Here they are...
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=d9k2y76.7ef15y6e&Uy=jt2krz&Ux=0
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
One Week later.
Wow, here I am Monday afternoon at work (and now monday night at home) reflecting on our trip after being asked a gazillion times how the trip was.
Iceland is amazingly beautiful, Waleah mentioned earlier that we would love to go back someday soon and I cannot wait.
The scenery was so diverse it was unlike anywhere I have ever been. I would highly recommend to anyone to make the trip (as expensive as it is, totally worth it if you love nature.)
Culture night in Reykjavik was a total gong show, it reminded me of seeing the downtown's on TV when Edmonton and Calgary were making their playoff runs in the Stanley Cup, people on the streets drinking and partying until 6:00am. The cops just stood on the sidelines letting it all happen and only moved to break up trouble (which doesn't happen as much as I would expect), walking around our hotels at 2:00am was kinda surreal to be honest.
Natalie from work mentioned to me today she has a friend with a poster that says,
"A Marathon Runner has one less thing to complete in life"
The feeling of just finishing the marathon was amazing, when Waleah and I crossed that line in front of strangers, team-mates and my parents it made these last 8 months of training and fund-raising all worth-while. I was saying before the marathon that I didn't think I would ever do another, but now I'd be surprised if I didn't. The run itself was very tough, even though the first 18km went really well, I started off at a good pace and joined a couple of other Team D runners, Ryan and Paul. At about the 2km mark there was someone cheering us on that had a sign "Race your Pace", it was a great reminder not to get too caught up in the excitement and thank god for my GPS which gives me an instant pace, there were a couple of times we really started to speed up after running past people cheering us on and I was able to slow down. Paul pulled away from us at about the 8km mark and when we crossed the 10km marker at 1:07 I was very happy.
10k in I was feeling strong and ready to conquer. We passed my Mom and Graham at about 11km and got another boost of energy. By this time there was a small group of us and Ryan and I were being drafted since the wind was so strong. It didn't seem to matter which way we were running there always seemed to be a strong headwind, never a tailwind. Everything was going well until the 18km mark. My calves started to cramp something fierce, it happened in a pretty long hill and some doubt started to creep in. From there I started to walk quite a bit more. I was able to keep a good walking pace of about an 8-9 minute km but whenever I started to run the cramps came back after a couple of minutes. I crossed the halfway mark at 2:28 and was quite happy to get in under the 2:30 mark. At this point of the run it became very lonely, there was a guy from Winnipeg and another lady within sight of me but we were running in a park and there were very few people to cheer us on, one particularly fond memory was coming out of an underpass, turning a corner and seeing a wonderful waterfall. This was about the time the quads started to cramp, every water station I was taking a couple of PowerAde's and refilling my water bottle to try to rehydrate my legs so I could run some more. I did this until I caught up with Waleah.
When I saw her I ran about half a km to catch up and when I did slow down I could barely walk. From there Waleah and I walked (and ran for short 1-2 minute intervals) at varying paces fast and slow until the end. Mom and Graham met us at about 30km and told us they would meet us at the finish line, I'm glad that we were able to spend the last part of the race together, not letting the other give up or slow down too much. John (a running room trainer) met us at about 38km to make sure we were ok and didn't need anything, with some words of encouragement he sent us along and proceeded to keep going back to make sure all of us Team D members were accounted for and "brought in". I will mention that John started at 8:00am with the charity start and backtracked who knows how many times to check in on all of us Team D members, in the end I'd guess he did over 50km that day. As hard as the last 4km were there were Team D people there to cheer us on and make it a little more bearable, Steve (another Running Room trainer) met us at 41km and told us what to expect at the finish line, when Waleah told him we were going to run that last bit I think he was surprised. Once we came around the corner and saw the finish line and that 42km cone, we took off and ran that last 200 meters, I honestly did not think I was going to be able to do it since my legs cramped almost immediately, the main thing that kept me going was fear of failure in front of all those people watching and cheering us on. When that medal was put over my head it was a pretty damn good feeling and when Waleah and I were able to stop and say "we just did a marathon together " it was even better.
I am very glad that I took a chance and asked Waleah if she thought we could do this, I wouldn't trade the last 8 months for anything, spending time with Waleah for a great cause, and completing a couple of our life goals has given me that feeling that we can and will do anything. The seeds of a half-marathon have been planted for the end of september and even further down the road Mike and Waleah may be a part of Team Diabetes Dublin 2007. Who knows? We met so many wonderful people online and in Iceland it will be well worth the hard work all over again.
