Marathon by the Kilometer

Let me start off by saying it is not natural to run a marathon. Your body is not built for it. Why, then, am I taking on this incredible journey? Because after running a marathon what isn't possible? I run to be strong, I run to be free but most of all I run to be invincible!

I am asking for sponsorship by the kilometer. I'm hoping to find people to sponsor each of the 42.195km that I'm about to embark on. I'm asking for $25/kilometer. For this I will write your name on my body. You'll be with me as I embark on this journey, cause let's face it, I'm going to need 42.195 people with me to help me cross that finish line!!

please sponsor 1 or more kilometers Thanks friends!!

Bone Marrow Tweet Up

On April 27th, 2012 after 7pm standard eastern time we are hosting a tweet up on twitter to educate and encourage people to join the Bone Marrow Registry.

Why? You ask? Fewer than 30 per cent of patients who need stem cell transplants find a compatible donor within their own family. The rest rely on those who have volunteered to donate stem cells to anyone in need.

What is a tweet up? Using twitter and hashtag #SwabUp and/or #MarrowMatch we will educate, share stories and spread the word about the importance of signing up for the registry.

In Canada all the information can be found HERE

In the US all the information can be found HERE

Myths & Facts about Bone Marrow Donation

MYTH:

All bone marrow donations involve surgery. FACT:

The majority of donations do not involve surgery. Today, the patient's doctor most often requests a peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation, which is non-surgical. The second way of donating is marrow donation, which is a surgical procedure. In each case, donors typically go home the same day they donate.

MYTH: Donating is painful and involves a long recovery.

FACT: There can be uncomfortable but short-lived side effects of donating PBSC. Due to taking a drug called filgrastim for five days leading up to donation, PBSC donors may have headaches, joint or muscle aches, or fatigue. PBSC donors are typically back to their normal routine in one to two days. Those donating marrow receive general or regional anesthesia, so they feel no pain during donation. Marrow donors can expect to feel some soreness in their lower back for one to two weeks afterward. Most marrow donors are back to their normal activities in two to seven days.

MYTH: Donating is dangerous and weakens the donor.

FACT: Though no medical procedure is without risk, there are rarely any long-term side effects. Be The Match® carefully prescreens all donors to ensure they are healthy and the procedure is safe for them. We also provide support and information every step of the way. Because only five percent or less of a donor's marrow is needed to save the patient's life, the donor's immune system stays strong and the cells replace themselves within four to six weeks.

MYTH: In bone marrow donation, pieces of bone are removed from the donor.

FACT: No pieces of bone are taken during marrow donation. Only the liquid marrow found inside the pelvic bone is needed to save the patient's life.

MYTH: Donors have to pay to donate.

FACT: Donors never pay to donate. We reimburse travel costs and may reimburse other costs on a case-by-case basis.

I hope to see you all at the tweet up! I'm @stephanieruns on twitter. Hashtag #SwabUp #MarrowMatch

Have I gone Insane?

It's been a while...I know. After my half marathon I started getting knee pain during and after running. It took me a while to admit that I trained to hard for my half marathon and over training caused me to get injured. I'm still recovering from my half marathon. Icing, taping, using a soft brace for my knee. As a runner it's hard to stop. Running is much like smoking, an addition, a need, a part of you. Which is why I decided I needed it to play a bigger role in my life. I signed up with team in training to run the Scotiabank marathon October 14th, 2012. Now I still need to be medically cleared to run that distance, but I'm confident I can always drop down to the half. You know just 21.1km, no big deal!

This time I've decided to cream a team of runners to do this with me. Together we will raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma and push our bodies in ways we didn't know was possible. I've had seven people say yes to the team, and two are confirmed and signed up.

I'm bringing back this blog, to share my journey, fundraising, struggles and successes with you.

It won't always be smooth sailing, but what in life is?

Here's my fundraising page link. Feel free to show your support!

I did it!

On Friday morning Mark and I headed off to the airport, to catch our flight to sunny San Fransisco. The captain on the Air Canada flight gave a shout out to everyone on board involved with team in training. It was very much appreciated because we all worked really hard to get to that point. Five long months of training and fundraising.

When we got to the hotel we checked in, had lunch and headed to union square to pick up my race kit. The race kit was pretty good, some surprising items, like coffee. We walked around the expo and then headed to a sight seeing bus to see San Fran.

Here's some of what we saw.

Saturday night, the night before the big race there was a team in training inspiration dinner. I'm not going to lie I was completely over whelmed. From the moment we walked into the building there were hundreds of people just cheering. This continued all the was down the escalators right to the buffet line. There were some great speakers and stories.

