mel's run for the girls

How it went down

2006-10-25T20:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! So it's been like a week since the race (I'm sooooo bad with blogging these days!) But to be honest, I've been really tired lately. It must be a change in the weather, combined with it getting dark soooo soon.

So I went jogging tonight for the first time since the race...bad, I know, but I couldn't really move much for the first 3 days after the run....I was that sore!

Let me tell you though, it was an awesome experience! I still love running...although I'm not sure how many more half marathons I will run. I think 10km is my optimal distance.

It started out a bit shakey....it was DAMN COLD! I thought to myself, as I hugged my tall zen tea from Starbucks, what am I doing here? But once I checked my bag, put my race bib on and got warmed up, I was quite excited for the race to begin.

It was packed. I couldn't believe the amount of runners, just for the half marathon! I think there was close to 5000!!!

So we start off down Yonge St. from Mel Lastman Square and head south...I'm told the race is mostly down hill.

I was lied to.

Almost immediately we hit our first big hill. I'm glad it was at the beginning, because it would have been really cruel to sneak it in at the end of the race! ;o) Did I mention it was cold? You would think with the running that you would warm up, but I ran with gloves on the whole time. There were great moments, when the sun shone in your face and it did warm your body, but there were equal moments when you ran completely in the shade contemplating your sanity.

But I kept telling myself...it's for the girls!!

So the first 10km breeze by, and I'm feeling fantastic. Halfway there, no problem! I think it was around 14km that my legs began to get a bit heavy, and I was thinking...how much farther! ;o)

But I'll tell you the hardest was the last 3km...you know you are soooo close, the crowds are getting thicker, your making your final turns to the homestretch....but the stretch keeps going....

I was seeing other runners, who had already completed the race walking around, resting, eating, proudly showing off their medal...I wanted to be that person! So I kicked it into high gear for the last km, and finished strong only to see my mom's face waiting for me with a thermos of chicken noodle soup and a blanket. (How do they know just what you need!!)

It was the best feeling, finishing the race I trained so hard (mostly!) for. A personal accomplishment, that I've shared with all of you. Thanks for reading.

I DID IT!!

2006-10-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, the run was yesterday. I did it. My official time was 2:28! I was very impressed.

My body (especially my legs) is in total atrophy right now. OUCH! I am still very tired (no sleeping in for me this weekend! I was out of the house by 7:00am to get to the race! So for now this post is going to be short and sweet. I will definitely take the time to write about my experience more this weekend.

But thanks to everyone for their support! IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO DONATE! (http://melsrun.blogspot.com/2006/07/donation-information.html).

I plan on having a one week grace period before I send in my pledge money to Girl's Inc.

thanks again...and keep checking back for my updated post. I'm going to sleep now.

Midnight Run

2006-10-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I didn't actually run at midnight, but is was 10:00pm and pretty dark out! How exhilirating!! Although I wasn't exactly prepared for a night run (no head lap, or even bright reflective gear...but I was equipped with my dog Simba and apparently wind under my feet!

It was a quick 30 minute jog around the block and we stayed on the main road where there was more light. I'm definitely going to be doing more of these...something about running late at night, no one else on the road, cool crisp air and I had a great sleep! I'm on my way to buy some running gloves though...it's a bit nippy out, and it's supposed to be pretty cool for my half marathon this Sunday. Yes, 3 DAYS TO GO.

I'm pretty pumped for it, I just want to get to it now. I'm going to be going to a Carbo Dinner provided by the Toronto Marathon, featuring some legendary marathon runners!

So wish me luck!! I'll post after my race.

One week to go!!!

2006-10-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

The jitters are really starting to sink in....I'm going to run a Half Marathon in a week!!!

I did an easy run this morning (6km)...the weather was AWESOME! I can only hope that we have it this good next Sunday, for my run.

Well, since it's Thanksgiving here in Canada, I have tomorrow off from work, so I'll be able to hit the road again in the morning, and enjoy the sunshine.

Off balance

2006-10-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

Oh boy....I'm a clutz...my balance is sometimes a bit off, I take sharp corners, don't anticipate how close things are, and end up bumping into walls, tables, you name it....

