We Did It! Thank You, North York Generals!

By Alyson Geary, Director, Special Events, NYGH Foundation

Race day has finally come and gone for the 2013 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and North York General could not be more proud of our team’s success.

This year’s STWM event was full of firsts. For many of you, this was the first time you have participated in a half-marathon or a 5K run, or the first time you have become a fundraiser as part of a team goal. This was also the first time in five years that NYGH has participated in STWM, and we are very proud of our staff and participants for being so engaged in this event. To all of our newcomers and veterans alike: thank you so much for choosing to support North York General as you set these milestones for yourselves!

Our team goal for STWM 2013 was to raise $10,000 in support of our Hospital. I am thrilled to announce that the North York Generals have more than doubled our goal and raised over $25,000! On behalf of NYGH and the patients we serve, I’d like to offer our sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported this amazing accomplishment, including our race participants, their sponsors, and our team donors.

The marathon organizers are keeping the fundraising webpages online until October 31st, so if you would like to make an additional contribution or know someone who would be interested in donating, please visit the North York Generals team page to sponsor our team or an individual participant.

In the words of the Sam Roberts Band, “We’re all in this together – so keep it moving, don’t stop!” 

If Only I Didn’t Need to Sleep

Written by Christopher Robinson-Keys

If only I didn’t have to sleep, I might actually get everything done in a day that I wanted.

I’m a very involved father of two.  Before our wonderful family came along, my wife and I were daily regulars at the gym.  But once you’ve helped out with the midnight feedings, wakings and diaper changes of a newborn, catching maybe 4 hours of sleep each night, the drive and energy to get up early and exercise seems to evaporate.

You would think that once kids start sleeping through the night (most of the time), the energy and drive to exercise would reassert itself. But, like any other good habit, exercise takes discipline.

Music to Get Your Motor Running!

STWM is less than two weeks away, and the North York Generals are entering the final stages of our training and fundraising!

We asked some of our colleagues at NYGH to share their favorite music mixes for running – songs that help them move forward in their training and get them pumped up to achieve their goals. Here are some of their picks:

Avicii - "Wake Me Up"
Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull - "On The Floor"
Mumford and Sons - "I Will Wait"
Imagine Dragons - "Demons"
Florence + the Machine - "Dog Days Are Over"
John Parr - "St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)"
Kenny Loggins - "Footloose"
Rush - "New World Man"
Bruce Springsteen - "Born to Run"
Bonnie Tyler - "Holding out for a Hero"
The Black Eyed Peas - "Pump It"
Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera - "Moves Like Jagger"
Flo Rider - "Good Feeling"
"Every Morning" – Basshunter
"Rehab" – Amy Winehouse
"Put It In a Love Song" - Alicia Keys ft. Beyonce
"If I Had You" – Adam Lambert
"Girlfriend" – Avril Lavigne
"Wind It Up" – Gwen Stefani
"Hello" – Martin Solving ft. Dragonette
"Fireworks" – Katy Perry
"So What" – Pink
"Are You Gonna Go My Way" – Lenny Kravitz
"Mr. Cab Driver" – Lenny Kravtiz
"Jaii Ho (You Are My Destiny)" - The Pussycat Dolls
"Runaway Baby" – Bruno Mars
"Let’s Go Crazy" – Prince
"Don't You Worry Child" - Swedish House Mafia ft. John Martin
"Save The World"  - Swedish House Mafia
"One (Your Name)" - Swedish House Mafia
"Greyhound"  - Swedish House Mafia
"Rave 'n' Roll (Original Mix)" - Steven Angello
"Club Can’t Handle Me" – Flo-rider ft. David Guetta
"Party Rock Anthem" – LMFAO ft. Lauren
"Run the World" – Beyonce
"Hey baby (Drop It To the Floor)" - Pitbull ft. T-pain
"Shots" – LMFAO
"Calle 8" – Pitbull
"Mr. Saxonbeat" - Alexandra Stan
"Danza Kuduro" - Don Omar ft. Lucenzo

Race Packet Pick-Up Info

For all of our Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon run and walk participants, the following is the Packet Pick-up and Late Registration Information:

Friday October 18 2013
11:00am to 8:00pm
Race Kit Pickup, Late Registration (if not sold out) at RUNNER'S EXPO: Hall D, Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place

Saturday October 19 2013
10:00am to 6:00pm
Race Kit Pickup, Late Registration (if not sold out) at RUNNER'S EXPO: Hall D, Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place

For more information on Packet Pick-up, please visit http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/en/pickup.htm.

