It's gotta be the shoes...

DISCLAIMER: This post is all over the effing place, and is extremely long, so if you're going to read it, do me a favour and read the entire post. I may add more later, but for now, I'm spent.


Alright, so I've been back home for a couple of days now, and my luggage is finally home to (don't ask), so I've had time to reflect on what I've done, and am ready to share some of the details with you.

Honestly, this whole experience has been a hell of a lot harder than I thought it would ever be. I'm not just talking about the run, but I'm talking about the training, the fundraising, the putting my social life on hold at times, the leaving the woman I love behind while I went to Hawaii last week, the sharing a hotel room with what could have been a psycho serial killer, but actually turned out to be a really cool guy, and has become a new friend...thank goodness for that.

Anyhow, all that I've felt about this journey, and pretty much every emotion I've ever felt in my life came out on that race course last Sunday. I laughed, I cried, I swore (surprise!), I sang, I talked, I ran, and I even walked a little. It's amazing how much of a mental game running a marathon is...I would have never expected some of the things to come out that did. I thought a lot about many different things, but for the most part I thought about my father, and more specifically my relationship with my father. A lot of emotion came from my thoughts of my dad, however, I'm not going into any detail here as it's a conversation that's between us...when it happens. I don't have many regrets from my life thus far, but I definately wish that he was there to meet me at the finish line as we had originally planned, because he's been just as much a part of this as me and although he wasn't with me physically, it felt like he ran that entire race with me, because he did...in my head, and in my heart. He is the reason I took this task on, and he is the reason why I finished. Last night I finally went to see my parent and have dinner with them for the first time since I'd come home. When I got through the door I took my finishers medal from around my neck and put it around dad's. I told him that this was our medal, and I really hope I have the balls to explain that to him one day. Anyhow, seeing him wear that medal through dinner and while we were looking at pictures afterward felt almost as good as crossing the finish line.

Anyhow, I'm not too sure if that even comes close to explaining the mind fuck I went through on the course, but it's all you're going to get.

As far at the physical test that running this marathon was, well that I can explain a little better. I was feeling really really strong until mile marker 19, but by this point I had already ran over 20 miles (I'll explain). For some reason my body started to fight back...hard, and I had to change my game plan. I knew then, that I wasn't going to make 4 hours, even though I was on pace at the halfway (13 mile) mark. I ran to the next water station, then walked through it, then ran to the next one and walked through it. I continued this pattern until the last water station, which I skipped as I could see the finish line and got excited and all I wanted was to get there, but it was still about a 1/4 mile away. I was running towards the finish line, but it didn't seem to get any closer. I wanted to giver', but my body had had enough and simply wouldn't give me any more juice, although I did find the energy to wipe the snotsicles from my nose, raise my arms triumphantly and smile (I think)...after all you gotta look good for the camera right?!?!

Anyhow, my quads felt like they we're shredded, and I just couldn't stop moving my legs out of fear that once I stopped moving them, I wouldn't be able to start moving them again. We took a bus back to the hotel, and I couldn't even sit. Walking up and especially down stairs for 3 days after the marathon licked (fill in the blank...I choose hairy horse nuts), and I had to spend most of the day after the marathon stretching and trying to get my legs ready to surf (which went extremely well). It hurt a lot...that's the bottom line.

I've said it before, and I will say it again. Running that marathon was the single most difficult thing I've ever done in my entire life, but I might just give it another go, although the jury is still out.

If you're planning on running a marathon, don't make the same rookie mistakes I made. Don't weave in and out of the crowd at the beginning. I managed to log over an entire mile by doing this, but it was hard not to. There was 30000 people there, and it was almost impossible to run a straight line.
Don't drink too much the morning of the race...I had to stop to pee twice...that's never happened in training.
Don't line up in the womens porto-potty line by mistake. The guys line moves way faster, and there is better ways to spend your time before a race, rather than waiting to take a shit.

The final numbers...
Clock Time - 4:29:08
Unofficial Chip Time - 4:23:42 - This is unofficial as it came from my gps watch due to the fact that the chips didn't work because of the shite weather.
Placed 3241st of 20693 total finishers
247th of 1130 males aged 25-29
Approx. $7500 dollars raised for the Canadian Diabetes Association

Again, thanks for being a part of the journey. I couldn't have done it without you.

Will

A Quickie from Honolulu...

Aloha!

Okay, so yesterday this trippy journey came to an end when I completed the Honlolulu Marathon in a time of 4:23 (unofficially) I know this was my time as I used my gps to track it when I crossed the finish line. Officialy my time was 4:29:08, but it took mea good 7 or 8 minutes to cross the start line. The weather conditions were horrible and it affected the chip times and they probably won't be able to fix it, but trust me on the 4:23.

This was probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life. I ended up running an extra mile because I was weaving in and out trying to get ahead at the beggining of the race. It was like a monsoon yesterday morning and I (along with 30000 other crazy nutters) ran the whole thing with soaking wet shoes. This has made my feet extremely hideous, and I'm going to lose a few toe nails, but it was all worth it.

Anyhow, I'm in an internet cafe, and I've got a surfing lesson soon, so I have to go, but I wanted to update you all and just say thanks for all your support. I went through a lot yesterday both physically and mentally...this truly was an impacting part of my life. I'll elaborate when I have more time.

Will

Tick, Tock, Boom!!!

Okay, so I've named this post tick, tock, boom for two reasons...the first is obviously that I'm only 3 full days away from race day, and the second...well that's a little bit of a story.

Honestly, I haven't been able to get the catchy little ditty from the Hives latest album (Black & White), since I got back from Winnipeg on the weekend. They should make it the freakin' Winnipeg anthem as I must have heard it 1000 times while I was there and I was only there for 3 days. I know it's minus 30, and you need a rockin' tune to get you moving, but come on people, there are other songs that exist out there. Now don't get me wrong, I dig the tune, and I've been a fan of the Nordic rock quintet for years, but there may be too much of a good thing. That being said, there are a few good tracks to run to, and the album is decent, although I don't find it as aggressive as their previous work (This is me being a pompous music geek).

Okay, so I know what you're thinking...how did you run in minus 30 weather. Well, the truth is, I'm a big chicken shit and I went to the Y, where I assumed they'd have an indoor track like every other Y in the country, but they didn't, so I hit the treadmill for 14km instead. On Sunday I ran on my Aunt and Uncle's treadmill in their basement, which was an experience as it was like running and smoking all at the same time, as my uncle smokes in the basement. If he would have passed me a beer, it would have been perfect!!! (I'm kidding...relax)

Anyhow, we've done it. I fly out tomorrow from Toronto at 1:30PM and arrive in Honolulu at 11:00PM (Hawaiian Standard Time which is 5 hours behind us)...it's a really long flight...and I still have to finish packing.

I plan on updating my blog while I'm en route and while I'm down there so keep posted. In the meantime I really would like to thank everyone for their well wishes. All of you're support really means a lot to me, and I will be thinking of all of you over the next few days.

Much Love!

Will

Lesson No. 6.2

So I learned a couple of things this morning...
1) If I'm going to run more than one hour in the morning, I either need to start running as soon as I get up, or if I'm going to sit around for an hour, I need to eat something small before I start. I tanked today!!!
2) It's too damn hot wearing the Team Diabetes singlet over top of one of my running shirts with sleeves. This means I'm going to have to suck it up and wear the singlet on it's own and just apply lots of Body glide to parts of my arms which haven't been previously exposed on long runs.

Oh, and just so you know, "singlet" is a fancy pants runners term for wife beater.

Okay, so here we are a mere 2 weeks + a day away from the marathon. I'm pumped, I'm nervous, I'm a little bit of everything right now. The one thing I'm sure of is that I'm ready to do this. I ran 37 km last weekend during my last really long training run, so what's another 5 km right???

Also, I had my final lactate test with Sandy on Wednesday, and it's looking like I might just be able to beat Oprah after all, but I'm not promising any finishing times here, but if you catch me in a vulnerable moment some day over the next two weeks I might just let you in on my goal time...but don't count on it. BTW...this is where the 6.2 comes into play...but it's an inside joke, and you really did have to be there, so trying to explain it here would just be silly, and the last thing I want is for this blog to appear to be silly!

Anyhow, just wanted to give you a quick update and introduce you to a new word...singlet. Don't you just love how it rolls of the tongue. Say it with me now...singlet...say it like you mean it!!!

Will

Extra, Extra...

So it's been over a month since my last entry, I know, I'm sorry, I'm a busy guy.