Well last night I took a tumble....as you know, I have a puppy....and we keep a puppy gate over our kitchen door, to keep him out, and last night I was coming out of the kitchen, and didn't quite clear the height of the gate, and tripped on it, crashing through the gate and crushing onto my left knee to break my fall.

It hurt.

Now with a huge bruise and my right knee already feeling achy from running....I'm a mess. I plan on going out tomorrow night for a run and test the waters hoping it'll all be alright....

I'll keep you all posted.

Joy and pain

2006-10-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

Well, did an easy run Friday, and had my last long run before the race today....oh the joy and the pains!! It's true the closer you get to race day, the more you feel your body's aches and pains. My right knee, which has given me problems in the past, has again begun to ache. I've had Patellar Femoral Syndrome in my right knee since college. A combination of small desks and commuter subway seats gave way to lots of knee cramping back in college. But through weight training and stretching, it's bothered me less and less since then.

But now and again (I guess the increase in mileage) it's giving me a few aches and pains.

But I had a pretty good run considering, great weather, for October 1st! and I'm pumped for the upcoming race. I'm just going to continue to keep limber with some good short, easy runs, and give it my all on race day!

I took some great shots of my route today, I'll try to post them up this week!

Two weeks to go!!

2006-09-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

Had some great training this week, I'm feeling loose and good. As sad as I am to see summer go, I LOVE running in the crisp fall evenings! It is exhilarating! I'm looking forward to a nice weekend of training, putting in my last long run before the race.

Hybrid Run

2006-09-20T04:04:00.000-07:00

What's a hybrid run you ask? Well I just made it up, so it might already exist under a different name (Fartlek maybe???)

Anyway, I took my run to many different places and did many different things, all rolled into one. First Simba and I hit the trails near my house (more like grassy fields, so easy on the knees!) and started going towards the lakefront. We got to the end of the trail, which then met up to the paved bike/run/walk path toward the waterfront. From there we took it to the beach for a quick sprint, and back onto the paved path.

That's when I saw it (we took a different direction than usual, so I've never noticed this before) the largest, greenest hill I've ever seen!!!! So what do I do, kick it into high gear and Simba and I barrel up the hill! It was great! I'm definitely going to tackle this route more often! From the hill we naturally ran back down and back along the path. When I saw some great stairs going up to a cute little observation area to look out onto Lake Ontario. So like Rocky, we hit the stairs running.

We finished off our run back on the mean streets of Ajax, homeward bound.

So I combined sprints, trail running, hills, stairs, and easy jogging all in one run. It was great!!

One Month To Go!

2006-09-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

Had a great short run this morning with Simba! We went down to the waterfront and first ran along the beach (Simba LOVES chasing the ducks and geese!) Then we hit the trails for a nice jog together. The sun was shining, and it was really warm for a fall Saturday. It's been overcast for the rest of the day, but at 8:30am...it was beautiful.

I was surprised by the amount of people I saw out this morning though. Cyclists, and runners, families hitting the little park nearby. I love living here. You can feel a world away, just by taking a small run or drive down to the waterfront trails.

I'm hoping to go for another run this evening, then do a long run tomorrow. I'm going to start tapering soon, as I have one month to go til the race.

Feeling stronger, yet more vulnerable

2006-09-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

Did an easy 40 minute run on Wednesday, and I felt great....I was barely sore after my 17km run on Monday. But why do I still feel so vulnerable? Little aches and pains are creeping up on me...my left knee, which has NEVER given me problems, has started feeling achy..especially when I climb stairs, or am sitting for an extended time, and it doesn't get stretched. I have been reading that this is normal as your race approaches you will feel some wear and tear...I just hope it's not the start of something bad....

I will remain optimistic, and start doing some more squats and lunges to help strengthen my knees. I'm going for a long run again on Sunday, and probably try to nip out for some speed work tomorrow morning. This is my favourite time of year, as we still get nice weather, but it's not overly humid, and you get to see the leaves changing, and smell of wood burning in fireplaces as the evenings get nippier.

Well it's late, I'm tired and have a wicked case of heartburn....I'll post again on Sunday.

A Week in Review

2006-09-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

It's getting harder and harder to fit everything in my life it seems. Between work, painting, running, and taking care of my dog, apartment and boyfriend, I'm totally exhausted! (and hence too tired to post more regularly!)

