I am a Marathoner

I did it!!! I made it!! I am over the moon and full of all sorts of emotions after crossing the finish line of my first marathon. I had dreamed about it and trained for it over the last year. My journey started many years ago when I started running and toying with the idea of running a marathon. I remember meeting up with my 10K run clinic and always admiring all the people in the marathon clinic. When they would call out the high distances they were running on their long runs, I would laugh at how crazy and impossible it seemed, no I am one of those crazy people.

The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is one of the city's major races. The course is flat and takes you along the Toronto waterfront and into some beautiful pockets in Toronto. There are great bands and entertainment and awesome spectators. I chose the I headed down to the expo with my daughter in miserable overcast and rainy weather. Rain on race day is probably one of my biggest concerns.

Leaving our mark on the signing wall

Being one of the major races in Toronto, the expo was well organized with lots of exhibits and great speakers on the main stage. I was able to pick up my gels for the race and get taped by KT tape, however the guy that taped me did an awful job. I'm not sure if it was him or the tape. I have used the product before and it worked fine under the same circumstances. He even used a spray that he sells to help the adhesive of the tape and it still fell off. I must admit that I was pretty disappointed, having the owner of the booth/distributing company in Ontario tape me and the KT Tape falling right off.

Being taped at KT tape booth, tape falling off before I exited expo

I did my best to try to get a good nights rest as I prepared for the race. The weather had changed from what I had planned, so I had to rethink a new race outfit as well has pack up my essentials.

My Gear for the race

Have a great week 

Are there any other brands of kinesiotape that you swear by or use?

What are you pre race rituals?

What do you bring or use for your races?

"Twas the night before Race day

It's finally come down to the big day. I am 2 sleeps away from running my first marathon. I spent most of this week working, which meant I was flying. I was lucky enough to be able to stay within Canada and only had 2 different time zones to deal with. I was able to get all the runs in that the coach had laid out for me. I am a ball of nerves at this moment. I am terrified, yet excited to have finally made it to this point. In some ways, I can't wait to get this run over with. I feel like I have been training for what seems like a lifetime.

My run in St. John's, Newfoundland

I ran my last run tonight, a quick 30 minutes easy run on the treadmill and will now start to lay out my gear and mentally try to prepare myself for the race ahead. I have spent the last few weeks trying to keep a clean diet and load up on carbs. I have put in the miles and now I will see if all the training has paid off. This race will definitely be very mental as much as physical. I have spent most of this week thinking about the race. I am happy to be running my first marathon in my hometown, where my friends and family will be waiting for me at the finish line.  If anyone would like to follow the race on race day, Sunday October 20th, here's the link

What are your pre race rituals?

Back to Work - Tips for Running while Travelling

My maternity leave has finally come to and end and I am officially back at work. It has been an amazing year off for me. I had an awesome time this year with both kids at home and having the chance to train for my first marathon. I'm not sure if I would have been able to train properly if I was working. It was a tough in the beginning trying to juggle nursing my baby and fitting all the running required, but I had a supportive family backing me up which made it a bit easier. I returned to work in the beginning of October and started flying right away. I made sure to try to fit in my runs while away.

First stop was London to visit my cousin. London is a great running city. There are always plenty of runners out and about. It's easy to get distracted with all the beautiful architecture and the surroundings. My first run here was through one of the many Royal Parks of London.

Regents Park and my new favourite drink

I am very fortunate with my job to be able to travel the world and run in many different cities. Here are some tips for running while travelling. If travelling into different time zones, I suggest switching over to the time zone of the city you are in as soon as possible, this will help with the jet lag.

- Do some research on the city/place you are visiting. You can use sites like Map My Run 
and Run the Planet
- Always pack your running gear, I highly recommend compression socks for the flight.
- Check the local weather 
- Ask the hotel concierge for running routes around the hotel, many hotels have planned running routes
- Check to see if the hotel has a gym and the equipment available. I also check the hours of the gym to help me plan my workouts accordingly. 24 hours are my favourite especially when I'm on the other side of the planet.
- Get lots of rest

Have a GREAT day !

Do you have any tips to add?

How to you stay on course when travelling?

Oral I.V Review

Since starting marathon training, I've been looking for products that would benefit me for the longer distances. As an ambassador for Fit Approach/Sweat Pink, I was given the opportunity to review Oral I.V. 

So, What is Oral I.V?

"ORAL I.V. is a revolutionary hydration aid product based on a proprietary formula of crystalloid electrolytes and purified water. ORAL I.V. does not contain any sugars, caffeine or stimulants, additives, preservatives or artificial ingredients. It can be consumed directly or added to water. Individuals can use ORAL I.V. as an addition to their existing hydration methods and to support dehydration prevention." 

According to their website it "can be used in any environment, condition, or situation where physical exertion or possibility of exertion or the possibility of dehydration exists". It is not a water substitute, but a hydration aid.  I decided to give it a try on my long run.  The package says that you can take the vial as is or add it with water. I put two into my water bottles with water and carried 2 vials with me for my 35km run.

I drank a few sips as I started my run and continued to drink throughout my run. My strategy was to drink the 2 that I had diluted first than drink the vials for the last portion of my run. There was no funky taste. It is tasteless just like water and looks just like water.  I like that the vials were small and fit in my running belt. I felt pretty good after the long distance think that these vials would work great for race day.

You can purchase them off their website. But at $12 for a package and shipping costs to Canada are pretty high, I think I may stick with other hydration methods .  For all my American friends, the shipping is much more reasonable. 

*Disclaimer : I was given this product to sample and all opinions on this blog post are my own and I was not paid or required to give a particular opinion

Have you tried Oral I.V?

What do you use for hydration?

Have a Great Day