GO!

On Tuesday, May 15, I announced that I would be running a half marathon to raise money for the WUSC Student Refugee Program - a.k.a. the be all and end all of what I stand for as a human being. I struggled to run a kilometre at that point. That was almost 7 months ago. At this point, the furthest I've run is 17 km.

Ready...I am all packed. Set...I leave for Vegas tomorrow. Go...I run on Sunday.

This photo scares the crap out of me. I imagine little ol' me in that vast mass of people and cry a bit on the inside. Running alone for 21 km is one thing, running with that many people, shoulder to shoulder (for at least a little while) is another. My race number is 31298. My corral number is 31. My required finish time is 4:00:00. My goal all along has simply been to finish in that allotted time. As running got easier and my confidence greater, I realised I could very likely finish in 3:00:00. That, however, was before I injured my foot on November 13 at approximately 5:30 p.m. That was 2 and 1/2 weeks ago and I haven't actually run since then. I've done a few hour long elliptical runs and I am confident that my heart and lungs will hold out for the full 21 km. As for my foot carrying me through 21 pavement pounding kms, I'm not so sure.

I have a slip on tensor and a wrap tensor and sore foot or not, I'm doing this. My new goal is to stick it out running for 12 km (a little over half of the race). If, at that point, I need to walk, so be it.

I've raised almost $3200 for WUSC and I'm hoping to reach $5000 by the end of January. Perhaps once I prove to people that I have actually completed the run, they will be even more generous! Here's hoping!

21K for Change

Remember when...I was proud of 5K?!

As I hit lap 85 around the Shilo General Strange Hall (GSH) and realised that I was going to reach my goal of 100 laps (or 17km), I suddenly thought back to a time when I realised that I was going to reach my goal of 5km. I remembered how thrilled I was, so thrilled, in fact, that I called that particular blog post 5K MoFos and asked for a "whoop whoop!" That was back in June, a long and grueling 5 months ago. At this point, a.k.a 25 days until I run 21k, I am quite confident that I will complete the run in 3 hours. It took me 2 hours and 20 minutes to run 17km and I run an average 9-minute km so you do the math.

A 9-minute km isn't fast by any means. In fact, I shouldn't really call it running I guess; I should call it jogging, but to me it's running. I run as fast as I can to sustain myself for the length of time it requires to complete each goal. If that pace looks like jogging to you...just try and keep up! No one jogs a half marathon.

Everyone asks me if I am going to keep running after the half marathon and while there is a part of me that wants to say "yes, I can't wait to stop torturing my poor body," there is a bigger part of me that can't bear to just throw all of this progress away. Like I said, 5 months ago I struggled to run 5km and now when my training schedule says 5km, I scoff it off as an easy day! In fact anything less than 10km is typically...easy. Who'da thunk I'd ever be saying that!

If you're as impressed with me as I am with myself, you can donate here :)

Ghoulish Goodies & Good Causes

Perhaps I am a tardy blogger, but I am not a tardy fundraiser so I think that counts for something. With the help of my incredible mother who spent all day Saturday, October 20 buying supplies with me and all day Sunday, October 21 baking with me, I was able to raise $265 more for WUSC's Student Refugee Program. In addition to my SuperMom's help, I couldn't have done what I did if not for one of my bestest friends, Angie Currie, and one of my fabulous co-workers, Shirley Slashinsky. They both baked up a storm for me and Ang sat at the tables selling the goodies all day. I love my people who love me, so very very much!

All of the Ghoulish Goodies and Spooktacular Sweets turned out so wonderfully, that I feel the need to share my creations with everyone.

Edible Eyeballs: These goodies were made in a cake pop pan. The sclera (white part) is white chocolate; the pupil is either a brown Smartie or Reeces Pieces; the blood vessels are icing coloured red with food colouring. Now take a moment and imagine biting into one of these and seeing...Red Velvet cake. Nuf said.

Flavourful Fingers: These treats were made with a dough similar to shortbread, but there was something extra special added, crushed pecans. The bloody nails were made using blanched almonds and dying them red with food colouring. I especially enjoy the added "ick" provided by the broken almond (third finger on the bottom row).

Scrumptious Spiders: These sweets were made by rolling rice krispie cake around four pieces of black string licorice. Once again, the black for the bodies was brought about with food coloring. The creepy eyes were Reeces Pieces. Oooey gooey yumness!

Mouth-watering Worms: Here we have Devil's Food cake cupcakes, covered with chocolate icing, dipping in crushed Oreo cookies, and topped with half a gummy worm. Definitely slurp-worthy!

Om nom nom Owls: These cuties were made with French Vanilla cupcakes, covered with chocolate icing, and topped with halved Oreos. The finishing touches for the faces (pupils and beaks) were done with Reeces Pieces. Aren't they a hoot?!

Pleasing Pumpkins: These were the simplest snacks to make, add a little dab of yellow food colouring, add a little dab of red food colouring, roll the rice krispies into a ball, and stick a green jelly bean to the top; Voila!

I also made pumpkin twinkies that had a marshmallow/cream cheese filling, but I didn't take a photo because they just didn't look as cool as all of these other treats. Yum in the tum, none-the-less though. If you'd like any of the recipes for these Ghoulish Goodies, just leave me a comment stating so and I'll get right on it for you. Although, I might have to bug you for a donation...maybe.

14KM: A Thought for Every KM

This is actually the second time during a long run that I made a point of attributing a thought to every km that I ran. Last Saturday, I had 12 thoughts for 12 km, but never got around to blogging about it. This Saturday, I have 14 thoughts for 14 km and am making a point of blogging about it. 

KM 1: Besides the resounding thought that crosses my mind as the first km slips away every run; "Man, that was easy," today I passed a sign, a bus bench actually, that read "Live Generously". As I ran by it I couldn't help but think: "Thanks, I don't mind if I do."

