"We All Need A Little Help From Our Friends."

Yes, we sure do. From our Family too but my title seemed more catchy as a lyric of a song. Anyway, this is not my month to blog but I felt like maybe I should give everyone a little insight into the last few months of my training and Marathon run. When I decided to give this another go this year after completing it two years ago, I knew I was probably going to be in this one "alone" this time around. I say alone, but that was never entirely true.

I always run with the group on the weekends and we normally do a long run to keep the mileage up. When it comes to the Marathon plan though, you don't expect someone to tag along for a full 32 or 34K run. You just have to get a little creative about it. My mileage started to creep up on me when I headed back home this summer to spend a week with my family. Mom and Dad tagged along in their truck for one of my long runs while I was there. A couple of times when they were parked on the side of the road to wait for me, people actually stopped beside them to see if everything was ok. LOL  Knowing they were close by with extra water and could come to my rescue if I saw a bear, I enjoyed my 24K run. It was really nice to have them there with me on the run that day. For them to be a part of something that has become very important to me the past couple of years was kind of special. 

Once back in town, there were way more options for the longer runs ahead. I'm very lucky a 32K didn't fall on the schedule while I was in Bay d'Espoir! I was so happy that as I posted plans for the long runs, a lot of members from PRC joined me to share parts of them. It is so great to have people on your side, wanting to see you succeed in your training and giving you the extra push. We all need that sometimes. I'm very use to doing a lot of running alone but I love the company and conversations. It makes the run seem a little shorter. During training I even added K's to runs being done by other members of the group to get the distance I needed for that day. If you want something bad enough, you will find ways to make it work!

When I headed to the start line of the race yesterday I thought, OMG I'm going to run this alone! Can I do it? What was I thinking? Once I got close to the starting line, I saw other PRC buddies and had a few little chats before it was time to start. I knew once the race started I would be ok. I knew I would have some of my running buddies a little in my sight as they ran the half and relay races. I knew I would see people on the course too. The first loop of the HP is great. There are a lot of people and it keeps you motivated and going! The second loop sure gives you lots of time to reflect on every aspect of your life and then some! LOL That's why when someone catches up to you on the course and offers to be your running buddy for the final hardest 10K of the Marathon, you take it!

When Andrew caught up to me by Dominion, he was starting the final leg of the race for his relay team. When he offered to run with me I could hardly believe it. I wanted to say yes right away but all I could think about was his time and how it would affect his teams overall time. He had assured me it was no big deal but I knew I would soon be taking a few walk breaks as I was starting to get tired. I knew the last 10K wasn't going to be pretty and the pace would be much slower. I also knew that he wouldn't have offered if he didn't mean it.  It becomes a struggle within yourself to accept that kind of offer because you want everyone else to do their very best too. I pushed all of that aside and told him I would love the company! I probably will never be able to thank him enough. He certainly helped me get through the final stretch of the Marathon. I hope to someday get the chance to do the very same thing for someone else.

On our final push to the finish I gave everything I had! I don't really know where it came from but I dug deep. Crossing the finish line yesterday was amazing! I was overwhelmed by all of my friends standing there cheering me on! It was an amazing feeling. I wondered right away how all of them did with their own races! We all hugged and congratulated each other and do you know what? I surely didn't feel alone. Congratulations to everyone who ran yesterday! I hope everyone had a great race! I'll end now as I have done in the past with a quote that means a lot to me.

"We rise by lifting others" Robert G. Ingersoll


Tonia Kennedy 

"What does it take?"

I can't believe June is almost over! My month of blogging is coming to an end. Before you know it, it will be time to line up at the start for the Tely 10! It's crazy how fast time goes by these days. I have to be honest. I actually didn't know how I would end out my month of blogging. I knew that I wanted to write at least one more to end the month but had no clue what to actually write about. Well, I had a request so here it goes...

This past Sunday was the Shoppers Drug Mart Run For Women. I had signed up for the 10 K race as did most of my running buddies. I also wanted to get my long run in and I had 18 K in mind. Lucky enough, Connie, Carol Ann, and Colleen were interested in a 15 K long run which was great! All I had to do was show up down at the lake just a little bit earlier than them and run the first 3 K solo. I am up early every morning (thanks to two kitties) so going early to get the extra 3 K in wasn't a problem for me. I got ready, packed a bag so I could change before the 10 K and off I went.

