20 days to go

20 days to go
Day off running, stationary biking after work.

I slept in until 7. I am catching up on my sleep since I didn't sleep much after hearing the news. 18 miles are apparently hard on my legs too.. I am going to do some stretching tonight. Lilo is not limping this morning. She managed to enjoy the snow a little bit better. Vodka is still acting like a crazy dog in the snow.

Thank you so much for your messages yesterday. Friends, family, dreams and memories... They are the most important assets we have. Hold on to them tight and don't let them go without a fight.

Next week is the last week for all donations. I can't believe we are this close to the race now.

Last day of February, happy Monday.
Lots of love to you all. xo

21 days to go

21 days to go
Day off

I lost my great grandma today.  You never get used to loose your loved ones. Experience doesn't have anything with the feeling of a loss.
Today I wanted to celebrate her life. I replanted our little trees that were dying. Now they have new soil, new home... I want them to live against all odds, I'll be spending all extra effort to keep them alive.

I will keep running for my greatgrandma, she will be the inspiration and the memories we shared will keep me going during those painful miles. 2011, you're not playing fair. Even Lilo is limping atfer a rough play in the snow last night. Have some mercy.
Love you all and always. xo
My favorite quote of the day today after the oscars: “It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.” -Lena Horne. 

22 days to go

22 days to go
6.30 am 18 miles solo long run

I ended up doing the same route from last time just to be safe. But I didn't feel warm for the whole 3.22hr that I was out there. At least I missed the snow I guess. But today was the definitely the coldest run I have ever done. So windy and so bloody cold!

There were bunch of icicles around Stanley Park and some of them were falling down to the seawall foot path. Pretty dangerous conditions...

I was shivering for a long time after the run and the icebath wasn't really nice... It helps my joints a lot and takes away the pain but I was too cold to saty in it for enough time.

No news from my great-grandma. Thank you so much for all your best wishes, I hope she can feel the love from all around the world.
2 weeks until the donation deadline, so please share and donate to warm your heart with the feeling of doing something humane in this snowy day. Or buy a cup of hot chocolate to give away when you buy your coffee this morning.
Lots of love. xo

23 days to go

23 days to go
Day off running, physio exercices

Happy Friday to you all. I know some of you are already getting ready to leave to work, but we just woke up at the West Coast.

I am putting all the photos from yesterday's after work run. It was unbelievably cold and windy. I still saw people in shorts tho... I dont get it, really.

I am not doing good emotionally, my great-grandma's condition is not getting better. I feel helpless, it's hard to be away and it's never easy to let go. She is 96, you think you'll be prepared, you'll be realistic about life, but it doesn't work like that unfortunately. There is never enough time to do everything you want to do and say everything you want to say. I am glad that she saw me growing up and she was there to teach me her secret recipes.

I dont want to finish this entry on a bitter note, but I am finding it difficult today to move on. Life is too short, so keep on laughing, keep on loving truly and forgive quickly. And we should remember that everything is going to be OK in the end. 

Have the strength to do good and inspire others by doing so. Love you all. xo

24 days to go

24 days to go
6.30 am 2 miles fun run with Vodka

I didn't sleep well, since Ollie doesn't read this as often I can complain about his snoring :) I am going to hit the road again after work for a proper  7 miles speedwork. I took Vodka out for a fun run since she loves to race! It is extra difficult to take a non blurry photo with Vodka, who is completely black & agitated and it's freaking cold outside!

My great-grandma is still in the hospital. I am sending her the biggest hug from here, and I hope I can talk to her again soon. I do want to believe that a positive thinker can achieve the impossible. We have to bring our own sunshine sometimes to clear up the dark clouds that are piling up around us.

18 days till deadline. Please share/donate and support my cause.
Lots of love. xo

25 days to go

25 days to go
6.30 am 2 miles solo run

It was an easy morning today, just 2 miles. I kinda slept in too, felt guilty.
I am going to see my physio today, I am really looking forward to it! I hope my back pain will disappear eventually. Sitting in front of a computer all day doesn't really help...

Thank you as always for your continuos support and encouraging words. Less than 4 weeks before the race and 3 weeks before the fundraising deadline. I hope we can reach our goal.

I am going to keep this one short, don't forget to do little bit of good where ever you are today.

Lots of love to you all.
xo

26 days to go

26 days to go

6 am 30 min stationary biking

First of all, I would like to say that my thoughts are with all New Zealanders. The scariest time of my life was during the 99 earthquake in Turkey. The life you know goes away in seconds, and there is chaos everywhere.

I wish you all the best and I hope everyone can unite with their loved ones and recover from this disaster as soon as they can.

As some of you know, 2011 wasn't a good start for me and it's still trying to be  a bad year. I dont give up and I believe that we can change things by thinking positive. My great grandma is doing better, hopefully she'll be out of the hospital end of this week.

When there is so much chaos, disasters, violence and sickness, it's hard to stay strong sometimes and not to be discouraged.

But difficult times should help us understand how great and beautiful life is in every way and every day and many things that we worry about are of no importance at all.

