2 shall become 1

In 2 short sleeps I will be boarding a plane to a luxurious locale to partake in one of my oldest and dearest friends weddings in the Bahamas. Easter 2010 will be one for the memory books this I am certain. Not only will the backdrop be stunning and the island vibe be intoxicating the love between the bride and groom is awe inspiring. Fate brought them together and together they are most certainly one. I cannot wait to be there to share in this weekend that will forever be theirs. Let the celebrating begin...
Congrats A&M!

V. xo

She does the city

Yesterday I rec'd a short note from the lovely Jen McNeely of She Does the City asking me if she could interview me about my running. I was immediately flattered! She of She does the City wants to interview moi? I yelled yes without a moment to spare. She promptly emailed me some questions. Therefore over lunch I took to it. Answering as honestly as possible in my own vingism way. It was fun, exciting and ever so motivating. Once posted I got busy spreading my excitement to my friendsies, colleagues and fam. The response was even more motivating. Friends wrote back with many comments. Some even told me I had brought them to tears with the excitement, passion and energy I hold so deeply for my running. Yet again I am overwhelmed by the love and support of the peeps in my life. How effing lucky am I? Honestly? I am utterly blessed. Truly. sigh.
Please take a read...


I eat my breakfast and Vingoe trains for the Boston Marathon
You may notice that the super star runner in the displayed photos is not, in fact, me. I wish.

Eating my daily bowl of Special K has become an easy ritual however introducing a regular running routine has proved to be a wee bit more difficult. The fickle weather hasn’t helped…but I’ll stop making excuses.

Instead of me detailing to you my advancements in mediocre lunging, or bumbling around Bellwoods, I have decided to interview Sarah Vingoe, a friend of mine who is training for the Boston marathon. I find Sarah to be very inspirational with her dedication to running and think you will too:

What tips do you have for women who are just starting to run?

If you are just taking up running and are trying to make it part of your weekly routine I suggest joining a beginners running group, a learn to run clinic or 5K running clinic at the Running Room. It helps to be accountable to something and feel like you are not alone. Also in said clinics you learn the basics about running on everything from what to wear, how to train to what to eat. Also don’t over do it! Stick to a schedule as you do not want to ramp up speed or distance too quickly or else you may be plagued by injury. Lastly I am big on goals. I think if you identify goals for yourself and your running you will find success and love for running.

How are you training for Boston?

My training regime is based on 3 solid runs a week intertwined with cross training such as spinning and swimming, weight workouts and yoga. I run a long run on Sundays-which range anywhere from 15-36KM, tempo runs on Tuesdays and Hills to start and then fartlek (sprinting exercises) on Wednesdays. I follow the Running Room Schedule and most of their philosophies with the exception to 10 and 1’s (running for 10 mins and walking for 1 min) and the running 5 times a week. My body just cannot take that amount of pounding the pavement. I also take an ice bath after every long run over 20km, I Epsom bath it up every chance I get, I use a foam roller to roll out any kinks or tightness and I wrap any aching joints with castor oil, hot towels and saran once a week. Lastly I try to run a couple of races during training to prepare myself for my goal race day. Starting from that starting line with thousands of people is overwhelming and exciting and very different from a solo 36K on Sunday morn.

Where is your favourite place to run in Toronto?

My favorite place to run in Toronto is up Mount Pleasant and in the Beach. I love running up Mount Pleasant between Bloor and St. Clair because the hill is invigorating and you are surrounded by what feels like Forest. I always feel like the city is all mine stuck in a moment in time with cars whizzing by.

I LOVE running in the Beach because that is where I was born and where I lived until I was 10 years old. I run by my old schools and down my old streets. Memories locked deep in my heart become free and remind me who I am and where I came from and for some reason it is sooo inspiring and motivating.

What music gets you pumped on the run?

Some of my favorite tracks are: Such Great Heights by The Postal Service, Start a War by The National, Eye of the Tiger, Paper Planes by MIA, Crystalized by XX, BOSTON by Agustana, Ali in the Jungle by The Hours, Drink to Moving on by Grand National, Lizstomania and Rome by Phoenix, I could go on and on and on…

What do you love most about running and how has it changed your life?

