Mission Accomplished

WE DID IT! It was stupid hot out and it was our first time running beside traffic but we did it, and it was amazing. We crossed the finish line hand-in-hand in 1:10:34. HOURRAY!

I (Robyn) will never run again. I'm so proud of Adam and I for setting an aggressive goal and reaching it but I'm not sure running is for me, so I'm hanging up my sneakers. Adam, however, has found a new love in running, so will be running his next 10k race in October. The kids and I will be at every one of his races to cheer him on!

I'm also very proud of all of our friends and family who supported our fundraising efforts. We raised $805 for United Way of Burlington and Greater Hamilton. A community is not working at its optimum until all members feel valued, are able to live with dignity and are active contributors in the community. It is because of the generosity of these people that this can be achieved:

Wendy & Steven Lowden
Joan Chrysler
Erin Jackson
Jeremy Gowling
Jacqueline Cantar
Anthony Cascella
Meg Eliz
Ashley Babics
Joe Fazari
Brenda Berney
Bobbi Smith
Lorna Pauptit
Megan & Kevin Makins
Donnie Gallant
Cassandra Dorman
Dan & Melissa Werbowsky
Brad Germain
Kelsey Small

Thank you again for all of your donations, your support and your love. And, of course, for reading this silly blog -- you pulled us through when we weren't sure we could make it. WE LOVE YOU ALL! xoxo

Tomorrow we RUN!

We've practiced all we can. The heatwave slowed us down over the last couple weeks but we've picked back up this week and we're ready to race. Look out Downtown Dash, here come the Running Knickles!

Now that's more like it!

Our friends Brad and Jenni were here for an amazing dinner (with strawberry crepes for dessert!) and offered to stay here with the kids afterwards while we went for a run. You don't have to ask us twice, so off we went to the beach! This one was the best of all our runs so far. We ran 5k in 33m58s - yay us! We had to really push ourselves to stay at that pace so I think doing the same for 10k will be quite a challenge. There are exactly three weeks until the run -- still time to donate to United Way!

https://www.giving.runningroom.com/hm/?sub=3&charityId=181&id=UDAHMwJmVTA%3D&item=8&guest=1&lan=1

Poo.

So, today's run was pretty bad. We set out to run 5kms at a pretty good pace. The first 3kms were great but then the wheels fell off the Knickle bus. We walked the last 2kms while "discussing" the importance of team-work. ;) Our conclusion was this: while getting fit and reaching new goals are a bonus of training for this race, the main reason we're doing it is to do it together. We'll be back on track for our next run -- only 23 sleeps until race-day!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

In celebration of all the dad's everywhere, we ran 10kms today! We completed in 1hr 10mins - not too shabby! Here is how we felt about it:

ROBYN:
Holy shit, we did it. Crazy! I've come to learn that my first two kms are a breeze and that I absolutely hate kms three, four and five. After that, although it was tough, I seemed to find my zone and was able to get through the last five kms without a problem. The best part of running is making yourself push through the parts that suck -- stopping is the easy thing to do and no one ever got anywhere by taking the easy route. We would like to complete the race in an hour so the next time we go out, we're going to run 5km and increase our speed a little bit. Sounds like a good plan, we'll see how it goes on Tuesday!

ADAM:
I've just gotten over a cold, so today was much harder than usual. Today I found every single km was extra difficult. We managed to pull through. I found 7-10km the most difficult. The most important thing is that we finally did it. Now we just need to shave 10 minutes off. I think we should be able to pull it off. I've also been thinking about how on race day there might be some extra adrenaline kicking and the competitive spirit should be flowing freely. Alright, time to wind down and watch some True Blood. Take care....and thanks a lot for the support!

We have raised $650 for United Way of Burlington and Greater Hamilton so far. A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to the following super-cool dudes:
Wendy & Steven Lowden
Joan Chrysler
Erin Jackson
Jeremy Gowling
Jacqueline Cantar
Anthony Cascella
Meg Eliz
Ashley Babics
Joe Fazari
Brenda Berney
Bobbi Smith
Lorna Pauptit
Megan & Kevin Makins
Donnie Gallant
xoxoxoxo

Bad run + Good run = 2 runs

Over the past few weeks we've been running and building up our endurance, but we both felt we could be moving a little bit faster. Sunday evening was set to be our first up-tempo run. We headed out and to be honest, we just weren't feeling it. We ran 2km hard, walked 1km, then ran another 2km hard. It wasn't the speed, it was just an off day. Even though we had a walk break and only ran 4km total, it felt like a significant victory. We went hard and managed to pull out a reasonable run on a terribly off day that was filled with yawns, cramps and frowns.

Tonight on the other hand was fantastic. We set out at about 7 minutes/km and maintained our speed for 5.8km, before opting to sprint the final 200m. Even though we haven't done a full 10km run yet, we both know that our cardio is at the point where we're confident that we're completely able. Over the last week, we've set a goal of completing the run together (side by side) and under 60 minutes. Our plan for the next 4 weeks leading up to the Downtown Dash is to nudge our speed up and to build and maintain our pace.

