one quick picture

5:11:50 or so

Well. I finished it, and I did not die.

Details to follow, but here are some points to tide you over:

--running through empty container ports is boring
--running along the ocean with the wind at your back is lovely
--running along the ocean with the wind blowing at you is not lovely

I´d like to officially blame the wind for my slower-than-I-would-have-hoped finish, and, well, myself for finishing at all.

Go me!

Love from,
Sarah

I made it! PLEDGE ONLINE!

I'm running the Reykjavik marathon in memory of my grandfather, Garnet Earl Brown, who passed away on February 15, 2005 after a lengthy battle with cancer and a lifelong battle with diabetes. I'm also, though, running on behalf of the large number of people with whom we live and work who are affected by the disease.

As part of Team Diabetes, I'll be raising money (and awareness) for the Canadian Diabetes Association--the Association's mission is to promote the health of Canadians through diabetes research, education, services and advocacy.

Visit this site for more information about the CDA's programs and services.

Online donations of $15 or more will automatically receive a tax receipt from the Canadian Diabetes Assocation.

Relevant online pledging information:

Name: Sarah Styler
City: Toronto, ON
Marathon: Reykjavik, Iceland, August 19, 2006

I can also accept cash and cheque pledges--please make all cheques out to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Any questions? Email me!

writing from reykjavik

Well! I´m here--I´m still somewhat jet-lagged, but I´m here.

We arrived yesterday morning at 7 am Iceland time, but couldn´t get into our hotels until the afternoon. I walked around Reykjavik--gorgeous!--but ended up falling asleep in the hotel at 5 p.m. More details later, as my brain is still a bit fuzzy.

Today, we went for a quick 3K run and then to a geothermal spring outside of the city. Pictures when I return!

Anyway, tomorrow´s the big day--wish me luck!

Hey, though, just to tide you Sarah-o-philes over, here are some characters that are on Icelandic keyboards that are seriously impeding my ability to type properly:

¨
°
Ö
þ
µ (who puts mu on a keyboard! seriously!)
ð
Ð


And then, to make it worse, things like colons are not where I expect them to be. I suppose I could have worse complaints, though, what with being in Iceland and all.

More updates to follow--once I finish the race!

hours until take-off (5) vs. number of things to do (5 million)

Since I found out the other day that people are actually reading this thing, I thought I'd post a quick update regarding my oh-my-god-i'm-leaving-in-five-hours state of complete and utter panic.

First, though, thanks to my high-school teacher extraordinaire, Mr. L, and fellow former Innis-ite S for their very generous donations!

The race is on Saturday, so I'm hoping to have enough time to adjust to the temperature/time difference/etc. by then in order to make it through in half-decent shape. I'm confident that I'll be able to finish, but I'm still a wee bit nervous.

Anyway, I leave tonight at 4:45 p.m.--wish me luck!

Before I sign off, though, I'd like to send out one last thank-you to everyone who donated to my campaign--I just squeaked over the $6000 mark, so know that no matter the size of your donation, it played a key role in my campaign's success. I'm so happy that I've been able to raise so much money in support of the Canadian Diabetes Association--I feel truly lucky to know so many wonderful, generous people.

Oh, one last thing! I have a few tres special people I'd like to thank.

First, Mom and Nana (and, by extension, Sean and Daniel, etc., etc., etc.), thank you so much for supporting me throughout the past few months, and for donating so generously. Hugs and kisses!

And, R, know that I couldn't have done it without you--you've been wonderful.

Finally, thanks to my grandfather for being such an inspiration--I know that you wouldn't even want me to be running this thing, but know that:

A) I try not to run at night, for the most part
B) My knees are fine
C) You made the first twenty-two years of my life wonderful, and I'll love you forever for it

And now, without further ado, CIAO! Expect pictures when I return!

Love,
Sarah

hours until take-off (5) vs. number of things to do (5 million)

Since I found out the other day that people are actually reading this thing, I thought I'd post a quick update regarding my oh-my-god-i'm-leaving-in-five-hours state of complete and utter panic.

First, though, thanks to my high-school teacher extraordinaire, Mr. L, and fellow former Innis-ite S for their very generous donations!

