Well, well, well....

And so it ends....

My marathon plans are off.  Not really in the mood to discuss.

On a good note, I did run in the Times Colonist 10k Race on April 27th, and totally amazed myself.  In December, when I registered and was on a steady training regimen, I put myself into the 60-69 minute class.  With the events of the past few months, I allowed myself some leeway in that time and went into race day with a goal of finishing in under 90 minutes....because I know that I can walk 10k in that time if I really try.  I wasn't sure how my ankle would feel, as I had been holding off on too much training because it really seems to aggravate it.  I was pumped and felt the adrenaline start pumping as we all mingled like cattle in the stocks....

And the race started....and lo and behold, I was passing people!  I felt great.  I've never felt that good running.  I had planned on taking as many walking breaks as I needed, or rather, planned on running when I could....but it was necessary at all...I took a few breaks but only managed to walk about 100m through the whole race, because whenever I would stop running, my legs would just walk really fast, which would lead me to run again.  It was almost an involuntary response.  It felt amazing.  The farther I ran, the prouder I was of myself.  I listened to some of my favorite local bands/musicians while I ran...Started out with The Lion, The Bear, The Fox...was brought to tears during Home (Thanks guys!), luckily I was sweating enough that I don't think anyone noticed.  There was some Vince Vaccaro in the middle, and at the end my good friend Jason Lowe helped me cross the finish line...Snow on the Cimmarrons was playing.

Of course upon crossing the finish line, you don't actually know your time...you only see the time from when the whole race started...which was 22 minutes before I crossed the start line.  They do a wave start, so everyone is staggered to ease congestion and help separate faster runners from slower ones.  It wasn't until I got on my phone to check facebook that I found out my time.  I finished the race in 1:08:54.....totally killed my goal and finished strong.  I treated myself to a 15 minute post-race massage and then biked to my sister's house to hang out for the rest of the day.  I managed to eat lunch, and then promptly passed out on the couch for a couple of hours.

The next day wasn't as bad as I expected either.  My quads were tight so climbing the ladder all day at worked really sucked, but otherwise I was fine.  I could still ride my bike and survived quite well.

And so, my running glory is on hold.  But if I never run another race in my life, I know I can always be proud for what I've already accomplsihed.

I've got a lot of people to thank for their support....and you know who you are.  THANK YOU.

Feeling the Effects of Training...

Training is temporarily on hold.  

When I was 16 I broke my right ankle, no big fanfare, just slipped on a patch of ice and that was that...all seemed fine until two weeks later when they decided that I needed to have surgery to put a screw in my ankle.  So off I went to Red Deer that same day, to have emergency surgery to install the necessary hardware.  About four years later, I noticed that I didn't really have any support in that ankle due to the ligaments having been torn during the break.  I was referred to another surgeon, who removed the screw since it was no longer needed, and used tendons in my leg to secure the outside of my ankle.  I was never offered any physiotherapy at the time (that I can rememeber).  I've had very limited range of motion in that ankle ever since, which hasn't affected my daily activities at all...so no big deal.  Until now.  I went for a run February 28th, and when I was done I hurt.  I hurt bad.  My ankle was killing me.  It hurt to lift my foot up onto the ottoman.  I iced it, and tensored it, and went to the doctor the next day, worrying that I had a stress fracture, from all my training.  X-rays happened Monday morning, and Tuesday I got the results.  Better than what was feared.  Apparently there are calcified bone fragments on the outer side of my ankle, that are irritating my tendon that is holding my ankle steady.  I went for physio at Diversified Health Clinic ( I LOVE THIS PLACE) and got the whole shebang.  Laser, ultrasound and electro-therapy, and a nice little massage on my ankle, some KT Tape and everything felt great.  Nicole gave me stretches to do at home and told me to go for a run the following Sunday.  And that I did.  I could feel the irritation in my ankle, but it wasn't unbearable.  That night however, the intense pain and swelling were back.  Good thing I had another physio appointment early the next day!  Another round of therapies and I was out the door like a hot damn, with instructions to NOT RUN until further notice.  I am officially behind in my training, which scares me alot, but I will get through this.  I go back again tomorrow for some more physio....hope it goes well.  

