GPS Watch

I like doing my own runs on a regular basis, usually 3 - 5 km at a time and perhaps twice to three times per week. Since getting my little Garmin Forerunner 10 watch with GPS, I have been able to really push myself to run that extra 30 metres or so to reach the goal I had set at the beginning of my run.

Unfortunately, my iPod nano did not survive a wash cycle in the pocket of my shorts, so that has been out of action for over a year now. Sadly, Apple does not provide any warrantee or guarantee for "water damage".

The upside is that I much prefer my Garmin to the iPod & Nike tracker anyway!

I don't have to worry about earphones,  I can easily check the distance any time, and I can pause it  and restart it with the touch of a button. The GPS is accurate, and because I can also view my runs on google maps, I now pretty much know exactly where each kilometre marker is on my regular routes.

Highly recommended for walkers, runners, and cyclists. I chose the smaller of the GPS watches available because I wanted the simplest one. It comes in several colour choices: pink, green, and black. I decided I needed a break from pink and opted for my favourite colour: green.

Running Accessories: ipod

Recently I wrote that I like to run because I don't need too many peripherals. I still maintain that a decent bra and comfortable, functional shoes are all that are necessary.

However, lately I have been running with my new 'toy', an ipod nano with the nike+running attachment. The red oval shaped device attaches to my shoe and the white part attaches to my iopd nano. It has a pedometer which keeps track of my 'workouts' (as they call them). It's very handy because once calibrated, I can use it to check how far I have run. I'm usually checking it every 100m towards the end of a run, trying to get to that elusive 8km! While I run, I can also listen to music playlists, podcasts, or the radio.

At the end of every run, I can upload my data and see how I am going and achieving my goals. I can keep track of my workouts and check if I am keeping up with the programme I set for myself. I can also share my results on social media sites, map past and future runs, and play online games with other runners. I haven't done the last one yet because I don't really have that competitive edge, but I can see the attraction.

Here is one of my runs, displayed on my nike+running website.

Media: Brisbane Running Festival

This is from the 'Brisbane Running Festival' website:

Your inspiration	Inspired to run because "I want to stay alive"
Distance	Brisbane 10km Fun Run
Name	Tish Kirkland - (Support Tish as a Hero on EverydayHero and help raise funds for Cancer research)
Where do you reside	Milton, Queensland
Favourite Food	Norwegian "Gjetost" goat's cheese
Greatest Achievement	Outside of fitness: conquering breast cancer (or more accurately: conquering chemotherapy). Fitness-related: running 5km without stopping!
How far have you come since your diagnosis?	That's a difficult question. Since diagnosis in January 2009, it's been a huge roller-coaster: physically, mentally, financially and emotionally. It was a rough ride for the first 10 months and continues to be a steady but challenging one to this day. I started running only 3 months ago (March 2011) to train for the 4.5km Brisbane Mother's Day Classic and two weeks after that I ran 5km at the Rotary Fun Run at UQ. Dealing with the side effects of ongoing treatment is an uphill battle. I find that I like to use any (and all) energy I have to run, but that might be followed by a 1-hour nap to recover. I run so that I can stay within my BMI, which means my chances of cancer returning are reduced but also so that if it does return, I can fight it with all I've got.
Any tips for those competing	Do a few practice runs of the circuit. Train with a couple of friends and then run with them on the day. You'll know your pace and it's nice to run with others.
Do you have any advice to other cancer survivors out there?	I don't think cancer survivors need any advice from me - they know they are awesome. But if you've just been diagnosed or are going through treatment: go for a walk every day. Even 10 minutes, which was a true struggle for me (Heussler Terrace!) helped in the long run. I would be so exhausted after a walk and might sleep for hours afterwards but it really helped me get better. And if you've had surgery: do the homework stretches your physio gives you. It's a drag at the time but again, it pays off. I think the worst thing about cancer is the fear of the unknown. Don't be afraid to ask for help. The major beneficiary this year; Cancer Council, has a hotline - use it! (ph. 13 11 20) I had a hard time sorting out what the different organisations were, so I've since listed a "who's who" of cancer-related resources on my website. And for friends and family of survivors - be patient. When the intense treatment finishes that is just the beginning of the patient's struggle back to normality.
What has inspired you to participate in Brisbane Running Festival?	My body has been through the wringer with cancer, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and now hormonal treatment. Now it's time to treat it with some respect and give it a good chance of getting back to normal - and hopefully beyond my previous 'normal' to an even better condition. They call life post-cancer your "new normal". It does change your life; I was never a runner and now I run regularly. I was forging a career and I suddenly had to take time out of that. I was hoping to start a family and I had to put those plans on hold. My "new normal" is definitely a new life. Part of this has been the evolution of my own business, Hatiheri - headwear and accessories for hair loss. I can still only work part time, and the challenge of running my own small "cottage industry" is perfect for me
Anything else you want others to know?	http://www.hatiheri.com & http://hatiheri.blogspot.com And I am happy to report that I can now RUN up Heussler Terrace when 24 months ago I could barely walk up it. I think about that every time I struggle up the hill.

