Kathy Morris

We did it!

Hello to my wonderful supporters!  Well, the day has come and gone.  I can't belive that 12 weeks has passed us by and I have met, laughed and sweated with so many wonderful people.  Thank you for your moral support, your kind words and your generous donation to help raise money for a truy worthy cause - funding cancer research.  Since it's inception, CanToo has raise over $15,000,000 and our North Pod contributed over $40,000 to this total - that's your contribution!

But a little bit about my run - there was heaps of people, the start gun went off at 6.45am and I didn't reach the start line until 7am!  The sea of orange of Cantoo started off as a united front but some forged ahead, obviously channeling gazelles and antelopes.  I ran a good race, I ran a little ahead of my anticpated time, running a pace of 5.49.  This running has motivated me to do more - next year it will be THE half marathon.

Stay with me on this journey, it doesn't end here because if I can, you CANTOO!

Last Saturday run before the big day!

Hellooo!  Well I am in the home straight, only 7 more sleeps to the big event - the SMH Half Marathon - where I will be completing the first 7km as part of a relay.  Training has been excellent, nothing major to trip me up and a fabulous run yesterday morning.

We met at the Archibald Fountain in Hyde Park - and when I say we, all the Sydney Pods - Wollongong, East, Inner West, Northern Beaches, us (North Pod) - there was a sea of CANTOO orange - a smell of Fisiocrem - and some excited, nervous, happy people who shared such comraderie towards a common goal of running and raising funds for cancer research.

Our run was around Lady Macquarie"s Chair, very scenic, a gentle run but one where we had to get used to loads of people running us - just like it will be next Sunday.  I am now running a consistant 6min pace and will be hopeful that that will be the case on Sunday.

Wish me luck, cheer me on from the sidelines but always remember that your support has gone towards an amazing charity funding cancer research.

2 weeks out from the main event...

It seems that everyone is talking about the big event of Mayweather & Pacquiao but really the action is here at Cantoo! I am 2 weeks out from the main event - training is going really well - injuries are being kept to the minimum and I am slowly figuring out the pacing thing.  Actually, I have to say I can hardly contain my excitement as I have already decided on my next couple of adventures with Cantoo and what I am going to particpate in in the 'off season'.  Why don't you join me?  I didn't think I could do it, but if I can, you CANTOO!

Wow - what a run! Lindfield Rotary Fun Run

Hello friends!

What a day...Peter and I completed the Lindfield Rotary Fun Run, affectionately called Lindhills. Not only did we finish, but we did it in 30 mins - a pace of 6 mins/km.  How good is that??

The day was perfect - no rain, crisp temperature.  Lindfield put on its prettiest face, the crowds were out and in fine cheering form and the tar was gleaming in the sunshine.  All was good in terms of running for the first 800m - it was downhill but then I think we took a wrong turn as the road went up!  All the organisers assured me that it was the correct route but it seemed too hilly!  It was a hilly course - painfull even but thanks to 2 fabulous people - Coach Bel Fong and my wonderful husband Peter, the hills past us by and the end was in sight.

I never thought I could do it, but I did - and guess what - you CANTOO!

Lindfield Rotary Fun Run - here I come!

G'day readers

I haven’t written to you for a month – and wow, what a month it has been!

I hurt my back :-( doing chores so I have decided no more chores for me, I can’t endanger my running career now can I?  It is better :-) and - I did another time trial and happy to say I smashed it - YAY – 11% increase in performance.  But now, I am sitting here, on a Saturday afternoon, contemplating my tomorrow.

I am participating in the Lindfield Rotary Fun Run, completing the 5km circuit.  Coach Bel has prepared us well, and I have taken the extra precaution of doing a reconnaissance of the course.  Peter and I ran the course on Monday evening - glad we did it in the dark so we couldn't see the hills looming ahead!

Training has been hard…our track sessions have seen us working on pacing and increasing our speed.  We have been doing only 3 – 3.5km in a track session but seriously stressing our anaerobic energy system.  Coach Peter has been working with me on my running technique – lean from the ankles, pump those arms, elbows back are words that I hear as I fall asleep.

I am in the home stretch now both in my running goal and fundraising goal – please throw some money at my fundraising page, help me get my $1000, and I will continue to work hard on the track and pounding those pavements, doing CanToo proud!

Channeling the Gazelle

It's 5.45 on a Saturday morning and I am heading down to Kirribilli for our Saturday long run session.

Wait, did I just say 5.45? that's like QUARTER TO 6 IN THE MORNING!  Who gets up at that hour on  Saturday?  Well, it seems like it is me and any builder's working on job sites.

Never mind, I had another epiphany - the road is wet, I have never run in the rain, and what about my NEW shoes? They are white, what are they going to look like after a session in the wet??

