16 Runs with 16 Friends: March Update (Part 2 of 2)

This run took a month to plan, but we're so happy that it happened!

Run with Friend #7: Spadina / Casa Loma / Kensington Market

Date: March 26, my own "Fun Run with JP"

Temperature: -1C

Distance: 10K

As I waited inside the Tim Hortons at the Southwest corner of University Ave and Dundas St W., I saw the reflection of Jean-Paul (aka JP of #JPsTeam)'s neon vest in the bus shelter. I step out into the brisk Sunday morning feeling pumped! JP sees me and waves. When he reaches me, some of the first words out of JP's mouth were to ask if I was warm enough and I think that simply shows how JP is a very caring person. I stuttered something in response, but if he noticed my awkwardness, he certainly didn't show it.

Wait. Let's do a quick rewind. Last month, I wrote about how I met JP and why I've decided to be a part of #JPsTeam for my upcoming Ottawa Half Marathon in May. But how did I find myself running 10K with Jean-Paul Bedard on this fateful Saturday morning? Well that's simple. I asked him! And he said yes. His exact words were: "Wow! And Yes!!! Let's make this run happen. What a beautiful idea!" We started coordinating dates right away and that's how we found ourselves meeting up on a Saturday morning in downtown Toronto, outside a Tims.

I felt very comfortable running alongside JP for our 10K. There was no judgement about my slow pace or my inability to think of the "right" questions to ask. JP said that as long as we try our best to be authentic and present with others, the rest will come naturally. Funny thing is, I think that's exactly what happened during our run. I thought there would be more awkwardness from me because I still wasn't 100% sold on my own idea of asking strangers to run with me. There have definitely been moments prior to this run where I thought: "Come on Gillian! People are busy running with people they know. Why would they want to run with you?!" But JP's words eased my anxieties a bit and the pauses in our conversation were comfortable ones. I didn't force myself to ask questions, I listened to the flow of our conversation, remained present with JP and simply enjoyed the run.

JP told me about how he tries his hardest to ensure that his running and training needs don't conflict with those of his family. Running may have changed his life for the better, but he does not discount the people (especially his wife and family) who have given him unconditional support throughout his recovery. He touched on how people may regard him as being "brave" or "amazing" but he would not be able to live his lifestyle as an elite athlete and achieve his goals in running and other areas in life, without the support of his wife. Even though I haven't known JP long at all, I sincerely think he is one of the most humble people I've met.

During our run, I shared a bit about how my last year was tough for me because of a lot of self-imposed stress. Unknowingly, this stress impacted my running. Specifically, it twisted the purpose behind my running. What had started as something to help me de-stress had transformed into a stressor. JP recently wrote something for irun.ca that perfectly describes how I feel about running and why I have different running goals this year:

"...running in its purest form is nothing more than putting one foot in front of the other, and more importantly, any time I attempt to complicate that in any way, I'm setting myself up for wave after wave of negative self-talk" --JP

I could not have said that better myself. Putting one foot in front of the other makes me happy and my journey through these 16 runs keeps reminding me of this.

Before we parted, I made a comment about how I'm glad we connected even though we couldn't be more different. JP shrugs this off by saying, you mean Barrie and Toronto? JP hadn't noticed any of our differences but an hour ago, the following facts seemed to stand out to me: Born and raised Torontonian vs. from the suburbs, ultramarathon veteran vs. newbie runner, elite athlete vs. girl who hated gym as a kid, a brave advocate vs. someone trying to be more brave/find out what it means to be brave this year.

An hour later, some new facts came to light and it seems like we've got more in common than I thought:

• We are both learning to ask for what we want in life and being authentic about the possibilities that come from asking others for help/collaborate. People need people!
• We love hills (?)! We tackled the Casa Loma steps enthusiastically that morning!
• We like to dream big. My goal may be to have 16 runs with 16 friends this year, but I'm definitely aiming to run with more than 16 people. JP didn't know that starting JP's Team 2 months ago would snowball into the running community that it is turning out to be for some. And he's got big plans for the fall! 
• We both don't understand runners who run with belts loaded up with water bottles. Isn't it uncomfortable? Isn't that what the water stations at race for?
• We're both morning runners.
• We both love hugs!
• And obviously, we both Love to run. :)

I hope to raise $500 by May 29 2016 (date of Ottawa Half Marathon) for the Gatehouse, a registered non-profit in Toronto. Their mission is to provide support, resources and advocacy on behalf of those impacted by childhood sexual abuse. Please support me and JP's Team in changing the dialogue around childhood sexual abuse, while helping survivors both big and small, by donating HERE! Every little bit counts!