Well this week, I did some speed work in the field, raced against my dog and my 12 year old god son (What fun! They both whupped my butt!!) and had a great long run today (Monday.)

I'm not exactly sure how long (as far as distance) I ran, but I was out for 2 hours and 20 minutes, my longest yet. I ran through north Ajax, and part of Whitby, and saw some great scenery (dairy cows, corn fields and an apple orchard!!) Who knew I had such great farm life just north of where I live!

It was also fun discovering that they don't have sidewalks in most of the north part of Ajax and Whitby, so I ran on soft gravel shoulders, which was a nice change for my legs.

The countdown is on, I've got just over a month and a half to my race, and I'm getting a bit nervous, cause I'd like to do well (ie: not "hit the wall" as they say) even though it's not a full marathon, I'm not used to going further than 10k...so my legs are still getting used to it.

I'm not as sore as I was last week, which is a good sign, I did some more stretching and took a great hot massaging shower, so I think it helped my muscles.

Ok...I just went to my route map, and measured out (painfully) the approximate distance of my run today....

17km!!! Holy Crap! ;o)

Well, I just need to work on my speed, cause if 2:20 was for 17km...add on another 20-30 minutes for 21km...I'm running a really slow half marathon. But I do think I'm more penguin than cheetah...so in the end, it's not all that important.

till next time...

Tuning out to tune in

2006-08-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

So I did my long run today...12km!! Boy did it hurt by the end of it! I plotted out my run along the Waterfront Trail from Ajax to Pickering, figuring it would take me close to my half marathon distance...well when I got home and consulted my map I realized it was only 12km....ONLY!! I'm going to die...my calves will explode, and I'll pass out during my race. Ok, so I'm over-exaggerating a bit, but I really don't know what I've gotten myself into!

I don't know how I'll last 21km! But I'll keep running, and increasing my distance for another few weeks, then start to taper the distance to preserve myself for race day.

So I've always been the runner with music. Tape walkman, CD player, MP3 player and now my iPod. I love to hear my mix-tapes to keep me going on the trails or treadmill. But today was different. Today, I tuned out in order to tune in to nature. I was running along the Waterfront Trail, and it was so beautiful, I could hear the water crashing onto the beach, the birds, even the flies (and they were plentiful!)

It was great, my head was clear, I was thinking of tasks I need to get done, making plans for the week, and just enjoying my run (well, beyond the pain, I really was enjoying it!).

So I'm officially becoming unplugged for my outdoor runs. I think I'll still tune in at the gym (in order to tune out other peoples conversations), but I'll try to enjoy my surrounding, and appreciate where your feet can take you, once you start running.

Hitting the trails

2006-08-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

Wow!! I know it's been a minute since my last post, I do apologize! I've been soooo busy lately that I barely have time to log on to check my email, let alone update my blog.

I have been running though...although I'm still not exceeding 10km distances yet. I'm trying to fit in running when I can.

Case in point, we were away for a few days up north in the beautiful Muskoka area, staying at the Fern Glen Inn. Surrounded by tons of trails (and even more mosquitoes), I did manage to get out for a quick jog on them before the 'squitos' ate me alive!

I know why they make specialized shoes for the trails too (and not just to feed my need for shopping!) but for waterproofing against the elements! While my shoes are fab on the concrete and high school track surfaces, they are not equipped for running on soggy moss, and moist grass!! The water keep seeping into my toes as I ran...nothing worse than soggy toes!! So before I continue on trails (or at least during inclement weather) I must invest in a good pair of all weather runners.

But the scenery was amazing, I'll post some pics when I download them from my camera. If you live in Ontario, you definitely need to visit the area!

hot to trot

2006-08-07T17:09:00.000-07:00

Well I think the summer scorcher is over! The temperature's been crazy high, and it's affected my running. No one wants to be outside for long when it's blazing! I've taken it indoors to my gyms treadmill too, but they have 30 and 40 minute limits on the machines, and I can only make it during peak hours, so I haven't been able to up my mileage past 10km yet.

I'm not worried, but I do know I need to hit close to the half marathon distance, so my body (feet especially) know what it's like.

