Tag: running

Marathon Training is Taking Over My Life

Long time, no talk; for real this time. I come bearing excuses.

Over the last few months, I experimented with shifting my online presence from blogging here to posting on Instagram. I wanted to try documenting my life visually, in photo carousels and short-form videos rather than in writing alone. It was a fun change for a while, but, I realize, not as rewarding. Even if my content on Instagram is seen by more people, I don’t get out of it what I get out of blogging. I regret not realizing that sooner.

Life has also just been busy. Shortly after publishing my last post in May, I started training for a full marathon… and it’s kind of taken over my life. I’m twelve weeks into a twenty-week training plan, and I honestly can’t wait for it to be over. 

Last year, I had no plans of signing up for a full marathon (possibly ever), but something shifted in the spring. One of my best friends was signing up for her first marathon, and I wanted to train with her. I also got swept away by the hundreds of people I saw online running full and ultra-marathons and making it look easy. It was easy to get the sense that 42.2 kilometres was the next logical step in my own running journey. But now, I’m finding myself regretting signing up in the first place.

There are two main reasons for this. The first is the fact that marathon training has completely dominated my schedule. There was no real way of knowing what marathon training would take out of me until I was waist-deep in it. To date, I’ve done two half-marathon races, and training for those had a fairly minimal impact on my overall lifestyle. I was running three times a week with little, if any, strength training.1 I also didn’t have to think too hard about the way I was eating and fueling during my runs: “carb loading” could just mean eating a carb-heavy dish like pizza or pasta the night before a long run.

Training for a marathon is a different beast entirely. I’m running four times a week (which, by the way, many run coaches will still say isn’t enough). My long runs are intensive and only getting longer- I’m now at the stage of training where my plan has me running a half marathon or more almost every weekend until my taper. I’m also strength training twice a week. On top of this, worrying about what I’m eating has become a full-time job: I’m constantly thinking about whether I’m getting enough carbs and protein in to properly fuel my activities. Finally, I have to leave ample time for active recovery and rest. Marathon training has eviscerated my summer. I’ve had to use vacation days at work to accommodate training, and say “no” to weekends away with friends. My hobbies have been put on hold and my social life has suffered. 

The second reason I say I’m regretting signing up for the marathon is that I’m having a hard time coping with the way training is changing my body. More to the point, I’ve gained weight, and I’m not happy about it. I don’t know if anyone else can see it, but I certainly can, and I can also feel it. There’s a misconception that running always causes weight loss; but the reality is that many runners struggle with weight gain during training blocks due to a variety of factors including increased hunger and training demands, water retention and muscle growth. 

When I signed up for the marathon, I knew I was probably going to need to start eating substantially more than I’m used to. The last thing I want to do is underfuel and put myself at risk of burnout and injury. I spoke with a dietician in June to give myself a sense of what and how much I should be eating, which indeed ended up being a lot more than usual. With my increased training demands, I’ve also experienced an increase in hunger. I feel like I’m always eating, and, unfortunately, the increased focus on food is also triggering a cycle of binge eating which hasn’t changed regardless of whether I track my calories and macros closely or not.

This weight gain has been especially difficult because for the first time in years, at the start of the year, I was in a place where I was happy with how my body looked. In January 2024, I started a weight loss journey, and by last summer, I was satisfied with where I was at. Now, my body is changing again, and, regardless of the reason why (muscle, water or fat gain), it isn’t welcome. 

I’m trying to focus on the positives- marathon training has made me stronger. It’s given me visible muscle definition, especially in my legs. My body has risen to the challenge of training and has been able to carry me through longer and longer runs. I just ran 23 and 25 kilometre runs- over two and a half hours each of continuous running. Even just going through my day-to-day life, I feel a difference in my strength and mobility. I also haven’t been injured (yet- knock on wood). 

I suspect that the way out of my negative headspace is to be able to appreciate my body for what it can do rather than what it looks like- to be able to say honestly, “if my body needs to gain weight in order to run 42.2 kilometres, I’m going to let it do its thing”; but this is easier said than done. I want both performance and aesthetics. 

All in all, I don’t think I’ve ever had to consciously make so many sacrifices in pursuit of a goal in my life. Nothing about my life is balanced or intuitive right now. I keep telling myself it will all be worth it in the end if and when I cross the finish line, but in the interim, things are hard, and I’m not having fun. Never say never, but I may never try to run a full marathon again- or at least, if I do, I’ll truly have an appreciation for everything training will take out of me. 

