Emma Thurlow

I did it...

I still can't quite believe it - on Sunday I ran a marathon! Yes, all 42.195km of it and I have a medal, a finisher t-shirt and plenty of photos to prove it!

This was all thanks to the incredible support of Can Too, the belief and encouragement from family and friends and my drive and determination to get fit, have fun and fundraise to help make a difference for those who have, are or will battle cancer in the future.

Over the past 20 weeks I have:
* Run over 500km
* Swam for 775 minutes
* Power walked around 50km with two boys in the pram
* Worked out on the cross trainer for over 4 hours
* Had 5 trips to the physio for two injuries
* Completed regular strength sessions, stretches and physio exercises
* Moved house
* Raised well over $3,000 (and still counting) for Can Too

Noting all of the above it is plain to see that I trained well and it paid off on race day when I crossed the finish line with a smile on my dial in 4 hours, 23 minutes and 22 seconds.

It was certainly the most physically challenging thing I have ever done, and my legs are still recovering from the trauma I put them through, but it was all worth it. I'm proud of myself!

The last 20 weeks however, wasn't just a commitment from me, it was a commitment from my whole family. Thank you especially to my husband Andrew, for being my rock and unending support and for pushing me out of bed at 5am to go for a run! A special thanks also to my gorgeous boys Lachlan and Hugh for being so enthusiastic about "Mummy's running training" and coming with me to hand out drinks and snakes one week to the Can Too runners when I couldn't run through injury. Andrew and the boys were out there on Sunday in the rain cheering me on which meant so much to me. My Mum was amazing too as she picked the boys up from kindy most weeks so I could get to track training on time. Thank you!

Speaking of training, I've mentioned how great they are before but my coach Mark and team captain/mentor Annie along with my fellow Can Too team were all such amazing people. It was wonderful to get to know everyone and watch them improve week by week too, getting fitter and achieving some serious training milestones. I've had such a great time and every single one of us crossed the finish line on Sunday. Go Can Too!

Can Too is run by a small but amazing team of people, many of whom I met over the last 20 weeks. I thank you all for your vision, your enthusiasm, your coaching, your mentoring, your encouragement, your stories, your cheering and last but not least, your fluoro orange! The support for Can Too out on the course on Sunday was outstanding and one of the things I relied on to get me to the finish line. Seeing so many people dressed in Can Too orange and screaming "GO CAN TOO" is a credit to the culture created by the founder Annie Crawford, CEO Susannah Miall and the whole Can Too community. Seeing how much this organisation has grown and how much money they have raised since I trained with them 10 years ago is just mind boggling and a credit to their hard working dedicated team. Can Too runners who trained for Sunday's events alone (bridge run, half marathon and marathon) combined to raise over $350,000!

Lastly, there is no way that I could have run this marathon without the support and belief of every single person that contributed to my fundraising. Every dollar means so much and can do so much. Family, friends, colleagues, suppliers, customers and some people who wish to remain anonymous all donated generously with their hard earned money. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

For those who were waiting until I actually crossed the finish line, now's the time to get your wallet out.....I did it, I ran a marathon and I look forward to your donation!!

One sleep to go...

So it's marathon day tomorrow and the Harbour Bridge is closed, just in case you haven't seen any of the signs up around Sydney! Thanks to Can Too and my brilliant coach Mark, team captain/mentor Annie, and a wonderful group of fellow runners, many of whom are first time marathoners like myself, I am running a marathon tomorrow, and I can't wait!

I must say after 20 weeks of training I am feeling ready and excited. No doubt the nerves will kick in over night and in the morning but knowing that I am running for so many wonderful people who have shared my goal and contributed so generously to my fundraising makes it that much easier to pop the shoes on and just run.

On Wednesday we had our "graduation" night at training and a nice meal with the team and I was honoured to be a Can Too Hall of Fame inductee as I have now raised over $5,000 for Can Too over the two programs I have done with them. I am thrilled with the support from friends, family, colleagues and customers and I am so grateful to both Mark and Annie as well as Can Too mentors along the way for all their help and guidance over the last 20 weeks. This week I also made an extra donation to Can Too in their honour.

