Toronto Track and Field Meet

Okay. So...I've been totally slacking on this blog but I have a legitimate excuse!! The past month has been incredibly busy.  I was working full time and was doing a lot of family stuff.  Therefore, I haven't had the time to update the blog very often.

So you know...this is like three weeks late.

Anyone who knows me knows that track is a sport I love and am passionate about.  On July 13, 2011, I got to volunteer at the Toronto International Track and Field Meet at Varsity Stadium.  Competitors included the likes of hurdlers Perdita Felicien, Phylicia George (a Mary Ward alumni!), sprinter Walter Dix, Shot putter Dylan Armstrong and several other talented runners from the United States, Kenya, and Jamaica. 

At the meet, my duty was to hand out results to the reporters.  Being a journalism student, I made this my opportunity to be a part of the media scrum so I could see how it would be like to work at big sporting events as a journalist. I even did a little networking with a recent Rye Journalism grad!!

And boy, did I run a lot that day!!  However, I felt the meet took in too many volunteers.  So many slackers GEEZ.

Nonetheless, it was a good experience. I even got to meet last year's World No. 1 hurdler Priscilla Lopes-Schliep!! She didn't compete that day because she's pregnant. She's super nice!!

Fun fact:  I ran my first and only OFSAA at this stadium!! *bittersweet*

 

All the boys here have the same outfit!! SO CUTE!!!! :') 

Humidity Sucks.

You know what's been bothering me lately?

The weather.

The hot, humid and sticky weather in all of it's summertime glory.

I'm a fan of the summer season, but not when it becomes muggy outside. 
In fact, call me crazy but, I sometimes hate the sun when it's shining too much.  Does that even make any sense? 

Probably doesn't, but let me tell you why I hate the current weather Torontonians are currently experiencing.

The thing is, I'm a runner.  Not an amazing runner, but I enjoy running recreationally. Currently, I am trying to get my 5km time down from 22-23 minutes to 20 minutes or less.  Is that so much to ask for?

But NOOOO, it has to be disgustingly humid and hot outside.  It makes it hard for me to breathe.

The other day, it was 29 degrees (Celsius by the way because I am Canadian) outside.  My friend wanted to go for a 10 km run and I honestly think he's crazy.  There's no way running a 10km in weather like that is healthy.

 Honestly, I don't even know why I agreed to it in the first place.  I had to stop less than halfway into the run! And then, I felt extremely weak and lazy for not finishing.  I felt sluggish and slow. 

You see what this is doing to me?!  I need my daily run!!  Or else, I will never be fit again nor will I reach my goal!!!!

So weather, please go back to normal. PRETTY PLEASE??

Love,
Samantha

P.S: I don't think this post makes a lot of sense because I'm tired but wanted to update this blog.

P.P.S. I blame global warming.

A new goal for myself.

Guys, I feel fat.

People really don't lie when they say first-years gain the Freshman 15 and I have decided that I can't stand it anymore! From all the sitting, typing, annoying people for interviews, writing, and studying, I no longer have any time to do anything active anymore!!!

So I've had a realization.  I am going to go for a run every day or two days if it's possible.  When the summer starts, I will run every day. 

It's not that this is an impossible goal because I did run competitively for the last three years.   I won't say that I'm the fastest runner, but I certainly remember working my butt off two to three times a week running around in circles at different distances that had to be under a certain time.

500m breakdowns, 300mx6, 200x6, 300x150x150 x 2, 200m x 12, and so on and so on.  The track was my pretty much my third home.  

I know those just look like numbers to you, but trust me...they were quite killer.  I remember going to the track scared because I didn't know whether the workout was going to be tough or "easy".  But whatever the workout was, I did it anyways.  I got through it with the help from my teammates, coach and that stupid voice at the back of my head telling me I would regret it if I gave up.  

But with working out also came with competing and I miss the meets and the thrill of competing the most.  Yes, I never came in first on my own, but I do remember winning a a couple of medals, t-shirts and ribbons from the good races I had.  I miss the teamwork that comes with relay races and the encouragement from my teammates while I ran my leg of the 4x400m race.

Really, I should have cherished those memories more.  Because now that I'm here in university, I feel like a fat...lack of a better word...bum all the time! 

Thus, I have decided to run a road race or at least try to enter one.  By doing so, I will force myself to work out and run to gain back the body I used to have. 

P.S. It's not that I'm fat. It's just that I feel fat.

And just to amuse you all, here are some pictures of me running back in the day. 

 Running faces are never attractive FYI.

 I stole the picture, if you haven't noticed.