NYC - I saw the signs

So, last winter I applied to run the 2012 NYC Marathon. 

I had run the Chicago Marathon twice and heard that in order to run NYC you must apply and get your name pulled through a lottery process.  My running bud Lish told me that if we apply for 3 years and do not get our names pulled that you are guaranteed a spot the next year, so we applied to start that process.  Little did I know that my luck would kick in April when they did the lottery and my name was pulled. 

I was actually very upset but didn't tell anyone.  I had plans to run the Chicago Marathon with the REACT thyroid foundation charity on October 7th and this one was going to be a month later on November 4th - that would be too much for me and I would enjoy neither race.  Lish said not too worry because I could take it easy in Chicago and use it as a training run for NYC. 

What everyone did not know was that I was sick and had not run yet in 2012.  How could I run Chicago without any base training let alone a 2nd one 4 weeks later? 

After several doctors appt. and fixing some "chick stuff" plus Crohns disease stuff I was finally running again on June 10, 2012.  Problem was that I was way behind the plan.  I had no energy and my joints ached more than normal.  Turns out that I now have arthritis and it sucks.  I needed to take it easy, slow down and take a lot more rest days.  Leading up to Chicago I was feeling good but knew I didn't have the same stamina I had in the previous years.  I ran Chicago on my 44th birthday - October 7th and we all saw how that went - went out too fast and had no energy to push myself at anytime. Finished but it sucked.

So, I came home from Chicago devastated and embarrassed, joined Good Life Fitness so I could continue to train indoors and use the treadmill to get my pace back.  I spoke to a nutritionist and was feeling great about NYC.  I had never been to NYC and was a tad nervous about the size of the race (47,000 runners) and the city itself.  My mom would come with me and help me get through it all.

I made a shirt and checked the weather daily.  Things were looking good until about a week before the race a hurricane struck the east coast and cause severe damage to the state of New Jersey and New York City. 

Little did we know the extent of the damage and the widespread problems that water, sand, and winds caused to this area.  We watched the news and weather reports and on Tuesday October 30th an announcement was made that the race was still on.

Friday morning mom and I got to the Buffalo airport and our flight had arrived to take us to NYC - a good sign. 

We had a great flight as it is not very far to NYC where I saw the city for the first time ever and was so thrilled to catch a glimpse of the skyline of Manhattan. 

We did not know about the problems with the gas shortage or widespread electricity issues but my brother John did and because he was so worried about us he arranged for a car service to get us to our hotel.  I have never had a driver hold a sign up with our name on it let alone ride in a Mercedes SUV - we were pimped out. 

Right away the driver explained to us the problems in the city and about all the gas/electricity issues.  As we drove we saw the long line ups at the gas stations, no traffic lights and people walking to get home without any public transportation.  He got us to the hotel in 1 piece and we were able to check in - another good sign. 

We immediately went to the expo and I got my bid and started shopping for cool race gear.  And then, out of no, where I saw him...Ryan Hall my favourite runner at a booth signing autographs.  He signed my bib last year in Chicago and I got a personal best time - I wonder if he signed it again this year if NYC would be where I break 6 hours.  I was so thrilled to see him again and we chatted it up.  Another good sign..

We left and went out for dinner and grabbed a coffee when I received several texts and messages that people were sorry to hear the marathon was cancelled.  I thought everyone was kidding until we got back to the hotel and watched the live broadcast of the cancellation.   I was fine with the decision as it did not feel right.  How could I be running when no one was able to celebrate when they had lost so much.  It was a sign...a sign to stop and appreciate what we have, and a chance to come back next year, faster and stronger when everyone could celebrate.

Saturday morning we headed back to the expo as we had arranged a bus trip called Marathon Route in a Coach tour.  A four hour tour of the marathon route and city.  This was the best thing as we learned everything there is to learn about NYC, saw all of NYC, and I was able to see how difficult of a marathon route it is.  I think this was a good sign...  I need to be much lighter, faster, and stronger if I want to finish this race well - it is sooo hilly.  One of the most wonderful sites on our tour was seeing ground zero and the construction of the Freedom Tower.  It rises about the city and it is like a beacon of survival and hope. 

We saw all the boroughs, all the sites but was sadden to see such sorrow for so many.  the gas lines were so long and the lack of power left many people freezing.  We saw houses and cars wreaked by the winds, water, and rain. 

We finished the tour and got back in time to see the Lion King - I cried as soon as the curtains open, the singing started, and the elephants came down the aisles.   We went out for dinner that night to a wonderful Italian restaurant after a very full day. 

I forgot that for lunch I even got to eat really NYC style pizza in our favourite part of the city; Williamsburg which is in Brooklyn and the marathon runs right past a street of amazing shops, cafes and pizza places. Next year I look forward to seeing this part of NYC again with all the people out to cheer us on.

 

Sunday morning we woke up and heard that many of the marathon runners were in Staten Island helping all the people there with bringing supplies to those in need.  Another 1/3 of the runners went home, ran other races or didn't come and the other 1/3 were in Central Park.  I put on my NYC marathon shirt and we hit the park with thousands of other runners running laps and celebrating a makeshift marathon.  We cheered for an hour as people ran by and then we joined in the fun.  Many people had come to cheer the runners on from all over the world.  Mom and I could not believe the countries represented.  I would need to make a better shirt next year with the "Canada" letters much bigger.   