Creations: Headphone Hat

I'm the first to admit that running can get a bit boring, especially if it's for anything more than 35 minutes. I can usually keep myself entertained with thoughts for a while but then sometimes I like to listen to something while I'm running. I especially like BBC4 Podcasts or 97.3 FM.

However, I really don't like headphones in my ears and I've heard (haha) that they bounce out when you're running anyways. I also didn't like the idea of the hook-over-ear ones as I wear glasses or sunglasses and I thought the ear hooks would probably annoy me.

As a result, I created my own headphone device - my headphone hat!

I stitched a little elastic onto each side of my hat just above the ear, and another one at the back adjustment strap to hold the cords. That runs down my back to attach to my ipod nano which snugly fits into a back zip-pocket of my running shorts.

It's perfect for me because although I can easily listen to my podcast or the radio (provided I am not in a heavy traffic area), I can also listen out for other sounds like cyclists, cars, other people, pedestrian crossing signals, etc. I like to be able to hear the world around me. Plus, I ALWAYS wear a hat when running. It's perfect sun protection and sweat mopping - and now entertaining - at the same time!

Inspiration: Running People

Ask me 2 years ago if I would ever consider running for fitness/fun, and my answer would have been a resounding NO.

I watched some of my friends get into running, namely Zoe and Fi. I admired them for their strength and stamina, and for their perseverance in what seemed like a very boring and taxing 'leisure' activity. They even ran in the cold and rain, which I thought was courageous (I still won't run if it's raining).

Later, when I was contemplating running for health/weight control/fitness, I read on Facebook about my friend Tina's success with her fitness in Melbourne:

Tina - before and after

She is absolutely amazing and a true inspiration. It got me thinking: Can I do that too?

More locally, our neighbour Anna, our good friend Tymara and my cousin Christie all go for regular runs and all have bodies to die for. I wanted to be like them!

Meanwhile, I started training for the Mother's Day Classic. Team Tish members Tymara, Carly, and Louise did a couple of early runs with me until it got too difficult logistically. New friends Julie and Alexis kept me company on early Sunday morning runs, and Bronwyn came along for a couple too.

I was amazed and surprised how many people DO run, and how good it actually feels.

Thank you, my running friends, for inspiring me and encouraging me. You are truly wonderful!

Media: Tish & Brisbane Running Festival in the Westside News

Reasons to Run 3: Osteoporosis

Regular physical exercise, such as running can increase and maintain bone strength by increasing bone mass and therefore decreases the risk of developing osteoporosis.

One side effect of my current condition as an oestrogen-free zone (thanks to Armidex and Zolodex) is the increased chance of losing bone mineral density and therefore developing osteoporosis.

As well as taking calcium supplements, I figure that my running also helps cancel out this potential side-effect. Plus, it's good for me in other ways too!

More information about preventing osteoporosis is on the Osteoporosis Australia website.

An excellent resource about Arimidex (and other cancer things) can be found on Macmillan's cancer support site.

Arimidex Consumer Medicine Information (PDF)

There is an interesting article about aromatase inhibitors (such as arimidex) here.

Reasons to Run 2: It's easy

One thing I like about running is that it doesn't take too much physical coordination.