I did 8km today, with my pup, Simba. He was a real trooper! I tested him today at distance for the first time, and while I took more walk breaks than usual, I couldn't risk over-heating my baby! The looks I got on the trail were pretty funny too. I guess not too many people go jogging with their dogs...or at least not small dogs.

We saw lots of labs, retrievers, poodles, and Simba blew by them all! ;o) The benefit of an 8km run with your dog...he sleeps the rest of the day! ;o)

Keep on movin'

2006-07-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

That's what I keep telling myself, each time I head out, and each km I clock...keep on movin'...just like that old Soul II Soul song.

I ran 6k today, and I'm a bit behind in my schedule for the half. But it's alright, I'm just as determined, I realize I need to add a few more easy runs in during the week, to help my mileage and conditioning.

Eye of the Tiger

2006-07-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

Cliché? Yes. But it is my current state of mind. I am an amateur/olympic style boxer. After my comeback tournament I took some time off from boxing. What was supposed to be a short reprieve, became a long layoff. I moved, so I spent time packing, unpacking, then we got Simba, so I spent my evenings puppy potty training, and walking, then we had houseguest, family visit, and I decided to start training for this little run in October (ha-ha).

But I'm back. Today was my first workout in the boxing gym. But not at my club. My boyfriend also coaches boxing and martial arts, so he's started to do some training with me. I was at his gym, and man....it was tough. My shoulders are still feeling it! But it did feel good. You use your whole body, and have to keep your mind strong as well.

So I'll be back in the gym, hitting the heavy back twice a week to compliment my running schedule.

'til next time. Train hard and dream big!

running + shopping = sore legs!

2006-07-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

So the "in-laws" are in town, and I'm trying to be good with my workouts...and did manage to get to the gym this morning to run on the treadmill. I did 2.5 miles and then hit the weights, and did an ab workout too. Oxygen magazine printed a great workout a few issues ago called Bootcamp Abs, and it was great!!!

So after the gym, we all headed downtown to do some shopping, and tour the city a bit. My legs got their workout today!!! They are feeling soooo sore, but I'm glad they're getting pushed to new limits, as running this Half-Marathon will be daunting.

Soooo tired, gonna do some more cross training tomorrow and hit the pool again.

For the Love of Lunges!

2006-07-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, forgot to mention, while I did my intervals yesterday, I finished up my workout with some leg work in the field.

Walking lunges
Diagonal walking lunges
High knee skips

all across the football field.

How do I feel today? SORE. But that great kinda sore where you know you've sparked some life into your muscles. Gotta thank Ms. Olympia 2005, Jen Hendershott for the great workout ideas. I attended one of her "Phat Camps" in July and got great inspiration from her.

Commenting made easier!!

2006-07-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

ok, as a first time blogger, I'm still getting the hang of this program....I realize some of you have had trouble leaving comments without signing up, but I've enabled a feature that should allow anyone to leave a comment. So feel free to leave your feedback, I'd love to hear from you.

X Training

2006-07-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

I ran intervals on the track today. Yes in the intense heat. But I ran in the morning, so it didn't seem so bad. But the beauty of my workout today (and yesterday actually) wasn't with my running. But with swimming. What better way to beat the heat (and to entertain my my 12 year old nephew and godson). Off to the public pool we went yesterday, they joining crazy versions of Marco Polo with other kids in the shallow end, and me, doing some laps in the deep end.

And again today, off to my sisters we went, where, bless her heart, she has a pool in her backyard! Again, I did laps, while all the kids battled each other with super soakers and beach balls.

You always read so much about the benefits of cross training, and for nothing else but to mix it up to prevent boredom, I love cross training!!

So get out there, try a new sport, jump on a new machine at the gym and challenge yourself and your muscles to something new!

The Simba Sprints

2006-07-11T22:39:00.000-07:00

Simba loves to run. He will prove to be my best training partner! We did sprints and hills today, and I have to admit; on the hills, he kicked my butt!! Puppies, like children have boundless energy! When he wasn't trying to go after stray seagull feathers, Simba has been a great running partner! I'm slowly building his stamina too, in order to take him on longer runs.