So, that's why I haven't been writing...It's hard to write about running when you can't run.  Don't give up on me.  I need your support more now than ever...I will finish this damn marathon, even if I have to walk the whole thing.  

I saw Spirit of the West (my all time favorite band) with my best friend Gina last night, at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver.  It was a spectacular show and we got to see John Mann awarded with the Beautiful Heart Award, and the entire band inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame.  It was a special night.  We even got in a quick chat with Vince at the end of the night.  Got to show off my turtle tattoo (SOTW logo) to Vince and Tobin.  It was a fantastic night and I'm glad I got to share it with my best friend.  

And now, its time to sign off and get a good night's sleep!!  If you are bored, could you send the ankle gods a little prayer so that I can start training again.  Much appreciated.

Apologies are due....

Ok, so I know I've been shitty with the whole blogging thing lately....I'M SORRY!!!

My running has been going well...not training as much as my schedule calls for, but I'm still on track as far as times and distances go.  I'm finding that my 8km/1 hour runs are quite comfortable now, which amazes me.  Tomorrow night shall be a run night.  Last night was spent at my sister's place, to watch the premiere of Survivor (season 5000)....I haven't missed a single season and I'm not about to start now!  I've even gone so far as to book myself in for only day shifts on Wednesdays.  I stayed overnight at Jen's, since I had to open this morning, and I was too lazy to even consider biking home at 10:30pm.

Tonight, I got to spend the evening enjoying some great music made by some really funny guys.  Ryan McMahon, Christopher Arruda and Cory Woodward, more commonly known as (not in the proper order) The Lion, The Bear, The Fox played at Andy's house tonight.  Fantastic show.  I had the immense pleasure of hosting Ryan for a small show at my place on Saturday.  It was a great evening, with my pal, Jason Verners performing some crazy magic before Ryan took center stage.  A small group of friends and family made the night super enjoyable and cozy.  Big thanks to Keith Encinas of South Island House Concerts, for helping out with seating and planning/advertising.  The weather halted some guests in their tracks (Sorry Scotty!) which meant less people, but overall a good night was had.  Ryan will be playing here again on October 24th, which I couldn't be any more excited about!!

I'm hoping that as my marathon date draws closer (101 days to go), that all you lovely people will send a few bucks into the SRABC to help make their services more prominent and accessible to folks like Kori, who I might add is doing wonderfully!

I had a nice visit with Kori the other night out at VGH.  Spent a few hours just chatting, sharing a few tears, talking about rehab strategies.  It is amazing to see the determination that he has to get back to his life.  He leaves the hospital for a visit home tomorrow, then is back Sunday, and officially leaves VGH on March 5th.  I'm sad to see him go, but his therapists here have run their course and it's time for a change.  I know Kori is excited to get home and keep pushing himself in his therapies and rehab.

Well, that's about all I can spout off about for now....I'll be back, sooner than later!

So I've Been Slacking....

Yep, I'll admit it.  I haven't really felt like running this past week...it's quite sad.  I have also not been feeling much like sharing my world.

Today, that changed.  I visited Kori in the hospital tonight, and it was amazing to see how well he is doing.  His outlook is so positive and he pushes himself everyday.  He has really high goals, and I know he will reach them.  With Mary's support, and the support of friends and family around him, he will do it.  He is looking forward to a couple of weekends at home to see how things go...sounds like he won't be here in Victoria too much longer!!  YAY!!!

As far as my running goes.....I've only been for 3 runs this month.  Yikes!  I keep reminding myself that I am way ahead of my training schedule, but at the same time, that can't be an excuse to not get out and run.  That being said, I completed my longest run ever on February 4th.  I set out for my goal of 35 minutes...easy peasy....but got lost and ended up running 7.3 miles in 1 hour and 32 minutes.  So forgive me for taking some time off...I may have died a little bit on that run.

I'm planning on running after work tomorrow, which should be fun.  I'm going to send an email out to Tim @ SRABC tonight, and see if he has any fundraising info for me yet...

If you haven't checked out the links on the right hand side of this page...you really should!!!!!  Fun stuff over there!!