The race is on Saturday, so I'm hoping to have enough time to adjust to the temperature/time difference/etc. by then in order to make it through in half-decent shape. I'm confident that I'll be able to finish, but I'm still a wee bit nervous.

Anyway, I leave tonight at 4:45 p.m.--wish me luck!

Before I sign off, though, I'd like to send out one last thank-you to everyone who donated to my campaign--I just squeaked over the $6000 mark, so know that no matter the size of your donation, it played a key role in my campaign's success. I'm so happy that I've been able to raise so much money in support of the Canadian Diabetes Association--I feel truly lucky to know so many wonderful, generous people.

Oh, one last thing! I have a few tres special people I'd like to thank.

First, Mom and Nana (and, by extension, Sean and Daniel, etc., etc., etc.), thank you so much for supporting me throughout the past few months, and for donating so generously. Hugs and kisses!

And, R, know that I couldn't have done it without you--you've been wonderful.

Finally, thanks to my grandfather for being such an inspiration--I know that you wouldn't even want me to be running this thing, but know that:

A) I try not to run at night, for the most part
B) My knees are fine
C) You made the first twenty-two years of my life wonderful, and I'll love you forever for it

And now, without further ado, CIAO! Expect pictures when I return!

Love,
Sarah

Successes!

First, I'd like to send a huge thank-you to the following people for their generous donations:

* H&R and C, B's parents and aunt and all-around fabulous people
* S&J, my long-distance second cousin and second-cousin-in-law
* M, my friend and co-worker...and the person whose donation put my campaign over the top!

Second, I'd like to send a huge thank-you to the mp3 version of my Greatest 90s Hits CD (which I compiled) for helping me make it through my 20-mile run on Thursday. Those people at Yonge and Bloor had no idea I was listening to Britney Spears; those people at Yonge and St. Clair had no idea I was listening to Vanilla Ice; etc.

Third, I'm going to be bidding this blog adieu for a week or so as I jet off (actually, drive off) to Chicago with R on vacation. I'll be doing my final long run on the Chicago waterfront!

Finally, THANK YOU! To everyone! I wouldn't have made it without you! And, to those of you who have donated, expect a newsletter before I head off to Iceland on Wednesday, August 16!

failures and successes

Dear everyone,

Before going to the theatre yesterday to see Clerks II, I was very optimistic about my 20-mile run. Before I watched the World Poker Tour while eating a salmon burger, I was somewhat optimistic about my 20-mile run. By the time I got myself out the door, I was less than optimistic. Why? Because it was already 8 p.m. and I wasn't looking forward to running through the sketchy St. Clair and Weston Road neighbourhood after dark; because I knew that by the time I got to my "must tack on an extra kilometre or so" detour south to Front Street I would definitely not be in the mood for it; because the new, lovely New Balance shoes I bought yesterday made my left foot go numb before I even left the house.

Anyway, I stopped at Pape and Danforth after running only 12 miles. I felt defeated and somewhat lazy, really, but on the subway ride of shame back to R's house, I resolved to RUN THE TWENTY MILES ON THURSDAY, DAMMIT. The upper-case lettering is to remind me to do it. Or else. I'm planning to leave from work and do an east-west trip. Plussss, I get to run my next long run in...wait for it...Chicahhhhgo!

Of course, the "SUCCESS!" portion of this post comes from people other than me. A number of people have made very, very generous donations to my campaign over the past week, and I'd like to send a wee shout-out their way maintenant:

**P, R's friend in Japan who is visiting Toronto and whom I might be able to thank in person!
**S, tireless volunteer at the Ministry of Environment's United Way campaign!
**T, fellow Sponsored Employee and all-around fabulous guy!

Finally, I do get the feeling that I may have neglected to mention a few people on this blog, despite having written to thank them personally: I hope to fix this shortly by posting a list of eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeveryone who's donated, anonymous-ified, of course.

Love from,

Sarah

PS I promise I'll make it to the finish line in Reykjavik in one piece.
PPS Really!

Soooooo close!

Less than an hour ago, I sent out a fundraising e-mail to a number of colleagues--in less than sixty minutes, I've received four responses and pledges totalling $140!!

I'd like to send a huge thank-you out to E, D, M, and V for disproving the theory that the last few hundred dollars are always the most difficult to raise!