The Long Run - Counting Down to #STWM

Written by Ian Steele, certified personal trainer

With 6 weeks to go before the race, and 4 more long runs to do in training before the taper, your long run is getting to be quite long.

If this is your first half-marathon or marathon you are probably already running longer than you ever thought possible.  In the next 4 weeks your long run could be between 2 and 4 hours depending on your race distance and race goal.  That’s long!

You likely follow a running plan. There are lots of great ones -- whether it came from a magazine, Google search, running store or a personal coach, they are all very similar. The absolute key is the long run (especially for first time or novice endurance racers). It is the key to finishing the race well and getting to the start line injury free. If your long runs increase by around 10% each week, and there are recovery weeks built in, your plan is safe.

Here are a few tips to get you through it without going crazy or getting injured.

It's Not About the Run

Written by Katherine Victorio

My story is about running a marathon and learning that it’s not really about the run.

Seven years ago in October, one of my best friends, Carolyne, ran the Marine Corps Marathon. It was her very first. This was a big deal for her as we all knew this was an attempt to get her life back together after a painful divorce. A full marathon is 42 km and Carol is no athlete by any means. Carol did not run: She pranced, she skipped, she galloped… but she didn’t ‘run’. And here I was, too self-righteous for my own good, thinking, “If Carol can do it, I know I can.”

So the following May, in 2004, I began my training to prepare for the Toronto Marathon. The recipe for proper conditioning is: the right pair of running shoes and socks, dry fit gear that didn’t chafe, good electrolyte balance, slow progressions never exceeding 10% per week, mixed in with some cross training, proper stretching, and a splash of good hydration. You will survive the unrelenting torment so long as you keep those factors in check and never push beyond your limits.

But preparing for a marathon was so much more than just the physical training.

A Message from our Running Champion, Dr. Elyse Lackie

Why do I run? Because I can! Because it feels good to be fit. Because it feels great to get outside and explore the amazing streets and trails of Toronto, and everywhere else I travel. Because after a long day or week of work, it feels fantastic to clear my head.

There are so many great reasons to run, indoors or out, short or long, fast or slow. I go SLOW! I have no goals except to enjoy myself and stay fit. I am convinced that my lack of drive to get faster and faster is why I have remained injury-free for all these years, and I’m a huge proponent of this philosophy.  (Super competitive-types can choose to ignore this advice if they wish!)

As someone who didn’t grow up playing sports or being active, I am still amazed that I can get from A to B under my own leg power, even though I’ve been doing it for more than 15 years now. Every time I cross a finish line – whether it’s a 5k, 10k or half-marathon – there is a rush of adrenalin and pride that stays with me for days. It really is the best medicine. It makes a world of difference!

Come join me on October 20th at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 5K! Get your own dose of adrenalin and support our amazing hospital!

Dr. Elyse Lackie is a gynecologic surgeon at North York General Hospital and a member of the North York General Foundation Board of Governors.

Easy Steps to Fundraising for a Great Cause!

We know not everyone is a fundraiser by trade, so we’ve provided some helpful tips below to help get you started. If you have friends who often participate in peer-to-peer fundraising events, ask them for their tips (and feel free to leave suggestions in the comments below!) You never know, you might just turn out to have a hidden talent for fundraising…

If I can do it…

I want you to sign up for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

Wait… don’t click away from this page. Hear me out.

I’m not asking you to run a marathon. Well, you can if you want, but you could also sign up for the half-marathon or you can run, or even walk, the 5K.

I want to motivate you and your colleagues, friends or family members to sign up for the 5K walk or run, the half-marathon or the full marathon on October 20th to support North York General.

Still too daunting? Let me share my story.

Welcome to the Run With NYGH Blog!

Thank you for visiting our blog to help us kick off our training season for the 2013 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

The North York Generals will be walking and running the 5K, half-marathon, and full marathon on October 20th to get active, have fun as a team, and most importantly, to raise funds in support of our Hospital and patients.