I then asked mom if we could hit all the spots and do all the things I have ever wanted to do in NYC.  She was game and had her running shoes on so we walked to Bloomingdale's, shopped (I knew I needed to get Megan something from here) and we had lunch.  Went to the Empire State Building which is so gorgeous and walked back to Times Square for photos and to see if we could get tickets to another show.  No tickets were available so we found a great place for dinner (Mexican our favourite), a way to donate my clothes to charity and saw the NYFD on 8th Avenue to say thank you and see their memorial wall to their fallen firefighters. 

I know we did soooo much more but am forgetting a ton.  It was an amazing 4 days.  Thank you to everyone for your care and thoughts while I tried to complete this race this year.  I promise you that this was not a waste of time, it was the best thing for me.  I love doing stuff with my mom and we haven't had a trip together since San Antonio in 2006 plus it showed me that I need to work harder next year to train for this race.  I know the city will bounce back and the people will overcome all of this..they always do.  I am excited to return to celebrate in true NYC style with the people that deserve to be happy.

 

My favourite part of the trip was when I was saying goodbye to Lennie in the parking lot on Thursday night to head to Buffalo.  He asked me to hold out my hand and he placed his most prized possession on my finger...his dad's dog tag.  He told me to wear it in good health and for good luck.  I tied it to my shoe and was hoping that I wouldn't lose it - I tied it 3 times to my laces and under the tongue part so it wouldn't fall off.  I wore it everywhere it was a good sign...

Chicago Marathon 2012

Yep, I did it. I ran, I mean jogged, ok walked a bit too, finishing my 3rd marathon. The time does not matter but it does suck and I didn't make the paper this time :( I had a really angry blog to post because of how the race unfolded and then adding insult to injury I didn't get a medal (they ran out at the 6:13 mark) ((the photo above is with a stranger's medal I asked to borrow for this photo)) but I realized I was feeling sorry for myself and was being a baby, so I deleted the post.

I can't blame anyone or Chicago for my race or results.

This was not an easy running season. No need for the gory details but me getting to the start line is a bit of a miracle and crossing the finish line is really even more amazing. I was running for the REACH thyroid research team and didn't want to let anyone down so plodded through the tough training cycle.

Not having run at all till June was problem #1, being more tired than normal after each run requiring more rest was problem #2 and, running every single run for 19 weeks alone except for 1 was huge problem #3.

I was sick for months and it really didn't get anything resolved until late May with a stupid GI surgery, gallstones, and a ton of tests. Having no thyroid, Crohn's disease and "chick" issues took months to deal with and took its toll.

But, I was determined to "get to the start line and cross the finish line". I did, and I can say I am a 3 time marathoner.

The expo was terrific with all the runners names written on the Nike wall again and cool social media interactive booths.

The weekend was wonderful with Kevin and the family spoiling us from Friday to Monday.

A wonderful carb load dinner was my favourite along with a surprise birthday celebration after the race for my 44th.

I also got one of my favourite photos ever of me and Mr Fun. At mile 11 he followed me, video taping me as I passed and my mom and cousins were making us laugh as I passed saying I was "almost there".

In two weeks I head to NYC for their marathon and a wonderful trip with my mom.

Look out Big Apple!!!!

I am thrilled to share that I got picked to run the 2012 New York City Marathon on November 4, 2012.


I am going to take my mom for the weekend and have an amazing time. I have never been to New York and this is a once in a life time opportunity.




The route looks amazing as we run from Staten Island through all the boroughs and finish in Central Park.

I will start my training plan in a couple of weeks completing the Chicago marathon first October 7th.

I wasn't sure if I would ever run again since a health situation that took over the last couple of months but a surgery Wednesday fixed all and I am on my way to an amazing recovery and almost back to my old self.

Will blog about the health situation soon but right now my focus is on getting back to 100% and looking forward to a great training summer.

Hugs

10 Things I Think I Love About Running

While checking out one of my favorite iPad apps; ZITE tonight I found a terrific blog post at www.irunnerblog.com. He is a marathon runner and has a terrific blog that I now follow. He was posting his top 10 list about his love of running to keep himself inspired.

Last week Lennie and I started a new 10k running clinic with the Running Room. Lennie has never run before but he thought as a Christmas gift it would be great to do one together. Turns out that he is fantastic at running, unfortunately has a bad knee, and didn't realize how hard it was to run. As a great, frequent hockey player, he thought that his physical strength from hockey would carry over into running. After he ran his first 6k he said, "I respect you even more now for running 42 of those." It was hilarious to see him struggle to get up the stairs for the first couple of days. He then commented "I have never relied on handrails so much in my life." Too funny to hear him moaning and groaning about sore muscles.

www.irunnerblog.com asked his Twitter followers to help him stay motivated and he got a response from @TriMeOn who suggested that he "list ten things you love about running……..”. I decided that to keep myself moving forward and excited about running that I would do the same thing. 

We all know that I do not love running but am trying it for a couple of years to see if it is something I can see myself doing for many more years to come.  Being "big" and the thyroid thing do not help provide success in this sport.  Runners are fit, lean, fast and a tad crazy and I am only a few of those things :) Making this list helps me realize that running is great and I love the people and success of it but not necessarily the work involved.