KM 2: The route I took today is missing the km marker at this spot or at least I can't find it. I guesstimate that it is approximately where I cross the South end of 18th Street in my city just down from the movie theatre. Every time I run by this spot I can't help but think: "Where in the heck is the km marker?"

KM 3: I ran past these two ladies who smelled wonderful, maybe it was one of them, or maybe it was the other, or maybe it was both. As I inhaled their smell I thought to myself, "I hope they can't smell me."

KM 4: My initial thought here was to write about the fact that I saw a group of children playing with a Safeway shopping cart in their yard which was a considerable distance from the nearest Safeway. "Time for new toys," I thought. Then I ran past another runner whose facial expression led me to believe that he was in total agony. "I wonder if I look like that?" As he changed directions, flew passed me, and his body got smaller and smaller as he got further and further ahead of me, I thought to myself, "There is no way he is running even close to as far as I am if he's running that fast!" Right, folks?! Right?!

KM 5: "Smokers need to stop smoking!" One of the absolute worst things about running outside is encountering a smoker. I'm running along, deeply breathing in the fresh air, and suddenly my fresh air is polluted by cigarette smoke. It's disgusting! To runners, breathing is key; breathing in putrid cigarette smoke is pretty much as bad as it gets when you've just run 4 km and have 10 more to. 

KM 6: This is where my neck injury started to act up. I thought to myself, "Here we go, it's already bothering me and I still have 9 km to go." At this point in my run I also happened by a Steakhouse; luckily it smelled more like grease than steak so my mouth didn't water too much and I could go back to focusing on the fact that I wouldn't be eating anything for at least another hour. 

KM 7: Crossing intersections while running is another downfall of running outside. The majority of the city loop keeps me off of high traffic streets, but here, I had to cross Victoria Avenue at the intersection of 34th Street a.k.a. a busy intersection. I jogged on the spot for a bit, did some j-running, stopped short of getting hit by a fat man in a truck, and as he glared at me I thought: "Sorry, fat man. Why don't you get out of your Ford F-150 (or whatever kind of huge ass truck he was driving) and run a few km." Ok, so maybe I was Angry Brandy at km 7. I also passed a family having photos taken in the autumn leaves and thought, "Aw, how precious." Enter, Not-So-Angry-Brandy. Then I passed a teenage girl walking her dog. The dog took a poop, the girl didn't clean it up, and Brandy thought, "How disgusting."

KM 8: It is October 13 here in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada which means temperatures are going below 0 degrees Celsius every night. Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone had a sprinkler going in their backyard. I couldn't help but wonder: "What the heck are they watering? Their dead grass?" Just a tad bit later, a truck drove by me with a tailgate decal that read "Slednecks". "Clever," I thought.

KM 9: This part of my run took me into unfamiliar territory; I had never run this part of the city loop before. As I ran passed a little white Terrier and its owner, I was pleased to get a little dog kiss, or maybe it was just its wet little nose, but, "what a sweety," I thought, none-the-less. 

Somewhere between KM 9 and KM 10 I ventured off the trail (not purposely) and did a little off-road running. Not great for feet in Vibrams.

KM 10: I had to cross another intersection here, more running on the spot, more angry looks from drivers, more of me not really giving a damn. Then I thought I was going to get run over because I heard what I thought was a vehicle revving its engine. It turned out that the noise was just the motor that was inflating a gigantic floating dummy. "Stupid floating dummy," I thought.

Somewhere between KM 10 and KM 11 I got myself off the trail again. Remember, in KM 9, I said I was in unfamiliar territory. I missed the km marker and likely took a short cut, but I figure the extra distance I ran between KM 9 and KM 10 made up for it. 

KM 11: This is where my right foot started to really hurt: "Mind over Matter," I told myself. I ran through the Riverbank Discovery Centre here and it is always such a lovely run. I got a surge of energy when it came to running up the small hill that leads to the bridge over the river. A surge of energy at km 11 is the thing dreams are made of. "3 km and a bit more to go and feelin' fine," I thought. 

KM 12: The 8th Street bridge a.k.a. the hill that nearly killed me. "Holy fuck!" A hill like that after 11 km is the thing nightmares are made of.

KM 13: This time it wasn't my fault that I almost got hit by a vehicle. The cab driver leaving the bar parking lot wasn't even looking for pedestrians. This time I was the one doing the glaring while thinking, "Watch where you're going, asshole." I also had to cross yet another crazy intersection on 1st Street, but I finally made it across with relatively little drama. 

KM 14: When I do my long runs outside, I take along a CamelBak (explained here). I happened to need a drink as I ran passed a woman walking her dog. I guess I could have waited until we passed each other to take a drink, but it also amuses me to watch peoples' reactions when I drink out of the nozzle. I definitely got "the look" from her and it was enough to carry me through to the end of my run. "Yes, lady, I am sucking on a plastic nipple; in fact, I would very likely pass the fuck out without it. Carry on, now."

And that, folks, was my 14 thoughts in 14 km. Fun times! 14 donations would sure be swell as well :)

So I Says to Myself; I Says, "Self, You So Got This!"

I have recently found myself addicted to this silly little facebook game called Candy Crush which is what I have been spending all of my free time on instead of blogging. It's sad, I know. I have a problem, but in about 30-minutes I'll have another life to use and so will continue to feed my ridiculous addiction.

Moving on...

I am still running. My legs are still sore. ALL. THE. TIME. I average 8km 4-days a week right now. I think it was 2 weeks ago that I ran the furthest I've run yet - 14km. It took me 110 minutes a.k.a. 1 hour and 50 minutes. As I hobbled back to my car I had one of those epiphany moments that people talk about. It donned on me that 14km is 2/3 of 21km. So I says to myself; I says, "Self, you just ran 2/3 of a half marathon; you only need to be able to run 7 more km. 7km is nothing; you so got this!"

