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