10 Things I Think I Love About Running...

...being able to drink lots of chocolate milk
...talking about running with Lish and Lindsay
...being in Springbank Park for hours on end
...tracking my mileage on www.dailymile.com
...pushing myself during tempo runs
...wearing capri tights
...finish line photos
...the Port Stanley Sunday summer runs
...the look on people's faces when they find out I am a marathoner
...my Garmin watch

I could go on and on and will continue to focus on how fun races are, the wonderful friends I have made, and that it has added years to my life.

What would be on your love of running list?

OPC speech

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 I had the extreme privilege of delivering an address to my colleagues at our Ontario Principal Council chapter dinner.  They wanted a 30 minute presentation on their theme Personal Wellness, Who is Looking After You?  I decided that I would share the last 12 months of my life as an example of my personal journey searching for better life/work/balance.  Below is my speech. 

     "Good evening and thank you.  My journey to personal wellness is a simple one...in one year, big girl runs marathon, girl gets job of her dreams, girl gets cancer.  Believe it or not, these three intersecting aspects of my life are the greatest things that have ever happened to me.  I wanted to share with you some of the choices and struggles from the last couple of years that I have had and some of the not so great choices I have made so that maybe some of my learnings might help you at some moment in your life.
    
     So, I did not want to become a teacher.  I wanted to be a radiologist.  I even spent time at UWO in their MRI unit and job shadowed a radiologist. My parents, my whole life, told me to become a teacher but I fought them for as long as I could until we all realized that my math skills were not even near the level they needed to be to be a successful radiologist so, off I went to teachers college.  They were right and loved it, and graduated in May of 1993.
     I could not get on the supply teacher list so I got a job at an insurance company.  I worked in London and Toronto for many years as a claims adjuster, subrogation officer, and eventually moved into the Human Resource Department as a Training and Development Consultant - little did I know that all those skills I learned in insurance translated really well into teaching - customer service, organization, planning etc.
     In 2000, I recognized that I needed to move home to stop the traveling and be closer to my family . Everything had changed in the 8 years I was gone from education and now there was an OCT and ATTN so it took some months to get all my paperwork organized but eventually I applied for a job at TVDSB and luckily had my French qualifications to get a job at Sir John A Macdonald teaching Jr French Prep.
     I show up on the first day in my Jones New York suit excepting everything to be perfect and the students to listen to me as I just finished this big corporate gig.  But, to my surprise on the 2nd day and after being told to F off for the 3rd time - I marched into the Principal's office and said I quit.  She sent me home and with the help of my husband and friend Scott P, they sent me back the next day after a pep talk.  Kind of like a boxer in the ring during rounds - "you go back there" and "you can do it", "don’t let them see you upset", "you set the tone".  I of course got over the tough first years and love teaching.
     I had many wonderful opportunities that brought me to Sherwood Fox PS in the fall of 2006 when I took up running. I know, I don’t look like a runner but my best friend and I decided to do something fun from the Spectrum magazine and learning to run 5km looked easy.  We went every Tuesday to a class to have information about shoes, training and nutrition and we learned the 1:1 method of running - you run for 1 minute walk for 1 minute.
     It was during this time that I started to make some bad choices when it came to my own personal wellness. During that fall I was teaching AQ courses at UWO, finishing my masters degree, running a school show, owned a scrap booking business, and teaching grade 7 full time. You can imagine what happened.  I totally burned out and started to feel terrible.
     When I was in my 20s I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis - a disease of the colon and I really felt that it has come back.  I visited my doctor and for months tried to push through going to work everyday, running the school show, teaching and eventually my doctor said that if some of the meds that he gave me didn’t work by Christmas that I needed to check myself into the hospital to get my colon under control.
     Alas, January 7th 2007 I had my husband drive me to Victoria hospital at recess, they checked me over and said, yep something is wrong and they kept me over night.  In the morning, after many tests, it is discovered that I didn’t have ulcerative colitis but I in fact have Crohn’s disease, a much more serious condition of the GI track and I of course had let it go on too long and had completed trashed my colon.  They started to fill me full of steroids but nothing was working.  Luckily a doctor suggested a new drug that had just come on the main market called Remicade.  It was very expensive and at the time scary as it was an infusion drug. They hook you up like chemotherapy and it drips into you.  I was lucky that I was a candidate and got the drug and 3 years later I am in remission and feeling fantastic.

     January 2009 before I knew it, I am tipping the scales at 300 pounds because of all the medication and the "relaxing" I was doing.  I am now the VP at Ashley Oaks PS and working hard but not eating lunch, drinking a ton of coffee, not working out, and getting pretty stressed.  I decided to get a personal trainer and lose some weight - turned out to be terrific, I lost some weight and felt strong.
     That summer a friend recommended a place in Utah called Fitness Ridge - based on the Biggest Loser TV show you can go to this gentle boot camp for a week and work out and get your butt kicked into shape. It is really expensive and I would have had to go by myself as my husband had no interest in going so I signed up for 2 weeks.
     What an adventure.  You wake up at 5:30am for a 2 hour hike through the mountains of Utah. Come back and have breakfast made for you.  Then  you have yoga classes, aquatics classes and cooking classes. Lunch is made for you and then 4 more hours of exercises classes before a dinner and then you go to bed because you are so tired.  In 2 weeks I lost another 14 pounds but more importantly, I returned to being a VP with lots of energy and feeling great about my job.