I nearly died the Saturday before the 14km run when I ran 11km. I chalk that up to the fact that I was not hydrating at all. 90 minutes of straight jogging with no water is absolutely NOT a good idea. When I say I nearly died, I mean I had a puke bucket next to be as I drove my exhausted self home. Upon reaching home; I literally collapsed on my bed. Needless to say, I was more prepared for an even longer run the next Saturday. You see, that thing in my mouth is part of something called a CamelBak. You bite the end of the nozzle thingy which produces the pressure required to transfer the water from the pack on your back, through the hose, and into your mouth. There is absolutely no way I could have survived 14km without this contraption. At one point during the run, I thought the water was leaking. I quickly realised that the "water" I was feeling was actually my sweat dripping down my back and butt - attractive, I know.

Another note-worthy event occurred during an 8km run at the gym the other day. In the midst of controlling my breathing while sweat dripped down my face, I happened to exhale at the exact moment that a drop of sweat slid down my top lip. The result: sweat all over the treadmill's television screen. YUM!

If those updates don't make you want to donate to my efforts, I don't know what will!

Inspirational Runners - Tahmina Kohistani Edition

This is the third Olympic-related post in my series of Inspirational Runners. Although the 2012 Games have come to a close, Olympic-fever hasn't quite dwindled just yet. An article about Tahmina Kohistani showed up in my facebook feed today and the first thought that came to my mind was, "I need to blog about her."

Kohistani is a 23-year old university student. She finished last in her 100-metre preliminary race heat with a time of 14.42 seconds. She was the slowest in her event. Rather than rise to medal-induced glory, Kohistani joined the hundreds of non-qualifiers who simply got lost in the crowd.

So what's is so special about her and why is she inspiration-worthy?

Kohistani was the only Afghani woman to compete in London and only the fourth woman from Afghanistan to ever compete in an Olympic Games. If you know anything about gender dynamics in Afghanistan, the fact that Kohistani had to train under protection of a body guard should not surprise you. Her presence at the Games in and of itself is, in fact, quite surprising.

Kohistani aspires to be a teacher. It is her goal to one day open a sports academy for young girls in Kabul. She aspires to encourage young Afghani girls to participate in sports despite the intolerance they will undoubtedly face. Over the long term, Kohistani hopes to affect change in her nation and play a part in moving Afghanistan towards a modern, tolerant mentality.

That is why she is a champion. Olympic medals have nothing to do with it!

Like Kohistani, the students sponsored through WUSC's Student Refugee Program beat incredible odds. They flee war-torn countries, live through the destitution that is a refugee camp, and yet still acquire high enough grades in school to qualify for WUSC's sponsorship program. That is why I am raising money for the program; they, too, are my champions!

Running in Ottawa - WUSC's Leadership Meeting

So I came into work at 8:00 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m. today so that I could take lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (a half hour longer than usual). I needed a longer lunch so that I could do the 55 minute run required by my half marathon training schedule at lunch instead of after work like I usually do.

Here's why:

Gemma and I are heading to Winnipeg tonight (a 2-hour drive) to shack up in the Victoria Inn located 1.5K (says Google Maps) from Winnipeg International Airport. Tomorrow morning our flight to Ottawa leaves at 8:50 a.m. We arrive at Ottawa International Airport at 2:09 p.m. At that point we have to find our way either by city transit or taxi to the University of Ottawa's Residence Complex. We're staying in Marchand Residence and then busing to and from l'Universite du Quebec en Outaouais (sorry, I don't know how to get the little accents over the letters) every day for the Leadership Meeting sessions.

I can't wait!

If you haven't noticed, I love all things WUSC. I've attended the International Forum, held in November, three times now, but I have yet to attend a Leadership Meeting. We're going to spend 3 days - Friday, Saturday, Sunday - talking and acting on all things WUSC: campaigns including the Student Refugee Program (that's the campaign that I am running to raise money for - hence the connection to this blog), international volunteering, and taking action to change the world!

In the midst of all of the wonderful WUSCness, I need to fit in some training. Our days are pretty full with sessions scheduled from 8:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Apparently the Fitness Centre at the UofO is only open from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and closed Saturday and Sunday so that is not very helpful. I'm going to have to run outside...now just to find the time. Thursday is supposed to be 45 to 60 minutes of Cross-Training which would normally include an elliptical run, a stationary bike ride, weights, and core exercises. The only thing I'm likely going to be able to do of those things is core...hmm...I shall have to get creative. I'm supposed to do a 60-minute run on Saturday and a 40-minute run on Sunday - those may prove to be a bit more difficult...perhaps I can run around the airport.

I'm pretty sure I won't have time to blog while I am in my nation's capital, but I will fill you all in when I return all pumped up and inspired and ready to keep changing the world. Spending four days (I'm counting Thursday) with people that care as much about international development and specifically WUSC as I do is going to be incredible!

Running Playlist - Go Hard or Go Home

This is #4 in my series of playlist posts - Just Run, Do It Disney, Save a Stationary Bike, Ride a Cowboy, and now...Go Hard or Go Home!

Disclaimer: Many of these songs are NOT for the faint of heart. Some are sexually explicit, most contain profanities, many are both of these things.

Party Up in Here - DMX
Milkshake - Kellis
All Night Long - Buck Cherry
Sound of Madness - Shinedown
Low - Flo Rida
Till I Collapse - Eminem
Porn Star Dancing - My Darkest Days
Whiskey in the Jar - Metallica
Bad Girlfriend - Theory of a Deadman
Burn It Down - Linkin Park
S&M - Rhianna
Can't Stop - Tupelo Honey
Ante Up - MOP
Shots - LMFAO
Bitch Please III - Eminem, Xzibit, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, TuPac, Ja Rule, DMX

When I make the final playlist for my half marathon I am going to have to find a way to strategically place songs off of this list so that they come on right when I start to lose hope of ever finishing. There is just something about these songs that gives me that extra push. If I had to choose one, it would, without a doubt, be Till I Collapse by Eminem. Whenever that song comes on my iPod I can magically increase my speed and push myself harder. I am sure it is entirely due to the pace of the song, but the lyrics don't hurt either.

