From one coast to the other

16 May, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I’ve been back in Nova Scotia for almost a week now and I’m starting to think that I should have been a better blogger and lined up some guest bloggers.

Blogging while on vacation is not easy.

I may have more time but that’s been spent with family and friends.

I’m overdue for a marathon recap.

I have another half-marathon on Sunday.

But I’m having a great time. The kids have adjusted to the four-hour time change and I’ve gotten to run in a new place.

This morning I went to explore a trail located at the end of my parents subdivision. This trail is new to me and didn’t exist when I was growing up. There was no trail map to look at so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I thought I would be running on a nice path covered in rock.

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But that soon turned into a rocky, rooty, and muddy trail.

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Every so often the trail would be replaced by these wooden walkways.

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The weather has been very rainy and wet so I was forced to turn around because of the mud and water. I’m in NS for another couple of weeks so I’m looking forward to checking it out again once it dries up.

And I’m more convinced than ever that my next running shoe purchase will be a pair of trail runners.

I’m off to Halifax tomorrow for a weekend of fun and the Bluenose Marathon with Meegan and Tara. The kids are heading to Nany and Poppy’s trailer for the first campfire of the season.

Ideally on Sunday I will finish the half-marathon with a new PR. But my main goal is to have fun.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to catch a few zzz while I wait for my mom :)

Filed Under: family, running Tagged With: , ,

#iwill love my body for what it can do

8 May, 2013 by 4 Comments

I found out that I was chosen to participate in the sponsored Under Armour What’s Beautiful campaign through FitFluential the day I left for Vancouver. I wasn’t sure what my challenge was going to be since I was headed into the city to run my very first full marathon.

The #WhatsBeautiful project is about redefining the female athlete by setting epic goals and pushing past where we’ve ever been and where we thought we could go.

There are prizes to be won, friends to make, and inspirational woman from all over the world. It is a way to set a goal and then work towards achieving it all while supporting one another.

whatsbeautiful

The start of #WhatsBeautiful 3.0 could not have come at a better time for me.

You see, I have a very difficult time appreciating my running and fitness accomplishments. I get too caught up in how my body looks rather than what it can do physically. I let the way I *think* I look to others over shadow the fact that I can run for hours on end. Instead of focusing on the huge achievement of running my first marathon (which still hasn’t really hit me yet) I began to worry about what I was going to look like in the official race photos.

I thought about how I could write a recap of the marathon without including any photos because I just *assumed* I would look gross in them.

Gross.

That is a word I use often when talking about my post-baby body to my husband.

He hates it.

And rightfully so. I should hate it too.

That’s no way to talk about my body as I am heading out for a 3 mile training run.

That’s no way to talk about my body as I am heading out for a 10+ mile training run.

That’s no way to talk about my body as I am heading out for a full marathon.

That’s no way to talk about my body ever.

There is no reason for me to feel ashamed of the woman in my race photos from the marathon. No matter what I look like it doesn’t take away the fact that I just ran for 26.2 miles. That I just ran for 42.2K. That I just ran for 5:51:29.

I ran for close to 6 hours.

That is longer than the amount of sleep I get most nights.

And I did all that nine-months after having my second child.

In fact, I have had three big fitness achievements since having Teagan back in August 2012. None of which my appearance had any part in.

October 2012, I ran a 10K two-months post-baby.

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March 2013, I ran a half-marathon seven-months post-baby:

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May 2013, I ran my first full marathon, nine-months post-baby:

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I would be lying if I said I was happy with the way I look in those three pictures, but I am trying my best to look past my physical appearance and trying to focus on my physical capabilities.

Which leads me to my goal for the #WhatsBeautiful project:

#IWill learn to love my body for what it can do, not for how it looks.

I don’t look like those women in most fitness ads, or like most runners at the start of a race, but you know what? I am just as capable, and as much of an athlete, as they are just in my own way.

Yes, I still want to lose the rest of the weight I gained while pregnant.

Yes, I still have clothes that I want to fit back into.

Yes, there is still a certain weight-range I would like to see on the scale.

But being healthy is just as much emotional as it is physical. If I don’t learn to love my body now for what it can do then there are no guarantees I will love my body for what it can do in the future, no matter what I look like.

In addition to my personal profile page on the #WhatsBeautiful site I have also created a team where you can join me in learning to appreciate your body for what it can do, not for how it looks. I named it Team simply be…YOU. It is a place for all of us, no matter what your sport or activity of choice is, to celebrate what we are capable of physically without worrying about how we look. It is a place to take pride in our accomplishments. It is a place to encourage and support each other as we work towards our personal goals. It is a place to simply be…YOU!