     The fall of 2009 I bumped into my friend Lindsay at a hockey game who asked about Fitness Ridge and if I was interested in joining a 10km running clinic - I wasn’t a runner and never did finish my 5k clinic back in 2006 because I was so sick. But, for some reason I was feeling strong so I went home and signed up.  December 2009 I ran a 10km race in London.  My friends who I met through the running clinic told me that since I had run a 10km race that I should try a ½ marathon.  I thought they were nuts but joined the clinic January 2010.
     ½ way through the clinic I got strep throat and visited a walk-in clinic for some antibiotics.  While getting my prescription, the doctor felt me throat and pointed out that I had a lump on my thyroid. I didn’t even know what my thyroid was so he told me to call my family doctor for an ultrasound.  I did and it revealed this mass that you could actually see on my neck.  My doctor referred me to a head neck surgeon but the wait would be a while.
     I continued training and in April 2010 ran my first ½ marathon.  I finished last but broke 3 hours.  The cool thing about being last in a race is that all the medical personal are following you so if anything happens they are there to help plus, everyone else is finished so you get the most people cheering for you.
     That June, I finally got to see a surgeon and had a biopsy of my neck revealing something called a Hurtle cell lesion - nothing serious - only 20% cancer but you have to have it out - they remove ½ your thyroid which is great because you can still function normally with the other half.  Problem is - long wait times so they will call me when I have a surgery date.

     So my running friends said to me - you know, if you have run a ½ marathon, you can run a full marathon. I thought they were nuts but thought I would try it - signed up again for a running clinic and through very hard work, (and a 2nd trip to Fitness Ridge in Utah) I ran the Chicago marathon last October - well run, that is a little loose - jog/walked the 42.2 km route.  In Chicago if you run the race in less than 6 hours and 30 minutes you get your name in the paper - they publish all the finishers and I finished in 6:28:42.  My name was in the paper.  I got the marathon bug and knew that I can run a heck of a lot faster and set out to run another marathon in the spring of 2011.
    
     January 2011, I was thrilled to become the Learning Supervisor for System Staff Development at TVDSB.  A job I wanted for a long time and directly related to my work from my insurance world so got to mesh my love of teaching, administration and facilitation.  14 days into my new job while sitting in this very room at District Review training I received a phone call.  Surprise, the head and neck surgeon called and I have a date for a surgery - I actually had forgotten all about the lump on my neck except I could see it now sticking out.  They had me booked for January 20th - what!!  I had to go back to work and tell my supervisor that I had to have surgery.  He was awesome and told me to do what I needed to do.
    The next Thursday I had my neck surgery and it was rough.  It hurt like heck and turns out I was allergic to morphine and was so sick but, took the weekend to recover and came back to work on the Monday - yep 4 days later - stupid.  But that’s what we do, we don’t take the time we need!!!
    So, I plugged through and eventually felt better knowing the lump was out.  I started to really love my job, get to know people, understand the cadence of the board office and was thrilled to be helping people in my new role.
     February 15th, I returned to the surgeon’s office for a post op and get the all clear.  Well, I knew something wasn’t right when he came in the room alone and my file was pretty thick.  Dr. Nicols said to me that he was so sorry but the lump was in fact cancer; papillary carcinoma.  I do not remember anything after that - papers being signed, pamphlets being handed out and people talking to me about another surgery.  I got into the car to return to work because I was to facilitate that afternoon and called my husband who was a tad concerned and I immediately called Scotty P so he could help my husband deal with this.  Little did I know but I would eventually be the one that was going to be needing some support grasping all this.
     This time I immediately met with our disability management team and said “I will do whatever you say” You see they were very upset with me that I did not tell them about the first surgery or seek their help.  So they told me that I could not come back to work for 4 weeks until the surgeon said I was clear. 4 weeks are you kidding me - my boss is going to freak - he didn’t, in fact he was fantastic and so supportive.
     March 31st I had to go and have the other half of my thyroid removed and began taking a daily dose of thyroid hormone to replace what my body does not make naturally.  Surgery went really well now that I knew what to expect and stayed at home to rest and recover.  I was doing what all the doctors and disability management told me to do.  I returned to work in May and finished the school year off feeling well, rested and awaiting the next steps of the cancer treatments.
     But, I still had another marathon to train for so, in June I started my 19 week training plan for Chicago 2011.  The doctors told me that I needed to be careful running another marathon as without a thyroid it could be difficult. You will have an evaluated heart rate, body temperature and no metabolism - not what I wanted to hear.  I decided that I really did not care what others thought and spent the summer running and training.
    
     I worked throughout the summer as my new role called for some summer projects so needless to say, when the school year rolled around I was already tired.  I was concerned that school hadn't even begun yet and I was already panicked. My calendar was full, I was swamped, I was already getting that overwhelmed feeling.  What is this that I am feeling?  This is not me. I am normally really positive, I normally have lots of energy, I am an enthusiastic person, but not this year.  Something was weighing me down.
     I didn’t know what to do so I thought about all the advice I had given many staff and friends over the years to call our EAP (Employee Assistance Plan).  I wanted some tools to deal with what I was thinking and to be reassured that what I was feeling was normal.
     I decided I would call EAP.  I called and spoke to their intake worker who asked me a series of questions to assess the situation and find a good counselor match.  They asked me if I was hurting myself I said I had ate 12 donuts that morning and if that counted - silence on the other end of the phone.  I kept telling her that I was normal but I needed some tools to deal with this feelings of being overwhelmed.
    
