it hangs in plain view to remind me of the fragile strength of running that has to be nurtured.  This will be my reminder to be kind to myself.  It’s OK to bring out the sergeant when I need a kick in the shorts, but don’t be mean!

#fierceandfearless = #findingfierce Sometimes we can tie ourselves into knots over expectations and sometimes we can get lost into what we expect expectations to be.  I’ve been running a lot of #fierceandfearless this year but this is hard to keep up when you’re wounded and it’s hard not to be hard on yourself for not being #fierceandfearless.  During our recent Rum Runners Relay, LTMer Melissa and I had a chat #findingfierce when you can’t seem to be #fierceandfearless.   #findingfierce feels to be more dynamic as a journey and not a destination.  This eased the spirits and Melissa ended up PBing a 5K distance during a training run a couple of days later (YEAH Melissa!!).  But here’s the rub Melissa: they’re the same thing! 

The destination is the journey.  So next Sunday as I’m #findingfierce I will be #fierceandfearless 😉 

Random song popped into my head while writing this blog (sorry, I couldn’t hep myself 😂).  As a homage to those of you already in post-race blues and to those of you who want to understand why we always get pulled back into pushing our boundaries, here’s a hint:

You’re going to miss me when I’m gone

(This brings you to a uTube video….takes about a minute to get into it … just like a marathon ;))

I’m keeping this week’s blog short and reaching out to you to help me with part of my race plan  😃  My latest series of little injuries have led to a slight change in plans and a serious attitudinal rethink.  As I now know I won’t be able to tackle this iconic marathon with my original plan, I’m going to have to rethink how I’m going to use my team’s #fierceandfearless & #bethestorm mantras to get this senior-master-slightly-injured body through a whole marathon.

I’ve had a couple of B-rated runs in the past couple of days, but Coach Erin had to remind me that this is actually the most my body should be feeling at this point in my training.  It’s great to have her bringing the reality check to my expectations😂

Check out some of my crew at the Valley Harvest Marathon this weekend (where I was a total bystander cheered!). Awesome performances by all and a serious PB buster by #LTM #bosslady Sarah! 

The good news of course, if I haven’t “spread” it yet (pun intended) is that being New York City bound baby, there will be plenty of inspiration for me to pull from.  I will be running through 5 boroughs and over 5 bridges, so this is where you come in!  I’ve received some great advice to date about this race, but I’m reaching out to my small social media world including my non-runners out there!

For those of you who have been, or those of you who are dreaming of going, what would be your best/funniest/craziest moments/wishes/sites for each one of the following?  OK, not expecting much input around the bridges….but I’m still putting this out there:). If you would prefer to PM me, that’s great to!

The boroughs:

Staten Island

Brooklyn

Queens 

The Bronx

Manhattan – finishing at Central Park

The bridges:

Verrazano-Narrows (at the start – straight up for a mile then straight down a mile)

Pulaski (at 21K)

Queensboro (at 25Kish apparently more than 2 miles long)

Wills Avenue (at 31Kish)

Madison Avenue (at 34 ish)

 I will be incorporating these….I promise!  On a side note, check out the 2019 #TCSNYC bling !

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