If I can say one positive thing, it’s that marathon training hasn’t impacted my love for running at all. I’m excited for this race to be over, but I’m also excited to keep running (at a lower volume) moving forward. I actually miss winter running, and already have a few bucket list races for 2027 (Around the Bay, Vancouver BMO?). This said, I’m also excited to have time for other parts of my life again. 

Thanks for reading, and until next time- 

Laura Kate

  1. I didn’t realize until recently how important strength training is, and, moving forward, I plan to continue it regardless of what I’m training for. ↩︎

Toronto Half-Marathon 2026 in Review

A few days ago, I ran my second half-marathon race.1 It wasn’t easy, and it took a lot out of me to make it to the finish line, but I’m happy to say that the Toronto (Half) Marathon is now in the books.

I trained for the race with a roughly fifteen-week plan designed to take me from my winter “running maintenance routine” (wherein I was running three times a week and maintaining the ability to comfortably run 10km) to a 21.1 kilometre distance at a quicker pace. This meant that quite a bit of my training took place during the brutal winter we had this year in the city. I did as much running as possible outdoors, which meant becoming an expert at dressing for the elements. Each week throughout my training, I went on three runs (two shorter and one longer) and tried to incorporate strength training once or twice. It was tough, but very rewarding. I proved to myself that I could be tough and adaptable, especially in less-than-ideal weather conditions. I saw a significant improvement in my pace throughout the training, especially during the taper period. 

This said, I was a little apprehensive in the weeks leading up to the race. Most of this came from hearing horror stories about past Toronto Marathon events, including overcrowding, the organizers running out of water for participants, and incomplete road closures putting runners in precarious positions. The novelty and excitement of running 21.1 kilometres had also started to wear off: by race day, I had already run the distance three times before, including just a few weeks prior on April 12. Fortunately, once I picked up my bib and other runners on social media started to post more about it, I started to look forward to the race. 

And then, the unthinkable happened. On the evening of Friday May 1, roughly thirty-six hours before the race was set to begin, I found myself in bed, curled up in a ball, so nauseous I couldn’t even stand. Things only got worse from there: I had a terrible sleep on Friday night and woke up on Saturday exhausted, with a splitting headache, and a still-unsettled stomach. I ended up spending almost the whole day on the couch watching TV. My plans to pick out my race outfit in advance, get a shakeout run in, or even carb-load evaporated. It took everything in me to force down PopTarts and plain white rice. I went to bed on Saturday night assuming that I would have no choice but to sit the race out the next morning.

Miraculously, I was wrong. I woke up at 5:00am (thanks to my cat) on Sunday, May 3 feeling absolutely fine, aside from the smallest bit of stomach upset. I ended up popping an Advil and making the decision to run. Going into the race, especially given my mystery illness the day before, my goals were simple: first and foremost, cross the finish line, and, second, if possible, beat my previous race time of two hours and eleven minutes. I gave myself unconditional permission to stop running and drop out if I started to feel even a little bit sick during the race. 

The weather was perfect- it was mostly sunny, and the temperature fluctuated between seven and ten degrees. I wore a baseball hat, long leggings and a long-sleeved shirt with my hydration vest on top. The shoes I wore were my beloved Brooks Ghost 17 GTXs.

The Toronto Marathon is generally known for having a great route. The half-marathon course started in North York, at Yonge and Elmwood, and continued south down Yonge street. The first few kilometres were very hilly- mostly downhill, but with a few notable periods of elevation. I ran the first few kilometres alongside my friend Stephanie, but then lost her at a water station. After that, I found my boyfriend in the crowd around the five kilometre mark. There were some frustrations that were obvious from the start of the race- namely, major overcrowding on the course. There were thousands of runners, and I don’t think start times were staggered very well. Also, only half of the lanes on Yonge street were actually closed off. This led to a lot of congestion throughout the entirety of the race. I found myself weaving through and hitting or getting hit by other runners or veering into live lanes of traffic throughout the whole race. Stopping or slowing down at water stations made this even more difficult to navigate.

At about the halfway point in the race, the course turned off of Yonge Street and onto Rosedale Valley. This was easily the most scenic part of the race with lush, green foliage overhead. It was here that I looked down at my smart watch and realized I was making exceptionally good time. I ended up making the gametime decision to try and finish the race in less than two hours. A sub-two half-marathon was not a goal I ever set for myself, even before I got sick. I didn’t incorporate any speed training into my plan, and had no pacing strategy for the race. I generally find that focusing on speed tends to detract from my enjoyment in running. I’m also very liberal about stopping or taking walking breaks on my runs to stretch, take gels or drink water. 

