Complete Bluenose Half Marathon – Check!

So, I have officially completed my first Half Marathon! I'm extremely proud that I can finally say that :)

{Me the night before trying on my Bluenose running shirt! The years slogan was "Run Like Your'e 10 Years Old" since they were celebrating 10 years running}

What an amazing experience – the crowds of people, the huge number of volunteers, the people all along the way cheering us all on and my family and friends all made yesterday so incredible. I honestly couldn't have done it without all of your support and am extremely grateful! Interested in a recap of the run yesterday? Here it is :) (Sorry for the lack of pictures, I haven't got pics yet from my family and I didn't have my phone with me but I will add some in later on).

So I got up around 7am and having laid out everything the night before I was well prepared and able to head out at 8:15am to the START line. I was so glad to see that the weather wasn't as bad as I imagined (I was prepared to step outside into freezing weather), but it was actually great running weather – cool but still sunny. Matt and I met up with my Mom, Dad, Katie and Alex and were able to watch the end of the 5k as they ran along the citadel as I was waiting in the start line. Goodlife fitness did a little warm up before we went which was great cause I was so nervous I almost forgot!

{Just before moving to the START line}

The thousands of people were a little intimidating and, as this was my first ever race, it was a bit overwhelming. But once the countdown began and the gun went off it was a lot of fun. I started off with a bunch of people around my goal pace (I started out near the 2h:20m pace bunny) and when we made our way around by Citadel High there was the first water station. It was really neat to see all these people waiting with water and gatorade to hand right to us as we ran by. I thought about stopping at the portapotties there since I had drank a lot of water before the race to stay hydrated but thought it would be better to wait until the next one. Well, I guess that was everyone's idea because at the next water station there was only two portapotties and about 10 of us lined up. I knew it was either wait now or risk feeling uncomfortable and not knowing where the next stop would be. So, I was sad to give up about 5 mins waiting in line but it was definitely worth it. Note for next time though to go RIGHT BEFORE the race starts. (I have a lot of these notes to self for next time lol). After that I was good to go and the next 6 or 7 kilometres were awesome. Around kilometre 10 or 11 things got a bit hard. There were a surprising number of hills in this course (another note to self, run at least part of course before hand to see what it's like) so my legs definitely got a work out.

Kilometers 13 through 18 were through Point Pleasant Park and I have to say those were the hardest. There were a lot of hills and I find the gravel tougher to run on. I could really feel myself slow down at this point too. I still ran most of it but took a lot more very short walking breaks. And as I don't have too much practice running past 14 or 15k my legs were starting to get pretty sore (Note: do more 15k+ long runs before hand). The funny part was it hurt more to walk than to run so I think that was what kept me going for the last couple of kilometres. The last stretch was downhill on Cogswell street to Brunswick which was great and as soon as I could see the finish line I pushed it to the end. I finished very close to my goal time (2 and a half hours) with a finish time of 2h:34m:32s. Since my original goal was basically just to finish, I am pretty happy with this time. The winner only beat me by, oh and hour and a half lol But I know each time I do a run, I can shave off more and more time and yesterdays time was a great start for my very first race.

It was so cool to see all of the people waiting at the finish line to cheer people as they passed the end and I felt such a sense of accomplishment when I was finished. After you were done, volunteers gave everyone a Bluenose 10th Anniversary Medal which was a nice bonus :)

One of the things I loved the most was the whole spirit of the event. All the way through the course people were cheering me on whether I knew them or not and, because many of us had our names on our bibs, I heard many people shout "Go, Shannon, Go!" which was so motivating to hear. It was nice when I did take a walk break people would yell out "keep going!" which helped a lot with keeping the breaks short if I was having a hard time. I must say I ran the majority of the race and kept my walking breaks to max 1 or 2 minutes which I am super proud to say :D

The major downside is the soreness that is running through my whole body lol Right after the race, it was as if I had aged 50 years. I could barely walk and my entire body was stiff. It was like that for the rest of the day with the worst being after sitting down for a while or when I woke up after my much need afternoon nap yesterday. Although I am still a bit sore today, it's actually a lot better than yesterday. I used my foam roller on my legs which seemed to help a lot.

