Laryngitis

It was a normal run. It was the Thursday before March Break of 2010, and I was training for the upcoming track season of my grade eleven year. It was no run out of the ordinary, and I thought nothing of it. Of course, I had that night’s semi-formal dance on my mind; I had just finished setting it up with fellow committee members in our high school’s cafeteria. And I don’t know if it was the high heels I wore that night, or a step I had missed in a run, or if it was an overnight thing. All I know is the following evening I set out for a relaxing Friday run, and barely made it around the block.

            I had injured my IT band. And it resulted in a few months of seeing a physiotherapist one or two times a week.

"ITBS is one of the leading causes of lateral knee pain in runners. The iliotibial band is a superficial thickening of tissue on the outside of the thigh, extending from the outside of the pelvis, over the hip and knee, and inserting just below the knee. The band is crucial to stabilizing the knee during   running, moving from behind the femur to the front while walking. The continual rubbing of the band over the lateral femoral epicondyle, combined with the repeated flexion and extension of the knee during running may cause the area to become inflamed." (Wikipedia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliotibial_band_syndrome)



I never stopped running, however. I continued to go for easy runs, and complete physiotherapy exercises a couple times each day. It was a lot of work, but thanks to some generous friends who lent me a foam roller, a wise coaching and the nagging of my parents I got through it. I took the advice of a team mate, and continued to go through the exercises even after my injury had healed.

            There were times during my injured months when I had to tape my leg. It was utterly embarrassing to have ugly tape wrapped around your thigh and knee, but I had to grin and bare it if I wished for a smooth recovery.

            I can recall a time in the previous cross country season of that year that now reminds me to take vitamins daily. It’s crucial to stay healthy during both a running season as well as during a theatrical performance. It was September, and that month I was performing in a local musical as well as competing in my high school track season. My schedule was so crazy during that time that I’m not surprised my immune system gave out.

            I’ll describe what that particular Thursday was like. I woke up in the morning to perform in a matinee of the show I was currently in, and I had already felt my voice grow weaker with each approaching day. I took my bow during the curtain call, and exchanged my costume with racing shorts and my team singlet as quickly as I could. I remember my mom pulling into the parking lot of the meet as I was in the passengers seat; I was trying to wipe off as much pink glittery stage make-up with a moist toilette as I possible could. My team mates still made fun of me however, as I arrived with my cheeks sparkling pink. I could feel my face turning a deep scarlet colour as I walked the course; everyone seemed to be staring.

            If that wasn’t bad enough, I didn’t have a voice by that time. I had laryngitis, and some people questioned if I would even run. But I did, and it didn’t go too badly. I was a top ten runner that day, and almost immediately after my race, I bolted back to the theatre in order to prepare for that evening’s show.

            If I’ve learned anything from these experiences, it’s to take care of your body- especially during the crazy times. Whether it’s taking throat lozenges, Immune FX, completing physiotherapy exercises, or just sticking with daily vitamin C, it’s important to do what you need to do to make sure you’re 100% healthy.

            Keep your fingers crossed that the pain I felt in my right hip today heals before my race tomorrow!

Milk

I called my brother back as soon as I saw my missed calls and unanswered texts. I was told my agent had called about an audition I had the next day. About a half hour later at home, I was brought up to speed and spent the remainder of the night scrambling for clothes to wear to the audition. Luckily for me, the requirements listed that you to wear athletic clothing, so finding the correct wardrobe wasn’t that difficult. My agent mentioned it was for a milk commercial, and that the audition would be improvisational.

I actually had butterflies on the drive down to Toronto, and being that nervous before an audition was unusual for me. However, as soon as I stepped into the waiting room my professionalism took over and I signed in at the front desk.

            The waiting room looked like a subway station- I’m not kidding. Complete with different coloured arrows, metal poles and sectioned seating. I noticed a bulletin board on one of the walls, and like dozens of other kids I stood up and headed over to read what it said. It was basically what my agent had told me; it listed what each audition would be like for different age groups as well as a description of the commercial. I always like to be well prepared for any audition, so I quickly memorized what it had to say. I saw some lines, so I learned them as fast as I could. Here’s what they were:

VO:  Fact. Milk contains protein, which helps build and repair body tissue, like muscles.

