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!

saturday morning, six miles

Went for a run: St. Clair to Bayview, Bayview to Eglinton, Eglinton to Avenue Road, Avenue Road to St. Clair.

Six miles, and I feel as though I could have gone for at least another...half-mile. I think, though, that this whole marathon thing is going to work out quite nicely.

wednesday evening fabulousness

Went out for a five-mile run last night (to Dupont and Christie and back). The weather was gorgeous and I had to take off my mittens half-way through.

Listening to Belle and Sebastian while running down Christie Street in the blue glow of Christmas lights, I found myself compelled to jump up in the air a la Terry Fox in an old picture book of mine (I'm sure that there are less obscure references, but that's all I've got). I didn't, though, and managed to make it home without embarrassing myself by tripping over a curb, etc.

Tonight? A quick two-mile run after Italian class.

small victories and interim goals

I'll be running a half-marathon in Montreal on February 5.

As of this week, I'll be running four (or so) times per week, with short runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a slightly longer one on Wednesdays, and a long(ish) run on Saturdays.

saturday morning, six miles

On Saturday morning, I woke up early and went for a run with R in the snow.

We went from Queen and Lisgar to Sunnyside, and then up Parkside to Bloor. Running in the snow was exhausting, and R handled it far better than me (as expected).

Anyway, end result? First "long" run completed, with no lasting side effects.

snowy fabulousness

If running two half-marathons didn't convince me that I'm an actual runner (a mediocre one, but one nonetheless), last night's trip out at eleven post meridian did.

After a few miles of running while wearing three layers, a striped toque, and mittens, I arrived home all overheated, sniffling, and self-satisfied.

I've got...buy-in!

I went to Guelph on Saturday, and had a great conversation with B and R about my fundraising plans. They've agreed to canvass on my behalf (thanks girls!), and in the spring, B's going to write a press release and try to get me into the Belleville newspaper (on one of those slow news days...).

As for the athletic end of things, I dragged myself out of bed this morning at 5:45 and went for a two-mile run. It was only my second run since my (uninspiring) half-marathon, so I'm happy with myself for not collapsing at the corner of Argyle and Dovercourt on my way back to my apartment.

I'm going to be submitting my registration form later on today, so it looks as though there's no turning back. I feel as though I should be listening to all Bjork, all the time.

Also, comment, dammit! This means you, B, R, J, and D.

Post Numero Uno

I've left my trademark indecisiveness sulking in the corner, and have finally decided to commit to running a marathon as part of Team Diabetes Canada.

Date: August 19, 2006
Location: Reykjavik, Iceland

I plan to use this blog to keep everyone updated on my training (and fundraising) progress. As soon as I officially register, I'll post a link to the online pledge utility.