Boston Pride

When my friend and coach Rick Hellard of Zone 3 Sports donated his Boston Marthon finisher's medal to Medals 4 Mettle I was speechless at the generosity. I spent a few moments just holding it, marveling at the fact that I'll never earn one.

Then the events of this week unfolded, and the medal took on an even greater signifigance. Knowing that so very many people- runners, spectators, first responders, and more- were forever changed leaves me shaken.

I wondered what to do with the medal, because it seemed so much greater than the sum of it's parts. Then Medals 4 Mettle sent out an email from our Boston Chapters:

All of us at Medals4Mettle are saddened by the unimaginable events at the 2013 Boston Marathon. This historic event celebrates the freedom we have to run through the streets of one of America's great cities on Patriot's Day. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those who must deal with the loss of life and the pain of injury. Medals4Mettle will humbly accept donations of 2013 Boston Marathon finishers' medals to be sent to our Boston area chapters. We will then place Medals4Mettle ribbons on them and award them to the courageous victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon and the first responders that raced to help them while respecting the privacy of all victims and family members. To donate, please send medals to our Boston Area chapters listed on our chapter page. 

 

So there it was, my answer. I have contacted Rick to see if he'd like to include a message with his medal, and I'll now return it to it's home in Boston, where hopefully it will serve as a small token of thanks to someone who deserves our support. The fact that our running family is so far flung yet so close just makes me all the prouder to be a member.

My first race since the tragedy in Boston will be as Digital Champion for the Toronto Yonge Street 10k. This Sunday I will proudly wear the bib above, along with my race bib, to support our running family. I'll also wear as much blue and yellow as I can find. 

As a final thought, I leave you with something that brought me to tears. The article sums it up far better than I ever could. I followed this story from the runner's first posts on FB, and am beyond happy that she succeeded in finding the man who's act of kindess was felt the world over.

Tune Up Runs and TaTas

So, we had our first official Tune Up Run for the Toronto Yonge Street 10k. I haven't had my shoes on since the Goofy in January, and it was a very cold, (like -20) windchilly blustery day. Em and I made the trek in to Toronto, leaving in the dark dark cold.

Found the Running Room (win), found free street parking (win win), got my awesome 'in Training' shirt (win win win)!

wish I could have got one for Em, must try harder next run!

The group of runners, both Digital Champions like myself and the other folks who registered for the race were huddled indoors waiting for the start of our 7-ish K run.

Allan Brookes and his team from CRS gave a rousing welcome, and introduced us to the celebs that would be sharing the street with us. There were three, I wish I could remember their names....a steeplechaser from the Olympics, a super speedy (and wonderful) young lady who just moved to Guelph, and one other speedy guy. 

We headed out into the chill....onto unfamiliar streets. Luckily the leader of the TYS10K training clinic for the Running Room was with us, and she navigated us safely back to the store. 

Speaking of the store, Em sort of pointed out that this RR had these Soldier On shirts. I've wanted one since I saw them online. Turns out two stores in Ontario carry them, the store we were in, and Barrie. Needless to say I snapped this up to wear to the Army Run in Ottawa, hopefully with my custom Canadian Sparkle Skirt. (hint, hint).

Ta Ta Time

About a million years ago a good friend gave me a kit to make a plaster cast of my chest. It was part of a breast cancer fundraiser, and 4 of us crazies got together for a day of gloopy silly laughing to immortalize and immobilize ourselves. Flash forward a few years, and I've got this blank canvas lying around my craft room. Combine that with a few dozen race bibs, and you've got art! The bibs were part of a bag I'd sewn, following these awesome instructions from blogger Melissa Schewisguth. Due to my lousy sewing skills, the bag was falling apart, so I ripped out some stitches and stuck the bibs to my bust. I thought it was fitting since I run for my heart, I normally wear the race bib on my chest, and it's all about supportive 'friend's.'

Those of you who know him may recognize John Stanton's autograph, front and centre. He was kind enough to sign my Around the Bay bib while it was part of the bag, NOT after I made this project :-).

   

Speaking of immortal, the folks at iRun Magazine featured me AGAIN this month! I'm so cool I can't stand myself. 

Master the Long Run. They're right, I DO need to banish the negative self-talk. The tribe has spoken!

I'm happily back in the running groove and can't wait 'till the Goofy Girls get back in  their Brooks this weekend. And I'm craving breakfast.

Tune up (and oil change)

Well, if you've been keeping track at home, I haven't run a step since the Marathon at WDW on January 13th. For about two weeks I could not even look at Gatorade without feeling slightly ill.

So, my first race of the post-Disney 2013 season is the Toronto Yonge Street 10K on Sunday April 21st.

Being selected to be a Digital Champion for this race was super cool, and from the looks of the others in this group I'm in pretty awesome company! Part of the deal is that I get to beat the drum for this race, and have people come out and run and have fun on the longest street in Canada. 

Of course it also means that I need to lace up and get moving, since I'd like to actually run the 10k in a time that justifies my participation and helps me earn my spot. 

We have what they are calling a 'Tune Up Run' this Sunday. 6K in Toronto earlyish in the morning. Luckily my partner in crime, Em, is always game to push, pull and prod me along, and is going to run with me. I'd drag Limpy but she's in an air boot thingy and can't even lace a shoe on that foot, let alone run.

I'm looking forward to the kick in the butt that will get me back in the game. I realize how much I dislike running in the winter, in Canada at least.

Will I still enjoy running...was a break of a month a good idea?

Oh the Races You'll Go!

So it would appear that, yet again, I say one thing and do another. In this particular case I recall saying that I would not do a lot of races in 2013, to make up for the crazy training that went into the stuff I ran last year.

Whoops.

It would seem that I've already registered for the following races this year:

 Imagine my surprise when I got picked to be a Digital Champion for this race! I've never run the Toronto Yonge Street 10K before, but I'm totally looking forward to being part of this event. It seems like it's a party even before race day, with tune up runs and all kinds of fun both virtual and live leading up to the big day.


This one is an oldie but a goodie. It was my first Half Marathon, way back in 2011. I went from running 5k for fun to training at the Running Room for a Half Marathon, with this as my goal race. It was a great day, a lovely course and it culminated with me getting a tattoo of the running dude to celebrate my accomplishment. And to make it even cooler, I got sponsored for this race this year!! The Toronto Goodlife Half Marathon, don't let them lie to you though, it's NOT all downhill :-)

A bunch of my fellow crazy running buddies thought that getting pelted with dye while running 5k would be fun, so we signed up to run the Color (hard to NOT type the 'u') Run in Michigan Color Run is a crazy race where the runners wear all white and have people on the sidelines spray food-safe colouring at you as you run the course. Seemed like a good reason to drive 4 hours.

Erica's Wish is a race that a few of my friends have done year after year. It's a great cause, a lovely course (except apparently a horrible hill on the 10k course). So this year we're doing the 5k. They say everyone cries at least once that day.

To temper the charity crying, I've also chosen to drown my sorrows in wine. Hence we signed up to run the Niagara Falls Women's Half Marathon. Never done this one before, but it seemed a perfect opportunity to wear our sparkle skirts and get our girlie on.

On my bucket list since I started running is the Army Run in Ottawa Ontario. I've wanted to do it for a couple reasons...I love the medals, and my best friend's husband is in the Army, so this is my way of supporting our troops, since there's no way the army would ever let ME in.

So that means I'm running at least 3 half marathons, a 10k and 2 5ks this year alone. Can anyone suggest any other runs I should add to my list? I think BMO would be happy to increase my credit card limit.

Maybe I can talk Brooks into sending me one of those new nifty pairs of Ravenna 4s so I can Run Happy.