Perfect Race!

All I can say is WOW!  The route was perfect.  The weather was perfect.  The volunteers and cheering squads were all perfect.  My experience of the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon 2013 was so positive from beginning to end.  Well done to the organizers of this event. I am so thankful for the opportunity to participate in it.  What made it all even sweeter is that I beat my personal best record!  Last year, I ran my first half marathon and finished at 2:23.  This race, I was not expecting too much because my training was not as focused and to be honest, just to finish it with both legs intact was my goal.  I finished at 2:14.  Bonus ;)

After the race, my running buddies and I met at Children's Wish Foundation booth.  We raised $1405 for Children's Wish!  Thank you to all who donated to a great cause.  Thank you to my running team for being a great source of support.  Thank you to Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon & Asics for allowing me to be a Joe Runner this year.  It was an experience of a lifetime.

Scotia Half route attempted

This morning my running buddies & I took the bus to UBC to start our long run, following the Scotia Half Marathon route. I was feeling a bit nervous with running 21 km today because I haven't run for two weeks due to child care issues. I started off strong, feeling I could do this! The weather turned from cloudy to full sun, and by 10 km I was feeling a little overheated. I tried to run in the shade as much as I could. By 15 km, my right big toe was in a lot of pain every time I put my weight on it that I decided to stop running and told my buddies to keep going without me. I took this photo at 15 km, convincing myself I can still run. Unfortunately, I walked the remaining distance. I am disappointed I couldn't get myself to finish the last 6 km! Then again, I didn't want to push myself to the point of injury that I can't do the half marathon altogether. It's in two weeks!!!! I am very excited & nervous at the same time.

The end is approaching....

Two and a half more weeks to go until race day!!! Can you believe it? The past couple of months have absolutely flown by and I can't quite believe that race day is fast approaching.

Training has been going great the last couple of weeks and I feel good and strong. I'm starting to wonder about the best foods to be eating in the next couple of weeks to really increase my energy...a lot of people say carbs are great but I tend to avoid more pasta/breads as I am gluten intolerant. Any one have any alternative ideas or perhaps suggestions of other foods to incorporate into my diet?

I have also been busy with working on raising funds for the Alzheimer Society of B.C. Can you believe that one in three Canadians currently know someone who is affecting by this disease or dementia? My Mama (grandmother) has been disagnosed with this terrible disease and it is heartbreaking to see and experience first-hand. If you are moved to donate towards this cause, you can do so at the following link: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1741479&langPref=en-CA

Better yet, if you are doing the Scotiabank half marathon and you haven't selected a charity challenge yet, come join us- registration is still open!! You can sign up at the following link: http://www.alzheimerbc.org/Get-Involved/Scotiabank-Half-Marathon.aspx

Thank you everyone for the support. The comments and encouragement have truly made this experience better than I could have imagined. You all rock!

Back on track - AND new skinny jeans to boot!

Well about a month ago, I was in the midst of this nasty cold and boy did it linger. It has really only been just over a week since I have started getting back into the swing of things again.

It is a little disappointing since I was really starting to run faster, improving my speed and feeling good about running when I got waylaid by that nasty cold. BUT...with that being behind me now, I am determined to finish well - I am not as fast nor do I have the same endurance I did over a month ago but it's slowly starting to build up again.

My girlfriend and I went to Kits on Sunday for our long run - managed to just avoid the rain which was great and while it seemed a bit harder while we were running, afterwards I felt great.

I try to explain to people why I am doing this and how running makes me feel and it is hard to describe; yes, it can be hard and some days I need a little encouragement to go but ...when I  do - I feel like I can take on the world! Nothing can beat that. Plus...I got to do some shopping in Seattle a couple of weeks ago and I treated myself to a beautiful pair of new pants-in one size down!!! Wahoo.

For the next weeks my goal is consistency - I know I can do this distance but I want to do it the best that I can! Who knows what else will happen?? ;)

Back to training

I haven't run for the past 2 weeks because I went on vacation with my family to Disneyland (Anaheim) & a cruise. We ate out for breakfast, lunch & dinner and no running, so I feel like I gained about 10 pounds, but to my surprise when I got home to weigh myself there was no change. Whew, I thought. However, all that lack of running I feel like I lost some muscle mass. Today, we ran almost 17 km and it felt great! The weather was cloudy and cool; perfect weather for running (in my opinion). My legs feel like mush right now, which tells me my muscles are building up again. 

