Happy Canadian Thanksgiving 🇨🇦🍁 ....... - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

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Happy Canadian Thanksgiving 🇨🇦🍁 ....and a new long term goal to run 5K across Toronto Islands

CazzaW profile image
CazzaWGraduate
11 Replies

Monday is a Bank Holiday here in Canada and our first Thanksgiving since arriving 10 days before lockdown in March. My parents were supposed to be with us now, staying for 3 weeks but sadly that’s all been postponed 😔 as have visits from our children and friends.

I started C25K as I really needed a focus with everything that’s going on, as well as it being an opportunity to strengthen my back and neck and get generally fitter. I looked up the meaning of Thanksgiving and it is a time to celebrate the harvest and to be thankful for family, friends and blessings during the year 😊

C25K and this wonderful community has been a blessing and a fantastic distraction for me. Although I am frustratingly stuck waiting to get on with W9R2, nursing an improving 🤞dodgy ankle, it’s given me the chance to really think about what I want to do when I’ve (eventually 🙄) graduated.

My only goal originally was to be able to keep getting out there 2-3 times a week 🏃‍♀️keeping fit and to be able to (occasionally) run with my husband. We took our bikes over to the Toronto Islands last weekend as good, gentle foot therapy! These are 15 small islands just south of Toronto and the pic is of me with Toronto behind looking back from the islands. It only takes 15 minutes on the ferry ⛴ to get across (for those of you on the south coast it’s a quicker and much cheaper! version of the Red Funnel ferry over to the IOW) and I went over as often as I could in the summer to the beaches 🌞🏊‍♀️ which was my getaway as I’m not a city girl at all and love the coast and countryside. The islands are linked by a series of paths, bridges and walkways and I have just discovered that it is 5K to get from one side to the other. So, I have decided that one day, no matter how long it takes me, that I would really like to run 🏃‍♀️ well, 🐢🐌 jog across the islands before we leave here in August 2023...am giving myself plenty of time 🤣

So, to others that post on here who are in Canada 🇨🇦 and all of you on this fabulous forum I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and when we have our turkey tomorrow I shall raise a toast to you all 🥂😊

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CazzaW profile image
CazzaW
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11 Replies
RacingintheStreet profile image
RacingintheStreetGraduate

What a simply lovely post Cazza , these are such difficult, shifting and disappointing times.

At times hopeful in terms of possibilities to once again see family and then, as is the case now, not be able to .

The simple fact of not being able to share a meal with my grown up daughters in my own home is quite miserable actually .

In your case you had a new adventure and home to share with your family and friends and that must be disappointing .

Also though what a resilient and upbeat attitude you maintain !

The Toronto Islands sound amazing and I have no doubt at all that you will run your 5km around them soon .

Keep your ankle healing and then go do it and come back to the forum and tell us all about it .

I’ve never visited Canada but you’re description of the Toronto Islands will keep me dreaming I think .

My youngest daughter ( she’s ‘the wanderer’ in the family) and her partner were saving hard and were due in Canada this year for a bit of a road trip .

Her partner has been a few times and he has family there .

I do hope next year !

I feel disappointed for the young with so many hopes and dreams put on hold .

You are right though , this challenge has been a godsend and often in difficult times you see the best and worst of people .

Here in our ‘forum bubble ‘ you see the very best of humankind , sharing , supportive and funny !

Take care of that ankle and I hope it won’t be long before you are welcoming your family and friends ......... Happy Thanksgiving 🙂🥂🇨🇦🍁. Enjoy!

What a stunning photo too 🙂

CazzaW profile image
CazzaWGraduate in reply to RacingintheStreet

Thank you RacingintheStreet 😊 we enjoyed a lovely meal but it was like having Christmas dinner without any family 🙁 A Canadian colleague of my husbands joined us as he was on his own, can’t get back to his young family due to restrictions.

You’re right about the youngsters and so much worry and stress. We have 5 lovely boys between us aged 20-28, all independent except the youngest who is in his last year at Uni and that’s a worry. I feel guilty too as I retired after 35 years with the NHS last year knowing we were heading out here but can’t even do any voluntary work at the moment due to the situation.

Anyway onwards and upwards and things will improve. The important thing is for us all to stay safe and healthy and keep as strong physically and mentally as we can.

I do hope that your daughter will be able to get her road trip over here before too long 🇨🇦

Looking forward to hearing about your next consolidation run 🏃‍♀️

LottieMW profile image
LottieMWGraduate

Happy thanksgiving Cazza 🇨🇦 even if it’s not quite how you imagined it would be ☹️

Liking the cycling foot therapy, sounds a fab place to go. What a coincidence that it’s 5k across the islands...that sounds like an achievable goal for you to hit before you leave 👍

Come on ankle...get better!

🐌🐢🏃🏻‍♀️🍂🧡🍁

CazzaW profile image
CazzaWGraduate in reply to LottieMW

Thanks Lottie, yes so strange that it’s exactly 5K, seems like a ‘meant to be’ challenge 🤷‍♀️

Don’t want to tempt fate but ankle is finally improving 😃

acountrycabbage profile image
acountrycabbageGraduate

Gorrrgeous photo Cazza and a gorgeous post! I’d forgotten it was Canadian Thanksgiving 🥳

Funnily enough I felt extraordinarily thankful on yesterday’s run. Maybe I was channeling my energy across the Atlantic ☺️

A wonderful long term goal you’ve set yourself there 🤩 I’m so glad you’re on the mend but I’m even more glad you’re being sensible about the setback and are able to feel thankful about your already incredible running journey. This is just a teeny blip in the long game to the future happy and healthy Cazza 😊

Such a shame the fam can’t be with you but I hope with FaceTime you can really enjoy that turkey and pumpkin pie! 🤪❤️

🇨🇦🍗🍁🥧🇨🇦

CazzaW profile image
CazzaWGraduate in reply to acountrycabbage

Thanks CC, we did, I have to say the best turkey we’ve ever had 🦃 We’ve found that the fish and meat are really top quality over here and the local produce in general actually. I ate too much though 🙄 so need to be out there running it off 😂😂

Great post Cazza, I really hope to get to Canada one day. My youngest plans to emigrate to Canada one day so hopefully when he's there I'll be able to visit John.

Happy Thanksgiving to you 🥰

CazzaW profile image
CazzaWGraduate in reply to

Thanks Burkey, does he know which part of Canada? I always forget what a massive country it is but we’ll be doing our best to see as much of it as possible before we come home. It’ll be lovely for you to be able to visit John and maybe do a bit of a road trip yourself 😃

VPOLLIE67 profile image
VPOLLIE67Graduate

CazzaW, I love this post and your photograph. We were in Toronto on holiday a couple of years ago and I just love the city and the islands. What an amazing place to be running.

Congratulations on keeping your mojo going and good luck with the 5k!!!

CazzaW profile image
CazzaWGraduate in reply to VPOLLIE67

Thanks VP, it’s so nice that someone else can envisage where I am 😊 it’s made my day! 👍

Beginner416 profile image
Beginner416Graduate

Hope you had a lovely thanksgiving and long weekend!! We also kept it small just husband and I and small roasted chicken. I made Yorkshire’s for a touch of home.

Great photo! You will definitely meet your goal!

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