"Cause sometimes you just feel tired,
Feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up.
But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength
And just pull that shit out of you and get that motivation to not give up
And not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse."

Enough said.

Now, go hard and then go home, but before that give me a donation (please).

Running Outside vs. Treadmill

For the past 3 weeks or so I've been running on a treadmill as opposed to outside. I realised that this change was a necessity when the daily temperature hit above 30 degrees Celsius for a number of weeks straight. I have yet to be able to bring myself to be an early morning a.k.a before it gets incredibly hot runner so inside an air-conditioned building I went. Yesterday, it was overcast and still hovering around 20 degrees at 10 a.m. when I decided it was time to do my 50-minute run for the day. I drove my car to the edge of my favorite running path, set the timer on my fancy pedometer watch, and away I went.

Overall, I'd have to say that I prefer running outside to inside. Running and actually getting somewhere as opposed to running and never getting anywhere has its perks especially for sanity's sake. I did, however, find it a lot more difficult to pace myself outside. On a treadmill, I know exactly what speed to set the machine at and I keep that pace the entire time, give or take a few adjustments depending on how I happen to be feeling. The days that I can bring myself to hit the "up" arrow are celebration worthy. The days I have to force myself to hit the "down" arrow are not worthy of discussing here. When I ran outside yesterday, I obviously started out entirely too fast because by the time I was at 30 minutes, I was pretty exhausted. I really had to push myself to make it to 50 minutes without stopping to walk.

Running outside also comes with nature's little blunders. Not once, but twice, I stepped on a massive rock (more likely a pebble) that almost brought me to my knees. That is one of the problems with running in Vibrams; they have very little padding on the soles so that they come as close to bare-foot running as a shoe possibly can. When you step on a rock wearing Vibrams, you feel it!

The other thing about running outside, the half marathon is going to be outside. I think that statement is pretty self-explanatory.

My conclusion is that I need to try to run outside as much as I can. For a few months, that should get a bit easier. It's mid-August which means that temperature is going to start dropping considerably. From now until the snow falls, I'll try and have my feet pounding the pavement as opposed to rubbing against the rubber.

...and now for the absolutely necessary link: DONATIONS

The Hot Guy at the Gym

First, I must enter a disclaimer: I have a boyfriend and he is wonderful. We've only been together for a few short months, but I'm pretty sure I love him. Also, he doesn't ever read my blog for whatever reason so my oogling of said "Hot Guy" should never come to his attention. Joe, if you do read this...you know you rock my world...and you're way hotter than "that guy."

Everyday I go to the gym "Hot Guy" comes in like clockwork about  half way through my workout. He's not a huge beefcake (like some of the guys I glance at). He doesn't have flowing blonde locks (like this other guy I watch from time to time). He's not covered in tattoos (like a few other guys I might happen to notice). He's actually kind of short, has a slender build, and wears glasses. 

So why do I have to keep myself from staring at him constantly?! The minor reason is that his arms are rippled with well-defined muscle and if I had to pick a body part on a man that I loved most, it would have to be arms (keep it clean, folks). Strong, toned arms - yep they do it for me! Also he does these ab exercises. They're kind of like the ones in this video, but with a different machine. The other male body part that really does it for me (get your mind out of the gutter; this blog is PG-13 or maybe 14-A) is abs. On a daily basis I envision myself walking over to "Hot Guy" and asking him to raise his shirt so I can 1) see his abs and 2) touch them. Don't you think that would be fun?! If I was single, I would totally muster up the courage, but as I am happily attached, I shall simply continue to oogle from afar. I'm pretty sure he knows I watch him; in fact, he likely enjoys that I watch him...or maybe I am just a few more stare sessions away from having him ask me what my problem is. I prefer the former state of mind. 

Now you are likely thinking I am just a big ol' creep, but come on, I run for long, L-O-N-G, periods of time. I watch tv, I listen to music, and I stare at the cute boys. If it makes me less creepy, I also watch the women. The ones with the incredibly toned physiques that I am jealous of and wish I looked like. The ones that come to the gym all dolled up to walk on the elliptical trainer or ride the stationary bike for ten minutes. The ones that are skinny like I was when I was 18 and will never be again. I don't spend much time watching those skinny girls though. In all honesty (not just because I am jealous) I wouldn't want to be that skinny again. I prefer to oogle the girls that are toned with a solid core that I can tell have worked damn hard to look the way they do. Damn good!

What is perhaps the worst part of the fact that I people-watch, is the accompanying fact that wish I was invisible at the gym. I am quite self-conscious of my lack of physical fitness. The sweat spots I accumulate in unsightly places, my inability to adjust the weight machines properly, the wonderment at whether or not I am maintaining the proper workout form; it all makes me wish I had the gym totally to myself. The reality is likely that no one is watching me at all and I am just an over-anxious, crazy person. But, hey, I'm raising money for a good cause so that makes it all a-ok!

 

Inspirational Runners - Oscar Pistorius Edition

If you are watching the Olympics at all, you will have heard this man's name. Oscar Pistorius is the first Paralympian ever to compete in the Olympics. Did you catch that?! EVER! Pistorius competed in the Men's 400m and the 4x400m Relay for his home nation of South Africa. In the 400m he made it all the way to the semi-finals and while he came just short of making the finals, he is no less a champion. In a moment that demonstrates the true spirit of the Olympics, winner of the semi-final heat, Kirani James asked Pistorius to trade bib numbers with him in the finishing area of the track.

Pistorius is a 4-time Paralymic gold medalist and dons the nickname Blade Runner thanks to his carbon-fibre prosthetics. Following his Olympic debut, Pistorius has now adopted another nickname, The People's Champion. Both of his legs were amputated just below the knee when Pistorius was 11-months old. He attended his first sprint session in January of 2004 and won his first Paralymic gold in September of that same year. O ya, he also set the Paralympic record too. NBD!