Looking back, I remember being scared the first 16 K run I ever ran. I even had my husband drop me off that morning because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to run the full distance. Now, I love the long distance running.  I would rather sign up for a Half Marathon over a 5 K race. I'm not really sure why I love the long distances, but I do. When I got to the lake, the rain had almost stopped. I started my watch and off I went to run the first 3 K. By the time I got back to the parking lot, the girls were showing up to do the other 5 K with me. It's so much better to run with others. I run a lot by myself so I really enjoy it when I get the chance to run with the girls.

Once my 8 K was done it was time to change and get ready for the 10 K. I didn't really think much about the fact that I would be a little tired for the race. I was supposed to run it, not race it. It was supposed to be a part of my long run. I think however, I kind of got caught up in the whole race feel and ended up pushing myself more than I was planning. I just couldn't help myself I guess. The route was tough this year and it was quite hot but, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger right? I believe that's a lyric in a song so it must be true! LOL

I was asked what it takes to get my mind and body ready for an undertaking of running 8 K and then a 10 K race an hour later. I really don't know if I have an answer as such. To me, it was just my long run broken up in two parts. My mind and body know by now that it will be doing a long run sometime during the weekend. It's something I have worked up to over the past few years. It has taken a lot of time and dedication to get there but it's my favorite run of the week. I've decided to run the Huffin' Puffin Marathon again this year. My runs will only get longer from here as I prepare for the big day. After running the Marathon 2 years ago, I didn't really know if I would ever run another but here I am, doing it again!

It's been great writing the PRC blog this month. All of the wonderful comments were greatly appreciated! I almost backed out after I said I would write them but I'm glad now that I went ahead with it. We all have great stories to tell and we should tell them! I'll leave you now with one of my favorite quotes...

"You've got what it takes, but it will take everything you've got."

Tonia Kennedy 

" We must have awful homes!"

You are probably wondering where I'm going with a title like that. Well, I have ran in some horrible running conditions from time to time. I won't ever tell you though that when I am sick with a cold that I got it from running outside in the rain, hail, snow, minus 20 temps etc. I don't blame running for anything EVER. I usually blame any pain or sickness on work! I Don't think my Husband believes me most of the time but that's my story and I'm sticking to it! LOL 

Seeing as how we had a really bad winter and sprinter that we all thought would never end, I find this story quite fitting. I have to push myself out the door most week days when it's cold and raining or snowing (or both). Sometimes I just go back to my old faithful treadmill that is always there waiting for me. At least on the treadmill you don't need 3 layers of clothes and two pairs of gloves! On the weekends however running buddies help get me out the door. Everyone is counting on each other to show up so we can all get it done together. 

One run always comes to mind from a long while ago. I remember it was very cold that morning. It had lightly snowed the night before and the wind was also a little high which of course was blowing the snow around. Off I went to meet up with a few girls at Topsail Pond. It was my first time going there for a run. That morning it was the four of us: myself, Tara, Jennifer, and Diane. We were all bundled up kinda like that kid from the Christmas Story movie. As we ran we all chatted about different things. It kind of helps take your mind off the fact that you are running in the freezing cold! A car drove by us that morning and that's when Diane jokingly said, "People must think we have awful homes to be out running in this!" I think of her saying that almost every time I'm out in nasty weather. The people passing by probably do think we are a little insane, maybe they do think we have awful homes! Especially when we are out on days when your eyelashes and hair turn white! LOL 

So, here we are, the first day of summer! I'm very happy that the weather is finally turning nice again. It's so much easier to get out the door when the sun is shining. I had a lovely run down around the park and back this evening. There were so many people out enjoying the nice evening. People passing me tonight probably didn't think I had an awful home for a change. Actually, our homes are the most supportive, truth be told. My alarm clock goes off sometimes on Saturday and Sunday mornings earlier than when I have to work. So, guess who else gets to wake up at that hour on the days he could be sleeping longer. Not to mention mornings I have needed to be dropped off early for races because I have been nervous that I wouldn't get a parking spot. oh, and also understanding of how much time goes into training for races, especially Marathon training when the really long runs mean you are gone most of the morning. The list goes on and on but the support always remains the same... 