I hope you can enjoy the day as it is and hold on tight to everything you care about. Lots of love to you all.

26 days until the race and 19 days until fundraising deadline.
xo

27 days to go

27 days to go
6.30 am 3 miles run with Lilo

I have to say, it was pretty hard to get up this morning. My back and arms are pretty sore from the weekend. I think my upper body strength needs to catch up with my legs.
But Lilo was really excited to go for a run, she was all smiles and galloping right behind me. It's such a treat to have running buddies like Lilo & Vodka.

My great-grandma is in the hospital. She is 96. It's really hard to be away when a family member is not doing well. I am sending her my love and the biggest hugs. I love you Hayros, I'll be thinking of you. Hang on.

When you think you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. - Roosevelt
Happy Monday to you all. Lots of love. xo

28 days to go

28 days to go
Day off running. Snowboarding @Whistler.

We had an amazing day at Whistler today as well. The sun was out and the snow was just perfect. I feel pretty tired after this weekend's activities. I managed to squeeze a steam room and pool session before the end of the day. It was exactly what I needed to open those joints! Back to running tomorrow. I hope it would be a dry morning.

I hope you all had a great weekend with lots of sunshine to warm your heart.
I really missed Vodka and Lilo, but obviously they had an amazing sleep over at chez la mom :)
28 days to go.. getting more excited about this than ever. Please continue to support with your donations.
Dont forget, a dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. Lots of love. xo

29 days to go

29 days to go
Day off, snowboarding at Whistler

So we were at Blackcomb today all day snowboarding. Amazing day, nice and sunny, really nice snow conditions :)

We're staying at this amazing lodge, thanks to Dawn! It is able to fit 8 of us comfortably and it has a cozy atmosphere.

After lunch, and after having a small bottle of Merlot, I head down to the village and got a sports massage at the Westin Hotel.  My legs are so fatigued, and a massage was excately what I needed.

I need to keep this one short since we're at a Starbucks in Whistler Village and I am invading Dawn's computer :)

I hope everybody is having a great weekend. I'll try to report more from Whistler tomorrow.

Short and sweet.
We got 29 days to go, it's so close now.
Love you all. xo

30 days to go

30 days to go
Day off.

We'll be heading to Whistler tonite after work for 2 days of snowboarding. So I am taking today off to give my legs a break. Too bad it's a nice morning outside after last night's thunderstorm.
I went to "Innocent Coffee" on W 4th. Really small but super cute place with good coffee. They have a small exhibition room upstairs as well.

I hope we can hit the $3000 mark this week. Thanks so much for your continuous support!
“When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.”

Happy Friday!
xo

31 days to go

31 days to go
6 am 5 miles run with Lilo

We got a pretty fun run, I think she missed running together. She tried to go to the water once but I managed to catch her before she got wet.
Super cold outside, there was ice all around the ground. At least I get to see some clear blue sky now. And I get some color in my photos :)

And just as a reminder, the donation deadline is March 14th. We got another 3 weeks to reach our goal.
Choosing a rescue dog will not solve the pet overpopulation problem but it does give many of them a chance they otherwise would not have. But, beyond doing a "good deed", adopting a rescue dog can be the best decision and addition to the family you ever made...
Please support my cause today.
Lots of love to you all. xo

32 days to go

32 days to go
6 am 3.5 miles solo run

The girls were exhausted from yesterday's hike.  They were all cuddly with each other and didn't even move when I opened the bedroom door. So I left them at home. And for me, I wasn't in a better condition than them. I took 2 muscle relaxants last night instead of 1 for my back pain, and this morning I woke up in a vegetative state... Awake in a sleep mode... I felt like I can't control my legs, one after another, every step felt little bit more awkward than the previous one. So I cut my run short to make sure that I make it back home in one piece.

I just feel like sharing this feeling with you today.We spent our lives with day to day worries and expectations. But we are not in this world to live up to other people's expectations. We just need to have high aspirations and dream big without expecting too much from the world that surrounds us. Taking action rather than expecting is the key to achieving. Even if we fail, we won't be disappointed because at least we tried, rather than assuming that it would happen on its own. So today set yourself free of worries and expectations. Create your own opportunities. Believe me you're going to be so proud of yourself.

Lots of love. xo

33 days to go

33 days to go
6 am 6 miles solo run

It's hiking day for the girls today. And such a lovely day outside. I am sure they're going to be covered with mud when they come back no matter what.
I wish I can film their pick up time for the hike. There is a Chihuahua in the car and 4 or 5 other big dogs scared to death from that little Chihuahua! and Lilo and Vodka as well...It's priceless.

So we went to Rtl last night for dinner, had a 4 course meal and wine pairings. It was pretty yummy and it was fun to see all the new couples out there having a romantic dinner :) I am not a big fan of having these set menus for Valentine's day, we wanted to go Shore Club but their menu didn't have the things we wanted to eat. A Shore Club experience cannot lack popcorn shrimp...