I will be running my third half-marathon in 10 days.

Just two-weeks after I ran my first full-marathon.

That`s pretty amazing now that I think about it :)

Filed Under: Under Armour IWill Tagged With: , ,

I’m a MARATHONER!

6 May, 2013 by 8 Comments

I’m still processing the whole experience but wanted to pop in quickly to share my excitement that I am officially a marathoner!

That, and it’s 6 am the morning after the race and I can’t sleep for the life of me. Must be a mom thing.

Krista and I had a super fantastic first-marathon race experience and I am so happy I had her there with me (and not just because she was smart enough to remember her gps watch :) )

She reeled me in when I started to get caught up in all the excitement and kept me going all the way to the finish line. As a result we ran a smart race and crossed the finish line with smiles on our faces.

It was a beauty of a day, a beautiful course, in a beautiful city!

Our fox tails and ears were a big hit out on the course and the comments from spectators, volunteers, and other runners definitely helped keep our spirits high.

Thank you to everyone for all your love and support leading up to the marathon and all day yesterday.

I finished my first marathon in a time of 5:51:29 and I’m already looking forward to my next full marathon.

Oh yes, I’ve been bitten by the marathon bug and I can hardly wait to crush my time. But for now I’m going to enjoy my shiny new PRs (distance and time) and focus on recovery and getting ready for my upcoming trip back to Nova Scotia.

I’ll have a full recap up soon.

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Filed Under: BMO Vancouver Marathon Tagged With: , ,

Scotiabank Bluenose Marathon, Halifax, NS

3 May, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I’ve been so focused on the upcoming BMO Vancouver Marathon (two more sleeps – eek!) that I keep forgetting I have another race just two short weeks later.

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On May 19, 2013, while I am back in Nova Scotia visiting family and friends, I will be running the Recharge with Milk Half-Marathon at the Scotiabank Bluenose Marathon in Halifax, NS.

bluenose half

Confession time: I planned this trip back home specifically at this time of year so I could run this race.

During my time at Acadia University I would run around campus and Wolfville for fitness. I never *really* got into running, or racing, until many years later after we moved to BC. It has been on my bucket list to run a race in my home province and the timing is perfect.

At first I was only going to register for the 10K because I thought it would be the sensible thing to do two-weeks post marathon. But it only took one message from Tara to convince me to go for the half-marathon distance. I will be combining this race with a weekend in the city, kid-free, visiting with Meegan and Tara and that is just as exciting (if not more so) than the actual race!

This is the 10th Anniversary of the Bluenose and I am excited to be a part of it. I already know that us Maritimers love to have a good time so I can only imagine the excitement that will surround me on race day and the days leading up to it.

I don’t have any specific goals for this race but I would like to have a new half-marathon PR once I cross the finish line. Plus, I’ll have that whole sea-level thing working to my advantage again, just on a different coast.

May is definitely an exciting month for me!

I love that I will be running a race on either side of the Country in one month.

I love that I will run along the water via the Sea Wall in Vancouver and then I will run along the water via Point Pleasant Park in Halifax.

I’m excited to spend time with my family and Andrew’s family (he is coming later for a shorter visit).

I’m excited to spend time with friends who I haven’t seen in way too long.

This is going a great way to spend my last weeks of maternity leave.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go finish packing, we leave for Vancouver today!

The butterflies are officially setting in.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram (@simmondsfam), Twitter (@simmondsfam), facebook (simplybemeblog), and to check the blog this weekend as I will be posting updates pre and post race.

Let’s do this!

 

Filed Under: half-marathon Tagged With: , ,

Team Fox Race Day Outfit for the Vancouver Marathon

1 May, 2013 by 2 Comments

Deciding what to wear for the Vancouver Marathon has been just as challenging as the training. The clothes I choose to wear will be with me for 26.2 miles so I better be certain I won’t feel like ripping something off at the half-way point.

I *think* I have finally settled on a complete race day outfit. I’m trying to decide if these are the only running clothes I should pack or if I should pack a few extras just in case I change my mind.

Decisions, decisions.

Running might not be a fashion show, at least according to my husband, but that doesn’t mean us runners can’t have fun and feel good in our race day outfits!

My Team Fox Race Day Outfit for the Vancouver Marathon

1. Team Fox singlet. As a member of Team Fox I was provided a team-issued Nike singlet to wear at the race. I’ve worn it on a few training runs to get an idea of how it would handle 26.2 miles.

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2. Old Navy tank with built-in bra. I wear this tank as a base layer on every. single. run. The marathon will be no exception.