2 years ago I never would have seen myself as a runner. I always thought if I started doing any form of exercise, that I would need to keep it up so why start? Today I realize how important my running is to my overall health. Although, I haven't quite reached the level of commitment to healthy living that I would run during my vacation. Taking small steps. That's my goal. 

Support from running friends

One of our running buddies ran the BMO Half on Sunday, so we thought it would be nice to run towards downtown Vancouver at the finish line to cheer for our friend, Kashmir. I love seeing the volunteers so dedicated to making the event successful, the runners giving it their all, the bystanders cheering on strangers and the children who think the event was geared for their enjoyment. Energy was palpable and it made me excited to think of our upcoming Scotiabank Vancouver Half. Only one and a half months to go.

These girls in the picture are my running partners and I am so thankful to have them in my life. Without their dedication to running, I would not be so motivated to run. It is these girls that push me to go further. They're also very supportive of my fundraising that when I asked if they would be part of my Children's Wish Running team, they did not hesitate to join and even donate to my cause.

One advice I have to anyone wishing to start running is to find reliable & motivated running partners. You're guaranteed a successful training!

Unexpected break in training

Blech - I hate being sick. I had managed to make it all winter/spring so far without getting the dreadful, lingering cold that it seems everyone else had. I thought I was in the clear; I was watching my diet, exercising and I felt good - really good - until last Wednesday morning.

I was very pumped after finishing my longer run last weekend (10Km) because I ran it in just over an hour (1h 2m) which was faster by about 3 minutes than my previous 10 Km time. While for some that might be a little slow, this was a big improvement to me and it is exciting to see the training starting to pay off. So I was extra disappointed with getting sick because I have been worried it will slow my training down. Sigh. Not much to do except let the body rest.

I had a small mini run for about 25 minutes on Monday and it was quite difficult - I can't figure out if I should rest 100 % until I feel better or do some more mini runs and just try things a little slower until I can work up to the same level I was before? Anyone have any thoughts or ideas on that? I don't want to completely lose all the gain in my training while I recuperate. I might try another shorter run tonight and  just take it day-by-day!

Hope everyone else has managed to avoid this nasty cold going around.

Serious training & even more serious fundraising

This morning, I ran 21 km as part of my training for the Scotiabank Half. I'm a little sore tonight, but it's a good kind of pain when you know your body is gaining muscle & strength!

My regular running partner is in Italy, so I ran along with others in the running group. A big bonus to running groups is you get to meet different people, learn their motivations & hear their personal triumphs & trials (all while running)!

I'm pleased to report I have started my fundraising for Children's Wish by posting this collage on my Facebook account and have received very positive response that I'm currently at 89% of my $1000 goal! If this momentum keeps up, I just might be able to increase my fundraising goal. Thank you! Anyone motivated to donate to this cause can go to:

http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1725434&langPref=en-CA

Lastly, a big thank you to Scotiabank Half Marathon & Asics for my Asics gear (shirt, shorts, shoes, socks & cap). Goodnight everyone.

Motivation....a little bit lacking...

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Asics (and Scotiabank, Powerbar and Gatorade for making this Joe runner contest a possibility) for my new gear!! I am so thrilled to have been selected for this joe runner opportunity and extra excited for my new shoes and running outfit!!!!  Check it out! Brand new shoes, shorts, shirt and even socks and a hat!!!!! I feel so very lucky.  I have attached a silly picture of me posing for my husband with all my new stuff on haha.

I am also taking part in one of the Forerunner clinics down at West 4th tonight for the first time. I'm excited for the extra motivation to go run. I really struggled last week - I managed only one run the entire week - I did cross training 3X but only the one run. My running partner was finishing up her school semester and I was on my own which didn't work so well. Anyone have any good motivation tricks they use to motivate themselves? Other than having a running partner? I'm open to ideas - one of my girlfriends jokingly suggested I sleep in my running clothes and just get up and go...while it could work, I don't know how comfortable that would be haha.