Hope you enjoy the shot of him after we came home....it's 10:30pm and he hasn't moved since we came in two hours ago!! Another benefit of running with Simba....an exercised dog = a sleepy dog. I'm sure the same equation applies to children too! I should market it in a book and hit the talk show circuit! ;o)

Took a better time stretching when I came home too, so hopefully I won't be sore tomorrow. The ball of my foot ached a little at the start of my workout, but the pain subsided once I warmed up. I also hit the weights today, which has been pretty sporadic. I want bigger guns, but haven't been puttin' in the work. So today I did biceps and shoulders when I came in from the run. It always feels great to hit the weights. The benefits are plentiful, (especially now that we are in tank top season!) I'll keep you posted on their growth progress.

On a sad note....my scale died yesterday. As many women would be secretly happy, I enjoy my little weigh-ins, that keep me in check, let me know if I've had one too many ice cream cones during the week! Unfortunately, our little electric scale got wet when our shower head went on the fritz, and it no longer turns on....it was a good scale too, measured body fat % and everything!

So I'll head to the local rec centre to do my measurements...I'm still hoping to trade in 5lbs of fat for some nice lean muscle.

holla back y'all, feedback is great!

a bit off track

2006-07-09T17:25:00.000-07:00

funny how life can get you off track sometimes, especially with workouts...seems like that's the first thing to go when you get busy. This past week, my workouts suffered a bit, but I did a 3-miler this morning, feet felt great! So this week, I'm back on track...gotta schedule the "me" time with my workouts!

Remember, your comments are always welcomed!

Always room for more shoes

2006-07-08T05:56:00.000-07:00

Well, took my new shoes for a test run, and while they are different than my old ones, they felt great...the cushioning under the ball of my right foot is exactly what I needed...let's see if they can stand up to the test of time...and mileage!

I'm thinking of buying another pair, and rotate them during training, by long and short runs, etc. Any thoughts?? Please leave your comments, they are always welcomed!

Running Buddy

2006-07-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of my baby, Simba...he's becoming quite the running buddy...right now he's only 3 1/2 months old, and he's great to do sprints with! I run with him at the track (until he gets distracted by, well anything in the grass....paper, wrappers, feathers...)

And a shot of the track where I do my 400 metre repeats.

Injury timeout = NEW SHOES!!

2006-07-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

Ouch! Only one week in, and I realize I need new shoes!! Upping my mileage has my feet feeling achy, mostly the ball of my right foot....and it's been over a year since I've been running and training in my current pair.

So off to the Running Room I went!! (Any excuse to buy new shoes, am I right!!) What did I buy you ask? The brand new spanking pair of Asics Gel Kinsei! (see photo)

So after going for a light jog on Tuesday, and skipping tonights workout, I'll be testing out these new babies this weekend!! They are sooooo pretty...and pretty cutting edge in the shoe world too! Wish me luck, that the super-duper cushioning helps my tender tootsies!

Don't forget everyone, I'd love to hear your comments, questions, whatever's on your mind! Just leave your comments at the end of my posts!

Donation Information!

2006-07-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a bit about Girls Inc. the charity I'm running for:

With roots in the community going back over 20 years, Girls Incorporated of Durham is the only girls-only support agency in the Durham Region.

Our mission is “Inspiring all Girls to be Strong, Smart & Bold”. We do this through two main offerings: mentoring programs and after-school programs. Our eight core after-school programs, such as Operation STRONG (developing physical agility and health related fitness through Sporting Chance and Steppingstones); Operation SMART (Science, Math and Relevant Technologies); Operation BOLD (personal safety) and Media Literacy, encourage girls ages 6 to 18 to take risks and to master physical, intellectual, and emotional challenges.

Our mentoring programs, one for girls ages 6 to 16 and one for teen and young mothers are one-on-one programs designed to give at-risk girls and Moms the tools they need to become strong and self-sufficient young women and successful Moms.

