by Rachel Le
I’ve always said that I wanted to run a marathon by the time I turned 25, but truthfully, I never believed it would happen. I’ve always been a “jogger”. I’d go out and run short distances, maybe 2-3 kilometres, but I never thought that I’d be able to run long distances. I don’t have the small lean build of distance runners and I never understood putting myself through that pain. Last year, things changed; I found my motivation!
In April 2010, my 26-year-old brother, Brad, was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma, an aggressive form of blood cancer. Initially, he was in excruciating pain and lost a tremendous amount of weight. I almost didn’t recognize him: my big, healthy 6’3” brother weighed less than I did, couldn’t get out of bed on his own, and needed a walker to get to the bathroom. My family’s life was put on hold as we rallied around him. It’s hard to describe the 6 months that he went through high doses of chemotherapy. The emotions, the procedures, the setbacks, the generosity and support of others, and finally the waiting…waiting to see if “it” will come back. If you’ve ever been there, you understand. If you haven’t, I pray that you never do, that we first find a cure for this terrible disease called cancer.
Read more »
by Annabelle DeGouveia
My marathon story began in 2003. As a mother of two boys under 4, I was a casual runner. I would run for fitness, run when I was stressed and sometimes when I really just felt like running away! In 2002, my husband who was also a casual runner told me he was going to run a half-marathon. “Damn, I’m jealous “, I thought. But later changed that to, “Why can’t I do that? Before I knew it, we had both completed two half-marathons that year, Toronto and Scotiabank.
By spring 2003, I was ready to try again and ran the Burlington Half. Despite my love of running and of the excitement of race day, I remember looking at the marathoners, still running long after I had finished my post race bagel and thought, “Damn, they’re crazy!. But, that soon changed.
At my local running store, I found myself perusing the brochures and flyers of upcoming races when a young staff member asked if I needed help. “Oh, not me, these marathons aren’t for me.” He looked at me and simply asked the right question, “Why can’t you do that?” And before I knew it, (and after a few glasses of red wine), I was registering for the Scotiabank Marathon that September.
Read more »
by Jennifer Baldachin
I have three amazing children, a husband who travels a lot, and a dog. Even so, four years ago I felt that I needed a new challenge. I was an occasional runner and decided that if I put my mind to it, I could accomplish what I once thought was best left for professional athletes: A marathon. I soon realized that my first pregnancy and training for my marathon were similar in many more ways.
The first trimester
When you first decide to run a marathon, you don’t tell people right away. You mention in an off-hand way that you’re thinking about it. It’s not until you are well into the training that you feel confident enough to announce “I’m going to run a marathon!” Though you know most people who train will succeed, when you say the words you can’t help but hope that something doesn’t go wrong.
You are so eager that you buy books about running and sign up for weekly emails. You Google for information online. You talk to other runners about their experiences and ask a million questions. You start to take multi-vitamins, eat properly, and try to get lots of rest.
Read more »
by Sandie O
6:45 A.M. Outside the temperature is -12C (10F) with a wind chill making it feel like -20C (-5F). The sidewalks are covered with packed and rutted snow with generous stretches of polished ice. Winds are coming from the northwest in gusts, whipping the overnight dusting of snow into random sharp blasts. The skies are still dark, but promise to be heavy and grey enough to muffle the sunrise. The roads are bordered by jagged snow banks, now sculpted by weeks of melting and refreezing.
This is what I will face when I step outside the front doors of the gym for my 10k run. It takes discipline mixed with insanity to turn my back on the rows of treadmills behind me. But this is my release – my challenge. My loosening exercises in the front entrance are designed to stall just a bit longer to see if any of my outdoor running partners will show. That makes me an unofficial greeter for other club members who come scooting in from the dark. “You’re crazy,” they say, unable to understand why I choose to do this.
Read more »
By Nicola Joyce
Can I tell you a story?
Once upon a time, there was a black and white dog with very big ears.
He was a very good dog.
His name was XT, because he liked to run alongside my husband and his friends when they went mountain biking (and XT is a type of mountain bike component).
He had a bad start in life, but made up for it later on. He liked running.
And playing rope.
And going for long walks.
One day, when he was about 10 years old, he felt a bit funny in the head. He ate his dinner, played a game of rope and then lay down for a sleep.
He didn’t wake up again.
Read more »
By Meghan McEwan
It’s hard to determine exactly when it started. I remember as a child hearing stories of my uncle running marathons and feeling an overwhelming sense of excitement. Can people really run that far?? How does one run for hours and hours on end?
The years passed and the most I ever ran was to my friend’s house and back. As I approached the end of my last year at university, I entered my first race. It was a 5km dash that started just outside my apartment in downtown St. Catharines. I remember not knowing where to pin the bib with my name and number so I stuck it on my back. When I blew through the finish line they couldn’t call my name because they couldn’t see it. In retrospect I should have come through running backwards. Lesson learned…the bib goes on the front.
Read more »
The International Association of Women Runners is honoured to partner with Kathrine Switzer, a true pioneer in women’s running and the most influential woman runner to date. Not only was she the first women to enter and run the Boston Marathon, she has dedicated her multi-faceted career to creating opportunities and equal sport status for women.
That career has included creating programs in 27 countries for over 1 million women that led to the inclusion of the women’s marathon as an official event in the Olympic Games, changing forever the face of sports, health and opportunities for women around the world.
Kathrine has graciously given the IAWR permission to include a CD of a recorded interview with her as a Bonus Membership Benefit. We had the pleasure of interviewing Kathrine in October 2009.
For more information about Kathrine, click on www.kathrineswitzer.com
"Pre-Race Tips for Race Day Success" Report - Download Your FREE Copy Here!