I'm off to a meeting now, but let it be known that this amazing display of generosity has put me in an absolutely lovely mood! I'm gushing, I know, but when a girl reaches the 96% mark, I think it's at least somewhat justified.

As my campaign winds down, I'd like to send out the first (or probably second or third--I don't have the energy to search the archives) cumulative thank-you:

THANK YOU! EXPECT AN E-NEWSLETTER SOON!

It's all beginning to feel like it's ending (in a good way, obviously)...

Thanks to Wilco for the subject line...and, speaking of music, I could have used some last night on my marathon trek around the city in absolutely sweltering weather.

It took me well over three hours to run 14.5 miles. Normally, I'd consider this a dismal showing, but given the weather, I gave myself a somewhat qualified pat on the (sweaty) back. After arriving home at 12:30 a.m., I showered and settled down for the night only to realize that my apartment might possibly be the location of the Highest Indoor Nighttime Temperature Ever Recorded. Bonus!

Anyway, getting to the point: thanks to a tres generous donation from my delightful Belleville friends who I get to see far less than I would like, B and E, I'm now only $370 away from reaching my goal!!!

I don't think that there is a font big enough to make an exclamation mark that would appropriately express how much I am looking forward to reaching my fundraising goal.

If there was a font size=6 million, though, I'D BE USING IT. !!!!.

It's the hottest day of the summer...

...and I have to leave for a 14.5-mile run in less than an hour. I've set what I think will be an enjoyable route, but I'm absolutely dreading running in the heat. Given that I nearly collapsed while chopping tomatoes for burritos at R's, I think that this is reasonable. I'm hoping for a sudden snowstorm.

I'm going to run south on Yonge, east to Broadview, north to O'Connor, east to Pape, south to Queen, west to River, south to King, west to Bathurst, north to College, east to Queen's Park, north to Harbord, west to Ossington, south to Dewson, and west to Havelock.

My fundraising is nearly complete, finally, and I'd like to thank the following people for their generous donations:

-S, my fabulous friend and co-worker
-C, my baseball teammate and co-worker
-D, my ever-so-supportive brother
-B, my best friend, pal, and confidante (a la The Golden Girls)
-R, my Nana's brother and my great-uncle

I've now raised $5530, or 92% of my goal. I've got $470 to raise by Wednesday--otherwise, it looks as though I'll be making a huge deposit on my credit card!

Did I mention that I need to get my passport documents in order?

these days are good for sarah's campaign

Whenever I think of saying "these days are good for...", I think of the Rheostatics song called "These Days Are Good For the Canadian Conservative Youth Party Alliance", and I laugh--to myself, obviously, because I'm fairly sure that I'm the only person who finds those sorts of things amusing.

I have updates galore regarding the infinite generosity of those with whom I'm ever so lucky to be acquainted, but first, a little e-manifestation of my self-satisfaction:

I AM AN ATHLETIC SUPERSTAR!

I ran twenty miles last night, by myself, and lived to tell the tale. My erstwhile running partner, reluctant to aggravate his already sore back, spent his night climbing indoor rock faces while I headed out at eight in the evening to make my way around the city at a snail's pace. Note to self: do not run down Millwood after dark ever again. While running under one of those ubiquitous Toronto overpasses, a train rumbled by overhead and I admit that I felt as though I was about to be an unwilling participant in a scene rivalling Stand by Me in its nail-biting intensity, although including some sort of crazy under-the-bridge derelict (or, a la Zoolander, "derelicte") instead of some cute pre-teens and ending in under-the-bridge-and-after-dark violence instead of thank-goodness-the-train-missed-him relief.

At any rate, I finished by midnight and managed to descend the stairs at Queen Station without collapsing in a heap, for which I think there's something to be said.

And, that something is the following: I AM AN ATHLETIC SUPERSTAR!

The other part of this post, though, is the HUGE CHRONOLOGICAL THANK-YOU section:

-K, Richard's friend and the facilitator of many fabulous climbing sessions
-D, my mentor and friend from Innis College
-J, my friend and former co-worker
-G, my co-worker at the United Way and fellow High Park enthusiast
-H, my co-worker who missed the first round of solicitations but donated nonetheless!
-D, N, ML, and M, my fabulous (and generous!) co-workers at DUA
-J, my former atmospheric chemistry professor who, I'm sure, will teach a class of mine again this autumn!