Now here's something that really pisses me off. Critics of Pistorius (ya, I have no idea how this man has critics, but he does) say that his carbon-fibre prothetics give him unfair advantage in competitions. I'm not even going to acknowledge that process with any more commentary.

Some wise words from Oscar Pistorius: "You are not disabled by the disabilities you have; you are able by the abilities you have."

This guy is simply amazing and you know what else would be amazing?! A donation to the cause I am running for - I run because they (refugees) have to.

Running Playlist - Save a Stationary Bike, Ride a Cowboy!

This is installment #3 of my Running Playlist blog posts. #1 Just Run! #2 Do It Disney! I'm trying to come up with a diverse array of tunes because I get bored so quickly. The new iPod Shuffle I had to buy because I misplaced my other one has room for 2GB of music. 2GB is a lot. 2GB is about 500 songs. 2GB is about 37.5 hours of music. I sure as shit better finish my half marathon in that amount of time - about a tenth of that would be satisfying, but I'm hoping for less than that. What's really fun about having that much space for music on such an itty bitty device is that I can load all of my awesome playlists and listen to whichever ones I want. Shuffles are very basic though, so switching playlists requires a lot of skipping through individual songs, but I don't have much else to do while running anyway so $50 for 37.5 hours of music sounds good to me.

Ok, now to the playlist. I grew up in a very small town - shout out to Gilbert Plains, Manitoba (if you're lucky, you'll be able to find it on a map). In actuality, I didn't grow up in the town; I grew up on the farm and that's where my enjoyment of country music and this playlist comes from: Save a Stationary Bike, Ride a Cowboy!

• Back Where I Come From - Kenny Chesney
• High Maintenance Woman - Toby Keith
• Blame It On Your Heart - Patty Loveless
• Chicks Dig It - Chris Cagle
• Cotton Eye Joe - Rednex
• Last Name - Carrie Underwood
• Pick Up Man - Joe Diffie
• Watermelon Crawl - Tracy Byrd
• Better Things To Do - Terry Clark
• Kick A Little - Little Texas
• Boot Scootin Boogie - Brooks & Dunn
• Up - Shania Twain
• These Are My People - Rodney Atkins
• I Like It, I Love It - Tim McGraw
• You Can't Lose Me - Faith Hill
• Kiss This - Aaron Tippin
• Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy - Big & Rich

Clearly the title of this playlist is inspired by the last song on the list. I don't care how you do it, just sweat a little from time-to-time! I only included one song from each artist on the list, but if I had to pick just one country music artist to run to, I'd pick Toby Keith. He's got a bunch of upbeat songs perfect for working out. A few others I enjoy are: How Do Like Me Now, Shoulda Been a Cowboy, Beer For My Horses (Willie can rock!), Red Solo Cup, and I Love This Bar. I Love This Bar is kind of slow, but it was huge when I was in college and it brings back some of the best memories I have from those two years of my life. Sometimes a song doesn't have to be upbeat to give you that extra get-up-and-go; it just needs to make you feel good. 

You know what else makes me feel good? DONATIONS :)

Inspirational Runners - Simon Whitfield Edition

Right about now we are in the midst of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. I love it! Watching these impeccable athletes - talk about motivation. Last post I wrote about Caster Semenya, the South African 800-metre star. This time I need to write about a Canadian - I'm Canadian - Simon Whitfield is Canadian.


Simon Whitfield is a triathlete. He swims 1.5km, cycles 43km, and runs 10km. There is a teeny tiny part of me that thinks I could complete a triathlon someday...if I could swim. 


In Sydney (2000) Whitfield won the gold medal. I actually remember watching this event, or at least a re-cap of this event, and feeling so proud to be Canadian. The race finish was just so epic, I had to find it and post it here - "Simon Whitfield Wins Gold". At 1.26 on the video, Whitfield is in third place. At 2.17, he is in second place. By 2.49, he's tied for the lead. The race gets a bit intense around 3.44 as Whitfield falls back a bit, but at 4.33, he flies past Stephan Vuckovic of Germany to win GOLD! In Beijing, he won silver. If he medals in London, he'll be the only triathlete to win a medal in three summer Olympic games. Whitfield was the flag bearer for the Canadian Olympic team - fitting as 2012 is likely to be Whitfield's final Olympic games; here's hoping he goes out with a bang!


Whitfield completed his first triathlon at age 11. I can just imagine how that went..."O, you just completed a triathlon? O, you're only 11? No big deal, really!" AS IF! Another "No Big Deal, Really" topic - Whitfield's Training Schedule: 7.5km swim, 100km bike ride, and a 40km run. Like I said, no big deal, really. HOLY CRAP!


If I didn't think this dude was cool enough, I just read in the brief biography on his website that he donates regularly to charity. He runs and donates to charity. I run and donate to charity. At the very least, you should donate to charity too. 

Marathon Cupcakes: Banana Peanut Butter with Apricot

Apparently all the rave in food networks right now is strange ingredients for cupcakes. My last cupcake post contained a recipe for Sweet Pea Cupcakes with Goat Cheese Icing - strange indeed. This time around, I'm sharing a Cupcake Wars  inspired recipe that is a little less strange, but still atypical in my opinion.

Banana Peanut Butter Cupcake with Apricot Filling and Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

Cupcake:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1 cup chopped peanut butter cups
Heat oven to 350F. Place liners (12) in muffin pan. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add sour cream and vanilla extract. Slowly beat in eggs, one at a time. Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix well. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown and toothpick placed in centre comes out clean. Remove from muffin tin and place on wire rack to cool.