All in all, I had such a great time yesterday and running the half marathon was a fun and rewarding experience. I had trained enough that although it wasn't easy, I didn't feel like dying by the end! :) I can't wait to run another race and hope to find another Half Marathon to run again soon (and by soon, I mean maybe after a couple more months of training so I can get a a better time and have lots of time to recover from this one). 

Thanks again to everyone that supported me through out my journey training for the run and to everyone that sponsored me to help raise money for HSHC. I'm not sure of the exact total but the ten of us that participated in the Bluenose Marathon for HSHC collectively raised over $3,500 to build the new exam room at the clinic! :D

To all my family and friends – thanks for coming on this journey with me. Keep checking the blog as I plan to still make updates as I continue to run and train for whatever is to come next!

Love,

Shannon

And her face was as red as an apple

Update from last night: went to the new Moksha studio that opened in Bedford to try hot yoga for the first time. I must say, I really did enjoy it. It was definitely a new atmosphere for me having to "practice silence" in the class room and "leave all my worries at the door", but it was very refreshing. I'm often constantly worrying about this and that so it was nice to focus on relaxing and strengthening my muscles. Concentrating specifically on my breathing will be especially useful for my running as I think breathing too shallow is what is causing me to often get the dreaded runner's stitch. The dripping sweat was a tad distracting as I had to stop multiple times to give my face a wipe and take a swig of water but the temperature difference did help you feel AMAZING when it was over and you stepped into the cool outside air. Ultimately, I think it's something I could definitely get used to and I may take it up as a cross training exercise to help strengthen my core and learn deep breathing. I didn't bring my phone so I wouldn't have any valuables to leave unattended so, to much disappointment I'm sure, there are no pics of me after the class was over looking like I stepped out of hell :) Don't get me wrong, an enjoyable hell!


I reluctantly will admit, I didn't get my run in today :( The weather is still disgraceful, my muscle are quite sore from last night's yoga, and today is going to be hectic as right after work I'll be meeting up with my parents and sister to see Jurassic Park 3D (can't wait, it's my Dad's fav movie and something my sister and I grew up watching repeatedly!) followed by a friends house party and seeing the Town Heroes play at Michael's. I know, I know, I'm full of excuses lately. I'll get back in the groove, feels like it was a weird week or something. Anyways, I had a nice wheat-free lunch of some Campbell's chicken and rice soup and some Pop Chips. Love the crunchiness and light flavour of the chips which don't feel as heavy as regular potato chips. Low in calories too which is always a plus!



I also forgot I took a couple of pics of my friend Adelle's cute-as-buttons (does that work plural? lol) cats, Loki and Luna. Their colouring is so unique and reminds me of a jungle cat! They are also super friendly and all around fun to cuddle :)

{Loki}

{Luna}

Enjoy your weekend, I know I will! (Even though I will probably be working at the lab both Sat and Sun, but oh well!)

S

Just the basics

 I decided today would be a good day to do a makeup post! I am not a makeup-applying master or cosmetic genius by any means, but, like most girls, I do LOVE doing my makeup and getting dolled up. Hey, it's makes you look pretty and it's fun to put on! :P So I thought I would share some of my fav products that I swear by :) I'd be interested in knowing what other people's essential makeup products are too (although I doubt enough people read my blog to make a post but I thought I'd just throw that out there).

I have to say Tarte, Benefit and Smashbox are my fav cosmetic brands by far. Tarte and Benefit products are reasonably priced (for good quality makeup) and have lots of fun and trendy products. Tarte cosmetics are also advertised as eco-friendly; formulated without many of the add-ins and preservatives found in lower-grade makeup such as synthetic fragrances and gluten (the dreaded gluten!). Benefit has a very retro-like advertising campaign with unique and sometimes humorous packaging and I have yet to find a product by them I haven't liked. Smashbox is a little higher up on the "will lighten your pockets scale" but the spending is worth it with a vast spread of salon-quality products that you will fall in love with. I used my points at Sephora to try one of their sample packs which includes their mascara, primer, bronzer and BB cream and was hooked :) I now have a full size bottle of their Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream and, while it's pretty expensive, you only need a small amount of provide full coverage. It blends right into your skin tone and is so light you don't feel like you're wearing makeup!