Predictably, making the decision to attempt a sub-2 half marathon totally changed the race for me. Once I set myself a time goal, I lost focus on the route, my music and enjoying myself. The only thought I had throughout the second half of the race was, “keep going”. I started to hit some crazy (for me) paces- 5:15 mins/km (at km 17), 4:53 mins/km (20)… even 4:31 mins/km (19). Ultimately, my efforts paid off and I ended up finishing with an official time of one hour, fifty-nine minutes and twelve seconds. I hate to define a run by my finishing time, because it’s really antithetical to my entire running philosophy, but the truth is that I ended up making this race about speed rather than the experience as a whole.

The finishing chute was probably the most disorganized part of the race. I crossed the finish line to thousands of people crammed into a tiny, fenced-in area to get medals, bags, food and water (the race organizers actually did end up running out of water at the finish line when I was passing through). I managed to fight my way through the crowd for an oversized medal and one banana before leaving with my partner.

Overall, despite the hiccups, I did have a good race and I’m so proud of myself for making it through the months of training and across the finish line. I’m so grateful to my body for being able to push through everything. I really showed myself I can do hard things and exceed my own expectations. 

I’m confident these are lessons I can bring forward with me in the future, when- drumroll please– I’ll be training for my first full marathon.

Until next time, 

Laura Kate

  1. The official event was the Toronto Marathon which hosts a full marathon, a half-marathon, a 10k and a 5k. ↩︎

Am I Running to Lose Weight?

What do you write about when you have nothing to say? 

Well, I suppose it isn’t entirely true that I have “nothing to say”; I actually just don’t have a lot to talk about that I feel comfortable sharing. I’ve been having a tough March. My family dealt with a loss early in the month, I experienced a disappointment at work, and some complications came up with Elune. The weather still isn’t particularly warm or sunny; despite it being spring, the forecast for the next week is actually calling for snow again. I’ve been coping with some not-so-great habits, including unnecessary spending and more screentime.

Honestly, in the last few weeks, the place where I’ve found the most joy is in running.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about food, exercise, body image, and the relationships between them. I’ve started posting more about running on my Instagram account, which has made me consider how my posts might be perceived by others. I made the decision to post more about running because it’s a big, positive part of my life. I was also inspired by a host of running influencers to be part of the online running community. This said, in this new era of obsession with thinness in our culture, I also wonder where fitness content online fits in. I worry my followers might think I’m showing off, exercise-obsessed, or disordered. 

There’s a lot of discourse about the recent shift we’ve seen from the body positivity of the 2010s to the “thin is (back) in” mentality. We’re constantly being bombarded in the media with emaciated celebrities and influencers, disordered eating habits disguised as wellness trends and, of course, the widespread use of GLP-1’s and other drugs for weight loss. There are a lot of conflicting lines of discourse, and I agree simultaneously with a number of them. On one hand, for example, I agree that we’re in a crisis- we’re overwhelmingly being sent the message that being skinny is the most important thing a person can be. At the same time, I also think that a lot of people have become too quick to label any fitness content, body dissatisfaction or desire for weight loss as disordered and insidious.

I’ll admit that, like a lot of people, I’ve dabbled in and out of disordered eating habits in the past. I’ve gained and lost weight throughout my life. This is something I’m aware of, and something that’s caused me to reflect on whether running is just the newest disordered habit in my life. This said, I don’t believe that just because someone has had a bad history with diet and/or exercise in the past means that they can never have a healthy relationship with it.

Even though I still haven’t entirely healed my relationship with food and my body (possibly something that will be a lifelong journey), I overwhelmingly believe my relationship with running is a healthy one. Most of the reasons I enjoy running have nothing at all to do with my body. I like to run because it’s a challenge. I like it because it makes me feel strong. I like it because it gets me outside (even before becoming a runner, I would walk hours every week outdoors). I like it because the post-run endorphins boost my mood. I enjoy training for races because training plans give me direction and something to strive toward. 

I also understand the importance of rest and recovery in running, and try not to push my body too far outside of its limits. I take regular “de-load” weeks and give myself as much flexibility as possible within my training plans. I take days off when I’m sick or tired- Hell, I take multiple rest days every week. Sometimes I fuss about missing runs, but the reason behind the anxiety is never that I think I need to run to deserve food, for example. 