Clifton - thanks for the tangent tip! I tried it for the 8 KM I had to do again last week...managed to save about 17 seconds off my time from the 8 KM two weeks before. I can see how that would add up over 21 kilometres. Seems like a trivial thing but I definitely noticed a difference.

I realized today that we are already half-way through April - that means just over two months to the race!!!!! Better get down to business...happy training everyone!!!

April Fools Run

Normally, my running schedule is Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. Yesterday was my 6 year old son's birthday party at 6 pack indoor beach, so I couldn't run but I played a little volleyball and my body is a bit sore today. My running partners & I decided to make up our missed Sunday 12 km run by going along the seawall. To be honest, I was not up to running at 8:30 in the morning. My legs felt sore & heavy, but I gained momentum 4 km into the run. What a gorgeous place we live in to run! We did 12 km and I'm so glad we went.

After our run, we decided to try a small restaurant on Granville called Twisted Fork. I ordered an eggs benny with smoked salmon. What made eating the food more delish is knowing I earned it.

Have a beautiful April fools run!

Welcome Spring!!

Happy Easter everyone! What absolutely amazing weather we have had this week. It has been week 1 of training for me which started with the Spring run off at Stanley park last week! What a great race to start off training. I'm so thankful that a. It wasn't raining and b. I ran into Aubrey and Karen at the finish line. What a fun time to catch up.
This has been week 1 of training for me like I mentioned. I'm super glad it was nice out- it is so much easier to motivate yourself to lace up those shoes and go outside. When it's raining or super windy I struggle with wanting to go. Anyone else have that issue?! Any tips for self-motivation on those yucky days?
Yesterday I went for a 'long' run out by Kits beach- only 7 k and it was so gorgeous out. My friend Colleen who will also be running with me in the race was with me and we were figuring out ways to improve our speed this year. Other than intervals or speed training, anyone have any suggestions?! Any tips are welcome!!!

Hope everyone else had a chance to go enjoy the gorgeous sunshine and work off some of that Easter supper :)

A healthy Addiction …

Two weeks … Two races.  What a way to start! Now to get the official training up and running – pun intended ;)

Last weekend was a blast, starting off my racing season with the
St. Patrick’s Day 5k.  This is one of my fun races - well I have fun ;).The St Patrick’s day 5k was my first race (last year) and it was so much fun that I couldn’t wait to do my next race! 
This is one of those unique races that gets everyone in the racing community out - from people just wanting an excuse to drink a green beer as early as 10am, to people hoping to qualify for a big race.  It’s just amazing!
So for those of you reading this blog that aren’t quite runners yet – this is the race to start with – it’s easy, it’s fun … and you get to wear a costume it you so desire. 

This weekend was the Spring Run-Off 8k.  A great build from a 5k … just wish there was also 12k, 15k and 18k races on the way to the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon ;)
This was a great run, starting at the Stanley Park Pavilion and taking us all along the edge of the sea wall – BE-A-UT-I-FUL!!  What else was great was that amongst the thousands of happy flushed runners, all three Joe Runners - Judy, Aubrey and myself (Karen) managed to find each other at the finish line.  Faces glowing and endorphins flowing – running really does give you a high!

Now to start training!!
The days are getting longer, the pavement drier, and the winds are getting warmer – Is there any better reason to get out and run???  So time to strap on those runners (all of you!!!) breath in that Vancouver fresh air and pound that pavement, because ... 
It’s running season!!

Until next time …

Great start to Spring

So today I ran the Spring Run Off Vancouver (SROV) 8 km race at Stanley Park with my running partner Maria. We ran a steady 5'30" pace (5 1/2 minutes per km) and ended up finishing 8 km in 45 minutes. This is our personal best, so I'm very happy to have been able to do it. Thanks to Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon (SVHM) for giving me the free entry as part of winning the Joe Runner contest package which includes Asics shirt, shorts & runners, SVHM and SROV entry fees.

To top off a great run, I run into the other Joe Runners Judy & Karen, after the race. I'm glad we got the chance to exchange positive running experiences and, of course, take some group shots!