Short and sweet....time to deal with real life things, like laundry and dishes.

127 Days....Not that I'm counting

It's been a crazy week.  Really, no more so than normal, but I struggled to "go with the flow" this week.  Worked an 11 hour day on Wednesday, then 9 hours on Thursday...Thankfully, I was able to go home after only 5 hours on Friday.  My benefits kicked in on Tuesday, so that's exciting.  Time to get my eyes checked!  Last time they were checked was 2009!!  I'm probably way more blind that I think.

Today was my glorious day off, and according to my training schedule, the day for my long run.  Until mid February, I am on timed runs, as opposed to distance runs, so the goal for today was 45 minutes.  I nailed it, setting up a new route in my running app (MapMyFitness) and tackling a hill that I've been dreading.  I've only managed to bike up it once, but running it was no problem!!  This new route will probably become a favorite because it includes hill training (up and down), different terrain (asphalt, concrete and dirt) and new views.

I finished off January with 51.95 miles under my feet, and I'm looking forward to kicking that number right outta the water in February, and every month after that.  I took it pretty easy in January, with injury and illness taking a toll, now it's time to buckle down and keep on track with my schedule.

In Kori news....here's a link to his Facebook fan page....my sister managed to get a video of Kori being a show off, and it makes me smile everytime I see it.   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kori-Lynchs-Fan-Club/693646614001739

I'm hoping to get to see Mary next time she is in town, which should be next weekend.  She is here this weekend but I didn't get a chance to connect.

Some of you may know, I participated in the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay Run in 2012, and was so incredibly proud to be able to be a part of such a community driven event.  I sent the Rick Hansen Foundation a bit of info about my fundraising and they featured me in a Tweet...kinda made my day.  We can use all the fanfare and support we can get.

Well, work calls in the morning, so I should probably close these tired eyes, or else I'll end up going for a run.

And GO TIME!!!!!

What a wonderful day it has been so far.  I really enjoy my days off from work, but only when they are split up...if they are together then I manage to accomplish nothing at all, but when I have two separate days off then I get everything done in half the time, trying to maximize my days!  Weird, I know.

I went biking today, first decent ride in awhile, and it was a short one.  Only 17.8km, but it was good to get back on my bike.  Then I finished off with a 2.7km run near my sister's house, since we are having pizza dinner and games night!!  It will likely be my last night with my niece, Ayla, until she returns from her worldly adventure.  She is headed to Asia and Australia for at least a year, with plans for two years.  She will be missed for sure.

I finally got in touch with Tim from the Stroke Recovery Association of BC today...my fault for the delay, I've been slacking.  He has issued the official go-ahead for fundraising, and posted on their Twitter and Facebook accounts about my efforts...I feel special and am feeling a renewed sense of go-get-em today!  

So, now you want to know how to donate...it's really really simple I promise.  If you want to donate online, go to this page http://strokerecoverybc.ca/donate-to-srabc/.  You'll see there is a note about directing your donation to a specific branch...in order for them to keep track of my fundraising, please include only the following in your special instructions ‘Kim Cameron Marathon Appeal’ as this is what they will be looking for when tabulating and receiving the funds!

There are instructions for donating by cheque and snail mail as well, using the same special instructions as above.  If you want to donate cash, and are in the Victoria area, feel free to stop by Warehouse One in Hillside Mall and I'll make sure the money gets where it needs to go!!

I'm also being featured in the next SRABC newsletter, which comes out on February 10th and can be found here: http://strokerecoverybc.ca/snippets-2013/.

And in running news...I downloaded my Nike+ app on December 25th, since then I have suffered through completed 13 runs, for a total of 42.09 miles!!  I'm feeling good and strong now that my lungs are cleared and I'm super excited to keep training.  

Official training starts Sunday, and I'm already so far ahead of where the plan starts me...it will be nice to really keep track of what I'm doing and how much faster I'll be going!

Well folks, I'm going to pig out on pizza now!  Catch you on the flip side!!

Another day....

I keep telling myself that I just need another day off....no training...but then I remember that I have a lot of miles (yes, I use miles) to log before I get to the end of my training, let alone my marathon.