First off let me tell you that I have indeed surpassed my goal of raising $6,200 for the Canadian Diabetes Association, and the donations keep comming in.

Not sure if you had a chance to check out the paper today, and by paper I mean, Belleville Intelligencer, but right there on the front page is an article about my campaign. Check it out online here - Intell Nov. 8

As far as my training goes, it's still going great. My last long run was last Friday and it was 22 miles (35.5 km). It took me 3.5 hours, and my legs burned like hell when I was done, but I did it, and now I only have one more long training run to go and of course the marathon on Dec. 9th. I've gotta tell you though, all of this training definately has me convinced that I will be able to run the entire 42.2km come the big day. I'm excited and nervous all at once, and I still have 5 weeks to go.

Anyhow, I'll try to be more frequent with my blog entries over the next 5 weeks. I promise!

Will

"Death or Glory..."

I wonder if when Joe Strummer (1952-2002) penned the punk rock anthem, Glory referred to bleeding nipples?!?!?!?

For all ya'll mofo's that don't know Joe Strummer wasn't only the front man for the clash, he was also an accomplished marathon runner. Joe ran marathons in both London and New York, often comming in under the 2.5 hour finish time...not too bad for a punk rocka!!!

Will I beat Joe's time...not an effin' chance, but I'm pretty sure I'll smoke Oprah (4:29:20), and maybe even Diddy (4:14:54), although each of them ran flat courses (Chicago and New York respectively), and I've got hills...I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'!

Last week as far as running went was death...I totally sucked, but I think I needed a break due to a surprise 45km bike ride in the county a few weeks back, which normally wouldn't be a big deal, but in the middle of my peak training period it killed me...not the ride itself, but the aftermath on my legs. Anyhow, this past week, was nothing but Glory and I topped it all off today with a 20.5 mile (33 km) run in 3:15 including warmup and cooldown...not too shabby if I do say so my self. And not to brag, but on Wednesday I ran 8km in 37 minutes...I think I might be getting the hang of this.

Anyhow, here's some choice cuts from this morning...
Maximo Park - Girls Who Play Guitar
Wilco - Pot Kettle Black
R.E.M. - Pilgramage
Common - Misunderstood
Kanye West - Homecomming
Queens of the Stone Age - Make it Wit Chu
Leftfield - Inspection (Check One)

Oh crap...I almost forgot why I mentioned bleeding nipples in my opening. Around the end of my run today I looked down and was shocked to see blood all over my shirt where my right nipple is...I finally got a full blown case of runners nipple, and it hurts like a bitch...and now I have a band aid over it, and for those of you who know me, know it's gonna hurt like a mega bitch when I have to peel that thing off my hairy ass nipple...plus my nipple is bleeding...How effed up is that?!?!?!? I guess it happens...just try not to let it happen to you.

By the way, I'd like to send a big F-U out to humidity...I beat your bitch ass today didn't I...bitch!!!

Until next time Will fans.

Will

"Where's Summer B?"

I know, summer is supposed to be done and over with last week, but after running Tuesday evening in 32 degree weather, if feels like it has never left. Of course that was Tuesday and it's now Thursday and feeling more and more like fall every second. This my friends is good for the running!!!

Tuesday was a little rough, as I hadn't ran in temps like that in a couple weeks, so I'm glad it's cooling off again.

It's been a while since my last post, so I'll let you know that the Putt for Diabetes event raised just under $1000, and the last time I checked my amounts I was short about $150 of my goal of $6200. This means I can concentrate on my running from now until Dec. 9. Thanks to everyone who came out to support the cause last Thursday.

Anyhow, I'll write more later...to be honest, I'm feeling a little uninspired right at this moment, and really don't want to be sitting in front of a computer.

Check back in a few days.

Will

The worlds 7,698,345th fastest man...

...could possibly be me, but I highly doubt it considering I just picked that number out of the air. What I do know is that Sandy (trainer extrodinaire) had me running 14km/h Wednesday afternoon on the treadmill. Think about it next time you're in your car...it's pretty freakin' fast man!!!

I wanted to let you all know about a big fundraiser happening in just under a week. It's Putt for Diabetes, and you should totally come out. Click on the image of the poster to enlarge it, or check the deets here...
Putt for Diabetes
Thursday September 20th
Mini Golf Course @ the Quinte Mall, Belleville
Come Anytime Between 4-9PM
$5 per person
Tons of Great Prizes
All Proceeds to the Canadian Diabetes Association

It's going to be a great night of fun for a great cause...even if you've only got 20 minutes to putt a quick round stop by and you'll still be entered for some prizes. Hope to see you all out there next week.

Back to my training for a second...besides running 14km/h during my lactate test on Wednesday I also got some results and my training speeds have increased again, so in short, I'm faster, so we'll have to see what this means in a little less than 3 months when the big race day arrives...I've got to admit, it's getting a little scary now. L8r.

Will

When it rains it pours...

I just got back from the wettest run I've ever had in my entire life, and I've gotta tell you...I freakin' loved it!!! I don't think I could have ran another 3 hours in soaking we shoes, but 1 hour was okay. If you don't like getting wet and you think to yourself...I can beat the rain and get a good run in before it hits...don't listen...just wait until the storm passes. On the other hand if you're not sure if you hate running in the rain, then give it a shot...just don't blame me if it sucks!

So today was a good run - 7.5 miles in 60 minutes, but Saturday was even beter...18 miles (29 km) in 3 hours which included my warmup and cooldown. I ran from my house in Belleville up River Rd. through Corbyville into Foxboro on Harmony Rd. and back down Hwy 62 into Belleville, and still had an hour to go, so I just ran around Belleville some more. So far most people's response to this is that I'm insane...maybe I am! I've got to admit, I felt pretty shitty right after, but was fine by Saturday night. I don't think I was taking enough gels, so I'll have to adjust that next time.

It feels great to have had 3 out of 3 phenomenal runs in the past 4 days for a total of 29.5 miles (47.5 km).

Here's something I haven't done in a while...some choice cuts from the past few runs...
Lenny Kravitz - Stop Draggin Around
Beastie Boys - Off the Grid
Joel Plaskett Emergency - Drunk Teenagers
Queens of the Stone Age - 3's and 7's
LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends
Lupe Fiasco - I Gotcha
Theivery Corporation - Warning Shots

Also, I've got to mention something here although he knows it...Brock is the freakin' man!!! For those of you that don't know, Brock had to drop out of Team Diabetes, but he decided to transfer all of the funds he had raised to date to my campaign...unbelievable generosity. Thanks man, it definately won't be the same in Honolulu without you!!!

I've got another lactate test tomorrow...I'll share the results with you later in the week.

Will

The Simple Life...

Good morning!

I say good morning, as right now it's 5AM where I'm sitting, but more about that later.

A couple of weeks ago I held a barbecue fundraiser at the Blessington Store for my Team Diabetes campaign. Just to be clear, no, it wasn't as lucrative as some people (including myself) thought it might be, but it's all good. We managed to raise over $400 on the weekend, which is $400 that I wouldn't have raised if I had just hung out playing Guitar Hero all weekend.
I made some good contacts, got some exposure, and spent some quality time with my dad. I've gotta tell you though, if you ever need to go somewhere to get away from everything, Blessington is the place to go...everyone there is super easy going, you'd almost guess they were all potheads they're so laid back, but they're just farmers, and nice people who don't let the little things get to them. If only we could all be so chilled all the time.

Anyhow, big thanks to the Sartoretto Family for your support that weekend, I really do appreciate it. Plus thanks to my dad who worked his ass off Friday and Saturday as everyone else was working, and to Brock for helping me out on Sunday. I also need to thank my bro in law Murray for lending me his canopy's, which mother nature decided to scoop up and demolish like little bitches...luckily for me, Murray is a very understanding guy. Oh crap, I almost forgot to thank everyone who donated raffle prizes - Quinte Broadcasting (thanks Lorne), The Blessington Store, Mom, and Aunt Chris who donated the big prize, the bistro set.

Okay, so now to the reason why it's been 3 weeks since my last post, and why I'm writing this one at 5AM. The short version...I'm a little stressed out my friends. Now, I don't really want to get into too many details as I don't want anyone thinking I'm crazy, but essentially that weekend in Blessington was an eye opener to the fact that the fundraising part of this is definitely harder then anyone gives it credit for. You would think that running 50 kilometres per week would be a little more difficult then raising money for a charitable organization, but it's really not!!! At this point I've got less then 2 months to reach my fundraising goal, which is really not a lot of time. Now, I have no doubt in my mind that I will achieve this, but it's not going to be easy.