Basically, it's putting one foot in front of the other. Admittedly,  I do think about where and how my feet, knees, shoulders and arms are positioned when I run, because I understand that this is important for short- and long-term injury prevention.

BUT

I don't have to worry about catching or throwing a ball, using a stick or bat, or coordinating with other people. Yes, I do have to manoeuvre around pedestrians, bus stops, cyclists, and sometimes run on and off the footpath, but generally that's the extent of it - and that suits me just fine!

To paraphrase Phoebe from Friends: it doesn't
matter how you run because you only see
(other people) the one time and then you pass
them by.

OK, so my running style isn't quite as energetic or unique as hers... but it's still fun!

Reasons to Run 1: It's cheap

The best part about running is that unless I want to, I don't have to pay any fees to join a gym, club, group, or employ a personal trainer. Cost is important, because for me, living with the after-effects of cancer diagnosis means my cash-flow isn't as healthy as it was in the past.

The only start-up costs are a decent pair of running shoes:

... and a sports bra:

I got my running shoes on sale from a shop in the city for $AU 70 and my bra from a department store for around $AU 60. No fancy bells and whistles, no special clothes, no ipod, no timer, no pedometer, no-thing else ... I am set to go!

Hatiheri as a Guest Blogger: Journeying Beyond Breast Cancer

Today my post as a guest writer was featured on Marie's wonderful blog, Journeying Beyond Breast Cancer (JBBC).

There you can read my blog post about how I've taken up running since the intense part of my treatment has finished.

Make sure you take a look around the JBBC blog while you're there - it's inspirational, motivational, and educational to say the least!

Brisbane Running Festival: TEAM TISH

On Sunday 7th August, I'll be running my first 10km run!

Inspired by my success - and with so much support from friends and family - in running 4.5km for the Brisbane Mother's Day Classic (8 May 2011) and 5km in the Rotary Fun Run (22 May 2011), I've decided to take the plunge and pledge to run 10km in the Brisbane Running Festival (7 August 2011). Two weeks before that I'm going to run 8km in the RBWH Foundation's Royal Run for Research (24 July 2011).

Three years ago I would never have considered running for fun. But some things have changed since then.

The Brisbane Running Festival has featured me on their "Inspiration" page!

Mother's Day Classic 2011: TEAM TISH - WE DID IT!

I had a wonderful morning - thanks to all our "TEAM TISH" members for being with me on this important day.

When asked why I was running in the "Mother's Day Classic", my answer was:

• To say thanks for the research, without which I would not be alive.

and

• To sustain strength and fitness so that I can (hopefully) reduce my chances of the disease returning

and

• To keep up healthy lifestyle choices so that I can also (hopefully) become a mother myself after treatment has finished

As a team we raised $1,140.00! What an incredible effort! This goes to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (Australia) for breast cancer research.

I'd like to say special thanks to:

Michael Ross Builders (my #1 supporter!)

Star Formulations

Good Doggy

The Warwick Foundation

*bespoke* zine

Bizness Babes

Bite Dental

Mummy's Wish

Thank you very much!

More photos are here.

Mother's Day Classic 2011: Training

Every Sunday for the past four weeks, I have been doing the Brisbane Mother's Day Classic course as a training run. Some days are slower than other and some days I walk a little bit, but it's a wonderful start to a Sunday. Sure, it's hard to get up at 5:30am for a 6am start but it really does give me energy for the whole day. My running buddies are Julie, Bronwyn, Alex and sometimes Mike joins me too.

Brisbane Mother's Day Classic Course 2011

In addition to this, every Monday evening for the past three weeks, Tymara and I have been doing a training run in New Farm, which is about 3km. Recently we have also been joined by Carly and Louise. It's so wonderful to do something together that you know is contributing to something even greater.

I'm really looking forward to the 'big day' now: 8th May 2011. Please sponsor me if you can!

Mother's Day Classic 2011: Hatiheri Headscarves

Six red and white polka dot Hatiheri headscarves are ready to go. I've run out of red thread but as soon as I get some more, I'll finish the rest of them to make 10 for our TEAM TISH members. I've ordered blue shirts from an online clearance shop and I hope they will arrive early next week. We're going to look AWESOME in our costumes!