"We have the best homes!"

Tonia Kennedy 

I Just Love To Run!

USR half marathon finisher! It was such a beautiful morning for a race. The only slight problem with that was... "WHAT DO I WEAR?" It really is the most difficult decision I make the morning of a race. Especially when we have a temperature of minus 20 one day and plus 20 the next! I may have exaggerated a little there but most understand where I'm coming from. I had a few options ready the night before and made the final decision that morning. Knowing Gina would be at the 4K mark helped a lot as I was planning to leave my sleeves with her. Thanks again Gina! 

One of my favorite parts of a race is seeing everyone at the start line and wishing each other good luck before the gun goes off. The USR start is very nice and well organized. While at the start line I always wonder how the run will go. I had never ran this course before which was why I signed up for the half. I had done the relay two years ago and the 10K last year so I figured I would give it a try. I knew going up the trail towards Mount Pearl was going to be a little tough but I also reminded myself that I would eventually get to turn around and run back to the park. Let me tell you, by the time I got to turn around I was very grateful! LOL

The cool thing I liked about the USR half was once I passed through the park going towards Mount Pearl, I saw other runners heading back to the park to finish. For one split second I was probably shoulder to shoulder with the winner! It doesn't matter that we were going in different directions right? LOL All of the encouragement from other runners while passing each other in that section of the race was pretty great. You kind of need that sometimes and for me it helped a lot.  All in all, it could have been a lot worse. I kept reminding myself about the Hypo Half race I ran this year and how I thought I would freeze to death and then this run didn't seem so hard. 

I try not to put too much pressure on myself to get a specific time in a race. I do give it all I got and try my very best but I never want to cross a finish line and feel disappointed in myself. I never want running to be all about the clock because I'm afraid that if I start to feel like I didn't perform good enough, I won't enjoy it anymore. I know my PB's and quite proud of them but not every race I run will be faster than the last and that's OK with me. I just love to run. I love how much progress I've made and how much stronger I am. I run because I want to, not because I feel like I have to.

Congratulations to everyone who ran this past Sunday! The beautiful medal at the finish made the race totally worth it! The reception after was also very nice and there was CAKE! I love cake and there is no better time to eat it than after running a half marathon. Hmmm... maybe I just love to run so I can eat cake! ;)

Tonia Kennedy

Where do I "fit in"?

When I joined PRC I had no clue about pace as such. I didn't even own a running watch but I was using a running app on my phone to track my runs. I guess one great benefit of the Learn To Run program is it makes it a little easier to find people to run with at a pace you are comfortable with. Me? I followed some of the fastest people in PRC on my second Saturday coffee run!  Let's go back shall we?

When I showed up for my second run with the PRC gang, I was expecting to see the girls from the first week. When I got there I realized that they weren't there. I was a little disappointed but still looking forward to my run. I remember hoping the route would be the same as the week before because I wasn't familiar with the area. I started out behind some runners and they seemed to be taking the same route as the week before, or so I thought. The runners ahead of me were FAST! I began to realize that I should have probably followed the other group that went another route. Too late for that, I just kept going. 

One thing I noticed as I ran behind them was that they kept looking back. One of them always seemed to be checking on me. I knew I wouldn't be lost in Paradise and I was very happy about that LOL. Someone would even run back to check on me from time to time which was nice. When they reached where I had turned around the week before, they kept going! Oh no, I was not prepared for this new route. I had no clue where I was going! I kept following along and when they took a left to run up Paradise Road, I thought that was the end of me! OMG that hill is something else. Up I went, more of a walk than a run and there they were at the top waiting. By the time we ended back at coffee matters, I had another 8K with the group under my belt. They all told me I had done great and I felt great that I didn't quit.

I haven't forgotten that run and how even though I was much slower, I got it done! We all have different paces and abilities and like everything else in life, we can't be afraid to try and find our place. One thing though is that even though most of us run with people who are around the same pace as ourselves, everyone is welcomed on every run in PRC. Don't be afraid of joining in with other runners from time to time. Step outside your comfort zone or take it back a little. You never know what you may be missing out on. I had no idea that on my second run with the club that I was following behind Craig, Tanya and gang. I don't think I've done it since! LOL But one thing is for sure, they all got me through it. 