There is not in one thing in particular to be honest. When I am out there on the road for hours at a time I feel fierce, strong and more confident than in any other place in my life. The pump of adrenaline through my veins makes me so ecstatic I have been known to tear up. Running gives me the time I need to work through things that sometimes I am unable to figure out. Once I hit that 10 K mark I feel so free and so alive. I am a competitive person by nature, running races allows me to channel this competitiveness. Running has changed my life because it has made me realize that if you set goals and work hard that the pearl in the oyster can be yours. Running has also given me a strong sense of self and confidence.

For your Marathon in Boston, you are raising money for Joslin’s Team, tell us about this decision:

I qualified for the Boston Marathon in the Spring of 2009. I needed a time of 3 hours and 40 mins for my age and gender and I did it with 11 mins to spare! I came across the line at 3 hours and 29 minutes. It was one of the most happy moments of my life, and a feeling I will never forget. Unfortunately I am a tad suspicious and do not like signing up for any race until I start training. Alas by the time I started training for Boston, registration was sold out and closed! I was gutted. I am a big believer in where there is a will there’s a way. I started training and believing that something would give. I reached out to The Boston Athletic Association and there was nothing they could do. I tweeted and updated my FB status regularly. Lastly I began reaching out to the running community in Boston. Someone wrote me back and told me about Joslin’s team. Joslin’s team raises funds for The High Hopes fund, an affiliate of Harvard University raising money for diabetes research. Joslin’s team had ONE spot available for the Boston Marathon. I wrote them back for more information. At first I was not so sure…Training for a marathon AND raising $5,000 by April 30th plus work and life!? Sounded overwhelming…But a good friend gave me the push I needed and I went for it. At that particular moment I was sitting in my office at work and cried tears of joy. The thought actually gives me shivers down my spine.

I actually raised the $5000 in less then a week! The whole experience has been so inspiring and motivating.

When I am running the oldest marathon in North America on April 19th its no longer just for me! It is for Diabetes research and for each and every individual that has offered me his or her love and support. I am still accepting donations. To donate Please go to: https://events.joslin.org/bostonmarathon/pfp/?ID=VS0002

EVENT, EVENT, EVENT!

Also - I am holding a casual event at THE PADDOCK (178 Bathurst, @ Queen and Bathurst). Although I have hit my initial goal I thought it would be awesome to raise the bar and raise a little more for Joslin’s Team. It will be an eve filled with fun, laughs and good peeps!

Wow. See, I told you she was inspiring. Okay – so looks like my first move should be to call The Running Room, instead of the rogue self-training I’ve been not doing.

To read more about She Does the City's 2010 resolution to eat breakfast with Special K go to: My Special K Challenge

V. xo

A Society Cheese Dream Shout Out!

Loving the world of the blog. My good friends A & A of the society are writing a Cultural Column for FASHIONMAG.COM and in their latest diary mentioned a Vingoe Fam Fave. Kinda cooltown, non? Check it out mes amis! My Ma and Gran will get a super serious high kick out of this one. The Cheese dream is a fam fave, tradition and highly delish!
The Culture Club: Our top 6 spots for late-night grub
V.

Adorably True.

Adorable but such truth.

V.

A symphony it is...

V.

Figuring it out.

we are all trying to make our way in this world, trying to figure it out, figure ourselves out. In every situation we learn alas I hope we do. I try to take lesson from each debilitating situation. When the highs are high I try to step back and remember the exact feeling so when the lows come creeping in I can resolve that the higher times will reign again.
We all strive for what we deem as perfection and while doing so we forget we are only human. we all make mistakes. In some cases we seek to turn back the hands of time to do right however our universe does not allow. So instead of wishing to undo our past circumstances, we must embrace and move forward with hope and with any luck grace. The lesson must be held, even cuddled as to truly carry on. I have said it before and I will most surely say it again, the bad and ugly moments make the best of best instances truly a cut above. Sometimes we have to hold our own hands, pat our own backs, wipe our own tears. But always we must love our own selves. Truly and deeply. For if there is no love for us how on earth can there be love for any other? And we all know love isn't truly love until we give it away. Life is a wide deep open ocean with opportunities among each wave. In the calm sunny days they are there for us all to see but when a storm brews and we are barely treading water these opportunities are much harder to seek out and identify. That is when we are tested and our boats are rocked to the keel and actually when our strength must prevail. We our are heaviest critics and can be our own worst enemies. Perfection is in the eye of the beholder and along our own paths we strike it here and there. we live it once or twice. To strike such high accord we must, MUST make an error, a mistake here and there to cut us down to size, to bring us back to reality, to remind us we are all just doing our bestest to figure it out, figure ourselves out.
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hope.

