by Sandie Orlando
Friday morning at 7:00 a.m. seemed to be the best opportunity to fit in my LSD (long, slow, distance) training run, and I had gone to bed early to be well rested. Despite the freezing rain, I was committed to getting this done. Dressed in every reflective piece of gear I owned and equipped with a headlamp and flashing lights behind me, I headed out into the dark and wind and steady, icy rain.
Taking the sidewalks through the suburban side streets seemed to be the safest choice of routes, but the condition of the sidewalks quickly undermined the wisdom of that decision. It seemed that every few squares offered a new kind of treachery – changing from wet concrete to icy concrete to slush fields to skating rinks to swimming pools. It all looked the same in the dark, so my only option was to relax enough to let my joints become shock-absorbers, engage the core for balance and just keep going over – or through – whatever lay ahead.
Read more »
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 Teresa Daoust
I’m sure most runners are aware of how travelling, changes in what you eat and drink and being out of normal routine has an effect on your bowels. On one particular occasion, this made travelling in numbers a tad uncomfortable even though the 11 of us, who had rented a van and were making the long trek from northern Ontario to the 2007 Chicago Marathon, were all very good friends – more like family.
Read more »
by Diane Gratrix
Last fall, I was training for my first half-marathon (Scotiabank 2010). I had gotten up early one Saturday morning for my long run. The weather was perfect for running; the air was still a bit crisp, the sun was out but still low. I live in the country and I really enjoy the quiet solitude (did I mention I am the mom of 3 children, who were all under the age of 7?). This was running bliss.
Read more »
by Ginny Megin
I’ve been a runner since about 1972 or ’73, when “jogging” (as it was called back then) was considered a fad. I’ve run about a dozen marathons. I ran my 3:27 PB in Vancouver in the early 1980′s, thanks to altitude training in a small town outside of Prince George (British Columbia), way up north in the mountains. But that’s another story.
This one’s about my birthday, August 6, the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. In the early 1990′s, I thought a lot about the upcoming 50th anniversary of the bombing. On my birthday, I ran for just over 2 hours. As I ran, I decided to dedicate each footstep to someone who was killed during the bombing. My decision and action that day had a very deep emotional and spiritual impact on me.
Read more »
By Sandie Orlando
Winner of the Funniest Running Story contest and the Women’s Garmin Forerunner 110
Running gear malfunctions are fortunately not life threatening, so they usually fall into the category of embarrassing or frustrating – both of which you can laugh about later.
My first experience was many years ago as a newbie runner, just discovering the exhilarating world of ‘technical fabrics’. For inspiration I had purchased a beautiful light blue pair of running shorts and a tank top – both in lovely, soft- but early versions of technical fabric. The notion of wicking away sweat may have been the intention, but it didn’t work out that way. Upon returning to the gym from my July morning run, I spent some time doing my stretch routine before heading into the weight room for some strength work. I noticed a few people smiling as they passed by, but I took that to mean they were happy to see me. Boy, were they!!
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 »
"Pre-Race Tips for Race Day Success" Report - Download Your FREE Copy Here!