Filling:
2 (6oz) packages dried apricot
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
Place apricots and water in a small saucepan and let stand, covered for 2 hours. Simmer for 20 minutes on very low heat until apricots are soft. Puree in a food processor. Add lemon juice and sugar blending with numerous on/off turns. Add more sugar for a sweeter filling. 


For a How-To on a few different ways to fill the cupcakes, I'm linking you to Annie's Eats.


Frosting:
2 egg whites
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in the top of a double boiler. Heat to 160F, stirring frequently. Pour into electric mixer and whisk at a gradually increasing speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. Frost cupcakes and then torch or place in oven on broil until toasty brown. 


Now you may be wondering what connection these scrumptious cupcakes have to running. Bananas provide the much needed potassium that muscles use to perform efficiently. When you run, you sweat and when you sweat, you lose potassium. Peanut butter is one of the best sports food in existence, packed full of the protein your muscles need to properly function. Apricots are especially beneficial to female runners (like me) because they are rich in iron. Without the proper amounts of iron, the body becomes weak and tired. As for the marshmallow frosting - well - I've got nothin' there...just YUM!

21K Training Schedule

A few posts back (21 Weeks to 21K) I talked about the training schedule that I was following. Since then I've surpassed the repetition of the first week and become fully immersed in 19-week plan. I was also sick for a week and a half and am currently attempting to get myself moved. While I was sick, I wasn't running because that's just a no-no say the experts. Now that I am moving, I'm spending a lot of time packing and unpacking. I don't have time to run; I make time to run.

I finally decided that I should actually show people who are supporting me what I am putting myself through. This way you can feel my pain, feel sorry for me, and donate to make me feel better!

Well, that kind of stinks; you're going to have to actually click on the image so that it enlarges in order to actually read my training schedule. I have faith in your clicking abilities, though; you'll be fine. This week has been a little messed up what with being sick and trying to move. Sunday, I was sick so no run. Monday, I ran 45 minutes instead of resting and apparently lost my iPod :( Do you have any idea how unmotivating it is to run without music?! Tuesday, I ran 40 minutes while watching Dr. Phil. Wednesday, I spent 5 hours after work packing most of what was left in my apartment so no run. Today, I'm supposed to Cross-Train, but since I'll be in Winnipeg until late Saturday which likely means no run, I'm going to do the 45 minute run today that I should be doing Saturday. Instead of resting tomorrow, I'll Cross-Train - or something. As long as I'm getting the accurate amount of running time in each week, I think I'll be a-ok!

Things stay pretty reasonable throughout August until I hit Saturday, the 25th at which point I have to run for a solid hour and a half. Mind you, I have done this already, before I was really following a training plan. My hope is that it will be reasonably nice weather - not too hot, not too cold or rainy - so that I can run outside. An hour and a half on the treadmill really doesn't sound all that appealing to me. An hour and a half running doesn't sound all that appealing either, but it must be done. After all, it's all for a great cause!

All of a sudden, 90 minutes doesn't seem all that bad when I look at the 110 minutes I have to run on September 1st. Once again, hoping for nice outdoor running weather. If not, though, I sort of look forward to asking the gals at Fitness Quest if I can use a treadmill for 4 times the allotted time. You see, the treadmills have a 30 minute limit (which I always exceed, but only by 15 or 20 minutes at this point and it's never really busy when I go to work out anyway). "Would it be alright if I use one of the treadmills for 110 minutes? I'm just training for a half marathon; it's no big deal really." Come on, I get to be conceited every now and again; running for 21K in a row is actually a really big deal - to me anyway ;) As you can see, the training schedule switches from minutes to kilometres in September. Currently, I can run 10K in about 90 minutes (not ideal, but fine by me) so my runs will actually get shorter (if I can maintain my stamina) come the middle of the month. I must also add that today is Miracle Treat Day at Dairy Queen. As you can see by the photo above, I love food - especially dessert. My boyfriend is on his way with a Cookie Dough Blizzard with my name on it right now! 

I feel the need to express my appreciation of the fact that Thanksgiving falls on a Monday - a.k.a. - a Rest Day! Bring on the stuffing (and I am referring to both definitions of the word). At this point I am also curious if I can run and trick-or-treat at the same time - doubtful. BUT, I could go dressed up as a marathon runner for Halloween...hmm...Now before you get all, "you're 28-years old and you still go trick-or-treating? That's outlandish!" on me, let me explain. Every year the Brandon University WUSC Club participates in the Brandon University Students' Union Halloween Food Drive. Campus clubs go around the city and collect non-perishable food items for the university's food bank. See - it's all for another good cause. 

Ok, I digress, back to running and marathon training. I included a pre- and post-workout photo a few blog updates ago. I definitely have the sweating like a pig part down. I also have the eating like a pig part under control. As for the looking like a fox part...we'll just have to see about that after I get a bit more running under my belt. 

In November, you will notice that one of the days - Saturday, November 10 - is highlighted in red. That's because Saturday, November 10 is my longest run leading up to the half marathon. I dread that day. I have nightmares about that day. I also doubt from time to time whether I will actually be able to run that far. When I first read through this schedule I wondered when I would run a full 21K in preparation for the actual race. To my surprise, I never actually run the full 21K during training. Apparently, you don't run a half marathon until you run a half marathon. Apparently, if you can run 19.5K there is little doubt that you can run the additional 1.5K. 

On Sunday, December 2nd, I'll be in Las Vegas running a half marathon. It is my goal to simply finish the race in the allotted time (4 hours). I'll be honest; if I finish dead last, I'll be a little disappointed and embarrassed, but then I'll snap out of it and remind myself that I just ran a half marathon. I'll remind myself that I ran 21K straight for myself and a cause that is so dear to my heart - WUSC's SRP. For me and for them, I will run!

Running Playlist - Do it Disney!