The Learn To Run group had their 5K Graduation run this weekend past. I want to take this opportunity to say that you all ROCK! This year so far has not been great weather wise for running. To be quite honest, it has really sucked but you did it! Whatever your next goal is, I wish you luck. Keep at it and don't give up if it's something you really want. I've learned a lot from other runners in this club and you will too. Get out there and join in on the different runs. You never know where the roads and trails will take you and what you will accomplish with the help of your PRC running buddies. To quote Helen Keller,  "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."

I "fit in" just fine, you will too!

Tonia Kennedy

Paradise Running Club... Should I join?

I know, I know. Silly question right? Yes, of course it is now. Three years ago though I had no idea what I was doing. I remember it was the middle of December and I was sitting in the living room looking at the website on my laptop. I asked my Husband Jim what he thought of the idea. You see, I live in Kilbride, the Club is in Paradise and I can only make weekend runs. "If you want to try it, go for it." He told me. I still had doubts. let me take you back for a second...

Five years ago, I was at my heaviest of 200 lbs and I felt like I was dying, no joke. After a doctors appointment and blood work, I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid. Once on medication, I also had my weight issue to deal with. It's not easy to start exercising when you don't feel well but I purchased a treadmill and started using it 6 days a week. This is where my running started and over time, the weight came off and I started thinking about running the Tely 10. Most of the time though when I talked of my running people said things like, "But you just run on a treadmill." ( to a lot of people treadmill running doesn't count I guess) Well, problem solved when my treadmill broke and I finally had to hit the streets until it could be fixed. Not running wasn't an option. It took a little getting use to at first and I was nervous running alone but once I had a taste of what I was missing...I needed more.

With doubts about my ability to run with the club members (because I mostly used a treadmill for running), I joined a wonderful group of people for a run one cold Saturday morning in February. I didn't even wait for nice spring or summer weather! I had no idea what I was in for but I tagged along with a great group of girls for 8K that morning. Everyone was welcoming and I loved every minute of it!

I have ran a number of 5K and 10K races to date. 3 Tely 10's, 4 Half Marathons, 2 Cape to Cabot's and l finished my first Marathon almost two years ago! Let me tell you, I would not have done it without the support of the club and the wonderful friends I have found by joining. They sometimes believe in me more than I believe in myself. Fist bumps after runs, cheers as you cross finish lines, and let's not forget the chats over coffee after a run are things that make PRC great!

As I blog this month I may have to take you all back in time with me at least once more. Some of my very first runs with PRC were memorable and I remember them like it was yesterday. I would also like to think that maybe there is someone out there on the fence like I was who may read this and finally join a running club. We all have to start somewhere right? 

PRC... "Should YOU join?"... ABSOLUTELY!!!!

Tonia Kennedy

My legs are tired from running in my dreams all night

So I had a strange dream last night and since there was no blogger for Ma (and some encouragement from Tanya), I decided I would share.

So it all started at Boston Pizza with several runners from PRC eating spaghetti, there were 4 or 5 different tables filled with us. That’s as much as I remember of that part. 

Next it flashes to myself and Tanya driving to the USR race with her youngest son Noah in the back, still covered in spaghetti and sauce from the night before.  Noah was apparently running the 10k with Tanya. I thought that was really cool that he was running 10 whole kilometres at such a young age!

Then I remember us running in the URS: Myself, Tanya, Janice, Tonia, and Noah. I started calling Noah Arron for some reason, saying I was going to stick with him for my first 10k and then boot it on my last 11 so Tanya didn’t have to worry about him and could try to PB. Tonia kept laughing at me and whispering to Janice because I was calling him Arron instead of Noah.  Then I got embarrassed and ran in front of Tonia and she put her hand on my shoulder to console me, I then said “hey your hand is warm, you got to keep running like that” So Tonia put her other hand on my other shoulder and we ran like that for a while with Janice beside her.  Eventually she asked if she could let go and I said yes and her and Janice went off and were out of site in seconds. 