     I received a call from a social worker who had an opening that afternoon and I had the chance to go and talk to someone.  Someone not in education, someone who was unbiased and someone with lots of thinking tools. Turns out, I am normal, complicated but normal.  What a relief.  She didn’t make me look at ink blots (my biggest fear as they all look like butterflies to me).  I didn’t need medication.  I needed to allow myself to feel frustrated with work sometimes, angry at the cancer and that I had lots of abilities to move forward.  Finally a good decision regarding my personal wellness.  The sessions made a huge difference.  My weekly running times started to improve and by the time October 9th rolled around, I ran the Chicago marathon again and this time - almost 12 minutes off my time from last year.  And, more importantly, I felt positive again.
    
     So now what?  I will be running another marathon next year as I know I can run even faster.  I am going to continue to go to EAP every month for a “thinking tune up”, and I will continue to trust the TVDSB, the people and the process.
     I wish you all the best of luck with your journeys, careers, wellness, and I hope that some piece of my story will help you in your time of need.  Thank you"

Can I Call Myself a Marathoner Yet?

It's taken me a long time to be able to post this blog.  I am home from my birthday / marathon weekend in Chicago where I think I have dropped the chip on my shoulder.  What chip you ask?  Well. the "6-hour" marathoner chip.  It has been pretty heavy.  I never felt that running 1 marathon made me a marathoner and I wanted to run at least 1 more in order to have earned the title of MARATHON RUNNER.

But, does running 2 of them at over 6 hours each still count?  I wish that I could have been faster. 

Ryan even signed my bib

The weekend began with a road trip to Kalamazoo, Michigan with Lish and Lindsay so we could hit the expo early Friday morning in Chicago.  I woke up on my 43rd birthday doing exactly what I wanted to do...be in Chicago with the girls to meet Ryan Hall (American marathon record holder) and get our race gear. (wish Megan was with us though). 

The expo was pretty good and we spent several hours wandering, shopping and looking at all the gear.  The girls bought a lot of stuff and I just got a funny t-shirt - tough to get gear for "big girls" at a major event when really nobody "big" does this kind of crazy thing let alone twice :).  We had a nice dinner and I caught the train to Wilmette to meet Lennie and my brother at the Rutherford's.  The day ended with several poker tourneys and me even winning one. 

Buca di Beppo - yummy

Saturday, the boys hit the lake for a sail to Wisconsin while the Rutherford girls and I relaxed and went antique shopping.  I drove back into Chicago to meet Lish and Lindsay for dinner and then home to relax my feet which were still tired from walking the expo Friday. 

Woke up Sunday morning and just like last year, Lennie drove me to Chicago to pick up Lish and Lindsay at their hotel so we could get to the start line.  I was not nervous, teary, or panicked in anyway.  I actually felt really calm.  I could see and hear all the other first timer's strategies and talking themselves up.  I just was relaxed. 

It was packed this year.  It seemed like so many more people.  I checked a bag this year so that I could put my shoes on at the last minute.  I didn't even make it into the corrals as it was so busy so I had to wait on the side of the road to get to the start line. 

5:45 pace tattoo

I decide that in order to be more successful, I needed to run with a pace bunny and wear a pace band.  At the expo I signed up for the 5:45 team to see what that is like and if that would help me finish stronger.  I found the 5:45 pace bunny Amy and we were off.  About 15 people were running with Amy who was running continuously - the other 5:45 pace bunnies were running 1:2 or 1:5.  I wanted to run non stop so stayed with Amy.  What a good time.  Everyone cheered the 5:45 group as we travelled the streets and it was amazing to finally have people to run with. (its been a very lonely 19 weeks of running alone)  I was able to stay with the group until the 13 mile marker when they ran quickly through a water stop and I needed more Gatorade and just couldn't catch them again.  I was feeling amazing as the first 1/2 sailed by - probably because I was focused on staying with the group. 

I did everything I said I would do this time - no high fiving (except Lennie and the kids), ran in the middle of the road, no name on my shirt, took Cold FX, wore my orthotics, no 10:1s, carried more gels, and this was my 5th race of the year (10k, 10k, 1/2, 30k and now a full). 

Mile 25 with the gang

The temp climbed again this year and by the 1/2 way mark it was near 75 degrees.  I was a tad lonely when all of a sudden "Kansas" came up from behind.  She was in the 5:45 pack I met at the start line and we had chatted for a while during the first 1/2.  I thought she was with the group ahead but she had stopped for a potty break and came upon me.  Thank goodness as we cruised the rest of the way together and she pushed me to continue hard. 

Just like last year, Lennie, the Rutherford kids and my brother all ran with me the final miles while Sue snapped some great photos of us all together.

Me, Lish and Lindsay




Me and my brother Jeff

 When I crossed the finish line this time, unlike last year, I was 100%.  I walked to the bag check, put on my flip flops and walked to the 27 mile party where Lish and Lindsay were relaxing.  I was so pleased to see them so we could snap some photos and celebrate. They of course set course PBs and Lindsay broke 5hrs.  All our friends had great races and everyone came home safe. 

Lennie drove us back to Wilmette where we all napped and then enjoyed another wonderful dinner of Chicago pizza, Sue's amazing salad and some drinks to celebrate.

Monday morning I woke up to try and find my name in the paper (they publish the names of all finishers under 6:30) and the paper did not have the marathon insert in it like it did last year.  I know it is silly but I was really disappointed to not have that souvenir from the race.  Also, unfortunately, the paper shared that a man died 500 yards from the finish. 

