Laura Katherine

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

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

75 Medium (Reupload)

Note: This was originally published April 13 but taken down to make some edits.

Happy April!

I’m currently writing this from my couch, procrastinating going on my long run because it’s raining outside (and will be for the next few days). Unsurprisingly to everyone, it’s been over a month since my low buy, and I’ve been itching to start another lifestyle challenge. This time, I’m going to be trying a modified version of 75 Hard.

75 Hard is a mental toughness program created by entrepreneur Andy Frisella. It went viral in the early 2020s, and I actually completed a (modified) version of it in 2024. Participants of the program have to complete five tasks a day, every day, for seventy-five days straight without any compromises. These tasks are:

Completing two 45-minute workouts, one of which must be outside. The two workouts must be at least three to four hours apart,
Taking a full-body progress photo,
Drinking a gallon of water (without any additives)¹,
Following a diet of the participant’s choosing without any cheat meals or alcohol; and,
Reading ten pages of a non-fiction / self-help book.

Failing to complete any of these tasks means that a participant “fails” the program and has to start again from Day One.

As a Type A, I enjoyed the rigour and challenge of the program. I quickly learned that the real challenge of the program wasn’t getting the tasks done themselves, but being consistent for seventy-five days straight. Some days were much harder than others.

This winter has kicked my ass a little bit, and I’ve been struggling with consistently prioritizing myself. I want to get back into a routine, and I think the forced routine of 75 Hard might be perfect. This being said, this time, I’m going to be substantially changing the rules because the traditional 75 Hard doesn’t make a lot of sense for me.

Here are the rules I’ll be following instead:

1. Complete 60 minutes of exercise. This can be done all at once or divided into multiple sessions throughout the day. Activity can be as strenuous as running or as simple as stretching, yoga or walking. I’m very active already- I run three times a week, often for sessions longer than an hour at a time. Especially on long run days, it doesn’t make sense to force myself to do a second 45-minute workout later in the day.

2. Stick to a Low-Buy Challenge. This task replaces the progress photo task. When I did 75 Hard the first time, I didn’t get any benefit out of the progress photos- I actually deleted them all shortly after the challenge was over. Especially today, I have no desire to change what my body looks like in any way, so I really don’t think the photos make sense. Sticking to a Low-Buy is a much better use of my time (and money).

My rules will be similar to the Low-Buy I did earlier this year: (1) track my finances every day, (2) no restrictions on essentials, experiences, transportation or gifts, (3) don’t buy physical non-essentials,² (4) only replace used up beauty and hygiene products, (5) consistently evaluate the need for monthly subscriptions and unsubscribe from ones I don’t use and (6) only purchase takeout or dine-in food if an exception applies.³

3. Drink at least 30oz of water. Additives such as fruit for natural flavouring or electrolytes are permitted. My usual water intake is quite low. When I did 75 Hard the first time, I was miserable even drinking 90oz of water a day- my body never adjusted to the intake. Maybe a gallon of water makes sense for Andy Frisella, a 6ft tall man, but I continue to stand by the notion that a gallon of water is completely excessive for a 154cm woman such as myself.

4. Eat intuitively/mindfully. I’m not a fan of diets involving eliminating certain foods or food groups, and I’m also trying to move away from tracking numbers. I’m focusing on eating when I’m hungry and stopping when I’m satiated.

5. Read ten pages of any physical book. The books can be fiction or non-fiction. I regularly read a mix of fiction and non-fiction anyway.

I’m calling the challenge 75 Medium, and I’m planning to start on Monday, April 20. This means, if I’m successful, I’ll finish around the beginning of July. It’s my intention to post updates throughout the course of the program, so hopefully you’ll see some of those soon.

In the meantime, I hope you’re having a lovely (if rainy) start to spring.

With love,

Laura Kate

This was the rule I modified- I only drank 90oz of water. ↩︎
Every month I will give myself 1-2 “approved” items every month that I permit myself to spend money on even if they don’t fall within my rules. ↩︎
Exceptions for purchasing takeout or dining in at a restaurant include: times where (1) I’m with another person and getting food is part of a social experience, (2) I’m getting food after finishing a run, or (3) I’m out on a solo date (max once a week). ↩︎

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

Low Buy Month: Week Four Reflections

Happy March first!

I’m drafting this post from a Starbucks. It’s 7:30am on a Sunday morning- I went to bed extremely early last night and was up by five. It feels like I haven’t written here in a while, even though I know that isn’t true… I think it’s just because I’m late in posting a week four update for my Low Buy challenge. Life was pretty hectic this week: I had a six-day workweek which I balanced with a few nights away from home (thank God for hybrid work!), half-marathon training (nine weeks to go until the race) and a lot of Animal Crossing: New Horizons play time.

I feel a bit like I’m eating my words from last week’s blog post about the weather finally starting to improve in Toronto. These last two weeks, the city has been back to very sloppy snow, rain and ice conditions (though, at least temperatures have increased to about the freezing point). I realize I talk a lot about the weather on this blog, but it’s something I’m just hyperaware of. As an outdoor runner, I keep track of what the best days of the week are to run, and how to dress appropriately.