Even though the marathon and Iceland are now in the past, we do still plan to post about our upcoming wedding and future runs and crazy ideas that I have, so all of you Team D members keep checking in and we'll keep an eye on you too, and if you are in Vancouver for a stay, we're more than willing to head out for dinner and a couple of drinks.
Cheers!
Mike
PS: yes, pics will be coming, it takes a while to sort and upload 600+ photos.....
Iceland is amazingly beautiful, Waleah mentioned earlier that we would love to go back someday soon and I cannot wait.
The scenery was so diverse it was unlike anywhere I have ever been. I would highly recommend to anyone to make the trip (as expensive as it is, totally worth it if you love nature.)
Culture night in Reykjavik was a total gong show, it reminded me of seeing the downtown's on TV when Edmonton and Calgary were making their playoff runs in the Stanley Cup, people on the streets drinking and partying until 6:00am. The cops just stood on the sidelines letting it all happen and only moved to break up trouble (which doesn't happen as much as I would expect), walking around our hotels at 2:00am was kinda surreal to be honest.
Natalie from work mentioned to me today she has a friend with a poster that says,
"A Marathon Runner has one less thing to complete in life"
The feeling of just finishing the marathon was amazing, when Waleah and I crossed that line in front of strangers, team-mates and my parents it made these last 8 months of training and fund-raising all worth-while. I was saying before the marathon that I didn't think I would ever do another, but now I'd be surprised if I didn't. The run itself was very tough, even though the first 18km went really well, I started off at a good pace and joined a couple of other Team D runners, Ryan and Paul. At about the 2km mark there was someone cheering us on that had a sign "Race your Pace", it was a great reminder not to get too caught up in the excitement and thank god for my GPS which gives me an instant pace, there were a couple of times we really started to speed up after running past people cheering us on and I was able to slow down. Paul pulled away from us at about the 8km mark and when we crossed the 10km marker at 1:07 I was very happy.
10k in I was feeling strong and ready to conquer. We passed my Mom and Graham at about 11km and got another boost of energy. By this time there was a small group of us and Ryan and I were being drafted since the wind was so strong. It didn't seem to matter which way we were running there always seemed to be a strong headwind, never a tailwind. Everything was going well until the 18km mark. My calves started to cramp something fierce, it happened in a pretty long hill and some doubt started to creep in. From there I started to walk quite a bit more. I was able to keep a good walking pace of about an 8-9 minute km but whenever I started to run the cramps came back after a couple of minutes. I crossed the halfway mark at 2:28 and was quite happy to get in under the 2:30 mark. At this point of the run it became very lonely, there was a guy from Winnipeg and another lady within sight of me but we were running in a park and there were very few people to cheer us on, one particularly fond memory was coming out of an underpass, turning a corner and seeing a wonderful waterfall. This was about the time the quads started to cramp, every water station I was taking a couple of PowerAde's and refilling my water bottle to try to rehydrate my legs so I could run some more. I did this until I caught up with Waleah.
When I saw her I ran about half a km to catch up and when I did slow down I could barely walk. From there Waleah and I walked (and ran for short 1-2 minute intervals) at varying paces fast and slow until the end. Mom and Graham met us at about 30km and told us they would meet us at the finish line, I'm glad that we were able to spend the last part of the race together, not letting the other give up or slow down too much. John (a running room trainer) met us at about 38km to make sure we were ok and didn't need anything, with some words of encouragement he sent us along and proceeded to keep going back to make sure all of us Team D members were accounted for and "brought in". I will mention that John started at 8:00am with the charity start and backtracked who knows how many times to check in on all of us Team D members, in the end I'd guess he did over 50km that day. As hard as the last 4km were there were Team D people there to cheer us on and make it a little more bearable, Steve (another Running Room trainer) met us at 41km and told us what to expect at the finish line, when Waleah told him we were going to run that last bit I think he was surprised. Once we came around the corner and saw the finish line and that 42km cone, we took off and ran that last 200 meters, I honestly did not think I was going to be able to do it since my legs cramped almost immediately, the main thing that kept me going was fear of failure in front of all those people watching and cheering us on. When that medal was put over my head it was a pretty damn good feeling and when Waleah and I were able to stop and say "we just did a marathon together " it was even better.
I am very glad that I took a chance and asked Waleah if she thought we could do this, I wouldn't trade the last 8 months for anything, spending time with Waleah for a great cause, and completing a couple of our life goals has given me that feeling that we can and will do anything. The seeds of a half-marathon have been planted for the end of september and even further down the road Mike and Waleah may be a part of Team Diabetes Dublin 2007. Who knows? We met so many wonderful people online and in Iceland it will be well worth the hard work all over again.