On our drive back to London from Chicago we stopped for gas in a very rural stop in Michigan and low and behold I found a Chicago Sun Times paper and guess what - it had the marathon insert - random or what.  I immediately opened the paper to find my name, stats and was able to show my brother. 

I am sort of pleased with the results since I ran faster and comparing the 2 years side by side reveals some interesting findings.  I knew that lots of people were cheering for me back home and I ran the WHOLE time.  I really did run the whole time and can not believe that it still took me over 6 hours again.  I was almost identical times through the 1/2 and made up the time in the 2nd part of the race. 

    2011                          Last year - 2010

  5K 0:39:37                 5K 0:39:12   (same)

10K 1:20:20               10K 1:20:34 (same)

15K 2:02:22               15K 2:02:45 (same)

20K 2:45:33               20K 2:47:22 (down 2 minutes)

Half 2:55:51                Half 2:57:41 (down 2 minutes)

25K 3:33:36               25K 3:35:38 (down 2 minutes)

30K 4:20:43               30K 4:24:30 (down 4 minutes)

35K 5:08:22               35K 5:13:54 (down 5 minutes)

40K 5:57:28               40K 6:07:59 (down 10 minutes)

Finish 6:17:13             Finish 6:28:41 (down 11 minutes)

34080th out of 35755    34812th out of 36088

It is now obvious to me what I need to do to improve.  Not until September did I see the connection between strong focused tempo runs, interval training and hills to my success.  I also have the entire year tracked on http://www.dailymile.com/ so I can compare all the runs next year.  I will definitely go back to Chicago to run this race as I love the city, course and lots of spectators for 6 hours - no other city can say that they support every last runner the whole race.  It is perfect for us slowees.

I also vow to not get cancer news next year and have to endure 3 surgeries in 3 months along with a week of Thyrogen.  Imagine how much better I will do now that it is all behind me.

Hopefully by October 7, 2012 (next year's race is on my 44th birthday) I will have dropped the "6 hour marathoner" chip.  It is really weighing me down.

It's All Good

I have been doing a lot of reflecting lately.  I just finished completing an EQi and EQ360 for my application for Principalship at work and I had to really take a look at my leadership and how others perceive my strengths.  The results were bang on...I am way to hard on myself and need to be happier in the moment. 

What a tough 9 months I have had.  But, all of the ups and downs have led me to this marathon and I am hoping to draw strength from all my 2011 running and fitness experiences to help me reach my goal of 5:59 on Sunday in Chicago.

Back in January after I started my new job, my friend Rene and I joined a Biggest Loser competition at Olympic Fitness.  We worked our tails off until January 19th when I had my first surgery to remove 1/2 my thyroid.  Heading back to work a couple of days later was the dumbest thing I could have done, but who knew what would happen the next month. 

I loved the Biggest Loser competition and through it all I lost some pounds and met some terrific people.

After a difficult meeting with my surgeon on February 15th in which they informed me that the tumor they removed was cancerous, I returned to St. Joseph's hospital March 30th for a second throat surgery.

I recovered really well this time as we discovered that I am allergic to morphine and therefore didn't have it and felt so much better - i.e. didn't puke a million times in recovery or in the car on the way home.  This time, I stayed at home and followed doctor orders to rest for 4 weeks. 

My running friends did their best to cheer me up by staging a rally outside my house one afternoon.  What a sight and feeling to have people supporting you even when they are not around.  True friends appear when you least expect it. 

I decided to make sure I kept active while I was off and walked almost everyday.


The Olympic Fitness crew decided to run a 10km race to celebrate all their achievements on May 1st and I met them on race day.  Not a great idea as I was still not 100% and had not run for a long time.  I had been walking daily but that did not prepare me for this race and I sucked with a 1:17. 

May 30th my friend Glen talked me into running another 10k race and this time, I felt amazing and set a PB of 1:13 and I wasn't last. Felt great to set a goal and hit it.









Part of our marathon training called for several 30km runs so Lish and Lindsay told me of a race in Toronto at night called the Midsummer's Night Run.  I ran the race but it was really hot and scary running at night, alone, through Toronto parks that I didn't know.  Was almost last with a time of 4:22 but had lots of energy at the end to pass several people.  Great weekend away with the girls too.

Mid September and my buddy Glen told me of a 1/2 marathon he was running in London and I decided to join him and make the race one of my long slow Sunday runs.  Not my best race as it was hot and the out and back route makes it tough as you know you are last.  Passed a few people and finished strong but didn't try to kill myself as this was a practice slow run.  Highlights did include Glen having a terrific race and my dad coming to watch me run for the first time.

No matter what happens next weekend I know that I am stronger and made some great life choices this year.  I try to live by the motto, "It's all good" and even have a "Life is Good" sticker on my car. 

If life isn't good then what is it?

Oh Happy Day

I am not going to lie but it has been hard to be happy recently.  I look happy, I act happy, I tell people I am happy but really I am not happy...until today that is.  Why you ask?  Because I got to teach today.