Who doesn't love Disney? I sure do! The super fun songs from classic Disney movies provide a nice change from typical running tunes. I've got songs from The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and The Beast, Marry Poppins, The Jungle Book, Aladdin, Snow White, Pocahontas, Cinderella, Robin Hood, Lady and The Tramp, and Mulan. You recognise all of those right? Ok, then I have a couple songs from movies I've never heard of - The Monkey's Uncle and The Wonderful World of Color. Finally, I have the Mickey Mouse Club theme song and a sing-a-long song from the 1930s. Let's do something fun; I'll post the songs and you guess which Disney film they're from! I like games; don't you?

When you do as much running as I do, you quickly tire of the same old playlists which is the major reason I've decided to create and post these. I know how difficult it is to find good running music. Round 1 = Just Run. Now for Round 2:

Do it Disney

• Circle of Life
• Under the Sea
• Hakuma Matata
• I Just Can't Wait to Be King
• Chim Chim Cheree
• Spoonful of Sugar
• Monkey's Uncle
• Work Song
• Minnie's Yoo Hoo
• Be Our Guest
• One Jump Ahead
• Gaston
• Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
• Bare Necessities
• Let's Go Fly a Kite
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo
• Heigh Ho
• Colors of the Wind
• O-de-lally
• I'm Professor Ludwig Von Drake
• The Siamese Cat Song
• Make a Man Outta You

There you have it Disney-loving runners - 22 songs at approximately 2.5 minutes each for a total of 55 minutes. That's a short, but good run and might be just enough Disney. I'll admit, as much as I love Disney, the songs start to all sound the same at a certain point of extended listening. This list should be just enough to keep you singing along and bopping your head while you run your heart out!

If these songs made you grin, how about making my day and donating to my run? - I'll sing you a Disney song ;)

What's your favorite Disney movie? song?

Inspirational Runners - Caster Semenya Edition

This WOMAN (the reason for the all-caps to follow) is incredible! Caster Semenya is a native of South Africa's Limpopo region which borders Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. When she started running seriously, Semenya didn't have a state-of-the-art fitness facility to train in; she didn't even have anything that came relatively close to resembling a running track. Semenya and other members of the Moletjie Athletics Club train through South African bush scraping and wounding their bare feet on brambles and thorns. 


In 2008, Semenya won the gold medal for her event (the 800-metre) at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India. That same year, at the African Junior Athletics Championships in Mauritius, Semenya won her second gold medal. She now held the South African record for the 800-metre. In 2009, she entered her first senior competition, the World Championships in Berlin. Semenya won the race by a two and a half seconds - flying past her competition. Like I said, SHE's (I'm getting to the all-caps) incredible!


Ok, here it is - the reason for the all-caps: 
Because of her impeccable race times and the interpretation by some that her physical appearance was somewhat "unfeminine", for the next two years, Semenya's gender was questioned. Wait, what?! Yes, you read that right. Semenya's gender was not only investigated by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), but it was smeared far and wide throughout the media. For two years, she was poked and proded, harassed and ridiculed. 


In 2011, her name and genitals were cleared by the IAAF and Semenya could "officially" compete as a WOMAN. She finished second at the Worlds in South Korea. 


Semenya is the favorite to win the 800-metre at the London 2012 Olympics. SHE will also be the athlete carrying South Africa's flag during the opening ceremonies. I typically cheer for my fellow Canucks, but in the Women's 800-metre, I'll be rooting for Caster!


I always end these Inspirational Runner blogs off with some wise words from the featured athlete. Throughout this entire ordeal, Semenya has been rather silent - and rightly so. I did find something that made me smile in an article I read in the New Yorker that was written during the time Semenya was banned from competitive running while the IAAF investigated her gender. With a smile on her face, Semenya told the reporter, "Now I just have to walk away. That's all I can do. Walk away from all of this, maybe forever. Now I just walk away."


Like Semenya, the students I am running my half marathon to support come from areas of Africa where sports are played bare foot in dirt fields. In spite of what we would perceive as insurmountable hardships, these students keep smiling and with our help will flourish! Please donate to WUSC's SRP and give these students a chance!

Marathon Cupcakes - Sweet Pea

I recently started watching Cupcake Wars, a reality baking show on the Food Network. As I comfied (I'm an English Major; I get to make up words) myself on my futon and began streaming the latest episode of my new television addiction, I was thrilled to find that the show's theme was the L.A. Marathon.

Honestly, the best part of the sweat and the stink and the pain is the FOOD that I can eat without gaining a pound. I pretend to wonder why I'm not losing any weight while doing all of this constant exercise, but I know exactly why I'm not; I'm a glutton. It doesn't help that after a cardio session the human body craves sugar (I'm not making that up; my doctor said so) and I have a ridiculous sweet tooth. Enter marathon-themed cupcakes!

Pea Cupcake with Goat Cheese Frosting

Cupcake:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups peas, pureed
2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
Blend eggs and sugar until well mixed. Add oil, vanilla, lemon juice, and peas. Mix. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix. Bake at 375 F for 14-16 minutes or until a cake tester (you could use a toothpick) comes out clean. Set aside to cool. 


Frosting:
2 cups (15 ounces) fresh goat cheese
3/4 cup (6 ounces) cream cheese
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Blend cheeses well first and then add sugar. 


Peas are one of the most nutritious leguminous vegetables rich in phyto-nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and anti-oxidants.

Don't knock 'em until you try 'em!

Running Playlist - Just Run

If you are like me, you can't run without good music to keep you going. After spending countless hours searching for and adding songs to to my running playlists I've decided it's high time that I share them. I'd like to thank Julie at Peanut Butter Fingers (absolutely love the name of her site, by the way) for the inspiration not only to write this series of blog posts, but also for some really great tune suggestions to add to my lists!

I have a bunch of specialised lists to share with you folks, but I'll start off with something quite generic that contains songs that most people are likely to recognise. For fun's sake and because every list needs some kind of title, I'm calling this playlist, Just Run.

