Category Archives: A Midsummer Night’s Run

Movin’ Up and Movin’ Out!

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Lately my posts have been all about catching up. But life has been crazy for me. The moving didn’t end last week and I was unpacking and cleaning like no other! My priorities of course were on the moving day cupcakes:

And because it wasn’t my moving day and it was my sister and bro-in-laws, my priorities were also on the napkin, plates, and cup choices:

Bieber? Yes, please!

The other great part about new homes is buying fun presents for the new pad! So, of course I went fun and bought what any new home owner needs– an ice cream maker!

Yes, there are two. (I bought one for myself! Ha!) Homemade fro yo, sorbet, ice cream, and gelatos here I come! And it just wouldn’t be right to give them a gift without making sure it worked first. So, I used their maker for vanilla ice cream, and mine for chocolate and no dessert would be complete without a little crumble on the side:

Don’t worry friends, we enjoyed this treat at their new home.

So, I’m sorry about the lack of training updates but I promise to be in full swing this week!

Did anyone watch the bachelorette and think it was so strange that a first date was a pretend marriage in Vegas? Atleast save it for the second date! And Jeff the mask man? Seriously, why are you still there?!

But in fitness news, I’m making up my new training plan for my 30K Midsummer Night’s Run. I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little nervous about running at 5pm on an August evening. The heat may get to me. Especially if it’s anything like today where it feels like 41 degrees celcius. 5pm training, here I come!

And I managed to do the Colon Cancer Canada Run on Sunday even though this head cold will not go away! A full report on that run (as I blew my nose through the park, sexy, I know!) is coming soon. Here’s the preview:

Strepsils and Kleenex in my running pouch. Nothing says FIERCE and sexy like a sick runner! 

Find Your Happy Pace!

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At the Expo on the weekend I picked up a few treats for myself. The first I told you about– setting a new distance goal of 30K which will race at A Midsummer Night’s Run on August 20th. And the second a new mouse pad:

Finding my “happy pace” has been a real challenge for me. Having this day to day reminder is pretty awesome. I’ve been constantly wondering “how fast should I run this Harry 8K?!” And my question has been answered. I went on the Canadian Running Series website and found the map to the race:

And then I found this gem of a link: Tips On How To Run The Spring Run-Off 8K. It tells you when it’s best to slow down, speed up, where you will be getting water, and the porta poties. I’m so happy that this link exists! It was exactly what I was looking for. Now I can relax and not be so hung up on how fast I should be running this shorter distance. Because really, whatever time I run it in will be a PR– it is my first 8K race after all!

Annnnnd my mum is doing the Harry 5K this Saturday! I’m so excited for her!! This is going to be her first race ever! It’s gonna be a family affair. Me and my sister doing the 8K and Mumsy is doing the 5K!

I’m doing a 30K?!

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My sister Julia is running 30K Around the Bay today and yesterday she called me on her way to the expo to pick up her bib and I obviously wanted to go. I told her to swing by and get me on her way. And I decided to document our adventure. 
Meet my sister Julia:  
Julia on the way to her package pick-up!

How crazy is it that she is running 30K?! I mean seriously– 21K is enough for me!

I LOVE RUNNING EXPO’S!




Can we please talk about how lopsided my sunglasses are? First I thought it was the arms of my glasses but more and more I am thinking my ears are just uneven. My regular glasses for distance do the same thing but I know those arms are bent because I fell asleep with them on annnd you can tell. But these bad boys do not have that problem. Ahh well. 
So I started getting hungry before we even got there. (Typical). But lucky for me there was a farmer’s market right beside the expo! How perfect! I was going to get an apple but then I passed by the British booth and saw Empire Cookies and I was sold on them.
So, we became those unhealthy girls who walked into the expo with cookie crumbs ALL down our jackets as we shoved the rest of the cookies in our faces. 
As we walked around I found my favourite store at the Disney Expo One More Mile. I love all of their hilarious products. Julia found this funny: 

“I’m only doing this so I can post a picture on Facebook.”

And then I found the sentence that I was saying after I ran the Disney half and said I would never run another one again. And then I signed up for the Goodlife Toronto half.

“I know, I know- I said I’d never do this again.”




And then I found myself saying this sentence again when we passed the A Midsummer Night’s Run booth. Why? Well, they were having a special and if you registered that day for either the 15K run, 15K walk, or 30K run that is happening on August 20th, 2011 you get an awesome New Balance running jacket that day. As we were leaving the booth I was pretty much begging Julia to run the 30K. I know, 30K! Am I insane?! I think I was in the hype and jealous that I wasn’t doing the 30K Around the Bay. Julia insisted that the bay was going to be her first and last 30K but she would go over and look at the running route. As we got over and looked at the map I said, “it’s around the beaches of Toronto, it’s easy peasy! Let’s do the 30K!” So, I told the guy if he had a small enough jacket to fit this 4’9″ girl, I would register. I tried the small on, took a picture to see if it fit:

And- it did. I immediately said, “SIGN ME UP!!” And Julia followed. Muahahahhaha! 30K in August– hellls yes! I’m SO excited! It brings my two worlds together theatre and running. AHHH-MAAAAY-ZIIIING! 
We continued to walk the booths and came across the finish line. I made Julia take a picture in front of it. 
Julia casually at the finish line

How amazing is it that it ends in a stadium and she will be on a big screen running through the finish line?! Mainly more exciting for me and my bro in law Ken because we won’t have to freeze our butts off waiting outside for her to finish. I’ve never been a spectator at a running event before but I’m SO excited to cheer my sister on today! Wahooooo! 

After the expo I was so pumped for my 14K run that I had on tap for the day. I suited up and ran High Park which is where my Harry run will be next week. I put some U2 on my ipod and hit jukebox shuffle and off I went. I ended up going through the park and detoured into the High Park Zoo. It’s so small that it only lasts about 1K. But I saw some animals along my way and took a photo for you:
High Park Zoo Run!

After running High Park I’m so confident for next weeks race. My only concern is picking what my happy pace will be. I only know how to pace for long runs and I’m a wee bit concerned for how hard I should go next week. But, I’ll figure it out. 

Stats of the Run
Distance: 14.53 km
Pace: 4:31 min/km
I’m off to the 30K Around the Bay! Let’s Go Julia!! Wahooo!