Looking back now I’m not sure what happened to Tanya and Noah but hopefully they made out ok.  So I continued to run, and I noticed that my shoes were on the wrong feet, when I changed them I noticed that I was wearing the wrong pair of sneakers, I was wearing my white pair which weren’t my last pair but my pair before that. Then Andrew Power caught up to me (apparently I’m pretty fast in my dreams) and I told him I wore the wrong shoes, he said I just saw you change them and I said no they were on the wrong feet and I passed him. Then I noticed that the shoe laces weren’t right at all so I stopped and fixed them and Andrew Power caught back up. I complained about my shoes again and we started to run together. Then I looked at my watch and noticed I never had the displays set up correctly. Andrew told me that we were at 1:08 so it looked good for us to get a sub 2 hours if we kept going at this pace (again much fast in my dreams) and then I woke up.

So while this dream was really weird, it was also telling me something. I told the dream to my wife this morning and she said (sarcastically) “I don’t know why but something tells me that you’re nervous about your half coming up”. And it’s very true. I am terrified about it.  For one I don’t have a good track records with halfs, my first one was the Huffin Puffin in 2015 and I started off great but by the second half I was struggling and due to auto pause on my watch and a bathroom break I missed reaching a goal, not because I didn’t have it in my but because I thought I had some extra time than I did so I didn’t start sprinting when I should have, that was the most disappointing, I didn’t reach it because I was being lazy.  My second half was supposed to be November 2015 in Disney world but due to a lighting storm that turned out to be 11k.  I was bitter towards halfs after that and haven’t done once since. 

Second thing that’s making me nervous is my training. I decided to do the USR because 1. I haven’t done any of the USR before and 2. To get me back into the running routine as I was struggling getting back into it since mom passed. So while it worked to a degree I still didn’t get in as many runs as I wanted to. After I completed the Mundy Pond 5k, I said ok I really need to buckle down and train now, so I looked at the training program and went “oh we are in week 5 of 12, well this should kick my butt”, and it certainly has. Since starting in week 5 I’ve been doing ok with it but have missed some runs due to work and life, usually it wouldn’t be a big deal, but I missed for 4 weeks of regular training before that, so I’m not in the condition I would have liked to be in. 

 Third thing and probably freaking me out the most is my injury. I have been having trouble with my leg after running. I have no problem usually during the run but after I cool down I start limping. I’ve been trying stretching and the foam roller with little affect. I’ve been having this issue for a while but it’s only now that I’m finding it annoying. I was trying to think when it started but I’m not sure, I know it’s been at least since I put my orthotics in so I thought that removing them might work. However, either I misplaced or threw out the pair of soles that belonged with the shoes. Thursday night I tried my insoles from my last pair and while I still had some problems afterwards it didn’t seem like it was as bad. So for my long run Sunday I thought I’d try the in soles from my older pair of shoes (the white ones, probably why I dreamt of them). I was thinking that since I haven’t wore them in a while maybe the cushion would have gone back up in them. Long story short I was wrong and I now have a blister on the back of my foot, my legs were also terrible after the run, so it’s back to the orthotics. The run on Sunday was also daunting, I went to do 18km, and I ended up only doing 16k. I couldn’t get my speed up at all and when I got to 14k my legs were really tight. When we got to 16k, I was I was good to stop because I felt if I made the wrong move for the last two k that my muscle would just go *ping* and I would have been in way worse shape.

However there is some hope. I asked for suggestion and coach Kiley came through! He recommended some compression socks to wear after running, so Friday night I went out and got a pair. They certainly have increased recovery. On Sunday I went from a couple of days of limping to a couple of hours after I put them on. I am going to try to wear them on a run this week. I thought about it Sunday but didn’t want to risk it for the first time on such a long run. Hopefully that will help. I also have a massage booked next week so I am optimistic that’ll at least make it more bearable, where foam rolling will work. 

All in all I just want to finish the USR half, I am going to be smart about this one and listen to my body. If I need to walk I’m going to walk but the main thing is to finish. After that we’ll see what’s going on and assess the next challenge from there. But whatever happens I’m going to do my best to enjoy the race, because what’s the since of doing it, if you don’t enjoy it!