7 runs down and 9 more to go! Will I be able to run with more than 16 people? Stay tuned!

16 Runs with 16 Friends: March Update (Part 1 of 2)

I found myself meeting up with some familiar, fresh and even somewhat famous (?!) runners this month. I have a lot to say about these wonderful people, so I've split this month's update into 2 parts.

See the Spirit Catcher? We're in Barrie!

Run with Friend #5: Barrie Waterfront Trail

Date: March 7, my first time running with Peter in Barrie!

Temperature: 6-8C
Distance: 6.5K

It's a lazy Sunday afternoon (after running 8K on my own that morning), and I get a text from my friend Peter, asking if I was free to meet up tomorrow. Coincidentally, I was free to meet up on Monday! I immediately texted to ask if he wanted to run together. Since I've set this goal of running "16 runs with 16 friends", there's no doubt in my mind that when a running friend asks to meet up, a run should happen.

Peter and I crossed paths during post-secondary student lives, but we did not become formally introduced until I was recruiting people for the relay team for the Goodlife Toronto Marathon in early 2015. It was Stephie (aka Friend #1) who knew Peter and asked him if he wanted to join the team. I'm so glad that he said yes! Since our first encounter as strangers at a korean restaurant, we've shared quite a few nice runs alongside each other and many many laughs.

Since I started running with Peter, I've learned that we have much in common besides our love of running. Firstly, we're both not in a rush to become marathoners. Despite the "enthusiastic encouragement" from other running friends to train for a marathon, we both want to take our time with checking that off our bucket list. We both come from big families and have had some heart to heart conversations over tea, where I've really appreciated his calm presence and wise words. We're also the same age, and share similar feelings of caution, doubt and excitement while navigating the swampy waters of adulthood.

What's most awesome about Peter is that he's a big kid at heart, who gets excited about the idea of running and jumping around, just like me! During our run, we took a turn that led to us through some slush and icy areas. While my first thought was: Ugh. Now my shoes are wet. Maybe that wasn't a great idea. Peter yelled: YOLO! Hanging out with him reminds me to not only work hard but play hard. I look forward to future hangouts where we'll find ourselves yelling "Wooooooooooooooo!!" until we lose our voices. But whether we're vanilla or chocolate, I know it'll be a good time. ;)

Run with Friend #6: Queens Quay East / Sugar Beach area
Date: March 22, my friend's first time running with NRC!
Temperature: ~1C
Distance: ~4K

From left to right: NRC '"Sexy pace" pacer, me (seen as an excited heel striker),
and my friend Cynthia (loving every minute of this run!). Photo credit to NRC's photographer Tobias Wang.

Cynthia and I first met while we were both students at a summer research job. I was not yet "a runner" then, and for as long as I've known Cynthia (almost 4 years?), I didn't know whether or not she ran at all. In fact, she told me (right before this run started) she doesn't really run more than 30 minutes on the treadmill/elliptical. That is now proven false, because on the evening of Tuesday March 22, 2016, I witnessed Cynthia run an entire hour long speed workout of ~4K and even sprint way ahead of the pack on our last 400m interval. I thought: Where did all that energy and speed come from? Turns out, Cynthia is just full of pleasant surprises!

It was while catching up over tea and homemade frittatas last month that I asked Cynthia if she'd like to run together sometime as part of my goal of running 16 runs with 16 friends. To my pleasant surprise, she didn't hesitate and said sure! Now this didn't surprise me because I doubted her physical fitness, but because from my experience of asking friends of mine who didn't run regularly, their responses have not been as enthusiastic. Nevertheless, Cynthia was up for a short run around her neighbourhood and we immediately started talking dates. As fate would have it, when the weekend of our running date came around, she couldn't make it anymore and weekends dates weren't looking so good. I was afraid that our run would be postponed til next month and even risk the potential of becoming "that thing we said we'd do but never got around to", so I suggested that she come run with me during Nike Run Club (NRC)'s free speed runs on Tuesday evenings. Once again, Cynthia didn't let me down and agreed to come out to run with me! We decided to run the "sexy pace"(6:30min/km) together and see how far we go with the session.