Ways to donate:

1. I'll have a pledge form handy for personal donations (for those who know me)

2. You can donate directly through Girl's Inc. Just contact them directly for more information. (about donating via mail,
phone, fax, or drop-off)

Address: 398 Bayly Street West, Ajax, Ontario L1S 1P1
Phone: 905-428-8111
TOLL FREE: 1 877 GIRLS-XL or 1 877 447-5795
Fax: 905-428-9992
Email: girlsinc.durham@girls-inc.org
Website: www.girlsinc-durham.org

If you donate directly to Girls Inc., please mention you are making your donation in pledge of my run. They will try to keep track of the donations, that way I can keep track of how much money I've raised.

Girls Incorporated of Durham is a registered charity: # BN 11880 9268 RR0001

Inspirational Quotes

2006-07-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

These are some quotes I've come across that really help keep me focused and motivated to be at my best. Hopefully they can do the same for you.

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you go through hardship and decide NOT to surrender, that is strength.

Abraham Lincoln
You can have anything you want, if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish, if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.

T.S. Eliot
Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.

Confucius
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Romans, 5:3-5
We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us.

Did I say I love running?

2006-07-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, had my first long run today...I ran 10k, and damn it felt good when it was over!! How am I going to survive a Half Marathon???!!!

I took the advice of a fellow runner and did my run in 10's and 1's - meaning run 10 minutes and walk 1 minute. It was a great help, and easy way to keep track of my time. I run along the Waterfront Trail in Ajax and Pickering, and you get to see so many other runners, bikers, walkers, all of whom are all friendly, and it's a supportive energy. The view ain't half bad either. Cool breezed off of Lake Ontario, warm morning sun, it really makes the run feel easier (until you hit 7k, and feel like your calves are going to explode!)

I definitely have some endurance to work on, as I was pretty gassed at the end of my run. (I feel it in my achilles!!!) But now it's been a few hours since my run and I feel great physically, so I'm keeping that as some positive motivation.

It's long weekend, so I've got to run (figuratively speaking) as we have company.

a bit about myself...

2006-07-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

I'm not a remarkable runner. I love the articles by John Bingham in Runner's World magazine, he calls himself the "Penguin" as he waddles from marathon to marathon...not seeking to be the best, but more seeking the enjoyment, and the not that he had the courage to finish, but that he had the courage to start.

That's the philosophy I follow. I've always loved participating in sporting activities...through school it was softball, track and field (I won first place in grade 6 high jump at our regional competition!!) and volleyball. As high school and college rolled around, priorities shifted (party y'all!!) and while I always tried to remain active (rollerblading in the summer, dreams of being on Roller Jam!) the preverbial freshman 15 (or in my case 20) slowly creeped on my body.

But it was cool. I wasn't really bothered, cause I didn't feel or look overweight. But I wasn't strong or fast either. It wasn't until I was looking for something new to try, something to shock myself into a fitness regimen that I discoverd one of my passions. Fighting.

Full contact kickboxing. My first school was Twin Dragon in Scarborough, but when I moved to North York, I transfered to that location where my passion (and surprising skill) for fighting was honed.

I met 3 of my good friends, Kim, Carol and Danielle there, and week in, week out we would spar, battle it out for 3 minute rounds of jabs, roundhouse kicks to the head, and front kicks to the sternum.

KICKS TO THE HEAD???? That's supposed to be fun?? I know, sounds crazy, but again, let's go back to the Penguin philosophy, it's all about the courage to start...me, whom most people see as shy and nice, why would she want to punch anyone, let alone be punched back. Adrenaline. Competition. Personal Pride.

But what I craved was competition. It wasn't until my friend Nicole introduced me to the world of amateur boxing that I found my niche. I wanted to compete, go to shows, kick some ass. Easier said than done. I found myself at a legendary club in Toronto, where I trained for a few months, and pushed myself to be ready. Or so I thought.

My enjoyment for running began here as well. Boxers run. It's part of their endurance training. So I pounded away on training days, huffing, puffing, to keep up with the rest of the fighters, often not. But I was determined. I even signed up for my first 5 and 10k in 2004. I thought I was going to die in the 10k!!

I had my first fight in September 2004.

In the second round I through a wild hook and ended up tearing my rotater cuff and partially dislocating my shoulder. It was not fun.

So with 9 months of rehab, what was a girl to do that had just spent the last 3 years in some form of combative sport? Run. Although I had to adjust my form, as I didn't want aggravate my shoulder, the summer of 2005 I ran. I ran the Nike 10k in the pouring rain, and I enjoyed every minute (well, almost, who likes squishy shoes!)