Tomorrow I will be running for everyone who has fought, is fighting or who may fight cancer in the future. I hope that the money I have raised can help fund some groundbreaking research to help better treat and perhaps even cure cancer!

Close to my heart is my dear friend Alex who lost her 13 year battle with brain cancer earlier this year....she'll be watching over me tomorrow cheering me on and perhaps even calling me crazy!! Love you Al xx

The countdown is on...

The special event clearway signs are up and the traffic warning screens around Sydney have started counting down to Marathon Day – there is no avoiding it now!

I am filled with excitement (and a few nerves) as the day approaches. Even though I know I’ve done the training, it still freaks me out a little that on Sunday 18^th September I will run 42.195km!

On the Saturday just gone every single Can Too pod from around Sydney training for the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival, whether it be the 9km, half-marathon or marathon, all met at Kirribilli for a training run. What a sight! This was the first of the marathoner’s two taper runs where we “only” ran 16km, but yet again the weather did not disappoint with another glorious morning of running around our spectacular city. To pinch a phrase from a team mate…this was a group of ordinary everyday people doing something extraordinary. Together, this group, in a few short months will raise over $300,000 for cancer research and in less than 2 weeks will take themselves out of their comfort zones to achieve a personal health and fitness goal.

This coming Saturday we are meeting at the Opera House for our last hit out before the big day so if you happen to be in the city early on Saturday morning don’t freak out if you get swamped by a bunch of enthusiastic runners in extremely fluoro orange - simply holler “Go Can Too!”

Time to taper…

As I write this there is officially less than 3 weeks to go until Marathon Day – eek! Whilst the idea of running a marathon is still nerve wracking, I certainly feel like I can do it now after the last 17 weeks of training with Can Too. On the Saturday just gone we did our longest run of the program which saw us clock up 35km from Kirribilli to Centennial Park and back taking in the sights of Sydney along the way. It was a chilly start to a beautiful morning and whist the legs were certainly hurting by the end I felt strong both mentally and physically which means the training is working! Our new pool was finished and filled last week, so my feet enjoyed the icy cold winter water post run. Yes, Lachie and Hugh thought it was a bit funny that Mummy was in the pool in winter, but curiosity got the better of them and soon they were rolling their pants up and dangling their feet in too!

Since my last blog post we have done a 16km, a 32km and a 35km training run covering much of the marathon course along with the usual track training and cross training in between. We’ve certainly clocked up some kilometres over the last few months and I look forward to tallying them all up at the end of the program. We now begin to taper in preparation for race day on Sunday 18^th September. Bring it on!!

The reason I signed up with Can Too in the first place was twofold – to run a marathon as part of a team (a fun bright orange team!), and to raise as much money as I can for cancer research to support innovation in the prevention, care and control of cancer. My personal target is to raise $3000 and I am well on the way to achieving that. I have had many generous donations from family and friends through this page and I also ran an m&m’s guessing competition recently which raised over $200. There were 2683 m&m’s in the jar (take a look at my photos) and the lucky winner was Simon from Andrew’s work who had the closest guess of 2750 – congratulations! The extremely kind customers of Nextra St Ives (my work) have also been helping with stacks of coins and even a handful of notes finding their way into my Can Too donation box.

So thank you everyone - I am running this marathon for all of you and hope to do you proud in a few weeks!

Clocking up the km's now...

At the moment I am feeling pretty proud of myself because on Saturday my Can Too team and I completed a 30km training run! This was the furthest I have ever run ever and I’m happy to report I felt great (my legs are a little fatigued but it’s a good hurt)!

To give you an idea of the distance covered, we started in Kirribilli, headed up over the Harbour Bridge, circled the Opera House, around most of the Walsh Bay wharfs, around Barangaroo, over the Anzac Bridge, around Blackwattle Bay, past the Fish Markets and back again. It was a spectacularly scenic waterside run which I thoroughly enjoyed!

So this week was a good week, training wise! The previous few were not so great as I reluctantly headed to my physio again after a tendon flared up in my foot following the half marathon at Dolls Point. As predicted I was off running for a couple of weeks, but kept up the cross training throughout (including plenty of heavy lifting when moving house) and supported the Can Too team by handing our drinks and snakes with my boys on one Saturday morning run. Whilst I was annoyed not to be running, my injury was appreciative of the rest and I am pleased that I did what I was told as my foot has been pain free for the last two Saturday runs, especially after such a long run on the weekend.