Combine the above with the fact that I've got a crapload going on at work as my career seems to be taking off (which is a good thing, just bad timing), Amy just started back to school and is working as well so we can continue to eat, I have to find a new hair product as they've discontinued the one I've been using for the past 3 years (this could be harder then fundraising), and here's the thing I've been avoiding writing about...Brock is officially out. Put it all together and you've got a Will with a lot of effing shit on his mind...effing shit that wakes him from his sleep at 5AM. I don't want to go into detail as to why Brock is out, but to put it short, he's got more on his mind then I do, so it's the best decision for him. As for me...please do not be concerned (that's for my Nana), those who know me, know that I always seems to pull through the shit smelling like roses, and quite frankly I get off on it...not literally, that'd be a little perverted and pretty sick, but you know what I mean.

BTW...I ran over 200km last month, and am already over 30km for this month, so yes, I'm still running.

I promise I'll try not to get too heavy again...just needed to vent...thanks for reading!

Will

Hey! Did you hear they're going to rename the bay bridge???

...To Will's Bitch!!!

Well, not really, but it sure does sound cool, doesn't it. And for those of you who are by the book, yes I know the bay bridge is actually called the Norris Whitney Bridge, but no one else seems to.

Okay, so last week I conquered the bay bridge, at mile 2 of my 16.6 mile (26.7 km) run last Saturday which took 2:38. Funny thing about that is Amy and I went to a wedding in Smiths Falls that day, and the drive to the wedding took less time than my run...insanity!!! It was actually a little rough, my calves were actually burning when I got back home from the run, but some stretching and a little soak in a warm bath allowed me to get my groove on the dance floor at the wedding that night.

This past week was good for training too. I switched my hour long run and speed work days around due to a dinner engagement, Friday was my cross training (20km on a bike) and weight training, and yesterday was my 90 minute run (18.5 km).

Some big news for next weekend...I will have a 2.5 hour long run ahead of me, which I may do on Friday as I will be holding a weekend long fundraiser out at the Blessington Store all weekend. It will be a BBQ with raffle prizes, meat, and fun. If you can please stop by and support the cause.
Friday 4 - 7PM
Saturday 11AM - 7PM
Sunday 11AM - 6PM
The Blessington store is at the corner of Shannonville and Blessington roads (just north of the 401). Check out their website here - www.blessington.ca

Aunt Chris just donated a brand new Bistro set (valued at $250) as a raffle prize, plus I know there will be other prizes too. Let me know if you need more details, or would like to donate any prizes, or your time to help out manning the grill for an hour or two. I would really appreciate any help you can offer.

Hope to see you next weekend.

Will

I made it to the top...

...but I didn't get there in a Gondola. So it turns out that I'm still afraid of heights and I didn't ride in the gondola, but it was for good reason. It turns out that the gondola doesn't go all the way to the summit of Whiteface Mt. and myself, Brock, Em, and L-Rob wanted to make it to the top, which involved a drive and a hike, and thank goodness, no gondola. I must say the view was unbelievable....4867 ft above sea level!!!

So I was scheduled to do some speed training today, but that didn't work out as I ended up staying late at work and had dinner plans, and now I'm back at work and it's just after midnight, so my speed work will have to happen sometime on Thursday depending on how late I have to be here tonight.

Yesterday was interesting as I decided I simply couldn't bare to run inside...and it was raining, so I decided to put my iPod in a zip lock baggie and run in the rain. It was actually quite refreshing until the rain stopped, then it got super humid and a little uncomfortable, but I was almost done, so it worked out okay. It was an hour run, and with my warmup and cooldown I covered 7.5 miles.

This Saturday I'm scheduled for a 140 minute run. I'm planning on being out the door by 7AM as I also have a wedding to attend in Smiths Falls later that day, and it's supposed to be hot as balls, so the earlier the better. I'm thinking I might try to tackle the Bay bridge. Again, I'll keep you posted.

Will

Oh, I almost forgot...I started writing a music review article for my friends at Scout Design. If you enjoy my writing, then please check it out at http://www.scoutdesign.ca/. It has nothing to do with running or diabetes, but it's cool...like the Fonz!!!

Dont Make A Mountain Out Of A Mountain...

Good morning friends!!!

I say good morning because as I write this it is seconds after 8AM and I am sitting at a picnic table at a KOA campground at Whiteface Mountain / Lake Placid. I'm typing this in to edit pad, as although the KOA advertises they have wifi access throughout the park, I'm not going to risk it, so this may be posted on time (August 5, 2007), or a little later.

I just had one of the most amazing runs I think I have ever had in the history of me running. Our campsite is a mile down the road from Whiteface Mountain, so I decided to check it out. I walked from the KOA to the main hwy (86 I think), then ran the mile down the hwy to Whiteface Mt. ski area...then ran up the road, as far as the road would take me, which I'm thinking is still not quite half way up, and when I got there I just had to stop and look around me at the absolute beauty that is this natural wonder...IT WAS FREAKIN' AMAZING!!! I going to be completely honest here with you...as I was taking my time walking around the ski trails, taking in the breathtaking site, I felt a single tear rolling down the side of my face...I know it sounds extremely cheddar, and I'm probably going to get teased a little by a few of you jerk faces, but it was incredible. Of course I experienced the entire thing solo, as my fellow campers were still sawing logs when I hit the road...even those who said "Kick my tent before you go...I wanna come to." What a bunch of BSers ;-) ... oh well, there loss.

Here's the deets for the run including warmup and cooldown...
53:00
5.25 miles
BeautifulWillmington NY / Whiteface Mt
Shed a tear like a little bitch

Oh, I almost forgot, I have decided that I will ride the Gondola up Whiteface with my friends...for those of you who don't know, I'm extremely petrified of heights...EXTREMELY!!! So this will definately be interesting, but I'm assuming after my experience today will be well worth the view from the top. I just wish Amy was here to hold my hand. I'll let you know if I shit my pants or not...actually I'll probably keep that one to myself.

Cheers!

Will

Post Run Recovery...

It's hot, humid, and I keep underestimating the humidity out there!!! Again, my plan was to get up early and head out around 5AM for my 130 minute run today...but as per usual, I managed to sleep in. So instead, I drove Amy to work for 8:30 and headed for my run.

At first I thought I wasn't even wearing my shades as it was overcast, but that changed quickly. My route took me north on highway 37, out of Belleville through the town of Cannifton, west on Maitland drive to Sidney St. and Sidney st, back into Belleville. Now, I thought it would be okay with traffic, and if was until Sidney, where everyone drives like dink at 100 km/h...and there are no sidewalks...I thought it would be cool as it's only a 60 zone, but as I said, drivers are dinks!!!

So I managed to avoid getting smoked a couple times and kept the rest of my route within the city limits, on mostly side streets and trails. After I stopped to refill my water at my parents place around the 1 hour mark, it got super humid, but I made it through to the end, ending up at 15.5 miles (25km) when you add in my warmup and cooldown at an averge running pace of just under 9 min/mile.

After the run, there was a lot of stretching, quad rolling, and drinking. I drank a glass of chocolate soy milk as soon as I got back, then stretched and rolled, then made myself a smoothie. I was out of frozen fruit, so I used fresh and it worked well and was super tasty. Here's the recipe...try it next time you run 15 miles...or 2...
1 glass OJ
1 strawberry yogurt
1 raspberry yogurt
1/8th of a whole watermelon (no rind)
1 whole nectarine (remove the pit or you'll eff up your blender)
1/2 package protein powder (approx. 2 tbsp.)
Blend
MMMMMM...tasty

Some tunes from today...
Wilco - Imposible Germany
Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running (this is a great running tune)
Sloan - She Says What She Means
k-os - Black Ice

I also learned that I do need a big good meal the night before a long run. The Harvey's I had last night just didn't cut it and I was really feeling not so good on my run today...back to pasta next time...with a side of Steak!

Will

My long runs have just gotten longer...

The time has come in my training to "kick it up a notch", "up the ante", or "just giv'er" if you prefer. So far my long runs on Saturday have gone like this...week 1 = 60 minute, week 2 = 110 minute, week 3 = 60 minute, week 4 = 120 minute, and so on, and so on.

Now the time has come where the bi-weekly runs that were a mere 60 minutes, have increased to 90 minutes. It might not seem like 30 minutes is a lot, but let me tell you my friend, it makes a big difference. Anyhow, this is now how my training will continue through the end...my long runs will rotate...90 minutes one week, and an increasing amount by 10 minutes for the alternate weeks...130 minutes comming up this Saturday.