My back still hurts like hell, I have a horrible knot around my shoulder blade. I booked a sports massage for the weekend at Whistler. I hope they can press all the trigger points on my body to release the tension all around.
Yesterday, I realized that February is short! We are 4 weeks away from the donations deadline. Thank you all for your amazing support!

Lots of love to you all. xo

34 days to go

34 days to go
I am having pretty bad back pain. I didn't sleep well at all. No training.

I want to write about today. Not about it's being Monday but about the increase of color red all around town.

I dont cherish Valentine's day as a day to celebrate having a lover. It take it as a day to open our heart to each other despite our cultural boundaries and differences and despite our class, religion and views. Today, I celebrate enjoying this world with all living beings,  and by showing compassion and appreciation to all I possibly can.

Life is full of interruptions and complications. Leave them behind and don't take today as a day to celebrate love between lovers. Because, love actually, is all around...I love you all. xo

35 days to go

35 days to go
Day off

Happy Sundays! So nice to stay in bed even though I get up around 7.30 on my day off.
We went to Cafe Medina for brunch, if you're in Vancouver and can make it there before 10, you'll can have pretty yummy brunch with a Moroccan mimosa and a lavender latter. If you're late, you have to bare the queue.

My all time favorite 3d animation movie is "How to train your dragon". If you haven't seen it, drop everything and go watch it. Every year, The Genesis Awards pays tribute to the major news & entertainment media for producing outstanding works that raise public awareness of animal issues. And this year "How to train your dragon" is nominated for the feature film category!
Congratulations to Toothless & Hiccup!

Lilo is really moody this weekend. I am keeping an eye on her just in case if she shows any physical problems...She just lays down and looks up with big droopy eyes. I think Vodka bullied her a little bit too much... Send her big cuddles.

Thank you for all the motivating words. It makes my training more meaningful.
Lots of love. xo

36 days to go

36 days to go
6 am 16 miles solo long run

I decided to have safe and flat route today. So I did Gastown, Coal harbour, Stanley Park, English Bay and back. I am glad that I picked this route because it was just fascinating. The color of the ocean, all the ducks, birds, kayakers... I thought I'll need music this time but nope, there is nothing better than listening to the sound of nature.

I was able to run half of my run dry. Then half way point I got hit by rain and wind pretty badly. I think it's snowing on local mountains, they were covered by big clouds, and it looked pretty white up there.

I just can't have enough of the view of this city of ours. Every where I run, I see something unique and beautiful. My mom asked me why I dont run on a treadmill, how can I leave this view?

I saw this sea star on the pavement. I tried to save him but I think the seagulls did the damage. It was super dry and solid, I threw him back to the ocean, hoping that he'll revive. But I think I was a little too late. The seagulls are just brutal...

The race is getting closer and closer and I feel stronger and more excited about it every day. There are going to be difficulties in running in a different climate and weather quality, but I think having that many people to run with and the crowd is going to make everything worth it.  Shouting out the my friends in LA! Please come and cheer for all the runners on March 20th.

Thank you everyone with your continuous support on my cause. It means the world to me. I am so happy to connect with some old friends that I haven't been able to stay in touch with.

Today, call an old friend, a family member that you haven't talked to for ages. Go for a coffee/tea/wine with them. Believe me, you're not going to regret that text message, email or that phone call.
Love you all always. xo

37 days to go

37 days to go
Day off running, physio stretches

Since I have 16 miles to run tomorrow, today is more of a rest day.
I took Lilo to the park close to our place and put her back pack on. She is not a big fan of the backpack but when I am not running with them in the mornings, walking with a backpack makes them get tired a little faster than regular walking.

And, hey, it's getting closer to summer, they better get used to carrying our beer in their backpacks ;)

I have to decide on my running route for tomorrow so that this time i can study it a little bit better and hope to not get lost again. If anybody has any suggestions in Vancouver or North Vancouver, please let me know. I love a change of scenery when I am out there for more than 2 hrs.

I was thinking maybe another North Van run but I am not that familiar with that area. So please fire up suggestions!

And happy Friday to us all! Make sure you take care of it, make sure you have fun and get out there to enjoy this precious life.
And Congratulations to the Egyptian people.

Lots of love to you all.
xo

38 days to go

38 days to go
6 am 6 miles tempo run with Vodka

So cold outside this morning! And dear Canadians, I understand you guys are hard core stuff but when there is ice on the ground, running in shorts is not OK. I am freezing with my multi layer outfit and you guys are in shorts and t-shirts! Seriously...

I went to my first gathering with Turkish ladies of Vancouver last night. I think I haven't been this exposed to Turkish culture for a long time :) It was just hilarious. I am not so eager to meet other Turks outside Turkey just because I like being with other cultures and blend with the rest of the world.  Not sure if any of you are reading my posts, but thank you for all the tips about Turkish food places in Vancouver area, greatly appreciated.

You guys should see the mountains this morning. So nice and white, and the sun hits the peak of all of them. I love my city when it's dry and bright, and we have snow covered mountains with green fields all around.

And don't forget, we can change the world if we care enough. Keep your guards down and break out of your boundaries.

Love you all. xo