Even though the marathon and Iceland are now in the past, we do still plan to post about our upcoming wedding and future runs and crazy ideas that I have, so all of you Team D members keep checking in and we'll keep an eye on you too, and if you are in Vancouver for a stay, we're more than willing to head out for dinner and a couple of drinks.
Cheers!
Mike
PS: yes, pics will be coming, it takes a while to sort and upload 600+ photos.....
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Marathon Finishers!!!
Here's a photo of us on Saturday, August 19, 2006 after we crossed the finish line of our first Full Marathon. We were both still smiling!! It was a tough course with lots (and I mean LOTS) of wind!! There were 40% rolling hills throughout and 60% flat. Even though it took a long time to complete the marathon, we both felt pretty good and very proud of ourselves and eachother for completing the event. The best part was when Mike caught up to me and we finished the race together and even managed to jog across the finsih line holding hands. What a great day and what a great experience.Thanks to everyone again for their support and encouragement these past few months, and a special thanks to Mom and Graham for accompanying us on the trip and for being such a great cheering section! It was great seeing them at the 10.5 km marker and the 30km marker and again at the finish line cheering us across. It was an emotional day for us all and an exhilerating one. One we won't soon forget.
Cheers,
Waleah & Mike
PS: Pics to come soon!!!
Home.....
Long flights and up for over 24 hours now...we just got home and are getting ready to crawl into our own bed and sleep for many hours (we hope). Iceland is Incredible and we will write about our trip when we are rested and awake and can figure out how to spell all the places we've seen. It's a gorgeous country with amazing landscape and we've already decided we need to go back there! Maybe for our 5th wedding anniversary or something like that. We'd like to back pack around and see more of the country....
until next time.....good night and cheers.
until next time.....good night and cheers.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
We did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The marathon is over and done with. Waleah and I finished together, Waleah´s time was 6:47 and mine was 5:47. Just a quick check in for now. We are having a blast and the country is amazing. Tonight is culture night and the bars are open until 5:00am. Going to be a great night!!!!!
More later on.....
M & W
More later on.....
M & W
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
vilja okkur heppni!!
I hope the translation is right...
Wish us luck, we leave in just a few hours and we're almost packed up and ready to go.
Very excited and cannot wait to get on the plane.
We'll check in when we get back.....
YIPIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wish us luck, we leave in just a few hours and we're almost packed up and ready to go.
Very excited and cannot wait to get on the plane.
We'll check in when we get back.....
YIPIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Happy 1 Year Anniversary MIke
One year ago today you took me out on our first "real" date. We had a great time and I knew you were someone I wanted to see again. We had already started off with a friendship and I knew you were a warm and outgoing guy. After each date for the first few weeks I kept thinking, this guy is great and I keep wanting to see him! To me this was a big thing, as you know, for the past few years before you, most guys didn't get more than 1 or 2 dates....I thought most guys were dumb and I had some pretty bad dating experiences.
But you changed all of that and helped me believe in true love and romance again. Very early on in our relationship I had this feeling that if things kept going as good as they were, I could see you being "the one" and us getting married eventually. How right I was!!! You are the best guy I know and one of the best people to ever happen to me. I'm so happy that I took a chance and left the note on your car back in July of 2005. Here we are, getting ready for a trip of a lifetime and ready to plan our wedding and spend the rest of our lives together.
I love you with all that I am and all that I have. Thank you for your love and support and encouragement this past year and I look forward to each and every year with you. With out you in my corner I would not be doing my first full marathon at this time and I thank you for helping me realize and reach one of my goals. You are my best friend, my lover, my soul mate and my partner. How truly lucky am I to get to marry you in 5 months.....I can't wait.... :)
love you
But you changed all of that and helped me believe in true love and romance again. Very early on in our relationship I had this feeling that if things kept going as good as they were, I could see you being "the one" and us getting married eventually. How right I was!!! You are the best guy I know and one of the best people to ever happen to me. I'm so happy that I took a chance and left the note on your car back in July of 2005. Here we are, getting ready for a trip of a lifetime and ready to plan our wedding and spend the rest of our lives together.
I love you with all that I am and all that I have. Thank you for your love and support and encouragement this past year and I look forward to each and every year with you. With out you in my corner I would not be doing my first full marathon at this time and I thank you for helping me realize and reach one of my goals. You are my best friend, my lover, my soul mate and my partner. How truly lucky am I to get to marry you in 5 months.....I can't wait.... :)
love you
Almost there....
