Toronto Women's 416 Run Challenge--Week Two, Fundraising

 

When I entered the Women`s 416 Challenge, it wasn’t just as a way to motivate myself physically during the pandemic—it was also a way to give back to the community and raise funds for a very important cause.  Currently in Ontario, the average cases of infections has risen to 1355 (on Thursday there were 1575 cases and on Saturday there were 1581) and the province`s startling projections indicate that we could see 6500 cases per day by mid-December if we don`t take control of spreading the disease.  The outlook is grim and many people are suffering: businesses are closing; people are getting sick, some are dying; people are losing their jobs, their homes and their livelihood; and people are feeling very isolated and lonely. But it`s even tougher for the vulnerable communities –women and trans people from across Toronto —who are homeless, precariously housed and/or socially isolated.

 

I am raising money for Sistering, a multi-service agency that “envisions a world where all women, in all their diversity, are safe, respected, valued, and treated with dignity. All women have equitable opportunities to thrive and participate in inclusive communities. They create a safe, welcoming and non-judgmental space for women and are guided by principles of feminism, anti-racism and anti-oppression. They support those who experience social isolation, homelessness or precarious housing, trauma and violence, discrimination, substance use or need for mental health support. Their equitable programs and services enable women to take greater control over their lives. They work in collaboration with others in the community to change the social conditions that endanger women’s welfare.”

 

If you would like to consider joining me in supporting this vital organization and drop-in centre, here's my Event Page https://raceroster.com/events/2021/33477/toronto-womens-416-run-challenge/pledge/participant/9990833. My goal is to raise $500.

 Weekly Running Recap

This week I ran 51.62 kilometres, bringing my total to 102.28 kilometres and I have 313.72 kilometres left to run.  We have been blessed with beautiful fall weather this year. I can`t remember another fall that I enjoyed as much as this year`s. I am not a cold-weather person so I am just soaking up the warmer temperatures and savouring them for when the brutal weather hits.

 

I was also able to enjoy my runs with my newly purchased running shoes. This week when I went to the Running Room to pick up my Toronto race kit, I took the opportunity to buy a new pair. My current shoes, the Muzino Wave Inspire were impossible to wear without intense pain in my feet and it was to the point where I was damaging them. The issues I have with the shoes are: the toe box is too narrow and was compressing my toes; the collar of the shoe is too rigid and it was pressing on the posterior tibial tendon, bruising it and; the upper part of the shoe is too stiff and was impeding movement of the ankle joint.

 

Taking all my complaints into consideration the salesman recommended the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 21. These were much roomier in the toes, and the outer rim was really soft. In fact, the whole upper part of the shoe was softer. Unfortunately the bruise on the tendon was so bad that even the little pressure from this shoe irritated it. The salesman suggested that I take some time off from running to let it heal. I knew that that would never happen—as long as I can physically move, I will run. Luckily, placing a cotton pad over top of the tendon and underneath my sock seemed to do the trick.

 

I ran 6 days this week, with my long run on Sunday morning and Saturday was my rest day. Rest from running, that is, but not from chores. We usually spend the day cleaning and catching up with any other household tasks we couldn’t get to during the week. We have a huge, hearty maple tree in our backyard that takes forever to drop all its leaves. For the past two weeks Trish has been going out and clearing away the leaves, but there is still so many left on the tree. The three of us went out again this Saturday and spent 2 hours raking and bagging all the leaves that had fallen since the previous week.  It wasn’t all work though as Cilla enjoyed running and jumping into the piles.