Racing for those sweet little smiles

Why is it every time I sign up for a race, even one on impulse, do I always seem to feel the sometimes new, sometimes familiar pangs of pain? Today’s posting was supposed to be an excited, happy, endorphin-filled entry, but alas, it seems some sprigs of worry may be seeping their way in. Bah!

At about 2 this afternoon, I was checking out the Twitter tweets of the day, and spotted one from Impact Magazine about the 10 km West Vancouver Rotary Seawalk Run for this Sunday. So I clicked on it, just to check it out, and something in me, I don’t know what it was, told me to register. It’s not a big race, in fact, I think there’s only like 137 registered runners so far. And it’s early, good golly is it ever early, starting at 7:30, which means I’ll probably have to be getting up at like 4:30 or 5 – Gack! And, Mario and I are going to a *wine festival* in Abbotsford the night before which probably isn’t the best kind of night-before hydration to choose from, hey!

But, it just so happens that I was planning on doing a 10 km run on Sunday anyway, and I figured that this would be a nice, little boot out the door. And the route is a beautiful, scenic route along the West Vancouver waterfront, and away from the New West hills. But the thing that really clinched it for me, is when I realized that this run is a charity run for Canuck Place, a hospice for terminally ill kids that is supported by the Vancouver Canucks – my favourite hockey team.

Since 1995, Canuck Place has been providing world-class healthcare for children and teens with life-threatening illnesses in a home-like environment. It was the first of its kind in North America when it opened, and is now recognized globally as a leader in pediatric palliative care.

Approximately 27 per cent of the funding for the centre comes from the B.C. government, 20 per cent from the Vancouver Canucks, and the remaining 53 per cent through fundraising activities like the West Vancouver Rotary Seawalk Run.

I’m thinking it’s a pretty darn worthy cause – seriously, those kids just melt your heart.

The video’s a little outdated, but it tells the story of Canuck Place just the same.

Now, I haven’t been doing much running in the last little while (my last run was on Monday) so I figured I needed to get a couple of runs in before Sunday just so that my legs aren’t feeling all lead-like for the race. But as soon as I started running on the treadmill, the arch of my right foot felt like it was being abnormally stretched; not really the most comfortable feeling in the world. But it wasn’t a new feeling. I first started feeling it when we were walking all over Brooklyn last week, but I didn’t really think too much of it, I just thought my foot either needed a really good stretch or a manly massage. And when I ran on Monday, I didn’t feel it on my run, I did feel it afterwards, but not on the run, so again, I didn’t think much of it. But tonight, I was really feeling it for probably the first 10 or so minutes of the run. What the heck? It’s like as soon as I register for a race, something in my body rebels and tries to beat me down – but hear me now, body, you will not get to me this time, I refuse to let you!

I’ve had the plantar fasciitis before and I don’t think that’s what this is, because when I had the plantar fasciitis, it was like my feet were being ripped apart with every step I took. This, it’s just a niggling irritation is all. So I’m staying positive … trying to at least.

And besides, what’s a little foot irritation when you look at what these kids have to go through at such a young age! On Sunday, I’m running not for me, but for those amazing, heart-melting, brave, little kids! There’s still time to sign up for anyone who’s interested 😀

* While searching through the Canuck Place website, I just discovered that the wine festival I’m going to on Saturday night is also a Rotary fundraiser for Canuck Place … kismet!

TODAY’S EXERCISE:

• 6:30 p.m. BG before: 6.0 (2 Stone Wheat Thins with pumpkin seed butter, no bolus)
• Distance: 3.4 km treadmill running plus five minute walking warm up and three minute  walking cool down
• Time: 25 minutes
• Pace: 7 minutes per km (if I figured out the math right)
• 10 minutes stretching
• 7:30 BG after: 3.3