Where Did That Two Years Go?

April 5, 2022April 5, 2022 AndreaLeave a comment

Everyone knows that in order to have a successful blog, you need to add content regularly. Apparently, I’ve been failing at that part – majorly. I fantasize about writing everyday – while I’m driving to the grocery store, while I wash the dishes, and especially when I’m trying to fall asleep. I’ve written so many blog posts in my head that have never made their way into the outside world. It’s time for me to get back on the metaphorical horse. So here it goes!

A lot has happened since I’ve last written on Run on Sentence. I’ve had changes in my career, I’ve moved into a new home that I’m absolutely in love with, and of course – I’ve had another beautiful baby girl who is about to turn a year old on Saturday. The time has literally been slipping through my fingers but apparently I get super sentimental when my babies are about to transition into toddlerhood. It seems to be the only time I can gather the courage to sit down and pour my heart out into words.

Baby Emma (or Emmasaurus as I like to call her) completed our family by emerging from my giant belly on April 9th of last year. She came into the world and immediately filled the room with light. Emma is a true ray of sunshine and she’s been smiling since the day she was born. Her calm demeanor acts as a window into her gentle soul – which I know she acquired from her Dad. This coming weekend, we’ll be throwing her a dinosaur themed birthday party so the people we love most can be there to celebrate with her as she begins the second year of her phenomenal life. I just know she’s gonna do great things. Maybe she’ll even be a marathoner someday!

Unfortunately, the arrival of Emma’s first birthday also marks the end of my year-long maternity leave and I’ll be starting back at work in a week from tomorrow. I’m excited to be working again but I can’t help but dwell on the heart wrenching fact that I’ll likely never get a full year off to spend with my babies again. We won’t be having any more children so the finality of ending this beautiful year is a heavy emotional load for me to carry. I’ve never been great at dealing with endings. In the back of my mind, I know that an ending to one thing simply means the beginning of something else exciting but actually closing the book on any chapter that I’ve loved has always made me sad. There won’t be any more Tuesday morning walks to the mailbox with my girls where Avery picks weeds from the side of the road to give to me. I won’t be playing Barbies in her bedroom at 2pm on a Thursday and I won’t get to spend lazy Friday afternoons pushing Emma on the swing or watching her explore her playroom. I know there’s still weekends and holidays but it’s simply not the same. Any mother knows exactly what I mean.

With all of that on the horizon, I’ve decided it’s time to get back into running. It has always been my main way of releasing my anxiety and stress and after finally getting out for a short 3k yesterday (after hibernating for most of the winter), I’ve got the taste of fresh air and sunshine on my mind again. There’s truly nothing better than a run on a cool spring day. I’ll be skipping my favorite race event (The Scotiabank Bluenose Marathon) this year because I’m attending a wedding in Victoria but I’ve decided to set my sights on the Valley Harvest Marathon event in the Fall. This event is easily my other favorite and I’m even more wound up about it this year because my husband has FINALLY agreed to take up running and participate in an actual race with me! Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I’ve literally been nagging him to do this with me for a decade. I’ve always had a hunch that if I could just get him to start, that he’d be hooked just like I was all those years ago at the young age of 23. Over the past few months, he reluctantly started running on the treadmill and yesterday was our first outdoor run together. It was literally a decade-long dream come true! The best part was that he didn’t even hate it! He actually enjoyed it – until this morning when he couldn’t use his legs. That’s okay though because if he’s anything like me, he’ll be craving the next run by tomorrow. I’ll be sure to provide an update on this exciting new adventure as the situation evolves and we continue to train together.

I promise it won’t be two years before you hear from me again. My daughters are growing and learning everyday and as a result, I’m growing and learning with them. My mind and my heart are both getting stronger. It’s time for my legs to get strong again too.

We’ll surely ‘run’ into each other here again soon. Ciao for now!

Andrea

A Few of My Favorites

January 30, 2018 AndreaLeave a comment

It’s hard to believe that I’ve actually run enough races to have a list of favorites, but somehow, over the course of the past few years, that’s become my reality – and I think that’s pretty exciting! I’m feeling a bit nostalgic tonight so here is a list of my favorite races in the Maritimes and all the reasons why I love them.