Yesterday was an okay day. I managed to get 11.25 miles (18.2 km) in, but I feel I underestimated the heat. There was no humidity, but there was also nothing but sun in the sky, and most of my run was done where there was not a lot of shade. I may have gone out too fast from the start, but I'm really starting to know my body better, so I was able to make a few adjustments and compensate. Also, this was the first run in 3 weeks where my IT band issue went almost completely unnoticed, which is a good thing.

I've gotta tell you about this band called Justice. Yesterday I listened to 2 albums on my run...the first was by this group Justice called Cross. Now when you think of a Band named Justice and an album named Cross you think one of two things...either a religious Christian rock band...or a hardcore death metal band, and I will tell you Justice is neither. Think Daft Punk meets MSTRKRFT...these are some sick synth beats that would have GOB considering to retire The Final Countdown (see pic), to replace it with a Justice track. Amazing new dance music, and great to run to...be sure to check it out!

I also had time to listen to Mark Ronson's Version, which is an album of cover tracks done by various UK rock and pop artists...covers of The Smiths, Kaiser Cheifs, and even Britney Spears, performed very differently by Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, Phantom Planet, etc. It's very cool, and extremely universal...a definate crowd pleaser.

Anyhow, that's my update for now. In closing I would like to wish my little sister a very happy birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY B!!!

Will

"I find it easy catchin' diabetes from fly sweeties..."

"...Sit back and wait to hear a slammin' track
Rockin' jams by popular demand, I'm back."

Lyrics immortalized by the legendary Rakim from his comeback album the 18th letter on the track Guess Who's Back. I've been finding it very interesting that rap and hip hop artists rhyme about diabetes more often then any other genre of music (of course this is based on my own opinion and is not in any way proven, as I have no idea what honky tonk country singers are singing about, so it could turn out that all they sing about is diabetes, but somehow, I feel it's mostly about trucks and beer).

Okay, on to some training news...
Today was my 120' run. I covered 14.6 miles (23.5 km) in just under 2:15. I would tell you what my average pace was, but my Garmin is in the other room, and I don't really feel like getting up to get it after running all that way (you try it, dick!) ;-)

Anyhow, that's pretty damn good if I do say so myself. I have to give props to the Vaquerano (sp?) for hooking me up with some papousas at the El Salvador tent at Belleville Waterfront last night...I'm pretty sure that's what got me through the last few miles this morning.

The lactate test went good on Thursday. The results came back and my lactate threshold went up by 2 points which means that I can run faster longer. It also means that all this training is paying off. Oh, and my max heart rate went up 4bpm to 201, which is good...I think Superman's is around 199, so I've got that guy beat, of course this is only true when he is Clark Kent (again, not proof for this either), so it's not as impressive as it sounds.

Some choice cuts from today...
The Bees - Listening Man
Modest Mouse - Florida
Ludacris - Comming 2 America
LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk Is Playing At My House

On a closing note...I was at the waterfront festival last night, and the fireworks were kick ass, although it was really dead, and a little lame down there due to the lack of crowds (and perhaps the fact that I was sober). But seriously...go check it out tonight if you're in town, a lot of people put a lot of work into this thing (no I'm not on the committee), and it's free, so what have you got to lose! See you down there.

Will

Ice Ice Baby...

Alrighty...so as I type my latest entry I am in fact on vacation...no where in particular, just not at work...all week long. So yesterday, I had my first therapeutic massage, as recommended by Sandy, and it was okay. I discovered that my legs are a lot more ticklish then I thought and burst out into laughter in the middle of the thing, but I'll get over it. Anyhow, looks like I'll be doing the massage thing monthly now until race day as it's a good way to work all the toxins out of your muscles that build up over time, plus it will help to prevent injury, plus it's covered under my health plan so what have I got to lose!!!

Anyhow, the RMT yesterday recommended that I ice my knee after my runs to help with the IT band issue. She also recommended bathing in epsom salts, which I haven't tried yet, and may not ever talk about in this blog if I ever do...no one needs to be picturing that. On to some training talk...

So today is supposed to be another hot humid sticky nasty day, so I was out the door at 6:30 this morning for my run. it was 20C and the humidity was at 98%, it wasn't terrible, but the air was a little thick for my liking, but I toughed it out and made it through my 60 minute run, with warmup and cooldown for a total of 7.5 miles, which is pretty much on pace for what I've been doing lately which isn't bad. I did got through a butt load of water though, which is probably a good thing.

I'll skip listing tunes today, but I would like to mention the above pic of Vanilla Ice holding his not one, but two AMA's, which is all the proof anyone should ever need that the AMA's, much like the Grammy's, MMVA's, MTV awards, and my personal fav the Juno's are an absolute joke, and a slap in the face to music fans around the world. I won't go into this any further as those who know me have heard my rants before on this topic, so I'll spare you the repeat.

So it turns out that Blessington Store is almost sold out of their wristbands and need a re-stocking already. Good work Paul and Briget...you guys rock. Make sure the rest of you go buy their gas...it's great...it's unleaded!!!

Tomorrow I'm off to the Hockey Hall of Fame with Amy and cousin Raymond, and Thursday I've got another Lactate test...I'll keep you posted.

L8r.

Will

A lesson on the IT band...

Okay, first let me clarify that I'm not a doctor, despite the dr's outfit I may have in my closet.

I was out for my run on Tuesday, when something terrible happened...I got a really bad pain, on the bottom outside of my right knee. This was around the 45 minute mark of a 60 minute run. I tried to run through the pain for a few minutes, but had to stop. I stretched, then tried to run again for a few minutes, but the pain got worse, so I decided to swallow my pride and walk the rest of the way home, but about 10 minutes from home, the pain got so bad that I couldn't even walk and was forced to call for ride (Thanks Hank). Anyhow, I iced it right away and continued to do so for the rest of the night. I sent Sandy an email explaining what had happened looking for some advice as I didn't really want to sit in emerg for 4 hours to find out there was nothing they could do. To make a not so long story shorter, it turns out that I have had my first experience with Illiotibial (IT) Band Syndrome, something that is common amongst runners when they get up to 35-40 miles of training per week, which around where I'm at.

The good news is that it's not debilitating, and after one days rest I was running again today. Now, that being said I do have to be careful and am stretching my IT band like crazy when I can, plus I've added some new hip stretches to the mix as I discovered my hip muscles are very tight on my right side for some reason. All this, plus I've booked myself in for a massage on Monday with and RMT that specializes in runners, recommended by Sandy. Apparently a massage is the best thing to work this out, so until then I'll be trying to stick to my regular routine, but it will proabably be all treadmill work for now, as if there's any pain I'll be calling it quits for the day.

Keep your fingers crossed for me. I'll keep you posted.

On the fundraising front...the super stylish diabetes.ca Get Serious bracelets are on sale now at the Blessington Store. So if you stop in for gas, pizza, or whatever, you can pick up a diabetes bracelet for a minimum donation of a mere $2, and all proceeds go directly to my campaign and to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Cheers!

Will

Another Team Diabetes Fundraising Success!!!

I hope you've all recovered from whatever Canada Day fun and festivities you partook in over the weekend.

As mentioned in my last post, I was MCing the 40th annual Wellington Canada Day festivites. It was a great time, and if I do say so myself, I did pretty damned good. It was a little odd mcing something for the first time as anything other than a member of the media, but it all worked out great.

Big thanks to Brock, Anne, Mom, Dad, Raymond, Murray, Ann, and of course Amy who all manned the Team Diabetes face painting tent and did some professional looking face painting for well over 100 kids yesterday. We managed to raise $280 on face painting and bracelet sales alone, which is exceptional considering we were only charging $2 per face.

I would also like to thank the Wellington Recreation Committee for their very generous $300 donation to my campaign as a compensation for my MC duties. It was unexpected, but greatly appreciated...of course they presented it to me right before I hit the stage, so I had to make sure my A game was in check...a smart move on their part. ;-)

On the training front, I was up early and went for a chilly 7:30AM run with Amy yesterday morning. We covered 3 miles, which is really good, considering a short few weeks ago, Amy was struggling to last more than 5 minutes on the road. I'm proud of you baby...keep it up!!!

And on a side note, I tallied my miles for the month of July, and they came out to 104.75 (168.54 km). This has put me at a total of 467.25 miles (751.8 km) since I started tracking my distance in a log, back in February.

More training notes to come later in the week.