Oh, and have I mentioned previously that we train rain, hail or shine? This included Wednesday night in the torrential rain! Dodging tourists who were taking shelter under the Harbour Bridge we did 2km sets around Luna Park. I was wet to the core and freeeeeeeezing cold by the end of the session but enjoyed the challenge and the warm shower when I got home. It was awesome to see so many other Can Tooers out there in the elements training for their goal event as well. Hard core!!

With only 6 weeks to go, we still have a 32km and a 35km training run on the program before we start to taper in preparation for RACE DAY!

Loving it!

Half way there...

So, I've reached the half way point of my marathon training program! 10 weeks down, 10 to go!

Along with our track training, cross training and smaller runs each week we've been building up the kilometers on the weekend runs. On election day in early July we ran from Centennial Park to Vaucluse and back for a hilly 20km training run along much of the City to Surf route which was just beautiful. Having done the City to Surf a few times it was nice to be able to take in the scenery and views without dodging and weaving through other participants. On the Sunday just gone most of the Can Too Marathon team competed in the Sri Chinmoy Half Marathon (21km) at Doll's Point as a test event and to work on our race pacing. It was a great little event and I am pleased to report that I was extremely happy with my pace and ran the 21km in just over 2 hours, 3 minutes slower than when I ran my last half marathon 10 years ago - not bad!

I ran on Sunday for a bit with Annie Crawford, the founder of Can Too and an absolute inspiration, and she asked me what I think about if I feel like it's all getting a bit tough and the body is hurting. I told her that I immediately think of my wonderful family and friends who are all so supportive and encouraging and make me smile and laugh every day. I also think of my gorgeous and courageous friend Al who lost her battle with Brain Cancer in February this year and who is the main reason now why I want to raise funds to help make a difference for the people fighting cancer now and in the future. I actually made the decision late last year that I was going to run a marathon this year and had told Al I was doing it. Like most of my friends she thought I was bonkers! She was probably right, but it means so much more to me than just running.

So from now on I'm in unchartered territory as each long run will be the longest I've ever run. And as each long run gets longer I hope the body can cope and my mental strength and wonderful support base can get me through it.

The Sunshine State...

My training over the past two weeks has been varied to say the least. After our family trip to Hamilton Island it was back to chilly Sydney with track training moved to Kirribilli as our usual oval was closed following the crappy weather. We were rewarded with spectacuar views of Vivid as we ran between the pillons of the Harbour Bridge trying to get a little faster each time, whilst dodging tourists.

I was then off to Port Douglas (where it was hot and humid) for a long weekend with some gorgeous girlfriends. It was a shame to miss the Saturday run with the Can Too marathon team again, but I got up early and posted a very sweaty 16km. I can't boast it was easy in the humidity, but I did it and the dip in the pool was great afterwards, along with the three course deliciously gourmet dinner that I devoured that night! I also felt incredibly inspired the next day watching athletes ride through Port Douglas during the bike leg of the Cairns Ironman event as part of their 180km course. Prior to this they swam 3.8km and when they got off the bike they THEN ran a marathon! Amazing!

Another week rolled around and funnily enough another trip to the Sunshine State was on the cards, this time to the Gold Coast for a conference. I planned my training to fit in with the conference schedule so I didn't miss out, and running solo for the third week in a row I started pounding the foreshore of the Gold Coast before sunrise on Friday. It was a nice flat run meaning I could really concentrate on keeping a steady pace and I achieved 18km feeling my best yet. Sitting down in business sessions for the rest of the day wasn't ideal for my legs post run, but certainly stimulating for my brain and great for my business!

Still on the Gold Coast, I ducked out prior to breakfast for an easy 5km run the next day along the beachside track. I was enjoying the view until I saw a sign on the fence stating that a boaconstrictor (ahhhhhhh...bloody big squeeze the life out of you snake!) had been sighted in the area. From then on I stuck to the middle of the path with my eyes peeled, but at the same time half shut, in fear of sighting said snake and just ran! Needless to say I ran a little quicker than normal.

Back home now and looking forward to running with my Can Too team on Saturday.