Scotiabank Bluenose Marathon – This one will always be my favorite because it’s where I first fell in love with running. The Bluenose is by far the biggest race in the Halifax area and the crowds of spectators and the ‘running is for everyone’ attitude that the race promotes really strikes a chord with me. The Bluenose is a weekend long event that includes a fitness expo with tons of great vendors and you can choose to run any of the usual distances ranging from a 5k all the way up to a marathon. They also have a 2km fun run for kids which I think is a fantastic way to get the kiddos hooked on running from an early age. Over the past few years I have completed the 5k (my first ever road race), the 10k, and the half marathon distances. This year I’ve decided that there’s really only 1 distance left to tackle and I’m totally going to do it!
2017 Bluenose 10K

2016 Bluenose Half Marathon
Maritime Race Weekend – I LOOOOVE this event! It takes place in my neighborhood of Eastern Passage and is always such a blast. The whole weekend is pirate themed and lots of runners get really into the theme by dressing up in pirate attire for the race. The swag and race medals are also my favorite and some of my everyday gear that I wear (my hat, buff, and some of my shirts) are from Maritime Race Weekend. The start line for this race (they too, have all of the various distances that any major race event offers) is nestled in the midst of the cutest fishing village you’ll ever see and the scenery on the race routes is breathtaking. I missed the 2017 event because it happened to be on the same day as my wedding but I will definitely be lined up for one of the distances at the 2018 event. I already can’t wait for this one! Did I mention that they give you free beer when you’ve finished the race?
Some swag from 2015 Maritime Race Weekend

2016 Event
Dartmouth Natal Day 10k Road Race – The annual Natal Day race is a classic and has been happening in Dartmouth since 1907. There’s a real community vibe at this event and you can choose to run a 2 mile or a 6 mile race. Because it’s not a big, weekend-long event with thousands of entrants, it’s also pretty affordable and it’s a lot of fun! P.S – The Natal Day Road Race attracts quite a few of the local elite runners and it’s always fun to see them finish so far ahead of the pack.
2017 Natal Day Race
The Valley Harvest Marathon – I adore Fall. I love the leaves, I love pumpkins, and I love the Valley Harvest Marathon in Wolfville, Nova Scotia – which also happens to fall on Thanksgiving weekend each year. This event is so much fun! The Fall colors in the valley are worth the drive out there and the race route is beautiful. I’ve completed both the 10k distance and the half marathon at the Valley Harvest and both routes were gorgeous. Their swag is also great. The medals are always creative and beautiful and instead of the usual race swag, I’ve received a bright yellow running jacket and 2 cozy fleece blankets in my swag bags over the years. The blankets are my favorite and are such a great swag idea for a Fall running event. Cross that finish line and then cozy up under a fleece blanky with a free chocolate milk. Life doesn’t get any better than that at a finish line!
2017 Medal!

There are lots of other great races in the Halifax area too, but those 4 are my absolute favorites. Honorable mention should also be given to the super affordable MEC Race Series and to the free Mac Pass Mile race which is a 1 mile (give or take) race across the MacDonald bridge from Halifax to Dartmouth.

P.S – Did I mention that I ran 17km on my training run yesterday? Definitely the farthest I’ve ever run without receiving a medal and a free banana at the end of it. I did get a hot bath and a sandwich though!

Cheers until next time!

Andrea

When the Going Gets Rough

January 24, 2018January 24, 2018 AndreaLeave a comment

I think anyone who has ever tried to accomplish something significant in their lives can say that there are many speed bumps along the way. When it comes to running – for me, winter is a big one. I have been following along with a fairly strict training plan in preparation for the Bluenose Marathon in May and on Sunday morning, when I woke to do my weekly long run, absolutely everything went wrong.

I set my alarm for 6:30am (which is super early for a Sunday morning in the dead of winter) and headed to the kitchen where I ate a carb-heavy breakfast of oatmeal and an english muffin in preparation for the 17.5km distance ahead of me. I bundled up in my new Running Room RX winter tights (the windproof panels on the thighs are so worth the money!), grabbed my earphones and headed out the door feeling rather upbeat about what I was going to accomplish before most people were even awake. It was all down hill from there.

I got about 5 minutes from home when I realized that I’d forgotten my water belt which also contained the Gu Gel that was supposed to get me through the second half of the trek. So, I turned around and headed home to get the belt. No big deal, right? A few moments later, I was back on track and headed to the end of my subdivision where I usually transition from my warm up walk into a run. But when I reached the sidewalk, it was an absolute mess from the wet winter weather we’d been having lately. I expected there to be some icy patches on the sidewalks but I didn’t quite expect this:

‘How on earth is anyone supposed to safely run on a sidewalk that resembles a hockey arena?’ I thought to myself. But the runner in me said to keep going and give it my best shot. So I did. I ran for 5 feet when the sidewalk was clear and waddled, slipped, and slid where the sidewalk was slippery. After 3km, I decided it wasn’t worth a broken ankle and I made the decision to head for home. I was more than a little pissed off that Mother Nature could have such disregard for my Sunday morning run plans.