VO: Fiction. This benefit is exponentially greater in cats.

I figured I’d be required to say these lines in the audition. When my name was finally called, I remember thinking that the crowd behind the table could probably smell my fear. It’s stressful to have several critical people watching you- your audition begins the moments you step into the room.

I listened closely as they explained how I was to mime the situation. I was to mime that I had just returned from a tennis match, and was pouring myself a glass of milk. My cat (which was a stuffed monkey placed at my feet) then rubs my legs, so I pour him a bowl of milk. I then watch as my “cat” grows Hulk-like and destroys my kitchen.

When they were finished explaining, they asked me if I had any questions. I really only had one: when do I say my lines? This was their reaction:

Them: You… have no lines.

Me: I thought I read some in the scene description.

Them: I see. “VO” means voice over.

Me: Oh…

            I thought then and there that I had blown my chance. I had basically told them that I knew nothing about the business. But as both actors and runners understand, it really isn’t over until it’s over (thanks, Yogi B!).

            So they filmed me going through the motions, and afterwards a lady asked me to reshoot the scene. I looked to “ballet” in my movements. So I shot the scene all over again and this time tried to look as natural as possible. I thought I’d get nothing out of the audition besides a learning experience.

Turns out I was wrong. The following Wednesday I was called back (and of course it was for the next day- again). The call back was almost identical to the audition, except this time we auditioned two at a time as “friends” returning from a tennis match.

After the scene, we were both given one more task. We faced the camera and were told that our “friend” was behind it. We were to sing him happy birthday, and then watch in horror as he melted away. Weird, eh? But we filmed it and were sent on our way. It was strange, but hey- it was a milk commercial!

Once again, I left thinking I would hear nothing from them. But I was presented to the Prairie Milk board that weekend and landed the commercial! I filmed it the next Saturday; the whole audition/call back/filming process took only three weeks!

PART THREE: Racing Smart for Dummies

…I could see the finish line ahead of me as I rounded the last corner. It wasn’t until the final 100m that I realized I was going to have that OFSAA sweater. I distinctly remember thinking “I made it!” as I rolled through the finish line. I placed 8^th at OFSAA that June.

I’ve loved the spotlight since I was a little girl. So I was surprised at how I hid my face with my hands every time my school’s announcements would describe how I had finished at the previous day’s race. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks every time my class clapped and congratulated me. I have a difficult last name to pronounce. So naturally I don’t expect perfect pronunciation of my name every week of a cross country or track season. However, my high school butchers my name. I’ve probably heard a good dozen different pronunciations, some even beginning with the wrong letter! Regardless, I’ve gotten used to it. Grade nine may have been a jump in my training and racing performance, but in grade ten I heard my name on my school’s announcements more and more. That year I qualified for both cross country and track OFSAA. Now I had to change my strategy. Coach Steve began to explain what running a “smart race” was. I had watched a fellow team member compete in the Senior Women 3000m race at OFSAA in 2008, and he had told me to watch how she raced very closely. I cheered her on as she pulled up from back of the pack to second place; all within the last few laps!

 I learned that I might be able to have a kick at the end of my races too if I conserved my energy towards the beginning. I struggled with the transformation, however. I would be reminded of running a “smart race”, but would resume my bad habits of sprinting ahead at the sound of the gun. It seemed to be working, but I knew when grade eleven rolled around I would have to break my bad habits.

I can remember my Junior Women (grade 10) cross country race of fall 2008. I was neck and neck with a friend of mine (who attends a different high school), and she knows as well as every other girl in my races that I don’t have the best sense of direction. She had to yell and remind me of where to turn and how the route went if I ever took the wrong turn (what a good friend!). As the race was coming to a close however, I congratulated her on winning; we hadn’t crossed the finish line yet. 300m to go, and I knew she would out kick me. She did, and even thought I was quite happy with a blue ribbon for second I didn’t like how I could predict the outcome. So as I became a senior and began racing with older girls I decided I had to change because reality was they could all out kick me. It was hard to hold back at the start of a race when I wanted to jump ahead of other girls more than anything. But I trusted my coach, and I gradually increased in speed of the course of the race. I didn’t do as well I normally did, but it would take some getting used to. It got easier, and even though my races still weren’t perfect I was happier with my performances.

