In running as in life: you have to do the work

Do the work. I borrow this mantra from my friend William, and find it applies to so many things in life. I interpret it as "stop making excuses, stop procrastinating, and focus." With this ringing in my ears, I set a goal for myself of running a half-marathon in under two hours some time in 2013.

My previous best time was 2:04:00 back at the Halifax Blue Nose half-marathon in 2011, so I had some trimming to do.

I began in January. Most weeks I ran about 20 km, combining short and long runs, plus hills. I often ran in the snow, and once in temperatures so cold my water bottles froze.

I started longer runs in March, building up from 15 to 19 km. In total, I've run 447 km so far this year—about the distance from Halifax, NS to Fredericton, NB.

I've been logging my times as well as my distances, and realized about six weeks ago that my speed had plateaued and I was not running fast enough during long runs to meet my sub-2 goal. So I met with a running coach who explained the benefits of interval training (stressing to strengthen your heart, and training your body to convert glucose into energy more productively) and designed my interval program. I incorporated once- and then twice-weekly sprints into my training and noticed an improvement. Plus I was surprised to discover I actually love sprints.

I also did cross-training and lifted weights every week. Basically, I felt I did the work. I was looking forward to today's Blue Nose Marathon because I'd adequately prepared. The sub-2 goal wasn't guaranteed but was within reach.

And then life happened. I graduated with my master's degree on Thursday, and was spoiled with a lobster dinner with my family. There was wine and cake and at a time when I should have been carbo-loading and resting, I was celebrating. The party continued the next night at one of my professor's homes.

I also got a cold. At first it was just a sore throat and runny nose, but by Friday had morphed into full-on sinusitis with a headache and blocked ears. On Saturday, the day before the race, I had difficulty sleeping, hearing, or walking up stairs without getting winded.

Yes, here's the thing: you can do the work but you can't control all the factors. Sometimes you just have to accept and make the most of them. I spent most of yesterday lying down, drinking hot tea with lemon, and finally taking Sudafed to clear my nasal passages. I slept poorly, and woke up wondering if I could even complete the 21.1 km.

I got to the starting line and immediately my frustration turned to excitement. The Blue Nose Marathon is such a fantastic event in this city, getting people of all ages and fitness levels out walking and running the various distances to better their health. The organizers and volunteers deserve praise for the work they do making this a well-run and incredibly well attended event. Thousands queued at the starting line (last I heard more than 12,000 had registered), and thousands more spectators line the streets with words of encouragement, funny posters, cowbells and high fives.

It was my sixth time running the Blue Nose, and as always I enjoyed it. At the half-marathon distance you run through a good portion of peninsular Halifax, and have the time to think about the beauty and history here. I also appreciate my good fortune in having an able body and resources to train and race.

I did not reach my sub-2. I had pain in my lungs, and later in my left quad, and in the end just not enough gas in the tank. I finished at 2:04:00, tied with my previous personal best. I'm coming to terms with it, as I sit writing this and continually blowing my nose.

Yes, it looks like I'll be signing up for another half-marathon in 2013. And continuing to do the work.

Graduation Day

It was a big week. I officially graduated with my Master's in Public Relations (MPR) from Mount Saint Vincent University on Thursday.

When I started the MPR program in 2010 I was nervous about grad school. It had been 13 years since I'd last enrolled in university, and I feared my study skills were rusty. I needn't have worried. From the first day, I took to the process like a bee to honey, diving into my readings, assignments and class discussions with a passion I did not know I possessed. I had been feeling a certain discontentment for several years prior (I call this my bored-but-busy period), but I was never able to identify the cause or cure. Grad school annihilated that. It gave me the room to explore communication theories and practices, to read and even understand challenging texts (hello, Aristotle!), and to explore and test my own ideas.

I owe much to the professors who pushed and inspired me, my generous and supportive friends and family members, my work colleagues for ongoing encouragement, my many classmates who learned alongside and also motivated me, and the terrific Mount community that continues to enrich my life with its inspiring history and bright future.

I also won the President's Prize, "Special awards donated by the University President are given to members of the May and October graduating classes whose energy, generosity and commitment have enriched the University during their time as students, and who show promise that their commitment will continue as alumnae."

That was a lovely surprise and true honour. But I additionally received so many other gifts from the grad school experience: knowledge, curiosity, critical thought, enhanced literacy, determination, focus, and compassion. I am forever changed and eternally grateful.

Paying tribute to the women who inspire us

I proudly support the Women's Wall of Honour at Mount Saint Vincent University.

I can't claim to be unbiased when it comes to my feelings about the Mount. It's a place that has given me so much—education, friendships, employment, volunteer opportunities, mentorship and more.

Through the Women's Wall of Honour, I was able to give back and invest in the future of the Mount. For $1,200 I reserved a place for my mother's name to be etched permanently into the soon-to-be-constructed Women's Wall of Honour. I also got to write a tribute to my mom that's included in the on-line Virtual Wall (see below).

My mother was notified that I'd done this for her and to say she was delighted is an understatement. I dug deep when writing that tribute to describe how she's been such a wonderful role model for me. It was excerpted in Folia Montana, the Mount's alumnae magazine (disclosure: I am the editor), and several of my mom's friends and relatives saw it there. One day at her house I saw she was clipping and saving copies of this tribute, and although she's usually quite modest, she was mailing it to a few of her closest friends. "I can't believe you said all those nice things about me," she said. The donation and tribute were a much bigger gift to her than I realized they would be and truthfully they brought us closer.

The people I know at the Mount are dedicated to educating and supporting both genders. While this particular initiative honours the many fantastic women who have inspired and influenced us all, men are involved too, giving their support through volunteerism and donations. The campaign is truly an inclusive one.

What's best about this initiative is that the funds raised will be used to build the Margaret Norrie McCain Centre for Teaching, Learning and Research. The McCain Centre will be the first new academic building on campus in 40 years. An astonishing $12 million has been raised so far to help in its construction but the need for more funds continues.

Let's focus now on the potential this initiative offers, the intentions of the Women's Wall of Honour, and the future of this great university.

The dirty dozen and how to avoid messy online content

Here are 12 common mistakes people make when writing web copy and easy fixes.

1. The presentation is hard on the head and the eyes.
You can't take text from a report and upload it onto your web site. The writing will be too formal, and the presentation too dull. Instead, break up your pages into bite-sized chunks of easily readable copy by using:

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How to get your letter to the editor published

So you want to write a letter to the editor. Why? Perhaps you want to criticize—or praise—a newspaper article. You may wish to clarify a perceived error or misrepresentation in an article, or add new information or an expert opinion. Maybe you want to write a letter in response to an editorial, column or another letter, i.e. you have an opinion on an opinion. You may wish to generate new discussions around issues being debated by governments and its citizens. Whatever your reason, writing a letter to the editor is an excellent form of engagement.

The catch is that typically many more letters are sent than a publication has room to print. Even in on-line editions, news publications typically only include those letters that made it into their printed versions.

To maximize your chances of claiming some of this precious real estate for yourself, here are some tips on how to get an editor to select your letter:

1. Read the publication thoroughly.

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