• M.I.A. - Paper Planes
• Night Like This - Shawn Desman
• Boom Boom Boom - Venga Boys
• Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys
• Give Me Everything - Pitbull
• Firework - Katy Perry 
• All of the Lights - Kanye West
• Grace Kelly - Mika
• My Body - Young the Giant
• Jump - Flo Rida
• Tightrope - Janelle Monae
• Raise Your Glass - Pink
• She's the Blade - Sugarcult
• Freaky Girl - Shaggy
• Some Nights - Fun. 
• Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
• You're a Superstar - Love Inc.
• Pump It - Black Eyed Peas 
• Omobolasire - Prozzak
• Ohio (Come Back to Texas) - Bowling for Soup

And there we have it - 20 songs at approximately 3.5 minutes each for a total of about 70 minutes - not enough time to run a half marathon, but enough time to get a good run in none-the-less.

My top pick from this list would have to be "My Body" by Young the Giant. The first time I actually made it to 5K was thanks in large part to fact that this song came on when I thought I was finished. The lyrics, "my body tells me no, but I won't quit cause I want more," gave me the motivation I needed to push myself to that 5K mark.

Another point of interest attached to this list involves "Night Like This" by Shawn Desman. I saw him live at a local club. When he performed this song, he grabbed my hand, stared into my eyes, and had me sing along with him! I haven't washed my hand since. I joke. I kid. But really now, the man is f-i-n-e. If he was waiting for me at the end of the half marathon, perhaps my time would increase a tad! A girl can dream, right?!

Speaking of dreams, if you like this playlist how about a donation to make some realistic dreams come true for students in refugee camps.

Is there a song on this list that is connected to a memory for you? I'd love to hear about it!

Monkeys Don't Wear Shoes; Stupid Humans!

If you've been reading my blog you know that I am planning to run the half marathon in my Vibrams. I decided to write a blog post about the benefits of FiveFinger running because EVERY time I wear my Vibrams in a public place, I get the most ridiculous comments from people who have no idea what the purpose of the shoes is.

People say things like: "Those look like monkey shoes." - O, really?! That is definitely the look I was going for. I am so glad you noticed...or not - monkey's don't even wear shoes, idiot! What is even worse is that when you type "monkey shoes" into Google, the first images that come up are of Vibrams. I also commonly get laughed at and not in a nice, those-are-so-cool way. No, typically, it's in a those-are-completely-ridiculous way. Once again, thanks are in order because, you know, I wear them to make a fashion statement, not because of the natural movement benefits or anything like that.

Now to the point of this rambling, WHY I WEAR VIBRAMS a.k.a. Your Barefoot Education:

In short, Vibram FiveFingers fit and assist the natural form and function of the foot. The benefits of running barefoot are supported by scientific research (even Harvard says so) and there is significant evidence that training shoeless allows for faster and farther running with fewer injuries. Of course, it's ridiculous to just toss out the running shoes we've been using forever and take to the streets bare foot - BUT - Vibrams provide the protection our feet need while also providing the closest sensation to the natural act of being bare foot. I bet that's exactly why monkey's don't wear shoes; they've had it right all along. Stupid humans! Vibrams allow us to land on our forefoot rather than our heel, resulting in optimum balance and less impact. Trust me, you'll definitely notice the muscle strengthening they provide in your feet and lower legs.

To get more specific, the Vibram FiveFingers I run in are called Bikila's; they are designed to provide the most natural running experience of all the Vibram brands. I actually just realised this fun fact recently which led me to the further realisation that it's no wonder my transition from bulky, unnatural running shoes to Vibrams was so slow and painful at times. Perhaps I should have done a tad more research and started with a brand that allowed for a slightly lesser "learning curve" for my body. No sense in dwelling on the past...forward ho! I actually need a new pair (which is how I found out what brand I'm actually wearing) so soon to be charged to my credit card are these fine specimens:

I can't wait to break them in! 

Now that you have your Vibram education, you should consider trying out a pair. Also, rather than considering it, you should just go ahead and make a donation towards the 21K that I will be running with my Vibrams! 

Inspirational Runners - Fauja Singh Edition

In keeping with my weekly Tuesday blog post featuring inspirational runners I am going to talk about Fauja Singh - the world's oldest marathon runner. Singh is currently 101 years old and recently ran his last full marathon.


Are you kidding me?! Dude's been alive for a century and he's still running marathons?! I would kiss this man's feet; even if they stink as bad as mine do after a run, I would still kiss this man's feet.


Singh is originally from India and currently resides in Ilford, East London. He ran his last full marathon, the Virgin London Marathon, in 7 hours 49 minutes and 21 seconds. In his gender category, Singh finished 36,687th out of approximately 37,500 runners. Singh is now retired from full marathon running, but plans to continue participating in shorter runs from 5km to half marathons. 


Seriously?! If a 101 year-old man can run a half marathon without dying, surely I can...right?!


In 2011, Singh set the Guinness Record for oldest man to complete a marathon in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. In 2012, he broke his own record. Sadly, the Guinness Book of Records will not recognise his achievement because age-related events need to be verified with a birth certificate which Singh does not have. Admittedly, however, Singh had no idea that the Guinness Records even existed until he was told about them. He is quoted as saying: "My job is to run and I will continue to do that. Recognition by any book or agency will not affect my spirit towards running" (Daily News and Analysis, India).

Singh's biography is entitled Turbaned Tornado and it attempts to capture the centenarian's marathon spirit. Singh began running at age 80 after the death of his wife (if he can start at 80, I think I can start at 28) and trains every day, running at least 10 miles. Singh was a torch bearer in the 2004 Athens Olympics and hopes to once again bear the Olympic torch in the upcoming London Games. 


Wise words from Fauja Singh: "Be grateful for everything you have, stay away from people who are negative, stay smiling, and keep running." ... and donate to Brandy's cause to keep her running! (Ok, maybe I made that part up, but I'm sure Fauja would approve of you supporting me.)