As for Benefit, there are a couple of their products I used regularly – the Hoola Bronzing Powder and the Erase Paste. The bronzing powder has a nice matte finish and is the right shade to do contouring when you want your face to look more defined. It adds a nice hint of sun that I love to wear over tinted moisturizer in the summer to give myself some colour. The Erase Paste is probably my favourite makeup product I've ever owned – no joke. It's a concealer and highlighter in one so you can use it to cover dark circles as well as illuminate under your eyes, cheeks, chin, wherever! It looks like a very small container (almost sample-sized even!) but you hardly need to use any to cover all the areas you want. Mine has lasted me quite a while and I use it almost every day!



My favourite mascara and lip products are both from Tarte. I recently tried their Lights Camera Lashes Mascara and am thoroughly impressed. Having blonde/short eye lashes has made it difficult to properly disguise them and make them look dark, long and voluminous. I used to swear by LashBlast mascara by Covergirl but I found I had to replace it constantly as it would very quickly dry out. This Tarte mascara thickens and lengthens without clumps and doesn't dry out. Sounds pretty perfect, huh? Another great product is their LipSurgence Lip Tint. I personally prefer the matte colours over the shimmer since you can always add a gloss on top for days you want it to stand out a little more. They have a great selection of colours ("lucky" is my personal preference, a nice light pink that if you layer on thick can almost have a 90s neon vibe to it) and a nice minty taste.

{The mascara tube is pretty neat too, it's covered in a shiny leather-like material that's pretty comfortable when applying}

 Lastly are the eyeshadows. For day-to-day, I use the Naked palette by Urban Decay. It has all the basic eyeshadows you need to create looks ranging from neutral to glamorous all in one palette with each shadow going on smooth and evenly. It also comes with a eyeshadow brush and a sample of their Eyeshadow Primer Potion which is great for making your look last.

Now, before Sephora opened in the mall I was a devout MAC shopper. Although I have now gone over to the dark side (how can you resist the endless array of pretty products at Sephora) I still love MAC's individual eyeshadows. The one I use on a daily basis is called Shroom and is a great base colour when doing a smokey eye or good all on its own!

{Not too glittery but has  more shimmer than a matte so is perfect for daily wear or to accent a going-out look :)}

So there are all the products I absolutely love! I hope this is useful for some people, I'm always curious what products other people love – I am addicted to expanding my makeup collection!

Tonight I'm trying hot yoga for the first time at a new Moksha yoga studio that just opened in Beford with my friend Ali. Although I don't find sweating my guts out an enjoyable experience, I think it will be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to it! I'll post an update afterwards and let you know how it went :)

S

Update:

I also thought it would be fun to share some beauty blogs that I follow! The two main ones that I check religiously are The Beauty Department and MaskCara. TBD is run by a trio including a makeup artist, hair and nails expert, as well as Lauren Conrad (from Laguna Beach and The Hills fame, love her :)) who post regularly with makeup, hair and nail tutorials. Their pictures/explainations are easy to follow making it no problem for the non-professionals to replicate their looks. Cara (get it, MaskCara? lol) is a makeup artist who posts really cool makeup tutorials included super detailed videos where she walks you through her makeup regime. She also has the most GORGEOUS hair of which I am super jealous.

Enjoy!

Wing night? I'll take some nachos...

My blisters were finally healed enough that I was able to get a run in today! I was planning on doing a long run outside (to make up for last weekend) but it was so rainy and cold and foggy I opted for a medium run at the gym. So far, moving my runs outside has been a slow process – thanks Halifax :( After work I ran 9.5k/1:06:47 mins. It wasn't completely without pain as every once and a while my sock would rub my blister the wrong way, resulting in me making whacky facial expressions. If anyone was watched they would probably have thought I was crazy. Oh well, I feel good getting back in the groove. It's funny, if I even go two days without running I feel like such a slacker. As I should I guess if I am training for a half marathon! I still have just over 20 days left during which I plan on getting at least two more long runs. I'm getting excited!