In other news, I officially finished my low buy month challenge last week and want to give a final update. To summarize, I spent $224.97 last week.¹ Most of it went to necessary expenses: $99.47 on groceries and $36.84 on transportation.² I also spent $47.87 dining out socially and $13.45 dining out on a solo date (the only solo date I went on throughout the entire low buy). Finally, two monthly subscriptions renewed- Microsoft at $13 and Spotify at $14.34.

Despite the challenge being over and meeting my savings goal for February, I honestly feel more pessimistic than ever about my personal finances. I found that the extra focus on money genuinely caused me to feel unhappier throughout the month: about the state of my finances, and the state of the world more generally. This isn’t something I expected to experience; it’s not something I’ve ever heard other no-buyers and low-buyers talk about. Any sense of accomplishment was eclipsed at the end of the challenge by negative feelings: resentment about how expensive life is, dread about upcoming expenses (spring car maintenance, anyone?) and hopelessness about ever being able to reach my long-term financial goals.

The best way I can describe how I’m feeling is financially “red-pilled”.³ My new hyperawareness of my personal finances is bringing me a sense of unhappiness- would it have been better to have stayed ignorant? Obviously, there’s an easy correct answer to this: with knowledge comes power; being aware of your personal spending habits and financially planning for your future is the better option, regardless of how it makes you feel.

In saying all of this, I have to acknowledge the position of privilege I’m speaking from. I make enough money that I was able to afford to live without micromanaging my finances for a few years: I wasn’t struggling to pay my bills and I was even putting away some savings. Not everyone can say this. There are so many people struggling to make ends meet who can’t afford to be ignorant- they’re forced to be painfully aware of where all of their money is going.

In any event, despite how it makes me feel, I know I need to continue tracking and restricting my spending. As I noted in my last post, I plan to continue following my low buy rules for the next little while. I’m hoping that the longer I follow my rules, the more likely they’ll be to crystallize into habits I can follow without thinking. One change I’m making is that I’m also going to give myself 2-3 “approved” items every month that I permit myself to spend money on even if they don’t fall within my rules. For March, I’m choosing (1) a dress for a wedding I have in April, (2) a device charger and (3) binder dividers. I don’t plan to post as frequently about my low buy moving forward, but rest assured I plan to stick with it.

Until next time,

Laura Kate

Not counting my hydro bill which was due. ↩︎
Notably, I was forced to spend $26.94 on parking for a four-hour time period when I went to a friends’ apartment… parking in Toronto is completely out of control. ↩︎
I’m obviously aware of the negative, right-wing connotations that the term “red-pilled” carries these days- as a disclaimer, I obviously don’t associate in any way with this and the context of this post should make that clear. ↩︎

Low Buy Month: Week Three Reflections

I’m currently drafting this post on Sunday afternoon from under a throw blanket on my couch; Elune dozing at my feet. I’m recovering from a 13-kilometre long run I went on this morning. I drove down to the Toronto Beaches for the run, which was a nice change of scenery but much colder and windier than I imagine it would have been elsewhere in the city. Thank God the weather is starting to improve- I’m so excited for spring! As much as I, and everyone else, loves autumn, nothing compares to the breath of fresh air that spring brings after a long, cold winter.

Today marks the end of the third week of my low buy challenge, which is what I want to talk about here. In total, I spent $174.71 this week.¹ Funny enough, from Monday to Friday, I only spent $46- the vast majority of my expenses were incurred over the weekend. All in all, I spent $30.88 on groceries, $69.45 on transportation (refuelling my car and paying for parking once), and $55.33 on dining in at restaurants twice (both for social occasions). I bought my cat a gift on Valentine’s day for $3.20 (a little heart-shaped toy) and I had one subscription service renew at $15.85 (I subscribe to the Patreon of one of my favourite YouTubers).

I think I managed to do so well this week primarily because of work, and the location I was working from. My job has two different offices: one in downtown Toronto (an hour commute away from my apartment) and one in North York (20-30 minutes away). The location I physically work from switches on a weekly basis. This week I was at the North York office. I find there to be much more of a pull to spend money on days when I’m stationed at the downtown office, probably because the workdays are much longer with the added commute. This coming week, I’m actually on vacation, so I’m curious how not being at work at all will impact my spending.

Something I’ve been thinking about lately is whether I want to extend my low buy beyond the month I originally intended. Last week, the first time I received a paycheck since starting the challenge, I was really pleased with the amount of money I was able to save. I definitely think I’d like to continue my low buy for a few months, but I might modify some of the rules to make it more sustainable in the long term. For example, in the next month or so, I know I have some things I need to spend money on that don’t strictly fall into my low buy rules (for example, a haircut, a new dress to wear to a wedding in April and printer ink). What I might do moving forward is give myself permission at the beginning of each month to purchase 2-3 specific items falling outside of my low buy rules.

All of these good things being said, I also wanted to note that something I struggled with this week was boredom! I felt constrained- as if by not letting myself spend money mindlessly, I was placing limits on what I could and couldn’t do with my time. To keep myself motivated, I’ve been watching vloggers on YouTube who have made videos about their own Low Buy and No Buy challenges- it’s really helped. Since I’m hoping to continue this low buy challenge for a while longer, I’m hoping that my rules eventually come to feel less restrictive and more like day-to-day habits I don’t have to put much thought into.

Talk to you next week,

Laura Kate

Not counting my phone and internet bill. ↩︎