Marathon clinic is off to a hot start

Ok, 21 weeks to go and I am hot...and I do not mean the good kind wink wink nudge nudge. London has decided to break all kinds of heat records this first week of our clinic. We ran a 6k last night and a 10k tonight in the blistering heat. Everyone keeps telling me that it will get easier. I am actually missing the freezing cold nights and Sunday mornings from the 1/2 marathon clinic. I can't believe I am saying that as I hate being cold BUT I get really overheated in the sun so I will have to make sure I take lots of water and just slow down or walk - no need to hurt myself for this big accomplishment.
The clinic is going to be great as it is a small tight knit group of people with Tim, the manager of the London store as our leader. He gave us 2 great routes so far and he is very caring towards all his students.
Wish us luck tomorrow night as I take Megan P to her first 10k clinic and run another 6km argggggg.

No more "6 week" girl!

I have been famous for doing things for 6 weeks. I can stay on a diet, write to my pen pals, not consume certain foods and drinks...I am great for 6 weeks. Then, I suck, I slowly stop, make excuses and start doing what I was not doing for the 6 weeks...argggg...

So, this marathon clinic which is starting on Tuesday will challenge me to sustain my focus for 19 weeks!

I am really looking forward to pushing myself to run 5 times a week and breaking the 5:45 mark in Chicago. I am even thinking of asking Alicia and Lindsay if they want to run the Toronto marathon as a warm-up for our families to be able to see us run a marathon and to be able to run with our friends (who didn't get a chance to sign up for Chicago.)
Stay tuned.

What a weekend

I am just home from the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati and once again I have to say "one of my favourite times ever!".

I know I have said that before but now I know what the runners high is all about. First of all I have to thank Lindsay, Alicia and Megan for making the weekend so much fun.

Secondly, I have to thank Mark and Steve my mentors for their coaching (they were there too with their wives so it was awesome) and lastly I have to share that I was able to PASS runners - something I have never done before. There truly is a wave when you are running with 9,000 other runners that helps carry you along. It was as if I was in a river and going with the flow - too cool.

So the results...you have to understand that the whole mid west was having the worst rain storms of all time and when we woke up Sunday morning it was POURING beyond belief!!!! Alicia bought us ponchos and they were perfect.

Also, please remember I have been so sick that took me to the walk-in clinic the week before the race. And, I have not slept - too busy at work and little stressed so....I got a PB!!! I was on fire!!! I chugged a Red Bull before the race as I was feeling awful and so tired and it literally gave me wings!! I wanted to run 2:57 to beat my Run for Retina time by 1 minute but when we saw the weather, the hilly course and took into account how I was feeling, I didn't even wear my pace bands so I just went for it!!

I rode the wave of fun for most of the race and found this great guy named Bob from Minnesota (55 year old retired guy) and we chatted the whole second half of the race. I didn't even do my 10:1s - I was feeling so great and hills just kept me going. When we passed the 11 mile marker, I looked at my watch and saw 2:30. I thought holly smokes, we can do 2 miles in less than 27 minutes. We set a goal to really push it and I came around the last corner and heard and saw Megan and Alicia screaming go Catherine go. Tons of people were lining the final leg and when I last looked at my watch with the finish line in sight it said 2:52, I thought again I totally can beat my time. Bob and I kept chatting and laughing the whole way up the street and when we crossed the finish "swine" too cute or what, my watch said 2:57, I could not believe it!!! - unbelievable!!!

The weird thing that happened was that we saw this guy wearing this hat and I said to the girls - wow, I just posted to my blog before we left this quote - weird or what!!!

Laughing at yourself is the best medicine

Ok, thanks to all of you and this blog, I am feeling so much better about myself and my success with my 1/2 marathon I am 24 hours away from running in Cincinnati.

I was so happy for a couple of weeks after my Run for Retina race. What a difference a coupld of weeks makes? Between work being really tough, having the fashion show, getting really sick, and being so tired I am freaky'n out about my abilities in Cincinnati tomorrow.

The fashion went really well but was a lot of time and energy during a very busy month. I got to show 2 outfits and had a wonderful dinner with my mom, Lennie and Megan. Ironically, at 4:00pm that afternoon I got in to see the head and neck specialist to get a biopsy of the lump in my neck. Talk about painful - having a giant needle stuck in your neck for 15 seconds to draw out cells and then wait to see if it is a "complete" sample - oh God I am so glad they did not have to do it twice. My neck was sore for 4 days!

I have decided to continue to repeat "I am strong and I am well" over and over again in my head in order to turn the Karma around. Wish me luck as I compete in my 2nd 1/2 marathon. This cold and lung thing will not get me down!

I think it is funny that I am running in a race called the Flying Pig when I always refer to myself as chubby - like a pig - so now I am in a great mood as I giggle around the 13 mile course being called the flying pig - I know I know I should not refer to myself as a pig - did you see the great photo of me above in the fashion show - but it is funny and you know what - laughter is the best medicine.