I'd also like to thank my wonderful mother and my equally wonderful Nana for their continued support of my campaign!

Well, I'm almost there: $670 to go! The support that I've received from friends, co-workers, teammates, acquaintances, and friends' friends has been overwhelming--thanks so much, everyone!!

time for an update!

I've received a number of generous donations over the past week or so, and would like to extend a very, very enthusiastic thank-you to the following people (in chronological order, of course):

-D, friend and former volleyball teammate
-R, friend and soon-to-be fellow Torontonian (I love it when people move back to Toronto...)
-S, colleague and fellow (although much faster, I wouldn't doubt) runner
-J, UW colleague and Iceland enthusiast (and, perhaps the only person I know who's been to Iceland...)

And, of course, I'd like to thank my Uncle Charlie and Aunt Lil for their generous donation!

Thanks to everyone who's donated thus far, I've now raised $4425, or 74% of my goal!

i've met my third fundraising goal!

Thanks to a wonderfully generous donation from my one of my mom's nearests and dearests--thanks so much, L!--I've now raised well over two-thirds of my fundraising goal (69%, to be more exact). Also, L, expect a phone call, but in advance: thanks so much for the lovely card!

I would also like to send a HUGE thank you to my wonderful Nana for her own fundraising efforts! While on the phone with her the other day, she relayed to me the story of one donation she'd secured:

Nana: I got another $5 donation today--I know it's not much, but it all adds up, I suppose.
Sarah: Who donated?
Nana: My accountant.
Sarah: Do you even know your accountant?
Nana: Not particularly well.

Oh, she's tenacious!

oh, i've been negligent!

As I spent the first week of May frantically studying for the final exam in the art history course I've been taking, I'm just now finding the time to update.

And, what an update it is! Over the past few weeks, so many people have made overwhelmingly generous donations to my campaign; as a result, I've now nearly raised two-thirds of my fundraising goal!

In reverse chronological order, I'd like to thank:

S, friend and co-worker (at both the United Way and OutlookCorp...)
B, friend, mentor, and fellow runner
P, long-distance friend and sort-of-kind-of-co-worker

I'd also like to thank my long-distance (or, in some cases, short-distance) family members for their unbelievably generous donations: P&P, P&M, K&S, and J&S, I wouldn't be able to do it without you!

I've now immersed myself wholeheartedly(ish) in my training--I ran 6 miles on Tuesday and 6 miles last night, and if I can find a minute (or sixty), I'll run 5 miles tonight.

Expect more frequent updates, and also expect the much-ballyhoed and much-delayed fundraising newsletter!

Thanks, everyone! Your support has truly been inspiring.

Only $55 away from the halfway mark!

On Monday morning, I arrived at work to find notice of two donations in my inbox, one from a friend and former co-worker (thanks, S!) and one from a family member who had the privilege of knowing my grandfather far longer than I (thanks, J! and, thanks S!).

This morning, after spending far too long on a crowded streetcar and arriving at work about thirty minutes late, I discovered that I'd received a donation from United Way volunteer extraordinaire J--thanks so much for your generous donation!

Later on this morning, after a lengthy meeting, I returned to my desk to find notice of yet another donation, this time from my Montreal counterpart P--thanks so much!

Fundraising is going very well this week! It's been a bit of a relief, really, because I somehow have to raise $1045 in the next two and a half weeks.

As for my training, I ran 8 miles on Sunday evening in 90 minutes or so. Despite my sub-par level of cardiovascular fitness and resultant inability to breathe at acceptable volume levels, I had a reasonably good time and am currently suffering no ill effects (contrast this with my first long(ish) run, which put me out of commission for a week or so).

my fifteen minutes (seconds?) of fame

Well: the article's out! My campaign has been featured in U of T Magazine--here's the link. The article is on page 8.

Thanks to two very generous donations, my campaign total now sits at $2835. Thanks, D and A, and thanks, N!

Also, thanks, as always, goes to my Mom for her top-up donations.