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3. Oiselle arm warmers. Tank top + an early race start = an excuse to buy a pair of matching arm warmers. These will tuck away nicely once it warms up, and will provide a nice nose-wiping surface.

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4. Lululemon Run Inspire II crops. Hands down the best running crops I own. I love the mesh behind the knees and they don’t fall down at all.

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5. Pro Compression low trainers. I recently started wearing these and love the light compression on my feet without having to commit to a full compression sock.

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6. Saucony Cortana 2 running shoes. My shoe decision has been a battle. One run I’m positive I’ll wear my Saucony Mirage 2 running shoes, the next run they make my feet go numb. It’s been frustrating but I’m 97% positive I’ll wear the Cortanas. Unless I can convince the fine folks at the Saucony booth to let me test drive a pair of the new Mirage 3 for the marathon, then I’m sure my mind can be changed.

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7. Under Armour hat. I found this hat in the clearance section of Cabela’s a couple of years ago. I wear it on the majority of my runs. It will need to be washed prior to the marathon.

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8. Fox tail. Oh yes my friends, we are taking our Team Fox membership to a whole new level and we will be wearing these fancy, made-to-order fox tails all weekend. I wore mine on a training run and was surprised to discover that I hardly knew it was there. We’ll also have ears attached to our hats. Because what kind of Foxy Running Mamas would we be without a tail to shake? :)

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So there you have it. My complete race day outfit. I also have some fancy orange running underwear but decided against posting a picture of my unmentionables on the blog.

Filed Under: BMO Vancouver Marathon, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Tuesday’s Quote of the Day

30 April, 2013 by 2 Comments

I saw this over at Abby’s blog Back at Square Zero the other day and immediately saved the image.

Love it.

distance-runner

 

Filed Under: BMO Vancouver Marathon Tagged With: ,

Marathon Running at Sea Level

29 April, 2013 by 8 Comments

When people ask me if I’m ready for my upcoming marathon in Vancouver my answer usually includes the following two facts:

1. I’ve been training at a higher elevation so I know running in Vancouver will automatically feel easier on my lungs and body since I’ll be running at sea level. I’m not saying an elevation change will make running a marathon easy because there is nothing easy about running 26.2 miles, but it will feel a little easier for me (I know because I’ve experienced it before).

2. I always run faster, and push myself harder, when there are other runners/people around. This even happens when I’m out running alone. If I see someone approaching me on the trail or road my pace automatically picks up. I’ve been focusing on running faster and nothing can make that happen quite like the energy of a race.

So, am I ready?

The short answer: I’m as ready as I’m going to be.

I’ve put in the work and I trust in my training.

Training wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be.

Challenging? Yes.

It took hard work and determination but I can already say with certainty, before I’ve even stepped up to the starting line, that there will be more full marathons in my future.

Am I crazy? Maybe, but us runners are a little bit crazy sometimes, and we like it that way.

Filed Under: BMO Vancouver Marathon Tagged With: , ,

This time next week I’ll be recovering…

28 April, 2013 by 8 Comments

This time next week I will be recovering from my first full marathon at the finish line of the BMO Vancouver Marathon.

It’s still hard to believe but I am definitely getting more excited the closer we get to race day on May 5, 2013.

I’m very happy with the way my two runs went this weekend.

Saturday I ran 10 miles in 2 hours 3 minutes. I wore my complete race outfit (with the exception of my fox tail) and now know where I need to apply more body glide – I’m not used to running with bare arms and had a bit of chafing at the end of my run. Overall though, I am confident my outfit will get me across the finish line in comfort.

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On a whim I decided to take a different kind of fuel with me for this run. Over the past four months I have eaten my fair share of gels and chews, and honestly, am getting a little sick of them. So while I was in the dollar store I grabbed some sour grape and sour grapefruit candies, put a bunch in my SPI belt before I left on my run, and was pleasantly surprised by how well they worked. It got me thinking that I might go this route for the marathon next weekend. If I’m dreading the intake of gels and chews there is a chance I won’t take them as diligently as I should out on the course. A lack of fuel will mean I’ll hit the wall sooner than expected and that won’t be fun.

But candy? Now that is nothing but fun.

Plus, there will be PowerBar gels out on the course if I decide I need one in addition to my own fuel.

So many decisions!

On to today. If you follow me on Instagram (@simmondfam) you already know that I ran my fastest 3.5 mile run to date this morning!

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My legs felt tired but I dug deep to keep running strong.

It has given me a definite confidence boost for the marathon.

With only two runs left until race day my mind is now drifting to thoughts of how the weekend is going to play out. I am going into it with nothing but a positive attitude because I know if I focus on what *could* go wrong it will take away from the experience. My first marathon is something I will always remember and I’m ready to make it a great one!