Will

Guilty Pleasures...

Everyone has their guilty pleasures, mine just happen to be in the form of music. So this is me comming clean to you about my new found enjoyment of the pop group Gym Class Heroes...they try to be hip hop, but let's face it, with their cheesy 80's samples, they are indeed nothing more than another pop band that will be forgotten by next year...but I just can't get enough of Clothes Off...it's so catchy...take a listen, you might just like it, or come to the conclusion that I have gone completely insane and can no longer be trusted as any kind of music authority (not that I ever was). I'm guessing you'll go with the latter.

Anyhow, today I had another long run and finally after months of training surpassed the half marathon mark (13.1 miles = 21.1 km) I passed it at around 2:05, now this was in the middle of my cooldown so it wasn't all running, but 1:50 of it was. I managed to clear 13.5 miles total today in 2:10, so I'm feeling pretty good. A funny thing happened though, at around 1:45 into my run I threw up in my mouth...it wasn't as gross as it sounds, it just kind of happend and tasted like a gel pack. I did email Sandy about it, so I'll let you know if it means anything bad. Also, Sandy asked me to weigh myself before and after my run today so I did...149.8 lbs before, and 146.8 lbs after...again, I'm not sure what this means either, but I'll let you know.

Speed training went well this week too...I felt fast!!!

Here's a few not so cheesy tunes from the week that was...
Interpol - The Heinrich Maneuver
Bloc Party - Hunting for Witches
Eric B and Rakim - Follow the Leader
Dawnbreakers Collective - Set It Off
Apples In Stereo - Can You Feel It
Gang Starr - Mass Appeal

So tomorrow is Canada Day, and Wednesday is Independance Day, so this weekend, between the burgers and beers take a moment to reflect on the great country in which you live, and what it means to you...you don't have to share it with anybody, and it's a shame to do it only once a year, but take advantage of the celebrations around you. As for me, I will be MCing the Wellington Canada Day festivities tomorrow at the park downtown, plus we will have a Team Diabetes booth set up where we will be doing face painting for the kids, and selling bracelets for donations, so we'll raise a few bucks and have fun doing it. If you're in the area stop by 11-4.

But what will I be thinking about Canada, you ask...well, simply the sheer diversity that this country has to offer and how although we are diversified, we can be unified, if only for one day. I'm going to step down off my soapbox now. Don't forget to party hard this weekend...we wouldn't want to disapoint the beer companies. Okay, I'm really stepping down this time.

Peace!

Will

"When's the last time you heard a funky diabetic?"

Okay, first things first. The yard sale was yesterday and although it was a ton of work, and I don't ever want to host or have anything to do with another yard sale again in my entire life, it did raise over $600 for the Canadian Diabetes Association, and my Team Diabetes campaign.

This is amazing...to raise 10% of my goal in one morning is a good accomplishment. I have to thank Amy, Mom, Dad, B, Henry, and Raymond for helping out yesterday...it would have been even more chaotic without you. Also, I would like to thank Suzan, Shelly, and Jamie...and Amy, Dad, and Raymond again for your help on Friday getting all that stuff set up. And finally, I would like to thank everyone who donated merch for the cause...Tim, Ann and Dave, Gary, Rosalie, Ma and her everyone who was involved in her church yard sale for donating their leftovers, Suzan, Fish and Norma, Pat, Bethea and Hank, Aunt Chris, Mom and Dad...this would have never happened without your generosity...you guys made a difference!

In other news...I really neglected my training schedule this week, due to conflicts...I did 7 miles on Tuesday, Wednesday I missed due to a golf tourny, Friday I did 20km on the bike for my X-training, and yesterday I ended up missing due to the fact I was up at 5, and working my ass off all day for the yard sale and wasn't really feeling the run later in the day. So all that being said, I decided I can't miss a long run day, so I did it this morning, and sacrificed my recovery run...this comming week, I'll get back on track...I promise.

This morning was a 60 minute run, and before I left I created a new playlist for my ipod, and loaded it up, the when I started out, I turned on my ipod and Heart of Hearts by !!! was on...it's a wicked tune, so I decided to let it play, then it went into Award Tour by A Tribe Called Quest, then another Tribe tune came on, and another, and another, I realized it was playing the songs in order by artist, and on my ipod A Tribe Called Quest comes right after !!!. Anyhow, the Tribe kept me going the entire run and cooldown, Scenario was starting as I got back to my front porch, so this explains the title of this entry. And of course for those of you who aren't super mega music geeks like myself, then I'll explain..."When's the last time you heard a funky diabetic?" is a line rhymed by Phife Dog in the track Oh My God, from the Midnight Marauders album...feel free to spout that off the next time you find yourself at a pary surounded by old school hip hop junkies!

Anyhow, the tribe got me moving through 7.75 miles this AM, which is .75 more then usual, so I must have been flying.

L8r.

Will

One Man's Trash...

...Is another man's treasure!!!

This Saturday, get ready to clear your schedule as you don't want to miss your chance to buy some fabulous previously enjoyed merchandise at a yard sale where every penny earned will be donated to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Lot's of great items like a canoe, electronics, stereo equipment, furniture, dishes, and the list goes on and on.

Stop by the house (135 Chatham St.) anytime between 7AM - 1AM on Saturday June 23rd.

Hope to see you there!

Will

The World's Greatest Water Crew!!!

Allow me to introduce you to the world's greatest water crew (aka Mom and Dad).

Last night I was on my long run (100 minutes), and despite the fact that I didn't leave my house until 7:45PM there was still some humidity in the air. Anyhow, my point is that my Fuel Belt only holds 6 water bottles, and according to Sandy I would have to refill due to the heat and the length of the run. Just over the 1 hour mark I was passing by Mom and Dad's place and I had to pee, so I stopped in. By this point I no longer needed my sunglasses, so I left them and my empty water bottles there until I would be passing back around about 30 minutes later. When I got back everything was waiting for me and the empty bottles had been re-filled...awesome!!! Thanks guys!

As far as the run went, it was all good. I tood a sodium tablet before leaving the house, downed a bottle and a half of water in the first 45 minutes, then took a gel pack at 45, a sodium tablet at 60, a gel pack at 75, a sodium tablet at 90, then a last gel pack during my cooldown to help my muscles recover from the trauma I had just put them through. That being said, the run felt great, although it was a little odd seeing the sun set as I was running, having to ditch my sunglasses, but it beats trying to compete with the heat and humidity we've been getting in the day lately around here. Which reminds me...Tuesday's 60 minute run sucked ass. I was an idiot and decided to go out at 4 in the afternoon. It was 32 celcius, but felt like 40 with the humidity...hot as balls!!! I don't think I've ever sweat so much in my entire life, and this is why I waited until almost 8 last night to head out.

Here's some stats from yesterday...
Running Time- 1:40:13 - 10.66 miles (17.2 km)
Total Time (including warmup and cooldown) - 1:59:01 - 11.88 miles (19.2 km)

When you think about it, last night I ran further than the distance between Belleville and Trenton...that's pretty freakin' far...and it's not even half way!!!

As far as tunes go, I listened to the new Queens of the Stone Age album Era Vulgaris, amongst other things...but if your a fan, definately check it out. If not, then download Sick Sick Sick or 3's and 7's...you won't be dissapointed...unless your really diggin' that new Enrique Iglasius tune, in which case you should skip downloading the Queens, and head straight to the disco and order yourself a nice fruity drink with an umbrella sticking out of it.

I want to give a shout out to my cousin Leslie in da 'Peg. She's running her first half marathon today. Good Luck Leslie...I'm sure you'll rock it!!!

Don't forget to arm wrestle your dad today (and let him win). Happy Fathers Day!!!

Will

"Drunk Teenagers...Let's start a fight..."

Ahhh...the soothing lyrics of the Joel Plaskett Emergency!!!

Okay, so I realized today as I was out doing my cross training, a 20 km bike ride, that I haven't wrote about music in a while, which is just plain f'n crazy!!!

I've been meaning to mention here about the Joel Plaskett Emergency, the latest band I've really started to dig from good 'ol Halifax NS, which is also where Sloan is from, so JPE isn't the greatest band to come out of Halifax, but they're up there, but I digress.
A couple of months ago a friend of mine (Jacob) gave me a copy of Joel Plaskett Emergency's cd Ashtray Rock...I was like, "cool, thanks man" and threw it in my laptop bag only to forget about it, then I heard the song Drunk Teenagers on CBC radio 3 and was like hey, this is pretty cool, then remembered the forgotten cd in my laptop bag...it was kind of like winning the lottery, except I'm still broke...and it's really nothing like winning the lottery at all.