On the train, ready to tuck into my chia seed pudding breakfast and hoping for those (sun) rays to shine down on me when I get to Kirribilli.

If you think I am game, sponsor me. I am planning to run about 4-5 kms this morning, so give me $10-$20 for every km, I will let you know how many kms I do. You can always join me on strava?

They put a stopwatch on us!

Dear Friends

Wednesday nights' training was a time trial.  The stopwatch was ready, the path was laid out and it was one step at a time.  Run hard but not so hard so you couldn't finish fast, negative splits is what they said.

LOL, this was only a 2km time trial!

I was actually nervous.  I wanted to do a particular time, but never having run like this, I had no idea what was it going to be like.  Thankfully it went something like this:

My Garmin was primed, I had a magic number in my head to be able to keep an even pace, and knew I had to run 5 times around a 400m track.  We were on the start line... ready set go! and we were off! 

They very nicely allowed us the 2 inside lanes.  The grass was soft underneath, a nice spring in our step, we were to call track as we wanted to pass somebody, pass on the inside.  I paced myself on another participant (thanks Alix) and looking at my Garmin, I noticed my heart rate was climbing but my breathing, though hard was steady.  Peter was in my head telling me to pump my arms - it supposedly keeps your legs turning over.  I was running by myself, focusing on my gait, breathing, an even pace and suddenly I was given my one kilometre time. Faster than what I was aiming for - how did that happen?

Only another 2 & 1/2 laps to go, keep the pace steady, keep the legs turning over.  Coach Bel came for a run with me, encouraged me along, commented on my "good arm movement' (thanks Peter!) but I noticed that my pace had started to slow.  This shouldn't be happening - negative splits, negative splits Coach Simone had said - finish fast!.  With 200m to go, I channelled Usain Bolt (I know that he can run that distance), I said goodbye to Alix and picked up the pace to bring in my second lap time just under my first.

And then it was over, all this anticipation and it was over so quickly?  My heart was still in my chest (as opposed to be in my throat as it has known to be), my legs were pumped but not completely jelly and my heart rate was dropping at a goodly pace.

It can be done - I was proof that you CAN TOO!

I ran over the Sydney Harbour Bridge!

It is Saturday morning, I am on the 6am train to Milsons Point ready for my first Kirribilli training session - we are going to run over the Sydney Harbour Bridge!

The 6am train trip, the run, the unknown, the remembering of the achey legs from Wednesday nights session, could I do it all again and then some?

We started with warm up, I handled that well, no-one got hurt, and at the end of the warm-up, my Garmin said that I have already travelled 500m so that was a good start. Then the plan was a power walk up the hill to the bottom of the stairs that lead onto the bridge and we were off, run for 12 minutes, turn around and make our way back. 

Have you ever walked the Harbour Bridge?  Did you know that there is a HILL in it?  Well I noticed it immediately and all I could focus on was getting over it.  View?  Did someone say something about a view from the bridge?  Overlooking the Circular Quay, Opera House, North Head?  Rising morning sun?  No way, no time for dilly dallying, I was on a mission, one foot in front of the other, keep the breathing going and don't fall over!

I made it to the other side, AWESOME! but then I had to 'run' back over the HILL again!  At this point all I could think of was focus on the crest!

I did it!  I finished the run - it was the longest run I have done - 3.5km and wow, was I excited!

Great stretch session run (haha) by Coach Belinda, overlooking the beautiful harbour - now was the time that I could enjoy the view, let my aching muscles relax and my mind wander to images of me bounding across the plains.

I want my goal of running as part of this relay in the SMH half marathon to be achievable, it will be but I need your help.  Support me with encouraging words, buying my cakes, and whatever else I am going to do to fundraise for Cantoo, because I really believe if I can, you CAN TOO!

I am going to leave you with a saying that a close colleague of mine said to me recently (he didn't know that I was particiapting in a CAN TOO run)

a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.

I'm training with Can Too for the Sydney Morning Herald 7km Half Marathon Relay!

I am training for an event with Can Too, a health promotion organisation that engages and inspires individuals and the community to achieve personal health, wellbeing and altruistic goals. 
 
Beginners and experienced athletes alike are given professional coaching as part of a team to run or swim in endurance events- including 10km, half-marathon and marathon runs; as well as ocean swims and triathlons.
 
In return, I am raising valuable funds that go towards innovation in the prevention, care and control of cancer. In 2014, our Can Too community has supported 19 early career researchers through Cure Cancer Australia.

Thank you for supporting me!
 
‘It’s so much fun and I can’t believe I’m going to achieve this goal that I never thought possible. A great program and team support is making it possible. You Can Too!’