Tracey Said

Its tomorrow!

Holy crap! 14 weeks have passed by so quickly - the run is tomorrow! Am I ready? I suppose I'll find out by about 9.30 tomorrow morning..

I have to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way - the list is long, but it's because of all of you that I haven't quit. From family, friends, colleagues, my fellow Cantoo-ers, our coach, mentor and even health care professionals - thank you!!

I'm feeling ok about tomorrow - confident that I can make the distance, but not so confident that I will achieve the time I'd like.  That doesnt matter so much anymore, I'll be very happy to cross the finish line still standing.

The last few weeks of training have been tough - I started a new job and have felt challenged to focus on both this and that.  What I've found though is that running is great to clear your mind - I have never thought about a work issue while struggling through 16kms!! My knee has been intermittently good and bad - hopefully the strapping will get me through the 21kms tomorrow, along with some Voltaren maybe!

I have been especially inspired by a couple of speakers we've had at our track sessions lately - one man a cancer survivor who still runs and supports Cantoo, and the other a researcher whose salary is funded by CanToo. It did make me realise that there really is a point to all of this. Along with that, I know my fellow Cantoo-ers have all got personal stories about why they are running - we had a minute of silence to reflect at our last session and I'm touched by all of them as well as the stories that have been shared with me through this journey.

I'm excited for the finish tomorrow!! Champagne for sure - haven't touched a drop for a week in preparation.....might have a headache Mobday ????

16kms!

what a week! Despite last weeks setback with the knee, I actually managed the 16kms this week. Thanks to some treatment, a lot of taping and some new shoes, the 16kms was  actually ok.  I wont be setting any speed records that's for sure, but the fact I was able to run for more than an hour and a half was pretty satisfying. 

It was straight from the run to kids sports, and then to get ready for a work function (dancing in heels..) so I'm pleased to be able to rest and ice the knees today!

its up to our maximum distance for the next 2 weeks - 18kms.....I'm already nervous thinking about it, but I am absolutely focussing on the reason for doing this in the first place. I've had quite a few people tell me their stories about how cancer has impacted them and their families personally, and I'm touched by the support I've gotten from them.  I'll be thinking of all those who aren't able to get out there and enjoy participating in such a great event because of this terrible disease.

The fundraising is going well - almost there. If you haven't already donated, please contribute what you can, or come along this Thursday (20th Aug) for our movie night at Cronulla.  Hope to see lots of people there ????

A sore knee :-(

Yesterday was challenging! After dropping back to 8kms, it was back up to 14kms this week - a run along Lady Carrington Drive in the National Park. A chilly 5 degree start to the morning, but clear and dry.

The first 7 kms were uneventful - stopped at the turnaround point to have my gel and a quick drink and headed back for the run home. Unfortunately I had some nasty knee pain at about the 8km mark and despite stopping, walking and resting for the next kilometre, it was clear that I was not running anymore that morning. The worst part about that was the lonely 6km walk back - very slow, and cold when you aren't running!

Thanks to the rest of the crew for coming back and looking for me and being concerned enough to put the ranger on notice before I limped back to the start. 

So the challenge of dealing with an injury begins...I'm hoping recovery will be quick and I don't miss much training - it's now that the long distances kick in and I'm keen to make sure I get a few long runs under my belt. It's about 5 weeks to go - wish me luck!!

Two Thirds of the way there!

very glad to have yesterday's run done! It was a sensational Sydney winters morning in Cronulla yesterday so perfect conditions to push out to 14kms. The plan was to go out easy and try and come back a little faster but I don't think I'm good at sticking to a plan - I just run! By 10kms, I was pretty over it - Bate Bay has never looked so pretty as it did when I came up the hill and spotted the ocean around an hour and a half after we started. Even though the run was flat, I was definitely fatigued by the end, and pretty stiff straight afterwards. I think I earned my breakfast!

Next week we drop back to 8kms - a recovery week yay!!

i had a goal when I first started that I'd really like to finish the half marathon in less than 2 hours, but I'm going to be very happy just to have it finished, however long it takes me! 

Thanks to everyone who has sponsored me so far - I won't let you down!

14kms tomorrow!

It's been a busy few weeks.  

We've made it to double digits now with a 10km run 2 weeks ago on a nice sunny Saturday morning at Cronulla.  That was my first 10kms for quite some time, and just to make sure I could do it, we backed up again the next day with the family to do it all again at the Sydney Harbour 10km run.  20kms in 2 days felt OK, but doing it all at once and then some.....we'll see!

IN between training, I've had lots of other "stuff" going on - kids, work, weekends away (Melbourne and the Snow - very lucky!) but that can have an impact on training.  As I said in the beginning, there are definitely times when it would be easier not to have to turn up and run, but I keep reminding myself that cancer patients don't have that luxury with Chemo!

Track work has continued on Wednesday nights - I find Wednesday training the toughest - all that fast and slow around and around....and around!  I know it's good for my training and fitness though, so I will perservere.

Anyway - pasta for dinner tonight and a good night's sleep - all the really long runs start from now, so no more Friday night drinks for a while!  I'll update again to let you all know how I went....

Tracey xx

week 2!

I survived week 2, which means 12 weeks left to get ready to run 21kms. This week we trained at the track again on Wednesday and 6kms along the Esplanade at Cronulla this morning. It was a bit chilly at around 5 degrees when we started but we quickly warmed up to a beautiful sunrise, so the cold was quickly forgotten! 

I'm really impressed by the professionalism of the programme and we have a great coach in Amanda, and a very enthusiastic and supportive team leader in Alana. The rest of the group are also a great bunch to be training with - very supportive and encouraging. This morning we had a few fellow runners along the Esplanade call out "Go Cantoo!"  which made me smile.

Thanks to our early supporters - your donations are greatly appreciated! If you haven't donated, don't worry, there's plenty of time left, but please don't forget altogether.  I'm hoping to start arranging our first fundraising event in the next week or so, so look out for that!

im away this week in Melbourne, and will miss a couple of other Saturday mornings coming up, but don't worry - I'll still be running to make sure I keep up with everyone else!

Have a great week!

I'm training with Can Too for Blackmores Sydney Running Festival Half Marathon!

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!’