Team Fox fundraising update:

I want to send out another thanks to everyone who has donated to my Team Fox fundraising efforts. My official funds-raised-to-date as recorded on my personal fundraising page is $1,404.00 but I recently mailed in an additional $225 dollars in cheques. Once those are added it will bring my total over my $1,500.00 goal!

Team Foxy Running Mamas has raised $2,684.86 so far!

Thank you so much – we couldn’t have done it without all of your support!

Filed Under: BMO Vancouver Marathon Tagged With: , , ,

One week from today

26 April, 2013 by 2 Comments

One week from today and I will be getting ready to leave for Vancouver for the BMO Vancouver Marathon.

One week from today my marathon training will be finished, all my training runs will have been ran, and there will be nothing left for me to do but rest and enjoy my time in the city and on the course.

I will wear bib #6773 with pride and joy.

When I look at my training plan I only see four runs remaining and the tought of that both excites and scares me.

In nine days I will be a marathoner.

When I sit back and think about it I know I am ready. I have put in the work and I know I will cross the finish line with pride and probably a few tears in my eyes. The great thing about running my first marathon is I will automatically have two new PRs as soon as I cross the finish line: a distance PR of 26.2 miles, and a marathon time PR of whatever the fates have in store for me.

My race day outfit has been decided and tested (I’ll devote a post to that later this week), and my body has finally worked through it’s gut issues (thank you stomach!).

I felt strong during my runs this week and I am definitely going to enjoy every minute of these upcoming 26.2 miles on May 5, 2013.

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Team Fox has a pre-race dinner planned for everyone running for Parkinson’s the night before the race. I have connected with a couple of them via social media and am excited to meet them in person.

And I would lying if I said I wasn’t secretly hoping that Michael J. Fox shows up at some point over the weekend to cheer us on – and I don’t think it’s complete wishful thinking, he is a fellow Canadian after all.

Filed Under: BMO Vancouver Marathon Tagged With: , ,

The “holy smokes the marathon is approaching fast” marathon training update

19 April, 2013 by 4 Comments

Before I get to updating you all on my marathon training I just want to send my love, thoughts, and strength to all those we were and continue to be affected by the Boston Marathon tragedy. Hopefully the healing can start now that the suspect(s) have been apprehended.

#BostonStrong

So, where to begin.

Just as the title suggests, I am getting a wee bit anxious about the upcoming BMO Vancouver Marathon where I will be running a full 26.2 miles.

Training has been going well but I am starting to have mild panic attacks every time I look at a calendar or my training plan that stares at me every time I walk by the fridge.

Tapering has officially started and my longest run leading up to marathon weekend on May 5 will only be 14-miles this Sunday.

And believe me when I write that it still astonishes, amazes, baffles, etc. me that I am able to use the word *only* in front of something as crazy-sounding as a 14-mile run. Never, ever in a million years did I think that would ever happen.

I ran my second 20-miler in Nelson last weekend with Krista. We ran on part of the Slocan Valley Rail Trail, 10 miles out then 10 miles back. As dreadful as out-and-back routes can seem I actually kind of like them because I have no excuse but to finish the distance (a girl has to get back to the car somehow).

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Krista has been dealing with foot issues (girl is determined with a capital D to cross that finish line on May 5!) so she turned back at the 7-mile mark. I continued on for the remainder miles, with Glenn at my side, and then started to make me way back to Krista.

I have been dealing with some new stomach issues for the past couple of weeks so I was very happy the trail was virtually deserted as I had to make an emergency pit stop.

Enough said.

But stomach, if you’re listening, you best get your act together soon.

I felt great during the run but definitely slowed down for the final few miles and tested my mental strength. I even resorted to playing my music sans headphones to help me get through to the end.

Not the sign you want to see while running alone.

Not the sign you want to see while running alone.

Once I stopped I immediately felt like I was going to puke. I needed food and water (I ran out with 4-miles to go) and am now contemplating packing a snickers bar in my SPIbelt to get me through the final 6.2 miles of the marathon. No reason behind choosing a snickers bar other than they are delicious :)

Once I refueled I felt better.

Then I had to be a Mom.

Then we went out to see Classified perform.

Then I finally went to bed at 3:00 am.

Then I was awoken at 6:30 am by a hungry baby and three children ready to start the day.

But other than feeling sleepy I was once again surprised by how well my body felt.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, foam rolling and stretching are magical.

Oh, and I ran my second 20-miler almost 6 minutes faster than my first 20-miler – score!

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Filed Under: BMO Vancouver Marathon, running Tagged With: , , ,
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