Throughout the course of our speed run, I ran alongside Cynthia as she pushed the limits of her comfort zone. She found it hard to talk to us during the run. She repeated our workout's interval distances out loud in disbelief. She felt uncomfortable running in a cotton hoody that was wet with the evening's drizzle. She gasped in surprise when she heard our pacer countdown our remaining seconds of rest. At one point, in the last intervals, she even said her body couldn't feel anything anymore.

But not once did she stop. She did not tell me that she wanted to go back early ('cause I did say that I'd go back early with her if she wanted to). She didn't become discouraged by the spitting rain. She did not slow to a walk and wave us off. She ran every interval, giving it everything she's got. What's most admirable is that not only did she come out to do something she's never done before, she committed, and she finished strong! When I asked her where she got her the energy that turned her into a speeding bullet for our last 400m interval, she said that she wanted to finish the run sooner so she could rest for longer. Haha! And she did end up finishing the run way ahead of those in our sexy pace group! The force is strong with this one...

I'll always remember what Cynthia told me at the end of our speed run. She said she felt "the most accomplished she'd felt this year." Running made her feel accomplished! I feel so happy about our run together, not only because I got to hear her motivational words, but because I got to witness my friend being brave and trying something new! And even if running doesn't stick with her, I know she'll always be up for a casual run. In fact, she told me that she wanted to come out next week right after we finished! :D What did I tell you? This girl is full of surprises!

She really did come out the week after!
This is her "seeing the light" that running has shown her. ;) Haha!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my March update! :)

16 Runs with 16 Friends: February Update

This month's weather fluctuated a lot, and Ontario's had some sudden blasts of cold weather along with snowfall that sometimes turned into ice. Unfortunately, this meant that it was harder to get people to run with me. But I still managed to run outside a fair bit, even had a 3 day running streak at the beginning of February when it was unseasonably warm!

One of my new running experiences this month was running with Nike Run Club (NRC). I had heard about NRC's free group runs and training clinics earlier this year, and decided to try them out with a friend. Initially, I wanted to have all my "16 runs" be one on one meet ups, but I've decided to include this because it was a fun first experience for both of us and we have professional photos to prove it. I hope to be able to meet up with my friend one on one for a "Part 2" run later this year!

I've never run downtown in the evening before. Running with NRC has not only
allowed me to see more of Toronto, but in a different light! Literally. :)

My hands look funny here because I tend to ball my hands up into fists when I run,
and don't actually use the finger parts of the mitt. 

16 Runs with 16 Friends: January Update

Starting off my 16 runs with 16 friends with fellow Hot Potato and Runivore, Stephie!

Run with Friend #1: University District / Puente de Luz / Waterfront Trail (Downtown Toronto)

Date: January 1, first run of the year!

Temperature: Feels like -8C.

Distance: ~7K

Highlights from the run:

Being able to start 2016 with this girl was awesome! Our friendship has really grown since last January when we first met while recruiting for the Hot Potatoes relay team. Long story short: We connected when I Facebook messaged them about running in the Goodlife Toronto Marathon Relay together after reading Runivore's post about running their first marathon at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2014. Stephie said yes and the rest is history. I look forward to more running adventures with Stephie this year (including racing in Ottawa)!

Also, finally being able to run across the yellow bridge that I love was definitely a "cartwheel moment" for me. Too bad we didn't bring a camera! I first saw the "yellow bridge" during one of my trips on the GoTrain a couple years back and immediately fell in love with its design. The way the bright yellow stood out and how the shape acted as a stream of light in the midst of the blue and grey of the condos in the area. Soon after my first sighting, I searched it up and learned that its wonderful name, Puente de Luz, meant Bridge of Light! How appropriate!

Thoughts on 2015/16

I'm sorry for taking a photo of this page instead of buying your book Cheryl! >_<

I came across this page from Cheryl Strayed's newest book, Brave Enough, in late November 2015. A part of me wishes that this book had been published earlier in the year, because her words really resonated with me. I took a photo of this page so her words could serve as a reminder of how I want to live my life in 2016 because I did not live bravely (or as bravely as I could have) in 2015.

Feelings from a year of "Personal Worsts"

I see the giant red numbers on the clock by the finish line. 02:14:4x My heart sinks and I know I haven't made it. Sub 2 hour is out the window. But no time to start the negative self-talk now (that'll come later), I have to dig deep and finish strong!