I ended up with a bacterial respiratory infection, which had me laying low for awhile.  Made it difficult to breathe while running.  Got meds from the doctor and I'm feeling much better.  The good thing is that it takes an average of two to three weeks to actually lose any ground you've gained when it comes to running.  I've managed two runs in a week which isn't as bad as I thought.

Time to kick it into high-gear though...fundraising needs to start ASAP, so that we can make a difference to Mary and Kori, and the community of Nanaimo.  Kori is going through his rehab here in Victoria, and has a daily schedule of different therapies.  Jen went to visit last week and Kori did his own laundry and is now walking a 10ft hallway three times during his therapy.  Amazing to hear about all the milestones.  Mary has returned to Nanaimo during the weekdays, and is here on weekends.  I'm sure it's hard on her to be away from Kori, but she needs some semblance of a normal life too.

I'm preparing myself mentally for the run I'm about to endure, and I think it's going to be a good one.  At least that's what I'm telling myself.  I went for a run last night and my right tibialis anterior (http://thecyberdojo.brinkster.net/lowerleg_front.jpg) seized up about halfway through, which resulted in me running like a drunk elephant.  I'm sure half the city could hear my right foot crashing into the ground.  I've learned to stay light on my feet while running, as it is a real energy saver and allows me to run much farther, but when a muscle decides it doesn't want to function, that all comes to an end.

Not much else to report on the fitness front...just need to get my ass in gear!!

In case you haven't taken the time to listen to it...Here is the song that my title came from....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_Dmilr2T10

I'm not a huge Hedley fan but this song really wakes me up and reminds me that I CAN do anything that I set my mind to.  I'm sure Kori hates them too, but I think if he at least read the lyrics, he would understand how a few words can change alot.

The shoes are calling......later!!

Runner's High??

We've all heard about it....the mythical Runner's High.  Is it real??  I'd like to think so.  Today, I'm not feeling that high.  Despite running longer and farther than I have in a long time, my body did not enjoy this run.  4.52 miles almost killed me tonight.  Since I started using my Nike+ app I've accumulated over 30 miles of running...I forgot to turn the app on one day, so my official total is at 26.93 miles.  I'm not gonna lie, I've enjoyed every mile of it, until today.

Being sick yesterday really took the wind out of my sails.  Slowed me down a lot, and my breathing is super wheezy tonight.  Chest feels ultra heavy, which probably isn't a good sign.  Might be time to take a day or two off and let my body catch up on rest.  Yeah, I know, that was a funny thought.  Take time off from training, as if.

I want to feel that Runner's High again, as I so often do...even when I come home totally exhausted from a run, I feel good and know that I deserve that nice hot bubble bath that follows most runs.  Every once in awhile I force myself into an ice water bath, as it really does help keep any troublesome inflammation down.

Why do I run??  Running gives me a sense on control, in a world where we have so little control over anything.  The thoughts running through my head while I run vary everyday, but at least half of them are "If I turn left here I could cut a few blocks off my run and be home sooner"...to which I reply "Not a chance dummy, you came out to run, so run."  Yes, I do realize that I talk to myself while I run.  I also decide what to have for dinner, and what to wear to work the next day.  It's a fairly productive time, while not doing anything but running.  Running puts me into a different head space, where nothing seems as bad as it did while I was sitting on the couch, it gives me the freedom to just escape if I need to.  I can't tell you how many miles I've run without realizing they were going by...because my mind just wanders.

I look forward to my run everyday, and while it isn't my only activity of the day (I bike 4km to and from work everyday) it is by far my favorite.  Knowing that my own strength and willpower is enough to keep me going is a great feeling.

And now it's time for food!!

A Little Under The Weather

Went to bed late, woke up early feeling like absolute death.  Managed to make it to work, and stay there for six hours before I headed home for some rest.  I've managed to keep lunch down, which was a bowl of soup, and dinner was ok since it consisted of a handful of crackers.  Lots of water, and some electrolyte tabs (cuz every runner should have them) and I'm sure I'll survive.