But I was also determined to make it back in the boxing ring too. I moved to a smaller city, just east of Toronto, and found a new club and after rehab had finished, I started to train for my comeback.

Again, running was a big part of it. I realized all this time, that freshman 20 hadn't really moved anywhere, through all this training, and running, I was eating like a pig. I was a junk food junkie. So when I dedicated myself to my comeback, the eating had to change. It made all the difference in the world. Cutting out the junk, adding more vegetables, and fruit, and for me, cutting out most dairy I shed that 20lbs, and was a lean, mean fighting machine.

So fast forward to May 2006. The Comeback. I travelled to St. Catherines, Ontario and fought in an amateur tournament. The butterflies you feel when you suit up, start warming up, I wanted to shit my pants (pardon my french). It was the culmination of what I'd been training for. I'd seen my opponent...she was shorter than me, and thought, yeah, I'll tear her head off. While I did win the fight, she hit HARD!! The next night, I had to fight again, but wasn't as lucky, and the final decision went to the other fighter. (she beat me by one point).

Running was integral in getting me in shape. I ran for distance, I ran hills, I ran to breathe, I ran to relax. Ok, so I don't know how people can really relax when they run, I didn't really run to relax. I ran for great legs! (and they're getting there!!) Now I run to challenge myself and to raise money too.

So now, I've decided to take a bit of a break from boxing, and concentrate on becoming a fit, strong runner. To push myself to reach my goals. Survive the Half, post a good time.

btw: The world record for the Half (for women) is 1 hr: 6 minutes.

3 miles down...

2006-06-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

So I've completed day two of my training, and I realize I need to find some good calf stretches...and strengthening exercises...I ran 3 miles today (which I believe is about 5k), and I completed it in 33 minutes. I felt good though, keeping a pace time of between 9:20 - 10:20 minute pace. At this rate I should complete the race in just over 2 hours.

Did I mention my legs were sore?!? ;o)

This is definitely going to be an adventure!! Thank goddess for iPods with 4GB of music!!! Some of my current songs I love running to are:

Promiscuous by Nelly Furtado
Miss New Booty by Bubba Sparxx
Touch by Omarion
Lose Control by LL Cool J and Jennifer Lopez

and my friend Gail gave me a CD with great pop/rock songs that have been played on MTV's Laguna Beach, 8th and Ocean, and that new song by Ashley Parker Angel from There and Back...so thanks girl!! It brings out my inner California blonde! :o)

Well, I'm off to the beach for some down time in this lovely weather!! I've got my first long run planned for Sunday, 6 miles!! (I'll be building up to 12 in a few weeks)

I should have donation info posted next week, as I have to meet with the people at Girls Inc. I've got some great fundraising ideas, so I hope you'll all try to support my efforts!! I'm also thinking of another charity I'd like to co-sponsor, but I might save that one for another race....

more bloggin' to come!

First official training run

2006-06-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

I completed my first official training run tonight, a quick 30 minute session, where I completed 4x400 metres on the local high school track. I also ran the set of stairs in my apartment building to finish off building my leg strength. Felt good, but I'm only at the beginning of my 16 week odyssey.

Hopefully I can get my Friedel (my boyfriend) to snap some shots of me training this weekend to add to the blog.

The start of something new

2006-06-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am, contributing to the thousands of blogs out there, in hopes of inspiring others out there.

My name is Melissa (Mel or Melly to my peeps); and I am going to run my first Half-Marathon in October (www.torontomarathon.com). This blog is to log my training, my experiences, and to give a voice to the charity I'm running for. Girls Inc. (www.girlsinc.org).

I've chosen this charity (my local chapter) because they help provide mentoring and programs for young girls who need it, and while I'll try to get some official stats later, girls who do not have positive role models, or do not participate in sports or other social/scholastic activities are at high risk of teen pregnancy, low self-esteem, becoming involved in an abusive relationship...etc.

If you have any questions, comments, training advice, I definitely welcome all input to my first blog.

As I receive it, I will also post info for making donations/pledges for my Half-Marathon.