I also added something onto my acting résumé that October that sparked how I truly felt about acting. I am an academic student, so even though I had dreamed as a kid of being an actress I also took an interest in English and biology and had planned to attend a university such as Guelph to become a veterinarian or a writer or a marine biologist- I didn’t have it perfectly figured out yet. I usually take my cell phone to a workout in case of emergencies. After a Wednesday night workout (I want to say it was the 23^rd?) I noticed I had many missed calls from home and several texts from my brother asking me to call asap. I assumed the worst- fire, car troubles, ect. However, I calmed down when I found out what exactly was going on. Stay tuned!

PART TWO: The Blonde Bullet

Things started to get a little crazy. By eighth grade, both running and my acting were dominating my time outside of school. My days consisted of running at lunches in preparation for the next school meet, jumping in the car after school and completing homework on the way to rehearsal, sometimes even while I was at rehearsal. It was exhausting, stressful, and time consuming, but I did pick up some new skills such as time management.

            I graduated elementary school with top marks, voted best actress by my classmates, and a letter from Steve Weiler inviting me to some trial workouts for London Runner Distance Club. The August of 2007 before grade nine, I went to my first track workout with the group. I want to say that I loved the hard work and rose to the challenge. Truth was, I was finishing last every lap and felt sick to my stomach. I left the workout feeling blue, but also determined that if I stuck with it I would improve. I signed up and became a member the following month.

            The next several months were filled with crazy rehearsal schedules, fatiguing workouts as well as the ups and downs of freshman year. I continued to audition and rehearse for community theatre shows, and was growing as an actor with each experience.

I also noticed an improvement in my running over the winter months. Suddenly I was able to run more repeats of the same loop or hill. Suddenly I was able to run faster without paying the price with nausea afterwards. Suddenly I wasn’t at the back of the pack.

            I joined my high school’s track and field team and was by heads and tails the smallest member. I think my coaches saw potential, but I admit I wasn’t as dedicated or determined at school practices then I was at club workouts. I was again, a mid-pack racer in cross country, so not even I expected much from my first track and field race. I was signed up for the 3000m race, and I was more nervous than ever. I’ve never had stage fright before, but I couldn’t quite shake the pre-race butterflies. Plus, they were combining the grade nine and ten girls. I decided to try a new strategy. I had always been told that I was like the Energy Bunny that you see in battery commercials- I can hold a strong pace for a large amount of time. So why not begin at a really fast pace? My coaches confessed after that race how shocked they were when I bolted ahead of the other girls at the sound of the gun. They thought I was crazy, and wondered if I could hold it. Strangely enough, I did. I wasn’t first overall, a grade ten girl had caught up at some point in the race, but I did bring home a midget girls gold medal.

            After that race, my team and coaches began to take a real interest in my running. “You going to make it to OFSAA?” They’d ask. I didn’t know what to say. OFSAA, high school provincials, was something no runners from my high school had qualified for in a long time. To be honest, I really didn’t think I could make it. But I had noticed that during the chillier months some fellow LRDC members sported OFSAA sweaters, and I hoped to have one too at some point in my high school career. But grade nine?

            I continued to win 3000m races that season, including TVRAA and WOSSAA. The butterflies seemed to be less and less with each passing race. I even gained a nickname from other high schools as they too noticed my quick starts. I was deemed “The Blonde Bullet”, and it seemed to spread. My twin brother, who attends a different high school, had even heard of it floating around his school.

            I raced the 1500m as well that season, but was knocked out after WOSSAA, the second qualifying round. I did however; qualify for OFSAA West Regionals for the 3000m race. The butterflies returned. This was the last qualifying race before provincials- OFSAA. I had to place top three, and I had already noticed in other race results that I’d be racing against some tough competition. I began the race with the same strategy, although this time a couple other girls ran me down. I knew I’ve never had a sprint or kick of any sort at the end of races, so I was nervous heading into my last lap that a third girl would knock me out of third- the last remaining spot to qualify for OFSAA. I could no longer tell what was blood pounding in my ears, or what may be the heavy footsteps of a runner behind me...

PART ONE: Once Upon A Time...

Auditions, races, school, workouts, and rehearsals- does it ever end? Juggling both and acting and running careers is not as easy as it looks. To say my plate is usually full is an understatement.