Anyhow, I loaded the album onto my iPod and songs have been popping up as I've been running, and it's a fantastic cd. Some choice cuts would be Drunk Teenagers, and Snowed In/Cruisin. Download them and check them out...if you don't like them, then keep your shitty comments to yourself. Also, while I'm on the topic, I've gotten into a band from Burlington lately called the Saint Alvia Cartel...they're kind of a ska/punk band...very cool...and if you're looking for a summer theme song grab they're song Don't Wanna Wait Forever...you won't be dissapointed.

As far as the running goes this week I logged 13 miles indoor on a treadmill Tuesday and Wednesday combined, and tomorrow is a 60 minute run outdoor...woo hoo!!!

Will

Last Night A U Haul Saved My Life...

Actually, it was this morning, and my life wan't really in danger, I just felt a little defeated and wanted to puke all over the sidewalk.

Here's the story...
Today I ran the farthest and hardest I've ran so far. It was my long run of 90 minutes at my new training pace of 8:52 per mile. I started off with the usual 5 minute, then started running...I should add here that it was 22 degrees outside and hazy and humid, and this was at 9:00AM!!! Anyhow, the run was going okay, definately not my best run, but not terrible, then around the 83 minute mark I started losing it...perhaps I didn't take in enough liquids during my run on such a hot morning, I'm not too sure, but I really just felt like giving up and walking the rest of the way...with only 7 minutes to go!!! I must have looked like some kind of lunatic because I started yelling at myself to finish...saying things like "If you can't finish this, how can you expect to finish an entire marathon"...this was followed by a long string of expletives that I'm not going to list here...but I'm sure you get the picture. The bottom line is that I made it to the end of the 90 minutes, and was really glad that I did. Then I had to cooldown...I felt super shitty...like my legs were going to fall off, and like I was going to barf all over the place...not cool!!! Anyhow, I was concentrating on not barfing when I found some shade, and at that very moment a U-Haul truck drove by, but this wasn't just any U-Haul truck, this was a U-Haul truck with some cheesy looking fish and coral reef on the side and underneath the cheesy picture we're the words..."Hawaii - America's Marine Adventure".

I immediately took this as a sign from the running gods and it made me think about why I was doing this, and where I was going to end up. I thought about Dad, Nana, Aunt Chris, Emily, Jose, and all the people I could think of with diabetes (sorry if I didn't list your name), plus the people I don't know that have diabetes, and the people who haven't even been born yet that will be born with diabetes, or develop it later in life...and it was at that moment that everything was okay, and I was going to be able to do this and get through it, and it really is a very small price for me to pay to help those affected by diabetes everyday!

Of course, when I got home, I looked down at my Garmin to realize that I had just ran 10.5 miles, and that also made me feel proud.

Everyone has their bad days...today just happened to be mine...it's a good thing they don't happen very often...perhaps I should not go out drinking with the boys the night before a long run...probably a good idea...consider it a lesson learned.

Thanks for reading!

Will

Faster Than A Speeding Bullett...

but not quite as powerful as a locomotive!!!

First off let me address all the naysayers out there and clarify...yes that is indeed my body...okay, now that we've got that out of the way let me tell you about my first Lactate Test experience...

Let's get a little background...Lactate (acid) is a metabolic biproduct that is produced in various parts throughout the human body, mainly in the muscles during strenuous physical activity (like endurance running). Once lactate buildup becomes too much for your body to handle your muscles simply shut down...it's not permanent, but chances are you're going to end up falling flat on your face and not finish the race...plus you're gonna look like a Super Chump...kind of like me in that picture!!!

Anyhow, the purpose of the Lactate Test is to determine the maximum speed of running that your body can handle, before the lactate buildup becomes too much. The results are different for everybody, but can be extremely useful in tweaking something like a marathon training program.

Here's how it all went down...
I showed up at Tri and Run Sports in Trenton, got my gear on and hopped on the treadmill. Sandy (trainer extrordinaire) was kind enough to let me get a quick (10 minute) warmup in before attempting to kill me. After my warmup, I got to stretch, and grab a quick drink of water, then back on the treadmill...I'm not sure at what pace I started running, but it was pretty average (around 6 mph or a 10 minute mile). I should note I was hooked up to a wireless heart monitor. Okay, so I was running and Sandy was taking my heartrate, and every 3 minutes increasing my speed substantialy, she told me this was going to continue until I felt like I couln't take it anymore. It was a little crazy, and I made it to around 19 minutes and I was flying...sure, I was having a little trouble breathing, but the part that was concerning me was the fact that my legs were moving faster than they ever had before, and I really felt like I was going to lose control and smash my face of the front of the treadmill, so I cried mercy and that part of the test was over. Now what this told us was that my maximum heart rate is 197 bpm, which just happens to be 5 bpm higher than the average 28 year old male, so that's a good thing, despite the fact I was probably 30 seconds from my heart exploding!!!

So here I was thinking I was done when Sandy asks me if I was ready to start running again...I was like are you freakin' serious??? She was!
So I got to start running again, nice and slow to start, then she takes my finger and pricks it to take a blood sample on a strip, and puts it into a device similar to a blood/glucose monitor, except it was a blood/lactate monitor. She gradually increased my speed as she saw fit and took a new blood sample every 5 minutes. This went on for another 45 minutes...then I was finally done. The purpose of this part of the test was to see where my lactate levels would max out and at which point my heart rate would increase again, as it was still decreasing from the first part of the crazy test.

After all of this, the data was entered into a computer program and we reviewed the results...
essentially my new training pace (now called Zone 1 - Easy) is 8:52 per mile, which is considerably faster then my old 11:33 pace. And my speed training pace (now called Zone 3 - Speed) will now be 7:50 per mile, which means when I'm doing speed training I'm not supposed to run any slower then 7:50...that's pretty freakin' fast man!!! Also, it was determined that my body could theoretically run the marathon (42.2km) in under 4 hours, which is super duper insane considering when I set out on this adventure all I wanted to do was finish!!!

Anyhow, I've got 3 more of these run till you want to die, or maybe puke your guts out tests before the marathon...the next one in 8 weeks...can't wait!!!

Stay tuned for long run news on Saturday...this week we go for 90 minutes.

Will

Death by Peddle Boat...almost...

Okay, so here's another story of a run on the road...this time it was over the weekend in Haliburton where I was enjoying a nice relaxing weekend at Emily's cottage with her, Brock, Amy and other friends to celebrate Emily's entry into adulthood (Happy Birthday Em).

Anyhow, the pic you see is of Brock and I enjoying what we thought would be a leisurely peddle boat ride, but quickly turned ugly, as we we're unaware we had sprung a leak until it was too late. Now, this isn't really that big of a deal except for the fact that it's still May and the lake really wasn't warm at all...no we probably wouldn't have died, but we weren't looking forward to our testes crawling back up into our bodies either! We were rescued by some boaters that just happened to be passing by and realized our imminent peril before we did...whew...that was close!

Okay, on to the run...Saturday was a 60 minute run and I managed to cover 7 miles which meant I ran through the town of Haliburton almost 3 times over...too be honest it was getting a little boring...not too much to see here! It was a solo run as nobody had the courage to come with...no worries as I got to break in my new iPod last week, which I'm loving by the way!

Wednesday I have my first of a series of lactate tests...no I'm not pregnant, it's a test that will test the lactate acid levels in my muscles as I run to determine if my training needs to be tweeked (aka step it up a notch). I'm not really too sure what the test entails, but I know it's done on a treadmill with some stuff hooked up to me and is an hour of running. I'll let you know as soon as I do.

Talk soon.

Will

Mmmmm...Ribs...

So yesterday, something very interesting happened while I was stretching, and I saw something I haven't seen in probably 25 years...my ribs!!!

Now, don't misunderstand me here...this isn't because I have lost too much weight...there will not be a commercial on tv with me on there shirtless in a diaper and Donald freakin' Sutherland saying "For the price of a cup of coffee...."
It's not like that at all...I'm starting to look really healthy, and it's a little exciting as I really have been carrying around a little too much extra fat on my bones for way too long. Of course all this did was make me think about Tony Roma's ribs...the best ribs I've ever had...I'm thinking of booking a trip to Winnipeg for the sole purpose of eating ribs...just kidding Nana!!!