Running with Robyn is a lot of fun. We've really discovered that we're tending to push each other. The competitive spirit is pretty strong within both of us, so us running together can be a bit of a comedy act. Who knows, at the end of this I may look like Dolph Lundgren....fingers crossed!

-Adam.

We're up to $580 raised for United Way of Burlington and Greater Hamilton! Only $420 to go so if you could find just $5 to give, it would make a huge difference to people right here in our community. Please click the link below to help:

https://www.giving.runningroom.com/hm/?sub=3&charityId=181&id=UDAHMwJmVTA%3D&item=8&guest=1&lan=1

Thanks again to all of our friendly friends who have helped us out so far:
Wendy & Steven Lowden
Joan Chrysler
Erin Jackson
Jeremy Gowling
Jacqueline Cantar
Anthony Cascella
Meg Eliz
Ashley Babics
Joe Fazari
Brenda Berney
Bobbi Smith
Lorna Pauptit
xoxoxoxoxo

Aaaaaand, we're back!

After a lot of time spent with an ice-pack on my knee, a bunch of rest and a trip to The Running Room, it turns out that all I needed was a few days off. The guy at The Running Room took a look at my shoes and said I could use a new pair but that I didn't need a new pair. His diagnoses was that my knee troubles were 20% shoes and 80% training. He thinks were doing too much too quickly and thinks its nuts that we're not taking any walking breaks. Ah well -- my knee felt better today so off we went to the beach and ran SEVEN KILOMETERS! Shit yeah!!

And...we're now at 47% of our fundraising goal!
Thanks to everyone who has donated so far:
Wendy & Steven Lowden
Joan Chrysler
Erin Jackson
Jeremy Gowling
Jacqueline Cantar
Anthony Cascella
Meg Eliz
Ashley Babics
Joe Fazari
Brenda Berney
Bobbi Smith

xoxo

Stalled at Six

For two nights now I (Robyn), have been unable to run because of the pain in my knee. I tried wrapping it before yesterday's run but didn't get too far before I had to stop. I managed to get through 1km tonight but then started to limp and would likely cause pain somewhere else because of over-compensation so I had to stop again. Boo. On the bright side though, I've looked this particular pain up online and it seems as though I have a case of Runner's Knee. Apparently, its no big deal and is likely because we've been adding a kilometre every other day. I'm icing it now, will be applying heat before bed and heading to the Running Room tomorrow to get my shoes checked out. There are more than five weeks until the race so there is still lots of time to get this taken care of and get back out there! We'll keep you updated so stay tuned for more information. xoxo

SIX!!

There was a break in today's crappy weather so we decided to take advantage of the sunshine when we could and headed to the beach! We're really hoping to return back to Gage Park but there has been so much rain lately that the path would be one giant puddle. The beach was amazing today though -- the waves crashing on the shore were beautiful to watch as we ran along side them and they provided a great soundtrack for us - they were so loud! We reached our goal of running 6kms, which feels pretty awesome.

I would like this blog to be about the United Way of Burlington and Greater Hamilton though, so you have some idea of where your money goes when you support our fundraising efforts. With only 16% fundraising costs, 84 cents of every dollar donated directly supports 137 programs and services delivered by 75 agencies in Burlington and Greater Hamilton.

In 2009:

• 1,176 children improved their academic skills and developed good work habits in homework clubs
• 871 survivors of childhood or adult sexual abuse and their families or friends received support through a 24-hour telephone support line
• 2,997 individuals and families benefited from credit counselling services
• 762 children and youth were matched with adult mentors
• 1,255 seniors received delicious meals, helping them maintain their independence at home
• 1,031 children and youth experienced the personal development, friendship and physical activity benefits of a summer day camp program
• ...and so much more.
  

United Way of Burlington and Greater Hamilton is helping make our community great for everyone. You can too by making a personal donation at the link below:

https://www.giving.runningroom.com/hm/?sub=3&charityId=181&id=UDAHMwJmVTA%3D&item=8&guest=1&lan=1

Thank you so much for all your love and support. xoxo

must....have...water...

After a four-day hiatus due to scheduling conflicts, we took our run back to the beach. It was a lovely, lovely evening -- the rain had just ended and the air down at the lakefront was nice and fresh. Since we hadn't run in a few days and the 5kms we ran last time were a real bitch, we decided to just stay at 5kms. And once again, we did it! I think we were a little slower this time, but we still ran the whole way and didn't stop once. Dare I say we are well on our way to reaching our goal of 6kms next time we're out?! Crazy.

Also, I should note that we are at $460 raised for United Way of Burlington and Greater Hamilton! Woo-hoo! We are exactly 6 weeks from the Downtown Dash and almost half-way to our fundraising goal. We need all the help we can get so please give what you can. Stay tuned to the next blog for more information on the good works United Way does right here in our community.