            Beginning a blog about running and training was suggested the coach of a running group I’ve been a member of since fall 2007, London Runner Distance Club (LRDC). I’ve tried to think of how I can make my running career sound interesting, and what exactly I can write about it. Before I let you in on my current life at the moment, I thought I’d first catch you up. It’s too much to summarize in one post (plus I tend to be fairly wordy and descriptive when I write), so I’ve decided to describe it one section at a time.

PART ONE: Once Upon A Time…

           

            I’ve done it all- from ballet to basketball to sewing lessons. My parents signed my siblings and me up for all kinds of various activities throughout our grade school years. Sometimes it was because we showed an interest in the activity, other times it was just to gain a learning experience. Over the years, I have discovered two very different passions that get me out of bed every morning.

            I first discovered acting. I had been shy as a kid, although I never gave up an opportunity to put on a show for family or friends. At the age of four, I was signed up for my first year of acting classes at The Theatre School, and I became a different kid entirely on stage. Even though I was still flying from soccer to swimming lessons to art classes throughout the week, I always looked forward to my Saturday morning acting sessions.

            I was then was introduced to running; I ran my first cross country race in third grade. My dad was a fairly good runner in his youth, so I decided to give it a shot. I suppose I didn’t quite gather the whole “competitive aspect” of the running scene. I was content with running towards the middle of the pack, quite often grasping a friends hand as we ran together. I loved prancing up and down a long hill in a zig-zag fashion- it was more fun than running straight across it, how boring! Little did I realize that I added a few minutes onto my overall time, but not that I was all that interested in personal best times at that point in my running career.

When I mentioned I wasn’t very competitive, I mean I really wasn’t all that competitive. Growing up, I had always been taught to be on my best behaviour and was well versed in all my manners. So instead of shoving my way to the front of the other kids where the yellow tape bottle-necked into the finish line, I would kindly step aside and allow each kid directly around me to go first until there was a big enough gap for me to finally cross the finish line. I suppose I figured they had already figured out where I had placed at that point, but I wasn’t that concerned about placing then. I was generally about 60^th in my regional cross country meets, and only the top 20 make it on to the finals.

            In fifth grade I was in my second year at Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts for drama, and continued to complete in both cross country and track. I was still a mid-pack runner, and continued to jog with friends rather than join the dog-eat-dog pack at the front of the race. In the fall of grade five however, I placed 19^th in my school’s regionals. I didn’t realize that I had even made it to the finals until my coach had to call me down for the meeting he was holding for all cross country finalists in regards to the upcoming race. I was excited and proud; however it was really just another race to me. It went well, and that same year I competed in track and field finals for the 1500m race, missing qualifying for the 800m race by only one place. I had developed an interest in the sport, but I still lacked the competitive edge.

Me, summer 2005

            The following cross country season, I was lined up to race a meet held at my own school. I raced ahead at the gunshot. I don’t recall what made me do it, all I remember is thinking how proud my parents will be when I tell them I was first for the start of my race, because I figured the usual pack of kids would pull ahead of me at any minute. However, no one did. I remained in first place for the majority of the race. It wasn’t until the last kilometre and a half that a girl with fairy blonde hair pulled back into a French braid (don’t ask me how I remember that) jogged past me. Finally, a little spark of competitiveness kicked in. I sprinted ahead of her, and kept at that pace until I was confident she couldn’t catch up. One of my teacher’s was rabbiting the race on his bike, and boy wasn’t he surprised to see me prancing beside him! I pulled into the finish line with a huge grin as I realized I had even finished before some of the last boys from the race before mine. This race, this first win in sixth grade, was the beginning of my running career.

            My acting took off right around the same time. I was in grade seven when I was casted in my first community theatre production. I preformed as Lucy in Victoria Playhouse Petrolia (VPP)’s production of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I thought I was famous. I remember standing in line at a Tim Horton’s and signing an autograph for a young boy on a napkin. I was so elated afterwards that as I sat down with my family to enjoy my muffin, I saw a flash in the window and cried out that the paparazzi had taken my picture! It was only a flash of lightning. Seems like both my running and my acting were taking off!

My friend and I (right) in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (spring 2006)