Okay, seeing as how it's been about 10 days since my last post (sorry Aunt C), let's get to some training news...
Yesterday I had my long run which this week was 80 minutes long...I managed to cover 8 miles, which was awesome! I felt great, besides a little bit of soreness in my muscles which is expected, but then I got thinking...holy crap...that's not even one third of the distance I have to cover during the marathon. This of course made me feel very nervous, and a little nauseous...then I started thinking about ribs and everything was okay!

I also have been doing some further experimentation with nutrition while I run, and the past couple of long runs I've been using water, energy gel's, and sodium tablets...yesterday I figured out the formula that works for me...after the first 30 minutes of a run I take a gel pack, then at 45 a sodium tablet, then at 60 another gel pack, and another sodium tablet at 75, and so on...of course I'm constantly drinking water through the entire run. This method worked amazing for me...I felt great. The only issue I have is dispossing of the gel packs when finished...I'm not about to chuck them on the ground, so if there's no garbage can around you just have to carry it until you find one. Right now if I had to chose between this method and the Infinit method, I think I'd have to go with Infinit, but I may switch to gels later.

Some tunes from yesterday...
Groove Armada - Madder
The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize?
Talib Kweli and Mos Def - Definition

Also, on Friday I met with fellow Team Diabetes member Katherine Taylor, who ran the Honolulu marathon a couple of years ago with Team D. We swaped some fundraising ideas, and brainstormed a bit, then she shared her Honolulu experience with me...her story was awesome and really got me pumped up and excited about everything even more than I already was. It really is inspiring to hear someone talk about the whole experience, and I can't wait to finish so I can share more of mine with you. Anyhow, you'll probably be hearing about Katherine more often as we're planning to team up for some fundraising efforts as she's doing the Disney marathon in January with Team D.

Hope you're enjoying your long weekend...unless your one of our non-Canadian friends, in which case...have fun at work tomorrow suckers! Talk soon!

Will

Let's Talk Nutrition...

Hey there. So with all the Diabetes Spin for Fitness insanity I've been neglecting my running posts, so here we go.

As I mentioned in a previous post I went to see Sandy (my trainer) on Friday to talk nutrition. Now I assumed that meant diet, but I was wrong...for runners nutrition is replenishing what your body depletes when you run, as you're running. There are apparently many different ways to do this and I'm now in the phase of my training where I have to experiment with different things to see what works best for me. Hears the deal, when you run you burn approx. 700 calories per hour, up to 3 litres of water and some crazy amount of sodium that I can't remember right now and the bottom line is that you can't absorb what you lose after you run so you have to do it while you run.

The first experiment was with a product called Infinit. It's a powder that you add to water, that can be custom created to provide you with the right amount of sodium, proteins, carbs, etc. for your own body. I used in on Friday when I ran my 70 minute run, with which warm up and cooldown became a 1.5 hour outing and 7.75 miles. I found out that it makes me burp a lot uncontrollably as I run, which is apparently due to the protein and my body will adjust...still a little odd running down the street burping away. It tasted good and was easy to mix and digest, I'm just a little worried how I would mix it during a marathon...apparently theres a solution for that too. I also learned to open the little water bottles on my fuel belt with my mouth instead of my hand, or you end up with sticky infinit mix all over your hand and you have to just deal with it until the end of your run...not cool!!!

Anyhow, it seemed to work well, so we'll have to see how the next experiment works on Saturday...gel packs (the hammer gel) and sodium tablets. Today I did my 60 minute run (4.5 miles) and tomorrow is speed training (Yasso 800's). I'll keep you posted.

Will

Diabetes Spin for Fitness Recap...

I just happen to know some of the best people in the world!!! I want to start this post by saying Thank You to everyone who participated yesterday in the Diabetes Spin for Fitness helping to raise awareness and funds for the Canadian Diabetes Association, and promote Fitness by doing a 6 hour spin class.

Team Will managed to raise $927.75...you guys rock...
Amy, Bethea, Raymond, Angie, Shelly, Adriana, Gaby, Adam, Jacob, Leslie, Ruben, and Henry. Thanks to each of you, I definately couldn't have done it without you!!!

Team Brock consisted of Brock, Emily, Rebecca, Rene, Rene's daughter, Anne, Grace, 2 people I think came off the street and joined at the last minute, and perhaps some other people that I may have forgotten. I have no idea how much money Team Brock raised, but I'm sure he'll post it when he gets up.

Also, big thanks to Dad, Grandma C, Luis, Joy, Claire, Eric, and Friend of Eric for comming out at various times throughout the day Just to cheer us on...and a special thanks to our honorary coach Ella (Jacob and Leslie's daughter) who kept us smiling all day!!!

It was a great day with lot of sore asses and muscles, but it was fun, and we raised some money and kicked some ass!!! Personally I spend about 3.5 hours total on a bike and I think that was pretty much the average for the team!

I'm back to running today, but wanted to let you know about the spin event yesterday...amazing!!!

Will

Note on picture: You get a little hungry after being on a bike for so long, so I decided to eat Brock's thumb....he got a really nice prostetic one to replace it.

Who wants to see me in bike shorts???

Yeah, me neither, but if I ever come accross these KISS bike shorts, I'm definately going to have to pick up a pair to wear around downtown Belleville on a Saturday afternoon...they'd probably elect me as mayor!!!

Anyhow, all of this was simply a terrible seguay into the big event going down on Saturday at Goodlife in Belleville - Diabetes Spin for Fitness. My team is set and ready to rock, and I think Brock's team is ready to go to, but he's off enjoying his much deserved vacation, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

If you want to come out and cheer on the team, we'll be at goodlife at the Quinte Mall from 9-3 on Saturday, then back to the house for a bbq...it's definately going to be good times, and we're going to raise some cash for the diabetes association and promote fitness all in 6 hours! If you want to make a pledge, then get in touch before Saturday.

As far as the training is going, I hit a minor snag and contracted some kind of virus that feels like someone poured battery acid down my throat. I've only managed to miss one run so far, so that's good. Today it was speed training day and I logged 5 miles in 45 minutes, but I'm really thinking it's time to switch up the tunes on the playlist as it's definately starting to get stale.

Anyhow, I'm in a rush, so I've gotta cut this short, but on Friday I'm going to see Sandy (my trainer) as she wants to discuss nutrition now that my milage is getting up there, plus it's time for some new kicks as I've managed to log 280 miles (450km) on my latest pair of sneaks in only 3 months...not bad!!!

Gotta run (get it?).

Rock On!

Will

Bugs...It's whats for dinner!!!

Again, I find myself appologizing for not updating this for an entire week...I'm sorry.

So let me fill you in, I've been training...Tuesday was hard as I think my legs were still recovering from the race, but I did manage to log about 23 miles (37 km) for the week of running. Plus a good X-training bike ride on Friday evening.

I've got to tell you though, if you can avoid it don't run or ride your bike along the water in the late afternoon/early evening, unless your hungry for bugs. I probably managed to swallow about 2000 assorted bugs over the weekend. They taste like shit, and they don't fill you up...it pretty much sucks...don't eat bugs.

Okay, big event comming up next Saturday May 5th at GoodLife fitness in Belleville. It's called the Diabetes Spin for Fitness and how it works is there's some teams, and each team has 4 spin bikes that they have to keep going for 6 hours (24 hours total spin time). Each team member gets sponsored and the proceeds go to the Canadian Diabetes Association. The great part is that for Team Diabetes members (that's me and Brock), the proceeds from your team go towards your individual Team D campaign. I've got about 12 people on my team and they're doing great. I'll release the final team roster as soon as I've finalized with a couple other people and let you know. Anyhow, if you'd like to join the team, or pledge a participant, then leave a comment and I'll get back to you. If you're interested in joining the team, I can promise you a fun day, surrounded by hot, fit people like myself, plus you get a t-shirt, plus a bbq at my place after the event, plus you get to feel good about yourself raising money for the Diabetes Association, and promoting fitness...you know you want to!!!

Anyhow, I've gotta get ready to ride my bike home from work...in the rain...crap!!!

Will

All I have to say is...

Holy Crap!!! For the first time in my life, I won medal for an individual athletic acheivment. I'm still unsure of my final time, but I managed to pull off 3rd place in age 20-29 in today's Pitter Patter 10km race in Belleville.

Here's the deal with the time...somewhere around the 5km mark I lost my time thingy that was pinned to my shirt, so when I crossed the finish line they went to pull it and it wasn't there so I had to tell them my name...to say the least it was a little chaotic and all I wanted to do was keep moving, so I did...a few minutes later I ran into my trainer, Sandy, who asked me how I did and I was like...it was great, I felt great, etc...then she was like What was your time? and I had no clue!!! She went to check for me as I noticed today, she's a big shot in the local running community and came back to report my time at 53:06, then when they did the medal award thing they read my time at 56 minutes and change, so I really have no clue what my finishing time was, and it really doesn't matter...so I'll go with the 53:06. The overall winner came in just over 36 minutes...now that's fast!