I lengthen my stride little by little to get myself into my usual finish line sprint and take a deep breath. Nothing. No air. I exhale quickly and try again. But again there's no air and I choke a bit, panicking. What is happening? What's up lungs?! My legs keep going and my arms keep pumping. I gasp and finally get a bit of much needed air. Ok. Small breaths work, keep doing small breaths.

02:14:54! Push! You can do this! You can cross under 02:15:00!!

Dear My Saucony Hurricane 14s

Clockwise from top left: Grouse Grind (Vancouver, BC), STWM Half Marathon (Toronto, ON), R2EP 10K (Kingston, ON), Seongsang Ilchulbong (Jeju Island, South Korea), Barrie Waterfront Half Marathon (Barrie, ON), Guide running in Hong Kong, Goodlife Toronto Marathon -Hot Potatoes relay team, Sporting Life 10K (Toronto, ON).
Center: My Saucony Hurricane 14s. =)
It was hard to find photos that actually showed my shoes. XP

Dear My Saucony Hurricane 14s,

We met in late July 2013 and for nearly 2 years, you've been supporting me along every step of my journey in learning to run. (Beware, more puns comin' your way!)

I ran the Barrie Waterfront Half Marathon!

Earlier this month, I ran the Barrie Waterfront Half Marathon on Sunday June 7th. ^_^ It marked:

• My 1st race in Barrie!
• My 2nd half marathon!!
• My 3rd running race this year!!!

Finished my first half marathon of 2015!

Almost an Adult: Do what you love, not just what you're good at.

I've never thought of myself as an athlete, yet I run.

I don't always like to be the leader, but I often find myself taking the initiative to plan get-togethers.

I don't have the greatest voice that's waiting to be discovered, but I sing to my heart's content whenever possible (and appropriate...).

I may not be good at any of those things, but I've learned that I can do things simply because I enjoy it. :)

Almost An Adult: Clean up after yoself (first)!

This little thought nugget about adulthood may seem straight forward to some of you, but it's something that I still struggle with more often than it does me any good. The struggle comes from the fact that there are two parts making up this thought.

Living back home: Am I moving towards being an Adult or back to being a Kid?

What does it mean to be an "Adult"?

As I find myself trying to survive through the swamps of "post-graduate-job-hunting-while-living-back-home-with-the-family" life, the question of whether or not I'm now an "adult" comes to mind. Sure I'm an adult in legal terms. Besides that though, do I feel like one? As much as I like to think that I've become more independent since moving out for 2 years, and having traveled and lived alone in a different country, the truth is: I don't feel like a full fledged Adult yet. But don't go calling me a kid.

Run a Half-Marathon: CHECK!

Personal goal of completing a half-marathon before my Masters graduation: DONE!

I'm writing this a week after the actual race day and I'm still feeling the runner's high from finishing my first half-marathon. :) I've been looking up races, checking out prices and thinking about my 2015 running goals. This is completely different from my approach to running this past year, where races were only semi-planned/something that I stumbled upon. But before I run off on a tangent (!!), I'll do a mini recap of my feelings on this race (my first "big city" race experience).

Race day outfit!

They call me "Crazy"

The other morning, I was getting ready to lace up for a morning run when I had a short and unpleasant interaction that ended with my dad calling me "Crazy". I felt stung because beyond the disbelief and lack of understanding behind the comment, there was also a hint of ridicule in the word. It only occurred to me then, that doing what I like to do can seem "crazy" to other people.

My immediate reaction was to think of all the reasons why I like to run so next time this happened, I would have a rebuttal.That morning run was fueled by this anger/feeling of not having my passion for running understood and after some reflection, I realized that I didn't need to explain myself.

Maybe I'm "crazy" for:

• Paying money to run for 2 hours.

• Wanting more kilometers rather than more shuteye.

• Spending time to plan out my running routes.

• Looking for music at specific bpm (beats per minute) for my running playlist.

• Pushing my limits, both physically and mentally (especially the latter).

• Venturing into the unknown to find a path for myself (literally, since I run to places I've never been by car).

• Chasing the "runner's high".

• Running around town when most people are just rolling out of bed.