Needless to say, today was a day off from training.  When I woke up about an hour ago I decided I should actually write out my training plan on the calendar, so that I can stay on track.  To my surprise and delight, my official training doesn't start for another two weeks!!  Yay for freedom!  I say that, but I know that I'll be out there training just as much as I already have.  It really is an addiction.  The hard part for me will be sticking to the training schedule, which starts off with timed runs, as opposed to distance runs, and includes two days of complete rest, and one day of cross-training each week.  We'll see how I do on those rest days.  Luckily, the rest days fall on Mondays and Fridays, both of which tend to be my most dreaded days of the week, so I will probably learn to enjoy them.  And if I don't, there really isn't any harm in a short little run down to the ocean.

Kori is doing well in his recovery, not to say that it is going to be a quick process at all, but he is already doing more than we thought was possible at this stage in the game.  Mary has gone back to Nanaimo to spend a few days with her boy there.  Should be good for her spirit to get some rest and be away from the hospital for a bit.  I had the pleasure of spending Mary's birthday with her last weekend, and it was a nice day out.  We went for sushi lunch, and then went thrift store shopping (sadly Macklemore was not present)...She is a gem for sure.  Such a strong spirited woman.

Since moving to Victoria, I've become a huge fan of House Concerts...small intimate, often acoustic sessions with some really awesome artists, hosted by my friends', Andy and Keith.  I've seen John Mann, Vince Vaccaro, Steph MacPherson, Sit Down Servant, Shawn Verreault, Jason Lowe and The Lion, The Bear, The Fox, the band which features my new pal Ryan McMahon.  I am lucky enough to have a comfortable enough living room that I have invited Ryan to play a small show at my place in February.  Very excited about this opportunity.  The shows I've attended are usually between 40-75 people, so it will be very different with only 20 people at my show.  Preparations are well underway for the night, and I have to give thanks to Ryan for being willing to play, and to Keith Encinas of South Island House Concerts, for his help and support in planning.

I've actually got a weekend of house concerts coming up on the 17th and 18th of this month...the first is at Andy's featuring Jason Lowe, who I met a few months ago and am in constant awe of his talent and amazing spirit.  The other will be out at Keith's place, featuring Scotty Hills, a fantastic Island artist.

If you want to hear some good new music check these boys out....

www.jasonlowemusic.com
www.scottyhills.com
www.vincevaccaro.com
www.ryanmcmahon.com
www.thelionthebearthefox.com


And with that, I bid you good night, and happy listening.

Sunday, Fun Day, right??

American Hustle,  not a bad movie, especially when you learn that the real name for a microwave is science oven.  And that it cooks things with science.  That is how I spent the end of my afternoon....at the movie with my sister, Jen.  Always a good time, especially when there are really noisy people sitting behind Jen.

So my Nike+ app has recorded my runs, but not synced them to my account...which is aggravating.  Sounds like they are working on a fix for it which is good.  It's mostly annoying to not have it working, because I have no idea if I am ahead of my competitors or not...my competitors being my dad, who is 67, and my other sister, Lisa, who is 47.  

I believe I'm somewhere around 19 miles for the week.  I've run seven days straight now, and may actually take a day off tomorrow, but probably not, because when I get home from work I see my runners and they scream at me "TAKE US RUNNING!!!!!!"....I am ok with admitting that my running addiction may have cost me a bit of my sanity at this point.  Why else would I commit to running 42km in a stretch of a few hours??  

Maria finally registered for the Edge to Edge Marathon, which was a relief!  I was so scared she would bail on it, which would present a whole other round of obstacles involving transportation, and how the hell I could run all that way on my own.  

I saw Blue Rodeo last night with Jen...it was amazing, especially seeing Jim Cuddy and his son Devin perform together.  I didn't get home until right around midnight, but as usual, walked in the house and saw my runners, and knew I just had to go running.  I got a new pair of running tights yesterday.  Full length and thicker than the ones I've been wearing, so it was a good night to test them out.  I LOVE UNDER ARMOUR running gear!!  So I guess with my midnight run, and then my run mid-afternoon today, that means I had two runs today...not too shabby.

My shins are feeling it this week...which means I'll torture myself with some stair running this week...not as cruel as it sounds, since I get to do it right beside the ocean.  It's pretty awesome at night when I can go for a run along the beach, and see the stars, while still in the city.  