I've now officially started training--so far, I've done two six-mile runs. It's good to be running again!

another flurry of activity

Before I write anything else, I'd like to thank two of my fabulous co-workers, E and J, for their generous donations to my campaign. Thanks to them, I'm now only $15 away from meeting my second fundraising deadline!

Yesterday, I was interviewed by The Bulletin, U of T's faculty and staff newspaper, for an article on my campaign! The article will appear later this spring--I'll post a link to it once it's published.

On the training front, I am now officially signed up for online training with the Running Room. My training schedule is, I'll admit, intimidating! I'll be running five days a week starting this Sunday.

Last night, R and I went for my inaugural Team Diabetes run at the Toronto Islands. After running from Ward's Island to Hanlans Point and back (about six miles), I was absolutely exhausted. I think that some of that exhaustion had to do with the fact that The Worst Cold Ever is still lingering in my system, though.

Last week, I booked my holidays around the marathon date: Iceland, Norway, and Scotland, here I come!

fundraising update!

Thanks to a very generous donation from R's friend R in South Korea (thanks so much!!), I've now raised $2625, or 44% of my goal!

Also, I've enlisted my Nana to fundraise on my behalf and will be giving her a bunch of postcards this weekend--with the sixty million different church groups she goes to (I think that she is at LEAST fifty percent more popular than me--last night, I called her and she told me that I would have to call her back later because she had ten or so people at her house), I'm very happy to have her as part of my fundraising team!

I'm only $375 away from the half-way mark!

update, days late

Since my last update, I've received three additional donations. My fundraising total has now reached the $2500 mark ($2525, to be more precise)!

Thanks so much, E, for your very generous donation, and for dropping into my office immediately after receiving a postcard (with your coat still on, no less!) to let me know that I could count on your support!

Also: thanks, I! I'll thank you in person at lunch today, but here's an "e-thank you" to tide you over.

Finally: thanks, L! I really appreciate your support!

Since I've met my first fundraising deadline, I'm now being set up for training with the Running Room. I'll begin training updates once everything gets finalized!

(yet another) fundraising update!

Big news: I've raised 40% of my goal!!

A correspondingly big THANK YOU, of course, is in order!

Thank you A and A, friends and fabulous coworkers, for your generous donations!

And, I'd like to send a big thank you to T, R's friend and former professor for his generous contribution!

fundraising update!

Thanks to generous donations from R's friend C in Australia and my lovely co-worker S, I'm now only $3725 from reaching my goal!

I know that I've been saying this a lot, but the generosity of my friends and co-workers continues to amaze me!

in which sarah laments the fact that one of her most lovely friends lives on the west coast

A, thanks so much. Did I mention that we have to keep in better touch, just like we did in those days when: a) e-mail was New and Exciting b) we were young(er) and idealistic(er) c) we weren't Horribly Busy "Adults" ?

Perhaps I should let the world know: A, penpal extraordinaire, knew me when I was sixteen, and when my idea of exercise was twenty-five or so crunches done while lying on the carpet of my old living room listening to Punk Rock. Embarrassing, really, but I'd like to think that it's a little endearing as well.

Fundraising total? $2215!

friday's update, delayed

Well! Who knew that a five-page FAH100Y essay on Manet's "Dejeuner sur l'herbe" could be so time-consuming? I think I've lost my ability to focus, academically speaking at least. End result?--I barely checked my page all weekend.

I'd like to send a delayed, huge thank you to R's friend K (about whom I've heard a good deal but who I've yet to meet) for his very generous donation!

As well, (another) thank you to R for being such a fabulous canvasser!

New total? $1965, or 33% of goal!

fundraising update!

Great news to report--I've received four additional donations! My fundraising total currently sits at $1785, or 29.75% of goal (perhaps I should just round up to 30%?!).

From my end, thanks to two of my tres fabulous co-workers, L and S, for their tres generous donations!

From R's end, thanks to his friends G in Toronto and J in Vancouver, as well as to his friend and former co-worker A. I've met J only briefly at his Toronto movie premiere (see! I really do know famous people!), and G very briefly at the gym, and I haven't met A at all, so let me say this again: thank you so much for your generosity!