Wow....only 4 more sleeps till we leave for Iceland....and 7 more sleeps till the Marathon!!! Can YOU believe it? We sure can't. We signed up for this just over six months ago, and have worked hard trainng and fundraising and now with close to $19,000 raised and ready for our first marathons we can't believe it's just around the corner, finally! :)
The past 6 months alone have been very eventful for us...I was healing my broken wrist when we committed ourselves to this journey, we went on a trip down to Palm Desert to visit my folks and went to Disneyland and Mike somehow managed to get me on roller coasters at Magic Mountain...that was a blast. We had a great trip and travel well together. We started training from the very beginning....Vancouver Sun Run Walk to Run program which has been the best thing for Mike....a guy who was not a runner, and is now READY for his First Full Marathon. I'm so PROUD of him. He's done great and I know his training run this morning gave him the extra confidence boost he needs a week before the big event. We hosted a successful fundraising event in May and spent many months asking people for money for the Canadian Diabetes Association.....We are still amazed and often overwhelmed at people's generosity...it has all added up to staggering amounts and we are so thrilled with how much we have managed to raise. I think we may even still be able to collect a few more donations over the next month. That would be great. In June Mike proposed and we have set our wedding date for January 13, 2007. We've taken care of a couple of the early wedding plan items and will work on the rest when we return from Iceland. I'm truly looking forward to our trip, completing our first marathon and the adventure of seeing a beautiful country like Iceland. We are excited that Sue & Graham are coming with us. Should be a great time travelling around with them.
If we don't get a chance to post any more before we leave, please check back after August 24th.....we promise to post an update after our return and let you all know how we each did in the marathon and how Iceland was. We'll be sending out thank you's and a newsletter with some photos to show people that we really were there and that we really did it.
Thank you all again from the bottom of our hearts for your encouragement and support. Without all of you, we would not have been able to raise all this money. Thank you!
The past 6 months alone have been very eventful for us...I was healing my broken wrist when we committed ourselves to this journey, we went on a trip down to Palm Desert to visit my folks and went to Disneyland and Mike somehow managed to get me on roller coasters at Magic Mountain...that was a blast. We had a great trip and travel well together. We started training from the very beginning....Vancouver Sun Run Walk to Run program which has been the best thing for Mike....a guy who was not a runner, and is now READY for his First Full Marathon. I'm so PROUD of him. He's done great and I know his training run this morning gave him the extra confidence boost he needs a week before the big event. We hosted a successful fundraising event in May and spent many months asking people for money for the Canadian Diabetes Association.....We are still amazed and often overwhelmed at people's generosity...it has all added up to staggering amounts and we are so thrilled with how much we have managed to raise. I think we may even still be able to collect a few more donations over the next month. That would be great. In June Mike proposed and we have set our wedding date for January 13, 2007. We've taken care of a couple of the early wedding plan items and will work on the rest when we return from Iceland. I'm truly looking forward to our trip, completing our first marathon and the adventure of seeing a beautiful country like Iceland. We are excited that Sue & Graham are coming with us. Should be a great time travelling around with them.
If we don't get a chance to post any more before we leave, please check back after August 24th.....we promise to post an update after our return and let you all know how we each did in the marathon and how Iceland was. We'll be sending out thank you's and a newsletter with some photos to show people that we really were there and that we really did it.
Thank you all again from the bottom of our hearts for your encouragement and support. Without all of you, we would not have been able to raise all this money. Thank you!
Friday, August 04, 2006
tickets!!!!!
Yesterday I received our airline tickets and package from the trip, we are starting to get very excited. We'll be staying for a few extra days and are planning to rent a 4x4 and travel around Iceland at our own pace and just winging it, no planned tours or even a direction. Waleah picked up a Lonely Planet guide book and we have been flipping through it and I don't think we can go wrong on picking a destination, everything looks cool.
We won't talk about our lack of mid-week training much, Tuesday I had ball and crashed afterwards, Wednesday and last night Waleah went out looking at wedding dresses and I flaked out on the couch after what have been some loooonnnggg days at work. This weekend is a nice easy 23km and one more full week of training and then we leave!!!!
Have a great long weekend,
We won't talk about our lack of mid-week training much, Tuesday I had ball and crashed afterwards, Wednesday and last night Waleah went out looking at wedding dresses and I flaked out on the couch after what have been some loooonnnggg days at work. This weekend is a nice easy 23km and one more full week of training and then we leave!!!!
Have a great long weekend,
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