All this running is tiring, but seriously worth the sweat! I gain my energy thinking of my daughter Jenna who has a hard time just walking one block due to her low muscle tone and heart condition. I have no excuse.

In case you haven't visited my fundraising page for Children's Wish Foundation yet, go check it out and if you're feeling generous please give: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1725434&langPref=en-CA

Thanks. Aubrey

Hello everybody :)

Wow...how exciting to have been chosen by everyone as one of the Joe Runner's of 2013. Thank you to all who voted and to all the sponsors who put together a contest like this. I'm very new to the blogging world so I hope you will bear with me.

For those of you who maybe didn't get a chance to see my individual profile, throughout this joe runner experience, I will be fundraising for the Alzheimer Society of BC in honour of my grandmother. There are so many amazing charities out there but this one is near and dear to my heart after watching my Mama struggle with this disease.

If you would like to donate towards the Alzheimer Society of BC, please visit my personal page here: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1741479&langPref=en-CA

I don't know about everyone else but I'm starting to realize that June 23rd is approaching a lot quicker than it seemed in January :) The 'official' training starts next week for me but I have been trying hard to slowly work up to running 3 days a week so it is not quite a shock to my system. HA. I will be saving my longer run this week for the Harry Spring Run-Off race-anyone else going to be there??

Happy training!

Meet at Forerunner

Today I got to meet the other Joe Runners, Karen & Judy, at Forerunners on West 4th. It was really nice to meet everyone and then get pampered by Forerunner staff and the Scotiabank Half-Marathon team. We were fitted for our Asics runners, shirt & shorts. We were photographed like celebs! Here's a shot of the three of us with our Forerunner shirt & Asics runners (posing like brutes).

Now remember I signed up for Joe Runner not for the celebrity treatment, but to promote my charity, Children's Wish Foundation. You can support me by making an online donation (there's a bonus tax receipt..yeah!):  http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1725434&langPref=en-CA

Please feel free to forward this blog or share on Facebook because the more exposure we get the better for the charity.  Thanks & goodnight. Aubrey

A (not so) brief introduction to "Joe Runner - Karen"

Alright ... well here goes.  My official entrance into the blogging world!

Well, let me introduce myself...

I am Karen Tattersall one of the three "Joe Runners" for the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon 2013.  I'm amazed that I made it to the top three. A little bit of harassment of my facebook friends (as well as coworkers, friends, family ....) and incessant facebook updates and low and behold - here I am, along with Aubrey Delima & Judy Jeyes.

I am very thankful for this opportunity, and want to take this opportunity to thank a few of the major sponsors! So, big shout outs go to:

Scotiabank, Asics, Gatorade, and Powerbar.

THANK YOU!!!!

A lot of you may be wondering what a "Joe Runner" is, well here is the description that was given to prompt applicants

What's JOE RUNNER? We're looking for three beginner to average runners who want to complete this year's Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon. We will help you with your training for the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon, provide you with an entry into the run, suit you up in a new ASICS running kit (Shoes, Shirt, Shorts), plus even give you an entry to the Spring Run-Off 8k!

As you can see, it's pretty awesome ... ergo I'm pretty EXCITED!

One of the commitments I had to make once being chosen to be in the top 10 was to fundraise for a chosen cause.  Luckily the list of charities is off the charts, so finding something I would be passionate about was easy, however choosing just one was hard. 
I chose to fundraise for the BC Cancer Foundation, a foundation that is very very close to my heart. I can't even find one person that hasn't seen this disease either first hand or known someone who has - it's everywhere!!!! And with research into the disease we can figure out ways to thwart it.  This is where I ... and YOU come in. 

I am hoping that after reading this quick little entrance, you will take the opportunity to donate to the BC Cancer Foundation through my personal fundraising page... no amount is too small - anything from single digits to multiple (if you feel so inclined, heehee).

So please, if cancer has touched you and made you frown at least once, this is your chance to do something about it.  Donate!!

You can help support me by making a secure online donation using your credit card. Click on the link below:

http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?SID=3618892&LangPref=en-CA

Thanks in advance!!!

This blog will also be a log of all the blood, sweat and tears that goes into training for the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon.  Sounds horrible, but I'm looking forward to it.  So see you soon!

Karen