The Midlife Reframe

Category: Lucky7Relay

  • Wet and Wild Lucky 7 Relay! (Bucket List Run – Canadian Running Magazine!!)

    So I volunteered for the Lucky 7 Relay Race

    And got myself down to the Atlantica Hotel on Saturday to pick up my awesome Race Crew T!

    Woohoo!  Go Race Crew!

    Of course, we ARE on the East Coast of Canada, so the weather is always unpredictable.  I got up on Sunday, ate my breakfast and gathered my gear to wear.  Needless to say, I was not exactly thrilled with the temperatures…

    This called for My Soxy Feet long socks!  They were feet layer #1 😉

    When I arrived at the top of Citadel Hill, it was misty, cold and kinda blah.  Actually a little colder than I thought (note to self – more layerage when NOT running!)  I met up with Stacy (Runner and Race Director) in the “Don’t Park Here” Parking Lot (oops!) and my job at that moment was given to me.  I was the “Don’t Park Here” Girl.  I was given a fabulous helper and we directed folks to the other entrance for parking. 

    It IS as cold as it looks!  lol (Yay rain coat and pants!)

    The “Don’t Park Here” Parking Lot

    The TNT Purple People setting up their water station 🙂

    So, once all the volunteers and sponsors made their way in, our job at that station was done.  

    I was then assigned down by the Finish Line with a couple of other awesome volunteers to make sure runners did not walk back over the Atlantic Chip finish line with their bibs on!  This was harder than you might think! Being a relay, everyone wanted to head over to cheer on the next leg.  (The race started inside the Fort and you are to run 7 times around the Citadel to complete your leg.)

    (To check out some awesome photos of those folks running – head on over here: Photo Stream )


    I was as vigilent as I could be, holding my “Keep Right to Finish” sign and trying to cheer on the runners in the off and on torrential downpours with super wind that was going on – trying to stop those from crossing that finish line!  A couple runners got past me and totally wonked their finish time 😦  Bib numbers were taken so they could fix up the times of those who literally walked back over the sensors.  Eeeeeep!  Trying to steer runners away is NOT an easy job!  We are some determined people!  (By the second and third leg, this was much easier as folks were given the info before they ran out.)

    So we cheered and blocked 😉  I was given relief about halfway through Leg 3 and headed back inside the Fort to stay dry and have snacks.


    Watching the rain from INSIDE…snack time!
    Cold and wet hands….brrrrr
    Attempting to warm said hands.

    I was there when the winner from the Third Leg made it in to get his bag and change.  What a rock star!

    Third Leg Winner!  He was shaking like a leaf…

    This was my fabulous helper’s tower – he made it out of counter popsicle sticks 😉

    I ran this race last year (it was around the Halifax Commons) and absolutely loved it!  It is so much fun, and I ran a super awesome 38 min 7k….I was over the moon 🙂

    This race also provides a warm breakfast afterwards at the lovely Atlantica Hotel (their Sunday breakfast buffet in the regular restaurant is also TO DIE FOR).  The oatmeal was amazing, as well as the croissants and muffins, juice and coffee!!  I was able to boot it over and warm up my belly, thereby warming up everything else, as my gloves were soaked and my body temp had regulated back to “Holy Crap It’s Cold” after moving and bopping around to keep warm on the Hill. 

    I highly recommend this race as a must do!  The fun, the costumes and the atmosphere….well it just rocks!  When the Race Director is cheering you on at the finish line – well, I am wondering if Stacy has a voice today!!  We had so much fun.

    Oh Starbees….how happy I was to see you.
    These puppies were left to dry in the Van!!

    To close out – I have to give MEGA shout outs to those who ran in those conditions (especially those in costume!!).  Cold wet rain sucks!  I also give a HUGE shout out to my fellow volunteers who cheered and stuck it out for the whole morning!  We are awesome!

    And thank you so much to Stacy.  You run a good race girl 🙂

    #crazymamaruns

  • It’s Almost Here.

    My date with the surgeon.

    And I have my nervous face on.

    I mean, I pretty much have a good idea about what is going to happen.  It’s just hearing him say it, and I can ask detailed questions about recovery.

    I’ll be fine going into surgery.  I just know it won’t be pretty when I am done.

    So, as of tomorrow it’s one week.  Let the finger chewing….BEGIN!