It would be a lie to say I never think about how running impacts my body. I’m in a place where I (mostly) appreciate what my body looks like and how it works for me, and I know that running plays a role in dictating these things. This is one of the reasons I’ve stuck with running, but certainly not the main reason. Would it be better if body image played no role in my exercise habits? Probably- but I don’t think this is totally realistic. I don’t think it’s achievable to never think about what our bodies look like and never hope that our bodies will look different; especially in the appearance-obsessed world we’re living in now. I think we just have to do our bests. 

One thing I’ll say about running and weight loss in particular is that there is truly no guarantee that running, especially long-distance running, is something that will cause you to lose weight. Running is a really high-intensity, high-impact exercise, and you need to eat a lot to properly fuel your runs. Many runners, especially those training for longer distances like marathons and ultramarathons, end up maintaining or even gaining weight during their training blocks. I say this to say that your decision to run probably shouldn’t be rooted in a desire to lose weight in the first place.

All of this said, of course, I acknowledge that my own relationship with exercise doesn’t reflect everyone’s. There are certainly people, running influencers included, who use exercise largely to fuel their disorders. Self-reflection (and maybe even therapy) is so important when it comes to evaluating our eating and exercise habits. If you find yourself working out to earn food, struggling to take time off or obsessing about body weight or composition, it might be something worth looking into. Like I said, I think it’s definitely possible to have a healthy relationship with exercise, but it might be something you need to work towards.

Anyway, those are just some of my thoughts. The relationships between food, body image and exercise are complicated, and I’m still figuring out how they interact for me in my life. I’m also not perfect or a professional- just a person on the internet writing a blog post. So, for the time being, I’m happy continuing to run and sharing about my love for it online.

Until next time, 

Laura Kate

What Running Taught Me About Being a Beginner

Alternative title: “A Love Letter to Running”

On October 19, 2025, after more than 7 months of training, I ran the Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon; my first half-marathon race.1 It was incredible- one of the most difficult things I’ve ever accomplished, and also one of the most rewarding. 

I’ve been a runner now for a little over a year. I started running in the summer of 2024.2 My first 5-kilometre race was the Holly Jolly Fun Run that November. In May of this year, I ran the Sporting Life 10k. From there, I decided to keep my momentum going and train for a half marathon. 

Training didn’t come easily. I started with little to no base level of running ability. Although I regularly walked and hiked long distances, the last time I’d tried to run was in high school gym class. In deciding to become a runner, I knew I would be starting from “zero”: being able to run continuously for maybe one minute maximum (and no, I don’t even mean in one minute intervals) and after a lifetime of telling myself that I was bad at sports and could never be an athlete. This being said, starting from zero ended up being a good thing for me- it prevented me from setting my expectations too high and letting perfectionism get in the way of the process. 

While running has brought so many great things into my life, the biggest benefit I’ve gained has been learning how to be a beginner. In this blog post, I wanted to talk about my experience becoming a runner, and share some of the lessons it has taught me- lessons which are applicable to so many other areas of life.

Lesson One: Set Small, Incremental Goals.

When I started running in June 2024, my initial “end goal” was to run a half-marathon by that October. At first, I thought a half-marathon was something I could reasonably train up to in 4 months. I found some “couch to half marathon” training plans online and tried to follow them; but quickly found that running was a lot more difficult than I expected. I wasn’t able to hit the targets in the plans, became quickly discouraged, and eventually gave up training.  

Things changed in the fall when I made an offhand comment to my now-boyfriend that I wanted to be a runner. A runner and cyclist himself, instead of suggesting that I sign up for a big race, he encouraged me to start with a 5k. Compared to a half-marathon, I found training with a 5k goal in mind much less daunting. Instead of worrying about the prospect of running for more than 2 hours straight, I only had to worry about running for 35 minutes. I signed up for the Holly Jolly Fun Run, and, after a few weeks of training, I was able to finish the race with a 33-minute time.

My friend Stephanie and I in November 2024
training for the Holly Jolly Fun Run 5k

Something I would recommend to all new runners is to set small, incremental goals instead of big ones. Things “clicked” for me when my targets became more achievable. My first few running goals were so small that they weren’t related to distance at all, they focused on time: run 3 minutes without stopping. 5 minutes. 10. 15. When I was able to run in 15-minute intervals, my focus shifted to distances: run a 5k. A 10k. A half-marathon.