Met up with friends at the Pogue for wings tonight. Unfortunately I can't enjoy wings any more (most of them are breaded) but I got their nachos which were REALLY good, and wheat-free :) I fully stuffed myself tonight though so I'm glad I did get that run in today!

Unfortunately I've been slacking on taking pictures for the blog (nobody likes a blog with no pictures!) so I really don't have any new ones to post :S I need to get better it but I'm not used to documenting my life this much.

G'nIght!

S

{Some food for thought ;)}

THANK YOU!

I wanted to use today's post to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has made a donation to sponsor my run! I've already reached my goal of $200 and there's still just about a month left before the race! Thank you so much for your support and know your donations are going to a great cause. The Halifax Sexual Health Centre (HSHC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free sexual health services to the community. Local doctors donate their time to provide pap and STI tests, prescriptions for birth control, counciling services, as well as anonymous HIV testing. All you need to make an appointment is a valid canadian health card which is helpful for those who are working or studying in Halifax and don't have access to their family doctor. I started volunteering at the clinic last summer and got to work with the amazing doctors, nurses, support staff and volunteers that help the centre run. During the school year, I've been involved in the Youth Committee for HSHC, helping to put together events for fundraising. We had our second annual Sexy Party at Pacifico that was a HUGE success, raising HSHC almost $7,000 with about 700 guests! Make sure to watch out for our third annual Sexy Party next February, it will be a night full music, games, dancing and all around sexiness!

I am very excited to be running the half marathon on May 19th on behalf of HSHC and am proud to be involved with such a commendable organization. If anyone would like to make a donation and help me surpass my goal, you can follow the link here! The money raised through the Bluenose Marathon is going towards converting an old office at the HSHC clinic to a third examination room, allowing the clinic to increase the number of clients seen by 30% and reduce wait lists for critical services!

Thanks again for your support :)

S

Work it out

Another delayed post, my bad! It's beginning to be a hectic time of year. I don't know how I did it for so long with a full course load as I'm only taking one class right now and I'm stressing out! I guess I have more things going on than usual: working full-time, starting another online class (that I have to finish ASAP), training/running, and fitting in time with friends. Oh and blogging too of course! There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day!

I'm still somehow managing to get everything done (often by dragging myself around lately). I got in a short (but good) run yesterday. I thought I would see how fast I could run 5k and I managed to do it in 32:09 mins! No record by any means (10:22 pace) but faster than I thought it would be. I'm thinking I will throw in the occasional faster-paced 5k along with my medium and longer runs so I can work on cutting down the time and getting faster. Although I try and run as many hills as possible during my long runs so I get used to them, I think I will need to do a couple of hill training sessions too. Both of these things, plus my long runs for distance, will help me finish the race in May just a little bit faster than I would without them. I know that it's my first race and I'm pretty much just going to focus on finishing, but it would be nice if I didn't take like 4 hours to cross the finish line :P

One of my BFFs just got back from a trip down south so a bunch of us got together for wings at the Alehouse last night (I got nachos haha). It was great seeing them all, I didn't realize how much I missed them! My sister came too which was great as she is practically a hermit during school since she's so busy. She's done for the next couple of weeks (until her summer semester starts – ew!) so I'm going to try and see her as much as possible :)

{My sister's delicious looking wings}

I saw this on #howdoiputthisgently I thought it was pretty funny. I literally laugh out loud when I see the gifs on sites like this, in public, all the time. I laugh almost as much as when I watch AFV. Almost.

WHEN I START RUNNING AGAIN

 

I'm heading to the gym for another run after work tonight so I will try and load another post afterwards.

S

Update:

Great run at the gym today. Did 4.73 miles/52:36 mins. A bit slower than my usual pace, got a little tired at the end. Saw this ad though and it made me pretty happy!

{LOVE Awkward, so excited!}