Well, not too  much else to share tonight...just laying here eating ice cream and brownies, like any good training runner would do, right???? 

Until next time...

7 am & Rain

Ah what to say about today...it was long, and tedious.  With Christmas being done and over with, and everyone broke as shit, it was the day to do markdowns at work.  Ashlee and I were at work at 7am to get a good head start on the day before customers could interrupt us.  That being said, I'm tired.

When I'm not injured from crashing my bike, I ride my bike to and from work everyday, so today was no different.  Rainy day that it was, I put on my gear and made it to work without too much fanfare.  The ride home was a little different.  My bike is equipped with front and rear fenders, so that I don't end up covered in street muck everyday, but when a huge truck passes by you in the rain, its inevitable...I arrived home with a nice spray of wet dirt over the legs and face.  THANK YOU BIG TRUCK!!

Rather than wait until I was warm and cozy, I decided to head out for my run right away, wet running tights and all.  I use two different apps to track my running...Nike+ so that my dad can pick on me, because he is a stronger runner than I am, and MapMyFitness because I've been using it forever and don't want to lose the progress that I've made while using it!  Tonight's run was 3.92 miles and it was a tough one.  I have my good days and my bad days, as we all do.  I detest stretching, which I know limits my performance and leads to my being stiff and sore everyday, but I tie up those runners and hit the pavement anyway.

I've been on 3 runs since I started using the Nike+ app, accumulating 10.5 miles...seems easy when I think I only have to do that four more times....then I remember I have to do it all in a matter of a few hours, not a few weeks.  I'll get there, I swear, mainly because I'm a stubborn a-hole, but also because I know I deserve to be fit and strong enough to do it.

And now, it's time for sleep.

Day One of Forever

In the words of Hedley (no, I don't care if you don't like them)....I can do ANYTHING!!  

The past year of my life has been full of curve balls and struggles and freedom and learning.  And I wouldn't change a thing about it.  I've been given the opportunity to get to know myself...all on my own.  I've discovered who I am.  

The greatest thing I have discovered in the past year is my passion for running.  And a desire to make a difference.  I've run before, and I can tell you it was not something I ever thought I would be passionate about.  It was uncomfortable and painful, mostly because I was overweight and out of shape.  I also never had a goal to reach.

I've set a goal.  The Edge to Edge Marathon between Tofino and Ucluelet.  That's right, I'm going to run 42km, and try not to die doing it.  I had originally planned on running a few small races in Victoria this year, including the Times Colonist 10km in April, and then tackle the E2E in June of 2015...lots of time to train and really get ready, and of course, slack off if I felt like it.  I asked my friend Maria to join me in my goal.  She agreed, but with one crazy change...we had to do it this summer, not next.  I am pretty sure I cried when she told me.  

It took me a few days to agree to the new super fast-forwarded plan, but I did.  That being said, I fully believed that I had six and a half months to train for the challenge.  Not so.  Early December brought freezing rain to Victoria, which inevitably meant I would wipe out on my bike and smash up my knee pretty badly.  I'm still recovering from that crash.  And of course, another bike crash that landed me a mild concussion and dislocated shoulder just before Christmas put another hault on the training.  

So, today marks day 1 of my official training for the marathon.  I've got 159 days until I conquer my goal.  I've never been so intimidated by such a small number before.  

Back in late November, a friend of my sister's (therefore automatically a friend of mine) suffered a massive stroke...at the age of 37, Kori's life came to a standstill.  It didn't take me long to come up with a plan.  Since I'm going to be working my ass off training for my race, I may as well raise some money and awareness for a good cause.  I found the Stroke Recovery Association of BC and discovered that they have a branch located in Nanaimo, where Kori and his wife, Mary live.  I'm in contact with the Executive Director of the SRABC, and we are working on a fundraising plan, which should be in place by February.

I got off my ass tonight, determined to get a run in on the first day of 2014, and had my most consistent run ever.  Helps to start off strong.  

And with that, I am off to bed.  Work starts early tomorrow, and my brain is too mushy to write anything else tonight!