My mom once told me that when someone doesn't like something, they will have no problem naming a zillion reasons why. On the contrary, when you really like something, you probably don't have a zillion reasons. This may be hard to believe, but think about it: if you genuinely like something, you Won't Need a zillion reasons to justify yourself to anyone. You do it for yourself and just because. (Aren't moms just so wise?)

So go ahead, call me "Crazy". I probably am. But I don't care.

No amount of reasons will justify why I run because the reason is simple. I Love To Run.

1 Thing I Learned from My International Placement Experience

My placement has long been over but I've been away for much of the summer so I have yet to wrap up my international placement experience. While I've been away, I've been reminded of how writing is an outlet for expressing my thoughts and feelings, but motivation can be so hard to find. Now that I'm settling back into being at home, I've got no real excuses about why I'm not writing. This piece is so long over due and probably one of the hardest (and longest!) posts I've written so far because it's taken a lot of self-reflection and hard thinking. It's kind of a mix between what I wanted to write in a "Who Am I Out of Context? Part 2" post and as a summary reflection. I hope that you can understand the thoughts that I'm about to share with you. 

I consider my international placement experience a valuable mix between education/work and self-discovery. I initially started by naming this post "5 Things I Learned..." because I thought that it would be nice to be able to get a list of things down that I've learned in those 2 months. (Also because I love lists!) Between travelling alone, living in a new country and working/having an educational experience in a culturally different setting --5 things should be easy, right? I had some ideas for sure (which I've incorporated into this post), but I just couldn't get it down to 5 distinct things.

Who is Your Family? And Who Are You?

I met a local OT student who was volunteering at the Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital during my placement time there. We got to know each other throughout the span of the 2 weeks before I left and making this friend has been such a blessing. I truly feel blessed to have met her during the struggles I had with my placement experience there. Having studied abroad for several years, she understood how it felt to be away from home and trying to learn and adapt to a new cultural setting. She's been such a great listener and of course, it's great to be able to talk about our hopes and dreams as soon-to-be new grad OTs.

Since I left the placement and she has started her own placement term, it's been hard to find time to meet up so I have been joining her at her fellowship group. Since I've been to my friends' Catholic and Christian fellowships, I don't feel too strange joining in on my new friend's group. It's a nice way to spend my evenings after placement, and I've come to think that if religion is such a big part of my friends' lives, getting to know a little bit about what that entails is a way of getting to know my friends better.

The other night, the discussion consisted of a two part question: Who is your family? And who are you?

Funny, Familiar, Forgotten Feelings

Hong Kong is a long way from home. A 16 hour direct flight away and 12 hours ahead from what's familiar to me. Even so, I've been able to find some familiar and forgotten feelings despite my rough start to my Hong Kong placement experience. So no, maybe it hasn't been so "funny", but I hope someone gets the song reference.

You are Here. (Almost to the Big Buddha!)

Who am I out of context? Part 1

Inspired by 5 second rule's post "Who are you out of context?", where she asks the thoughtful question:

When you travel, do you think you become more or less who you truly are? 

Stop being the Therapy Student, and think like a Student Therapist

Wisdom from my preceptor during my midterm evaluation! (This blog post is about 3 weeks late...)

My preceptor has a way with words and this phrase is just so fitting to where I am in my professional career. The reality of being in my second last fieldwork placement and with only one school term left could not have been put in more concise terms!  But until my preceptor spoke those words, I was still very much thinking of myself as "just" a student studying occupational therapy.

Saying Less, More Often and Ask, Don't Tell

Although my placement population is considered "pediatrics" on paper, the reality is that I work with families and not just the individual child. You can teach, coach, and make all the recommendations you want with preschoolers, but chances are, the three year old has minimal understanding of what you tell them. The reality is: your recommendations aren't high on their priority list (which probably consists of: Play, play, eat, play, play, sleep). Who can blame them? So for all those who want to work with kids, keep in mind that you'll really be working with the parents and their family as much as you get to interact with the kiddies. =)

This reality hasn't deterred me from pursuing OT work with kids. It's only made me realize the skills that I need to work on in order to work more effectively with these families to really provide family-centered care.

Do I call myself a "Runner"?

Until recently, I've been hesitant to call myself a "runner". Just like I wouldn't call myself an "athlete", because I feel as though these labels require qualifications such as speed and strength. But since my first 10K, it's become apparent to me that maybe I am one of them, a "runner".