    It was turkey weekend here.

    Canadian Thanksgiving.  Food, Family and what we are all thankful for…..TURKEY!  I had my share, both Sunday and the holiday Monday.  Some say our Thanksgiving coincides with the start of hockey season….and that is why we celebrate in October, lol.  Who am I to debate THAT!

    Today was my turkey hangover.  It involved A LOT of coffee and water.  Bad combo for my Tuesday-Monday.

    What’s on my mind now??

    Races.  When can I run them?  Will I ever do a full marathon? I have so many races that I want to do.  I’ll have to sit down and make a plan once I have full details of surgery and recovery.

    So I am continuing with my yoga practice at home.  I will be volunteering the first weekend of November at the Lucky 7 Relay here in Haliwood, NS, and getting some runs in where I can.  (As long as my knee behaves!)

    I was lucky on my Sunday run to tweak my stride a little and lead with my hips.  What a big difference that made!  I am learning more and more about my body and it’s mechanics as the years go by.  It is definitely an adventure, especially getting older and having injuries 😉

     

    So, what does everyone do during their downtime?  Do you cross train more? Lift? Cycle? Swim?

    I’d love to hear from you out there.  Drop me a comment!

     

  • Lessons Learned as a Relatively Newb Runner

    I’ve always learned things the hard way.


    And that also applies itself to running.  I’m stubborn too, which just adds to the problem, lol.

    I first started running when I was working with a personal trainer at the gym.  

    It all started when one of the girls at my workplace started up a lunchtime run group.
    The first day we ran 5km.  I felt like I was running on a cloud….oh wait, those were my new sneakers. BONUS POINT:  I had running sneakers.  I went out and bought a good pair of Sauconys.  Go me 🙂

    I was hooked.  Running was awesome!

    Problem #1: I was not stretching.  Not warming up.  Not like I should have been. This lead to some really tight legs after my very first 10km race (I had done a Run for the Cure 5km prior).


    And then……about a year later

    Problem #2 – Stubborn: Since I was invincible, I began to train for my first Half Marathon.

    Training was going well (at least I thought it was, lol) After my 18km long run, I felt AWESOME.  Went for another run, pain.  A lot of pain.  Right outside my knee.  I thought, okay, rest up.  This was one week before the race.  I was tight all the way up to my hip.  So I foam rolled and bought a strap for the old IT band at the race expo.

    Day of the half…I ran, in pain, and finished at 2:30.  I walked a lot of the last few kms, but ran over the finish line.

    I could barely walk the next day.  Off to doc and off to physio.  My IT band was shot…tightest EVER.

    Was a long haul back and lesson learned.

    Problem #3: Not listening to my body.  This applies to Problem #1 and #2.  I was not stretching and applying any serious cross training.  I thought some of the pain was “just a runner thing”.  Yes, I should have known better.

    Another year later!  We are into year 3.

    Problem #4:  Eat better, fuel better.  This took some work, as I love to eat and the more I ran, the more I wanted to EAT!  This caused some upset belly moments and some dehydration.  This is a big lesson for newb runners.

    Half Marathon #2:  Trained smarter, pushed myself a little bit harder (sometimes a bit too much, felt kind of nauseous and had to stop a couple of times) and ran a 2:10.

    I was going to run another Half, but was very very sick not long beforehand and did a 10k at the Valley Harvest Marathon. Because I am a dork and was full of running excitement, I went out too fast and wanted to barf halfway through.  Finished in under an hour and finally said, okay, smarten up.

    I ran a 21k relay the next month, Lucky 7 Relay with a couple of people from work.  I ran my 7km in 38 minutes.  I felt like a ROCK STAR 🙂

    Heading into year 4…


    I was running right up until the “Punta Cana Incident”.  We ran just about every morning around the resort nice and early, with the other runners.  Then I went and fell in the washroom (Yes, the washroom, and yes, I was sober).  This is the “awe man” moment when I was pretty sure I tore my meniscus, but found out I really have a condition called Osteochondritis Dissecans and I am due for surgery in the near future.

    Once I am all “put back together” and travel down my road to recovery, I am getting back to the Half Marathon state and looking for a new PB.  With my new love of yoga and my wiser ways, I am starting my bucket list of races.  Need to kill that 2:10 Half!

    Look out Half Marathon…..cause I am comin’ to get ya…..soon.