When the path to a goal seems more achievable, you’re more likely to work towards it. You can build towards your big goals by setting small ones. This approach keeps you focused on the present instead of worrying about a distant, more-intimidating future.

Lesson Two: Embrace Novelty. 

As a beginner, it’s important to periodically check in with yourself and evaluate what methods are working for you and which are not. It’s also important to experiment with new tools and strategies. 

My running strategy has evolved dramatically from when I started out. Some modifications were borne out of necessity from having to solve problems that arose over the course of training. For instance, something that came up early on was experiencing calf pain for days following runs. I was able to resolve this issue by implementing a pre-run stretching routine, buying better shoes and changing my footstrike. I also started experimenting with a shoe rotation when I started experiencing blistering from wearing the same pair of shoes on every run. 

Other modifications to my running strategy came from experimentation for fun. I tried running with both running belts and hydration vests, and found out that I vastly preferred running with vests (despite how dorky I thought they looked). I also experimented with different ways of carrying water (smaller flasks vs. water bladders) and different ways of fueling (I first tried dates, then moved onto running gels and chews).

Trying new things isn’t just a tip for beginners- I think it’s something we should all challenge ourselves to do. Failing to embrace novelty can hinder your personal growth and development. 

Lesson Three: Understand that Progress is Not Linear.

I’ve heard a saying that for every one good run, there will be one mediocre run and one bad run. Not every run will be great. Some runs will be awful. You will not notice improvement after every run. Some days you won’t want to run at all. But, even in the face of roadblocks,  you need to persist.

I’ve experienced my fair share of “bad” runs. I had a number of runs where I had to stop after 2 or 3km because of excruciating side stitches, runs I had to take breaks in the middle of, and a meant-to-be-12km run that I ended early because I ran out of water.

My biggest failure was on what should have been a 20km peak long run in September. I’d been building up to 20km for months, and had just done a 19km run the week before. Despite this, when out for my 20km run, I hit a total mental roadblock very early on and had to stop. I tried taking a half hour break, walking, trying to re-motivate myself- but nothing worked. I didn’t complete the run. Nonetheless, I didn’t let one shitty run get to me. The next week, I tried again, and ended up running my first 21.1km distance.

Progress is not linear; there will be highs and lows in everything we do. The most we can do is learn to trust and embrace the journey.

Photos from September 28, 2025, when I ran my first 21.1km distance after failing my
20km run the week before

Lesson Four: Surround yourself with people who make you feel supported.

Something I struggle with is comparing myself to other runners in terms of pace. I’m definitely not the fastest runner out there. I’m still working on accepting that everyone is different, everyone’s bodies are different, everyone has different abilities, and the only person I should be comparing myself to is myself.

Something that has helped me immensely in this particular struggle is following influencers from the “slow running” community online. There’s not a specific pace that defines a slow runner, but in general, slow runners prioritize enjoying running and getting longer distances under their belts instead of worrying about how fast they’re going. This running community reminds me that I can still be a runner, even if I’m not going to win any races anytime soon. I’m also very lucky to have other wonderful runners in my offline life (like my partner who slows his pace to match mine when we run together, and my friend Stephanie, a natural cheerleader) who provide support and encouragement every step of the way.

Photos from a 17km long run at Tommy Thompson Park on August 23, 2025

Future Running Goals

In just one year, running has brought so many good things into my life, and I’m so excited to see what my future in the sport will look like. Now that I’ve finished a half-marathon and fallen in love with long-distance running, you’d think that I’d want to immediately start training for a full marathon- but I don’t. Not yet, anyway. My goal over the coming late fall and winter seasons is to maintain my running fitness. I would like to continue regularly running 10km. I’m considering training for another half-marathon in the spring, but I haven’t signed up for any races yet.  Even though I’m excited to continue making progress, I’m also excited to move into a period of maintenance, where I can give myself permission to slow down, just for a while. 

Perhaps ironically- there’s no rush.

With love,

Laura Kate

  1. For anyone counting, I finished the race in 2 hours and 11 minutes. ↩︎
  2. I started running for a number of reasons, some more ridiculous than others. These included: (1) being bitter about one of my exes, who is a runner; (2) wanting to strengthen my fitness routine with an exercise more intensive than walking; and, (3) wanting to play into the joke about people in their late twenties either getting married or training for a marathon (I wasn’t getting married anytime soon…). ↩︎