Island Running...

As usual, it's been a busy couple of weeks for me with work, kids, training and life in general but luckily it also included a short holiday - right when the weather turned completely sour in Sydney! So when my Can Too team mates were slogging it out in the rain at Wednesday night training and running with the ducks in Centennial Park on Saturday I was doing the same distances on hilly Hamilton Island. Without a running buddy to chat to I popped some tunes on and clocked up 14km for my Saturday run which included a few killer hills - all good training I'm sure!! Whilst I wasn't saturated from the rain like my team mates, I was certainly sweating up a storm in the warmer weather and thoroughly enjoyed the buffet breakfast and a nice relaxing swim with my gorgeous family afterwards!

An unexpected training session came in the form of one of the hardest walks I've ever done, on the golf course on Dent Island, just across from Hamilton. We got up before sunrise, bundled the boys into a double pram and set of for the "Dent Dash" - a Sunday morning walk/run around the golf course before any golfers tee off. We took the back nine (approx 6km) and as a golfer, it did feel a little strange walking around this beautiful golf course without hitting a ball but we were certainly rewarded with spectacular views despite the incredibly long and steep hills. The heart rate was pumping, the boys loved it, Andrew and I were exhausted, but it was well worth the early start and the tired muscles!

I am enjoying all the training so far and am completely motivated to stick with my Can Too training program. I enjoyed my cross training session in the outdoor pool at West Pymble today - I never thought I'd be saying I swam 1500m in an outdoor pool in winter but hey, it was great!

Back on track...

After two weeks of no running, I am pleased to report that my feet are feeling good, the orthotics appear to have done the job, and I now have a few runs under my belt. Saturday's Can Too training run was awesome, firstly because I was running and secondly because we ran from Kirribilli, over the Harbour Bridge, around Barangaroo then the wharves of Walsh Bay to Circular Quay and back for a nice flat-ish 12km - I'll never get sick of running around beautiful Sydney.

Aside from that I have been following the training program during the week with cross-training and strength sessions and I enjoyed a delightful outdoor swim at the pool down the road from work on Tuesday. Am just back from Centennial Park where I ran a lap with the pram - certainly gets the heartrate pumping when I'm pushing the little dudes up a hill! They are very happy to sit and people/dog/horse/bike/car watch as long as we go to the park afterwards, it's a win win!

On the fundraising side of things, I would like to make a shout out to all of the customers of my family business - Nextra St Ives Village Newsagency - who have been dropping their small change (and sometimes notes!) in my Can Too donation box on the front counter. This is helping me reach my fundraising goal and I am grateful for every single cent. A story I'd like to share....a customer was in the other day, saw the donation box with Can Too on it and after asking one of my staff members about it, explained that she had done a program with Can Too in the past, absolutely loved it and wished me the best of luck, after which she slipped $20 in the box. That kind of generosity from someone I've never met just blows me away and is testiment to the wonderful reputation Can Too has built over many years.

Training has kicked off...

I love running, so from the start of the year it has been wonderful getting out and about reguarly pounding the pavement, watching the sunrise over the beaches and the harbour. In the last few months I have done some great training runs as I had signed up to the Sydney Morning Herald Half-Marathon as a warm-up to my marathon program. You can imagine my disappointment then when my foot/leg started hurting the week before Can Too training was due to start and two weeks prior to the Half-Marathon.

Nevertheless I turned up to the first Can Too training session last week and met my wonderfully enthusiatic and encouraging team captain Annie, coach Mark and a handful of other keen (or crazy!) runners just like myself, some of whom are also marathon first timers!

Following a good session at the track, Mark suggested I get to the physio ASAP to get my injury sorted which I did, and now for the first time in my life I have orthotics in my running shoes and have been told not to run for a couple of weeks. Apparently this is one of the many wonderful side effects of having children - your feet change - who knew!! Considering my feet are fairly important to running, the Half-Marathon is OUT and getting myself 100% again is IN. A little set back yes, but not a huge hurdle to start with as I was still able to walk most of the Saturday run plus have a few sessions in the pool as well as strength workouts to keep my fitness on track. I have had the orthotics in my shoes for less than a week and already I have noticed a massive improvement.

Fingers crossed I'll be back running in just over a week...