V.

Watch out BOSTON MARATHON...Here comes Vingnation!

As some of you may or not be aware I qualified for the Boston Marathon last spring. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. I needed to cross the line of the Mississauga Marathon under 3 hours and 40 minutes. I set out with a goal of 3 hours and 30 minutes..Some might say it was aggressive, some of my friendsies might even say it was Vingressive BUT I set out with this goal in the forefront and achieved it! It was truly amazing! I could not wait for my road to Boston 2010. However in late 2009, I came across a roadblock. The 2010 Boston Marathon had sold out. How could this happen you ask? I know I was asking myself this for days, weeks even. I refused to even actually believe that my dream of running the oldest marathon in North America was being shattered. I began calling the Boston Athletic Association to see what could be done. It was so happen, nothing. Come January I set out training like I was in…It was crazy even over optimistic of me but I could not give up the dream. I have come to realize now that many of my besties never gave up hope and knew I would hit the road I was so eagerly after. Thank goodness for their optimism and positive thinking. Early Feb I realized that I would have to set a deadline meaning when I would have to give up on Boston and find another race to satisfy the urge for this year. The thought was heartbreaking but I had to face reality. At that moment I began writing anyone and everyone in the Boston running community. I wrote my story and pleaded with grace in hopes that someone might want to lend me a helping hand or point me in the right direction. Someone finally did! On March 9th 2010 I was told there was one spot on JOSLIN’S TEAM. Joslin’s team is an organization that raises funds for Diabetes Research at Harvard University. The challenge: I had to raise $5000 for this organization by April 30th. I hummed and hawed it for some time and with the push from a true friend I realized with some help from my friends and my family I could do this! That morning I cried tears of utter joy. The Vings and her nation was going to Boston to fulfill a dream and at the same time getting the opportunity to run for a reason, a true cause. Man did it ever feel good. BOSTON 2010 was going to actually be mine. Is there a cloud higher then nine? Because I was there! Heart smiling so big it was laughing with tears streaming down my face.
To read more go to: WOMAN.CA

V.

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Things are turning Sunny...Weeee!

I had to share...

Leo- Wednesday, March 10, 2010
You have only a short time to get from where you are now to where you want to be. Well, that’s the way things seem at the moment. Everything, however, is about to go through a major shift. The mood will change. The astrological weather will turn sunny. Life, as you’ll soon realize, does not have to be stressful. You were put here to enjoy it. Venus is encouraging you to see the pleasure of living. Today, you will get a glimpse of that and when you do, you’ll suddenly become aware of how easy it is to be truly happy and that when you are happy, nothing else really matters.

V. xo

life is quite a journey fo sure!

"Patience child, patience. Remember, life is a journey. If you got everything you wanted all at once there'd be no point to living. Enjoy the ride, and in the end you'll see these "set backs" as giant leaps forward, only you couldn't see the bigger picture in the moment. Remain calm, all is within reach; all you have to do is show up everyday, stay true to your path and you will surely find the treasure you seek."

- Mastin Kipp, founder of TDL.

truth.

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I did me some racin' today-THE CHILLY 2010!

Today my Vingnation went racin'! yep thats right my first race of 2010. I ran the Chilly Half mara in B-town. It was a gorgeous day filled with warmth and sunshiney rays! The theme today in my little world was strength. I was strong. I did not finish as fast as I would have liked but I possessed strength and fierceness and finished in great time. My ultimate goal today was to come in at 1 hour and 30 mins unfortunately I did have that in me. I came in at a time of 1 hour and 39 minutes. My fail: I went out too fast, with too much confidence and cockyness but we live we learn, right? My running season has only just begun and I have started it off on a great foot. My gain: I was reminded yet again how much I truly love running. My passion was refuled and I cannot wait to get out there and giver again soon. Unfortunately I ran under someone else's chip so my stats will not be recorded. All in all an amazing day! I am thrilled from the top of my head to the tips of my toes..now for some rest and some eats!
Thanks for the GT's Chilly 2010! 1 hour and 39, not bad, not bad at all.
V.