It was a wicked experience (that's wicked good for you old folks)! I had a smile on my face the whole time, despite the fact it was a rain/snow combo, windy and around the 0 celcius mark...it didn't matter it felt great. I took it slow out of the gate, then around 6km I was like I can do more, then around 8km I felt I could do even more, then at 9km I was ready to giver...and I did. I probably could have gone faster earlier, but I have to keep the big picture in mind here...42.2km!!!

Comming across the finish line was amazing...Amy was there with the Camera, then mom, dad, Raymond, B, and Henry were all lined up along the side...so I ran over and fivered them all as I passed...Thanks guys...it really meant a lot that you were there.

I'll probably come back to this later to fill you in on more details, but for now I have a nice hot bath waiting for me. L8r.

Will

Chewbacca can grab Princess Leia in the boob...

...and there's not a damn thing Han, Lando, Luke, C3PO, or even Yoda can do about it. That's right kids, not even a jedi master can stop a horny wookie!!! (If your lost, read my post from last week)

Okay, so due to my tangent last week, I thought I would actually follow up on the article in this month's Runners World magazine titled 101 Kicks in the Butt. Anyhow, it turns out the number one kick in the butt is to create a training blog. How's that for coincidence!?!?! It's true, if I'm feeling like not getting out for my run, I just think...what about my blog readers...how can I expect them to carry on with their daily lives without the enlightenment of my blog entries! Just kidding, but it did make me realize that this blog definately serves more than one purpose, and that I can deal with.

Okay, yesterday was a good run. My wife, Amy, gave it another go. I was scheduled for a 60 minute run, and Amy came for the first half...it was warm, she was happy, it was great! Here's the deets...
Outdoor - 4 degrees C - wind SW @ 15 km/h
Warmup - 5:05 - .3 miles
Run - 60:45 - 5.59 miles
Cooldown - 7:01 - .44 miles
Total of 6.33 miles (just over 10 km)

Since I skipped my weight training last Friday, I did it on Monday along with my core training.

Back with the tunes...
Queens of the Stone Age - First It Giveth
Death From Above 1979 - Blood On Our Hands
The Postal Service - The District Sleeps Tonight

Got some big news on one, perhaps even 2 major fundraising events comming up very soon. Stay tuned!

Will

Enjoy the Silence...

So today was a typical Saturday morning, I got up, did some stuff around the house, then got my gear on to go for my long run. I kissed Amy goodbye, walked out my door and started my brisk walk to warmup, only this time there was something different.

After a couple of minutes I had realized that I hadn't pressed play on my mp3 player, and at that moment decided I would conduct an experiment to see how long I could run without music. To my surprise I managed to complete my entire warmup, run, and cooldown without the sounds I've become accustomed to, and it was amazing! Now, this doesn't mean that I will no longer be listening to music when I run...that would just be insane, but I think I finally have an appreciation for what running "purists" are talking about when they say running with just yourself and your thoughts is the way to go. It's really soothing to be running early in the morning, with just the sound of nature and you...your breathing, your feet hitting the ground...it gives you time to just relax and enjoy the run. Like I said though, it was great, but not something I'm going to do all the time...I still need my tunes man!

Anyhow, here's the deets from today's run...
Outdoor - -7 degrees C - calm wind
Warmup - 5:01 - .31 miles (just under 1/2km)
Run - 60:11 - 5.48 miles (8.82 km)
Cooldown - 11:26 - .79 miles (1.3 km)

Yesterday I had my easy run, and I finally convinced Amy to come with me...the result wasn't as planned as it turned out to be windy and -13C, which wasn't very comfortable for her. We did manage to cover a few miles, but I don't think she'll be joining me again until the temp warms up a few degrees, like 20.

L8r.

Will

Blogs can kick you in the ass...

'Sup peeps!

So I was looking for a picture of someone getting kicked in the ass when I came accross this gem of Chewbacca coping a feel off Princess Leia and found it so funny that it had to be the pic to use today...perhaps I should have called this entry Chewbacca can grab you in the boob!!!

Okay, so I was back at it yesterday a 60 minute run plus my core training. It ended up totaling to 6 miles (just under 10km). It was an indoor run due to the rain...boo to the rain. I'm about to hit the gym again in a few for my speed training day...today it's 4x600 @ 3:20. I'll provide some deets on my next entry.

Going back in time...Sunday as always was my recovery run, and it was awesome, I was really feeling it. It was a short run (4 miles), but it was fairly early for a Sunday (11AM) and there wasn't really alot of traffic about, so I took advantage and just ran around the streets in my new hood - Belleville's beautiful East End. Just thought I'd share that with you.

I'm getting a little excited as I will have my first official race in a couple of weeks. It's called the 10km Pitter Patter...it's in Belleville on April 15th, and it will be my first taste of competition. To be honest I'm a little nervous, but I've got to just keep in mind that it's not about comming in first, it's about getting race experience leading up to the real race in December.

Anyhow, that's it for now. Just remember, try not to wear any low cut shirts if you're going to be at a party where Chewbacca might stop by...all you'll be doing is tempting the poor wookie!

Will

Oh crap...I almost forgot why I titled this "blogs can kick you in the ass" it's because of an article in this months runners world, and I got completely off topic due to boobs...oh well, I'll follow up on the article next time.

Welcome to my new readers...

Alright, before I get to my training details today, I'd like to welcome my new readers. Last week I joined the social networking cult phenomenon known as Facebook. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, sorry, but I'm not explaining it here, Google it!

Anyhow, Facebook allows you to feed your blog (I'm assuming through RSS, or something similar), to your profile for all to read. I figured this was a great way to continue to pimp my cause, so to those new readers Welcome! First off, go to my main blog site and start from the beginning. http://blogspot.goodwillrunning.com Here's a quick recap to catch you up for now...
I've pledged to raise a bunch of money for the Canadian Diabetes Association through a program called Team Diabetes to honour my dad who suffers from type 1 diabetes...but wait...there's more. I'm not only raising money, but I've also agreed to run the Honolulu marathon in December to promote healthy living, as a big contributor to diabetes is unhealthy living. This blog chronicles my training and fundraising journey. So far you've missed me repeatedly injuring myself until I got a trainer, now it's all good.
The blog entries tend to be informative, entertaining, and extremely humourous all at once...at least, that's what my mom tells me. For those of you who have heard this story before...it's okay, because I know you love hearing it over and over again!

Here's the deets for today's run...
Outdoor - 2 degrees - wind NEN @ 15 km/h
Warmup - 5:00 - .33 miles (1/2 km)
Run - 45:00 - 4.36 miles (7.1 km)
Cooldown - 14:00 - .82 miles (1.32 km)

Since my last entry, I did my cross training and weight training yesterday, Thursday was an off day (for real this week), and Wedneday was speed training (45' Steps for a total of 5.25 miles).

Some of the soundtrack...
Damian Marley - Confrontations
Ben Folds Five - Best Imitation of Myself
The Trews - Montebello Park

Until next time...

Will

A little taste of Summertime...

Awwww Yeah!!!!!

Yesterday was amazing for weather...I've decided I'm really going to love running in warmer weather...there were a ton people out running, roller blading, walking...it really felt like July instead of March.

Anyhow, time to get down to business...I have been running despite what you might have thought due to the lack of updates on the good 'ol blog...you may not know this, but I'm currently on day 11 of a 13 day work stretch...which could turn into a 15 day stretch.

Okay, enough complaining...on to the good stuff. Yesterday's deets...
Outdoor - 16 degrees - sunny
Warmup - 5 mins - .35 miles (just over 1/2km)
Run - 55:07 - 5.45 miles (8.8km)
Cooldown - 12:52 - .84 miles (1.36 km)
When I got home, I did my core training.

This past weekend consisted of a long run on Saturday - 60 minutes at various speeds, plus a warm up and cooldown for a total of aroun 6.5 miles. Followed up on Sunday with my recovery run - 30:00 @ 11:33 to give me another 3.5 miles. Friday I cross trained with a 20 km bike ride which was great. I took my bike in for a tune up afterward and still don't have it back, but can't wait until I do and I can start riding to work again...speaking of work...I've got some to do.

L8r.

Will