Once I turned around and headed for home, I saw something coming towards me down the sidewalk. I knew right away that it was a skid steer that was out salting the very sidewalks that I just spent 3km trying not to break my ankle on. For some reason, this enraged me. Why couldn’t they have salted the sidewalk BEFORE I needed to run!? By now, I was cold, angry, and frustrated with the whole experience so I hurried home, slammed the door and teared up. “Today was supposed to be my long run!” I yelled to my husband who was still half asleep in bed. “The weather completely ruined my day!” He didn’t seem nearly as distraught by this as I was. Perhaps he is just too familiar with my over-reactions when things don’t go my way?

After a hot shower and a cup of coffee to calm my nerves, things started to look up. My Dad invited us to go skating at the Halifax Oval that afternoon and we went to lunch first where he and my stepmom treated me to a belated birthday meal and a beautiful card. It was about time something went right in my day! By the time I had been on the ice at The Oval for an hour, I had almost completely forgotten about my rough morning and really ended up enjoying my day.

The lesson I learned? Try not to get too bent out of shape about things I can’t control. Enjoy the small stuff and know that in order to make any major progress – running related or otherwise – I’m gonna have to maneuver around a few obstacles and try to make the best of the journey.

Until next time!

Andrea

“Blue Monday” Wasn’t Blue for Me!

January 15, 2018January 15, 2018 AndreaLeave a comment

It’s no secret that The Bluenose Marathon is my favorite race of the year and it’s also the event where I plan to run my first 42.2km race this year! So imagine my excitement today when they posted this on the event’s Facebook page:

“Blue Monday” is known as the saddest day of the year for most people and is caused by the conclusion of the holiday season, paired with the long winter ahead and the freezing cold temperatures outside. But the only “blue” that I saw today was the hope of a swag prize from the Bluenose!

I have been following a fairly strict training plan for the last couple of months in preparation for the big race and yesterday, on my 16km run – I surprised myself with my results for the first time. Outside of running in actual half marathon events, 16km is the farthest I have ever gone on a training run and I spent the day feeling super proud of myself – especially once I looked at my average pace on Runkeeper (the ap I use to track my runs). So naturally, when the Bluenose put out a call to comment on what keeps you happy today, I told them about yesterday’s success! I was pumped when they replied to my comment and called me a superstar! I can guarantee that comment will give me the motivational boost I need to get out there for my next run in these cold temperatures. Now if I could just win the prize!

Let’s Get Acquainted!

January 9, 2018January 15, 2018 AndreaLeave a comment

Hi there! My name is Andrea and I’m an ordinary runner from Halifax, Nova Scotia where I live with my husband, my greyhound, and my two cats. Eleven weeks ago I started training for my first full marathon and yesterday the idea for ‘Run On Sentence’ was born. The idea came to me while I was running of course! I’ve been passionate about writing ever since I can remember and my love of running was established in 2013 when a friend invited me to run the 5k at the annual Bluenose Marathon in our hometown.

This blog will follow the remainder of my training journey and my day-to-day life and will be a great outlet for me to brag about all of those long runs I’ll be doing (I’m pretty sure my hubby is getting tired of hearing about it)! My goal race is the 15th annual Bluenose Marathon on May 20th, 2018 and I have been busting my butt to make sure I make it to the start line.

My love of running started as a one time ‘attempt’ at a 5k and has grown into a complete addiction over time. I’m that gal that you see out for a run when it’s -20 degrees outside and everyone else is snuggled up at home, keeping warm. Since 2013, I have run countless 5k races, a large handful of 10k events and 4 half marathons. I’m pretty sure I’m ready to tackle the big dream distance (or at least I will be once I’ve completed my training plan!)

In September 2017, I married Mr. Right and with the stress of the wedding over with, I decided it was time to really focus on my running goals and my dream of crossing the finish line at the end of a 42.2km race. I hope you stop back to my little piece of the internet to follow along with the daily grind that is the life of an average runner training for a not-so-average distance.

Cheers!

Andrea