A year ago I was asked to present to a group of coordinators/coaches/TOSAs for our school board and I was honoured to do it.  When I got my new job in January I was approached again by this group to return and do a part 2.  Today was that day.  I got to facilitate some of our board's most creative, funny, hard working and dynamic literacy, numeracy and ESL teacher leaders.  We worked on problem solving protocols, conflict resolution, success criteria for successful coaching and knowing our knowledge, skills and attitudes of situational leadership.  By the end of our full day everyone's brains were fried (I was thrilled as Harry Wong would be so proud) as I skipped all the way to my car full of energy while I knew "my students" were pooped.

I was teaching again.  I was leading learning again.  I was able to provide success for students again.  What a rush that I have not had in a long time.  Thank you teacher leaders for the opportunity to share in your success today and I know that I learned more from you and "took" away more from you than you will ever know.  My light has been turned back on.

But...my teaching day did not stop there.

I was asked for the 3rd time to come and speak at the North London New Balance store by my running friends Mark and Tracy (they were my running coaches for my first 1/2 marathon).  They have running groups on Tuesday night and asked me to come and share my running / health stories with their group. 

Tonight was a big group of "learn to run" runners all the way to a 1/2 marathon group.  So many smiling, friendly faces and a ton of people I knew included a wonderful teacher friend Vicky, former student's dad, and an insurance mate Mike.  I got to talk and reflect on my health situation and running accomplishments.  After I shared my running journey I gave them a top 12 list.

Catherine's Top 12 list to help with your running journey

1. Get a subscription to a running magazine

2. Join http://www.dailymile.com/. It helps track your totals, progress and pace improvements

3. Practice your finish line photo at the end of every run - arms straight and fingers spread and hold.  Don't look at your watch. 

4. Acknowledge other runners when you pass with a hello

5. Practice the 3 Cs ; commit communicate create

6. Use social media; Twitter and/or Facebook to connect with other runners

7. Sign up for future races

8. Start a champions wall with all your bibs and medals on it.

9. Read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall http://www.chrismcdougall.com/blog/

10. Put a schedule, race flyer, photo on the fridge for you and others to see

11. Drink chocolate milk.  Just like the commercial years ago with the boy who lost the hockey game, it makes everything better

12. Remember there is only 1st and 2nd place in every race. The winner, and everyone else, so you always get at a silver medal

Thanks everyone for helping me find my happy place today.

Running has made me a math maniac

I have some real signature flaws; driving, sleeping (never never never do I sleep ((except in a movie theatre)), getting birthday cards out to people on time (but I am getting better), forgetting to change out of my PJs on the weekends, swearing, and anything related to....math.

I remember failing grade 7 and 8 math at Northridge PS and not really caring.  I had tough teachers and never made a connection and therefore didn't "get math" till Mrs. Cartwright in grade 11 at Lucas SS who really seemed to care if I finally "got it".  But, my formative math skills such as being able to make calculations fast in my head suck and it drives my math wizard of a husband nuts.

So, this past weekend I drove him up the wall as I decided to spend some time analysing last year's marathon stats and to do some 2011 marathon calculations. I spent over 2 hours looking at my time stats from last year and punching number after number into my calculator all with the same answer - I AM A SLOW RUNNER!

Here are my stats and break down from last year.

5k -      00:39:12  - 39 minutes
10k -    01:20:34  - 41 minutes
15k -    02:02:45 - 42 minutes
20k -    02:47:22 - 45 minutes
Half -    02:57:41
25k -    03:35:38 - 48 minutes
30k -    04:24:30 - 49 minutes
35k -    05:13:54 - 49 minutes
40k -    06:07:59 - 54 minutes
Finish - 06:28:41 - 21 minutes

I didn't even have a chance. I got slower and slower with every 5km while it got hotter and hotter out.  I also got so disappointed at the 10km and 1/2 splits because I knew I was not going to break 6 hours.  Imagine knowing you are not going to make your goal within the first hour of the race and then "carrying it" the rest of the way.  What a load!

My overall pace was 9:12/km.  Are you kidding me, that is embarrassing even being near the 9 minute per km zone. 

After I calculated all my splits for each of the 5km chunks I spent an hour trying to figure out where I can make up time from last year.  I was counting and talking to myself and punching more numbers.  My husband was in the dinning room working and was trying to listen to my go over and over again my thoughts, calculations and predictions.  

For the 100th time I was sharing all the excuses about why I was so slow last year and how I am going to be better this year.  All of sudden he appeared in the family room to share his thoughts about why I took so long to finish in 2010...his conclusion..."because you ran too slowly".

Really, that is all?  In your humble opinion I just need to run faster??!!

Bite me!

I am going to focus on improving my 5km times and see if that helps with my overall times.

Oh, and use a calculator more often.

What was I thinking?

I, unfortunately, do not have the greatest memory when it comes to conversations.  I can remember the gist of what was said but not word for word like so many people.  I would suck as a witness for a crime or being on a jury as my mind wanders off.  I am terrible in arguments because I can never recall what was said and I never have a comeback.  I always wanted to be able to say, "Oh yeah, well, do you remember when you said..." but I never remember what was said so I just give in most of the time. 
 
I can however, remember the most profound things ever said to me and rely on them constantly as positives memories during low times and those periods of sadness or inspiration in times of reflection.