After the dinner I went back to the hotel to get everything ready for the next morning. I was a tad nervous and didn't sleep that much and was wide awake when my alarm went off. I had brought instant oatmeal to make in the coffee maker to eat before the race.

I met the team in the lobby and we walked over to the starting line together. we were there was too early and were standing waiting for over an hour before we actually crossed the starting line.

When my feet crossed that starting mat it was on, I took off! you can check out the professional photos here

It was a packed, tough and beautiful course. I felt like I was running and playing a game of frogger. There were a lot of walkers in front of me, which would be okay if they didn't walk five across. I stayed steady through the hills and the whole course. My ultimate goal would have been to finish my half marathon in under two hours, but I knew that wasn't realistic with the over 2000 feet inclines/declines. My goal time going in was under two and a half hours. Well I'm proud to say my chip time was 2:09:54.

It was great to have Judy, one of the TNT coaches run with me for a little bit, and to see Tiffany and Mark cheering me on down by mile 10. As I turned the corner and saw the finish line I booted it. There was a fire fighter in a tuxedo waiting to give me my Tiffany's finisher necklace. The finish line was really organized and after picking up all my swag I headed down to the TNT tent to stretch and pick up some more food. I had told Mark to meet me there. When I found him, he took these photos.

After these pictures I went down to the beach and went into the ocean. First I went into the water by accident, but then took my shoes off and went in up to my legs. It was a nice ice bath. My feet were sore, but the ocean seemed to do the trick!

The finisher necklace says "I run to be" and there's a spot to get in engraved. I'm still trying to figure out what to put, if you have any suggestions please let me know.

This was an amazing experience for me! I'm honoured I got to complete this run in honour of my mother in law. It was a challenge, but I did it!

Thank you!

Will I get to run?

I know I haven't blogged in a while, I haven't had a lot to say. So imagine my surprise when checking twitter I see that Air Canada Flight Attendants have given strike notice for October 13th. I'm scheduled to fly out with team in training for my first ever half marathon on October 14th.

I've just been getting over my omg I'm terrified for this race phase and into my omg I get to go to San Fransisco phase. Right now as I write this I have no clue if I'll be running, I'm not to optimistic at this point as I can't be flexible on flight dates. It will be beyond disappointing if I don't get to run as I won't be able to reschedule for another event as I won't have any vacation time. I've also been running my heart out, and although I've accomplished distances and times I never thought was possible I had a mission, and one I planed on conquering.

I know this blog post has been kind of run on and all jumbled up, but right now it expresses my opinions, and emotions.

Thanks for your support as always,

Stephanie

Am I Insane?

I'm getting really excited and gearing up for my first ever half marathon. Last week at my boot camp toning class I was the only one to show up and had lots of time to chat with my trainer. I asked him if I was insane to do my first half marathon in San Fransisco. He said yeah kinda, but it's good to challenge yourself. That's what this half marathon will be a HUGE challenge. I was always concerned with the fundraising aspect, but now I'm started to become nervous about the running, and the hills.

I asked my trainer what a reasonable time goal would be. I'm really focused on the number and want to challenge myself and do the best I can. He asked what my goal would be if the course was flat. I said I'd want to do it in two hours or less. He told me to add thirty minutes to account for the hills. To me personally two hours and thirty minutes seems really long. I know I have to be proud to just accomplish and finish this race, but I also really want a good time.

I was google mapping out the race to see the hills and elevation, and I'm scared. It's always good to have some nerves before a race it can help, but hopefully doing hill repeats this week will help build my confidence!

In other running news I ran 26.89km on Friday, 12km of that in the pouring rain. That's the furthest I've ever run. I did it just to prove I could. So naturally now I'm going to get a pretty new running outfit from lululemon... anything my heart desires!

Thanks as always for your support!

Stephanie

I guess I'm a runner....

Today on a lovely Sunday run with my friend Jenn we got to talking about how I started running and my feelings on running then. It was almost two years ago that I started running. I joined a learn to run clinic with the running room. I would go out and practice running one minute running one minute walking, building up to running ten minutes and walking one minute. I use to go over to the track to run, because I was worried about looking like a fool walk/running through the streets.

I remember running around the track thinking I don't know how people do this? I don't think I will ever do a 10km race, I don't know how people run for an hour. Two 10km races later I thought I'll never do anything longer than a 10km I don't know how people run for that long. Now having run a 15km race, and having run 21 and 23 kilometers I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to want to do a marathon.

Now I've always said running a marathon is my definition of insane, but at the same time I've had a personal goal of running a marathon on the great wall of China (go big or go home).

This week I want to go run 25km just to prove I can do it. My reward will be some new work out clothes, and maybe a running skirt!

Today it finally hit me.... I guess I've become a runner....