On a related note, R, the competition is on! I can't let your friends donate more than my friends! B and R: expect calls VERY soon signalling the opening of the Belleville and Guelph branches of "Team Sarah".

an afternoon update

If only all days could be like today--it would definitely remove some of the stress involved with committing to raise such a huge sum of money!

A huge thank you goes out to two people for their very generous donations: one to my fabulous co-worker (thanks, L!) and one to R's sister (thanks, D!). Both will be receiving "e-thank you letters" in the very near future.

New total? $1670! Or, 28% of goal!

who knew that i would have to update this more than once per day?!

Thanks to two very generous donations, one from a lovely co-worker (thanks so much, J!) and one from a climbing friend of R's who I've met a few times (and who I plan on thanking profusely in the near future but will electronically thank right now: thanks, D!), my campaign total now sits at...wait for it...$1600!

$4400 to go!

thank you, mommy dearest!

Well: I can always count on my lovely mother to even up my fundraising total. Now, if I can just get everyone to make odd donations ($81.73, anyone?), I'll be in fabulous shape.

New total? $1500!

I can't even begin to describe how much I am looking forward to this little adventure. I feel as though I should be listening to Bjork, non-stop. In order to distract myself until my Team Diabetes-supported training begins in mid-April, I think I'll start making mp3 playlists for my long runs.

Thank you, so much, to everyone who's donated thus far! My time at the United Way last fall compels me to say "Without you, there would be no way!", even though I know it's kind of (very?) crass to hijack fundraising slogans. Maybe I could just Valley Girl-ize it?--"Without you, there would TOTALLY be no way!" Yes. That's definitely the solution.

the postcard campaign: in full swing!

I just received an online donation--thanks, M, for donating even before I had a chance to give you your lovely, customized postcard!

$1470 down, and $4530 to go!

anniversaries

Thank you to my lovely Nana and the rest of my family for their donation on such a sad/happy day.

My campaign now sits at $1450, which is just high enough to keep me from getting nervous!

I love you, N, M, S, D, J, C, and L.

progress a-go-go!

Thanks to two lovely and unexpected donations, one from a friend of a friend and fellow runner and triathlete (thanks, M!), and one from one of my Gold Star-rated nearests and dearests (thanks, J!), I'm now up to $1300, and am now only $100 away from meeting my first fundraising goal of $1400, well over one month ahead of schedule! That's a lot of exclamation marks!

Because of my trip to Chicago, I'm a bit behind on my running, but anticipate being able to run a half-marathon sometime in the spring before marathon training begins in earnest.

Thanks again to everyone who's donated for your support--it's very much appreciated.

Also, since I've started using this blog as a thank-you page, I'd like to retroactively thank S in LA--my very first contributor--and S from UW, as well as R for being a fabulous cheerleader and for providing future graphic design support for my upcoming postcard campaign (Ooh! I let the cat out of the bag.).

On Sunday night...

I went for an eight-or-so-mile run--from my house at Queen/Dovercourt to Dupont/Avenue and back. It was one of the better runs I've had over the past year, not least because the weather was absolutely perfect and I had my iPod to keep me company.

Things are looking good for Reykjavik--very good!

running in the cold

R and I went for a 6-mile yesterday. It was freezing.

I've also started walking to and from work every day (5 miles in total), and am at least somewhat confident that I'll start running again on weekday mornings. I'm also somewhat convinced that this blog is going to turn into a catalogue of good intentions never fulfilled.

and now: fundraising begins in earnest

I arrived at work today to find a lovely donation notice in my e-mail inbox--thanks, Mom!

This weekend, I hope to be able to source supplies for my crafty fundraising project, and to actually find some time to run.

recovering from christmas indulgences

One of my former colleagues at the United Way made a very generous donation to my campaign today, and that, coupled with a tumbleweed-related comment from a certain person (Brad) has motivated me to update regarding my campaign's progress.

I went for a 6-mile "Recovering from Christmas" run with R on Sunday, and it went surprisingly well. Over the holidays, I ran a short distance on December 24, 25, and 26 to try to (at least somewhat) offset my excessive consumption of Christmas candy.

This week, though, I'm returning to a normal training schedule (or maintenance schedule, at least).

With regard to fundraising, B and I have come up with an absolutely fabulous "crafty" idea...stay tuned!