•  I remember the first time Lennie said to me, "I love you."  It was in my parents sun room in 1989 and it was wonderful.  I knew that I loved him the minute I met him but it took him a little longer - anyone who knows me knows that I take a little getting use to and a while to figure out.  I grew on him :)
• I remember Bill Parteger, a basketball coach told me, "You have potential".  I was in grade 7, really awkward and looking for my place in the world.  I got invited to this cool basketball camp at St. Lawrence PS and met Bill.  I didn't even know what potential meant and my dad had to explain it to me but I remember thinking that someone finally thinks I have a talent.  Bill coached me into high school and to this day regard him as the kindest, most generous teacher I ever had.
• I remember a student telling me, "I hate you." and another who said, "I would rather die than be in your class." during very difficult times in their lives and their words taught me that kindness and patience with my students is my only job 100% of the time.
• I remember my friend Brewer's words to me last summer, "The opposite of shame is forgiveness."  I often recall these words when I am feeling so low or guilt ridden as they have brought me much clarity in my life.
• I remember Dr. Graham from Althouse college calling me in 2006 to say, "You have been awarded the Associate Teacher award of Excellence."  I remember thinking that I had finally brought pride to my family as a teacher.
• I recall Dr. Nicols' words on February 15, 2011 when he shared, "Your tumor was a cancerous one." Best thing that ever happened to me.  So happy it happened to me and not Lennie, my family or friends as I am a better patient than supporter.  I also needed the wind knocked out of my sails for a while to really remember what is important in life. 

So here is the big problem. 

Dr. Rachinski, my endocrinologist, back in May, when asked if I will be able to run a marathon again told me, "Sure you can run one but you will not be able to perform like before."  What?  Perform like before?  I sucked before and I am going to be worst!!!!!!  Arggggg I can't be any slower.  I decided in June that I would "show her" and worked really hard the past 12 weeks. 

This past weekend was really important as we had a 32km run on our schedule.  We decide to participate in the Runner's Choice group run in which you run from Lambeth to Port Stanley.  Last year, we completed this run and I wrote a blog reflecting on my success.  I remember feeling so strong (having just returned from 3 weeks at Fitness Ridge probably helped too)  http://catherinegoestofitnessridge.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-can-actually-run.html

Well, it sucked and it took me 4:55 to complete the same distance that I covered in 4:24 last year.  Holy smokes, at this rate I will never finish Chicago in 6:30 nor hit my goal of 5:59 or my project 43 plan (take 43 minutes off my time from last year).  Last weekend's 30km race didn't help either since it took me longer to complete that race than my 30km Chicago time. 

The whole run as I started to really feel tired (and mostly hungry) I could hear Dr. Rachinski's words in my head, "you won't be able to perform as before, you won't be able to perform as before."  Shut up!!! But I couldn't crack the words.  They wouldn't leave my mind. 

I know what you are going to say..it's only a Sunday run, you were hungry, you still have 5 weeks to go... blah blah blah.  To me, the words are stuck.

So tough that running is 90% mental.  Even having 3 surgeries this year, I have run over 1000km and my mind has tested me for every single one of them.  What was I thinking!!?!

"Road to Chicago"

Yesterday was the start of week 1 of 19 weeks to the Chicago marathon.  I could not be any happier with my thoughts surrounding my journey to another marathon.

Thursday I got a tattoo I have wanted to get for a long time and will add red hearts every time I do a marathon so that it links up with my ankle one.

Saturday I got all my clothes, water belts, gel stock, hair bands, watch and music ready to go.  I love preparing all my stuff and laying it out in the spare room.  You never realize how much stuff you need in order to be successful and I am a bit of a freak when it comes to being organized. 

Lish, Lindsay and the rest of the BA crew have chatted about our schedule so I made up the 19 week training plan and put it on the fridge.  It is based on the Running Room schedule with some modifications.  First of all, we are starting out doing 14k and add 1k each week instead of the suggested 10 10 13 13 16 16.  We knew we could start out longer but move up more slowly.  We have also built in a race in August - Midsummer's Nights race http://www.amidsummernightsrun.ca/.  It is a 30km in Toronto and fits perfectly into our schedule.  The other ladies ran it last year and loved it so I am looking forward to it helping with our preparation.  Also, we are all on the MS Rona bike team with a 2 day bike race in July.  The cross training on Thursdays and Saturdays will be a huge benefit too. 

Remember my blog post setting my goals for the 2011 marathon? 

Below is the list I made so I could take 43 minutes off my time in order to run a 5:45 marathon (I am going to be 43 years old too on race day).  I am happy to say that many are underway to being accomplished or done already including buying a new Garmin (I lost my first one in July on a plane to Seattle :( expensive lesson learned)

• don't freak out about the hot weather - "suck it up sweetheart"
• drop 14 pounds - don't know what I weigh but it is less than last year
• see a podiatrist about my foot pain - done and have the orthotics
• learn to run faster - done already have taken 7 minutes off my 10ks and my average pace is way faster
• don't high-five so many people  - race day plan
• run in the middle of the road - race day plan  - worked well in last races
• run more to practice no more 10:1s - done only 10:1ing on Sundays during long runs
• only walk the water stations - race day plan
• less sightseeing - race day plan
• take Cold FX so I don't get sick the week of the race - race week plan
• carry 2 more gels for energy - race day plan

Having the Garmin, more race experience and a positive attitude is really going to give me more success. 

What I also am so happy about is my goal race pace.  I ran a 7:22 at the last race and my Sunday long runs are about 8:15, I was faster than that yesterday for our 14k.  Running long distance is so mental and knowing that having great friends, experience and a solid training regime will get me my goal time. 

Screw the cancer!!!!!