BIG THANKS TO ALL OUR FRIENDS WHO HAVE HELPED SO FAR:

Wendy & Steven Lowden
Joan Chrysler
Erin Jackson
Jeremy Gowling
Jacqueline Cantar
Anthony Cascella
Meg Eliz
Ashley Babics
Joe Fazari
Brenda Berney

xoxo

Half-way!

We took our run to the beach today -- parked at Adventure Village and made our way east. We had never taken the path that way before. The scenery was so lush and green, we almost forgot we were in Stinktown. Almost.

Believe it or not, we reached today's goal and actually ran 5km. 5km! It was definitely no easy task, though. I had just about enough by 3.5kms but Adam once again was my great motivator and gently pushed me to finish. I just kept thinking to myself "I've pushed out two babies, I can do this!" Although, pushing out babies is something my body was going to do whether I was ready or not -- this is altogether different, but you know what I mean.

The point is, we did it. We ran 5km and, although parts of it sucked really bad, it was all worth it for the big, sweaty hug at the end.

In other news, we are now at $305 raised for United Way of Burlington and Greater Hamilton! We have to thank the following people for their love and support:

Wendy & Steven Lowden
Joan Chrysler
Erin Jackson
Jeremy Gowling
Jacqueline Cantar
Anthony Cascella
Meg Eliz
Ashley Babics

Also, a special thanks to my mom, as we wouldn't be able to get out to run every other day without her watching our kids. THANKS MOM! xoxo

FOUR!

It was just too bloody hot today for a mid-day run and, since we didn't have the luxury of anyone to watch our kids after bedtime, we had to go it alone. I mapped a 1km route earlier today when I was out in the car -- four blocks over from our house, one block up and back. Adam and I each took turns running that route four times. That's right. I said it. FOUR TIMES! I can't believe that we're actually reaching the goals we've been setting with every run.

We both agree that running without our partner really sucks. I do have to say though, that I'm pretty impressed that we were able to complete 4kms alone. Its not something that we want to do very often but at least we know we can do it when we need to.

Peace.

What a lovely night for a run.

WE DID IT! We set out today to run 3kms straight and then walk the 4th one and we actually did it. I'm not really sure whats going on here. I mean, its really tough and the last half kilometre just sucks every time but we seem to be able to go longer with each run. It could be that we've been out three different times of day, or that we've had different things to eat, different amounts of water. Who knows? It could also just mean that our endurance is increasing as we go. Yeah!

We've been running in Gage Park. Its just up the street from where we live, which is convenient, but its also a really great place to run. The shade is just right, there is a lot of space and watching the seniors playing bocce ball is fun, too. We were given some advice on the weekend*, which was to keep it fresh and change our route. We decided to take that advice today and we went clockwise around the park instead of our usual counter-clockwise. What a difference! I think we'll stick with that direction when we go out on Thursday with a goal of 4kms.


*Becky, please thank Mark for his advice at the cottage! Let him know that we're open to any more he wants to give. :)

Day Two!

We were out for 3kms again today but this time, we ran 2kms straight and then walked the last km. This was better than what we could do just two days ago so we considered it a pretty great success. There were high-fives a-plenty as we rewarded ourselves with coffee (Adam) and a big glass of orange juice (me).

Although we've only been out twice, running as a couple has been amazing. Truth be told, I wanted to quit at 1.5kms but Adam pushed me to go just that little bit further to the 2km mark. Not only are we proving to be good motivators for each other, but its been a fun way to spend our time together. So far, anyway.

We're thinking tomorrow will be another day of rest and then back at it Tuesday, when our goal is to be out for 4kms -- 3kms of that running.

For those of you that might not already know, we have added a fundraising component to our run. We are raising money for United Way of Burlington and Greater Hamilton, and have set a family fundraising goal of $1000. You can help us to reach this goal by going here:

https://www.giving.runningroom.com/hm/?sub=3&charityId=181&id=UDAHMwJmVTA%3D&item=8&guest=1&lan=1

Our grand total so far is $245 and we have to thank the following awesome people for that:
Wendy & Steven Lowden
Jeremy Gowling
Joan Chrysler
Erin Jackson

xoxo

First run done!

We went out this morning for the first of our training runs. This is going to be harder than we thought! I think we still did well - we ran 1km, then walked 1km, then ran 1km. Not bad for our first time out. One thing is for sure, Rudie and Edie LOVED being in a fast-moving stroller!

We followed the run up with a lot of stretching -- we're expecting some sore thighs tomorrow so its going to be a day for rest and then we'll be going back out sunday for another run. Look at us go!

here we go!

There we were -- Adam wanted to get into better shape in preparation for police college and I needed a way to get my body back after having had two babies in 15 months. We were also really in need of something that we could do together - no kids, no household chores, just the two of us and one common goal.

We have registered for the Eaton Downtown Dash 10k race on July 15th, 2010. We walk as a family everyday and usually for a couple of hours at a time but neither one of us has had much experience running on a more than casual level. This will be quite the challenge for us and we'll be using you as our motivation to get 'er done. We'll be posting updates and photos along our way so stay tuned!

Training starts now.