Money in the Mail. Today I recieved a cheque for $63.07 for recycling ink and laser cartridges with Funding Factory. I will continue to with this type of program through a Canadian Company called Think Recycle.

Jog #6. It was great weather for a jog today. Other people must of felt the same because the canal trail was packed today. Including the two large groups I must have seen about 40 joggers. Plus the people walking, roller-blading and biking it was quite an event.

I felt stronger today; my lungs and legs didn't give up on me as fast as the previous times. After the madness of graduation and moving is over I will begin to increase the distance and time of my jogs. Until then I think I will stick to short jogs, walking and stairs.

Jog #5. I jogged to the halfway point, 1.5km, without stopping today. Progressing. After I was done jogging I attempted the stairs and did all 25 flights. I rock. Endurance here I come.

Today was my 'day-off' from packing. I'm so incredibly sick of packing. It's taking longer because I've been organizing at the same time. I have been feeling a bit materialistic with all this packing - I really have way too many things. The u-haul truck is booked and I've arranged people to help with the move. Less than 2 weeks...

Week 2. The plan is to stay with small distances until I feel like my endurance is kicking in and I can jog much more than walking and having it not be to mentally painful. So in good fashion I did the usual jog from one lock to another along the Ottawa canal yesterday. A very humid day, it wasn't very busy - the way I like it but wow humid. I cooled down in the lobby of my apartment building on my return and then decided something silly - "I should walk upstairs." So I did 15 flights of stairs and then took the elevator up to my floor - the 25th. It was definitely a good workout. Now I feel determined to do all 25 flights before I move (in 2 weeks).

Jog #3. I seem to be progressing better than I thought. This is definitely better than the first time around. I'm no speed demon that's for sure but I'm moving faster than sitting on the couch so that's something.

I found this great quote on the web today:

Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day Two. I kicked it into gear again and did a short jog today. I plan to take it easy for the first 2-3 weeks to build up some endurance and get into the routine. I read somewhere it takes 3 weeks to develop a habit - so that's the goal.

Out of hibernation. On Wednesday I gathered up my courage and set out my first jog in a very very long time. Okay, I admit - my first jog since well the 10km race in Iceland last August! I pretty much figured that I lost everything I gained last summer training and that I would be starting at square one. My expectations were low, very low - I remember only being able to jog only a small amount before having to stop completely out of breath. I remember the nauseous feeling associated with breathing too hard. I remember the sore muscles that follow. Yes I wasn't feeling too optimistic. Surprisingly it was okay - all things considered. I could jog much further without stopping than the first day of training and I didn't really get the feeling like my lungs may explode. I'm still a complete beginner but I'm glad that at least I retained something from last year whatever it was. Now I must summon the courage to go out again and make a lifestyle change. Oh dear.

Plans for the future. I've been accepted for a Masters in Physics at Laurentian University for the fall. I think that this is a good step for me. The research directions of the university is in line with my own personal interests. In addition the major experiments are on site in the SNOLAB. I believe I will receive excellent experience from both the theoretical and experimental components. This means that I will be moving to Sudbury for at least 2 years. I will be moving after my convocation on June 15th. I have met with all of the Particle Physics professors at Laurentian during a recent visit to Sudbury. It left me feeling very optimistic: each professor was very easy going, each seemed passionate about their research, and I didn't get a sense of the politics and ego that can sometimes be associated in an academic environment.
So that nagging question I've been getting for the last year "what are you going to do after you graduate?" has been answered - more school.

Exam season is over! It started out with a bang - I handed in my 140 page final report for my 4th year project. I think all the not sleeping or eating thing got to me because wow did I ever get sick. At least it didn't start before the project deadline. They actually isolated me during the exams because all the coughing and such was bothering the other students. I had a proctor periodically check in on me instead of sit with me because no one would volunteer - being afraid of catching the 'plague.' I was determined not to deffer my exams since doing so would push back my convocation which would a) suck and b) make life complicated.

Today I finished my last exam of the semester. And if all goes well - I have finished the last exam at Carleton FOREVER! You think I would be jumping for joy but I don't think it's set in yet. When I get my grades and that very deserved piece of paper that say "you have met all the requirements and you can graduate" or something of the sort - then it will hit me. Done. Done done done.

Officially worst Easter ever! Originally my 4th year project (a.k.a honours thesis) was due on Good Friday until the deptartment figured out it was indeed Good Friday and the school was closed. Ha! So the duedate got pushed back until Easter Monday. Holiday-wise I'm not sure it's that much better, however the school was back open. These extra three days is perhaps the only good thing to happen over the duration of the project and well it was needed. So I spent all weekend (and the last 2 weeks...) working on my project.

Easter Sunday I joined a nice meal of 'Greek on Wheels' because I thought I deserved something more than just cereal. I worked on my project until it was finished at 6:12am!! Charles was a big help, went over the code with me and provided the much needed emotional support. Felt like throwing my laptop off the balconey once or twice.

Monday morning, I scurried around trying to figure out how to print two copies and get them bound. The 24hour staples, who I called several times over the night eventually picked up and quoted 3pm as the time to pick up....humm the project was due at noon. I finally ended up at graphic services at school who didn't have a huge line as I expected (I went there when they opened, the huge line developed while I was waiting, and I was in the front, excellent) and I got it done and handed in by 9:45am. Wahoo! Officially done my project.

Easter Monday afternoon was the silver lining. I spent the afternoon with some extended family that was in town. I have another cousin in town and I never knew it until Sunday. The marvels of facebook I tell you! Yay Kierstan!

The Iron Ring

Last night I got to be part of a ceremony called "The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer" where I received my iron ring. This happens several times a year across Canada to obligate new engineers into the profession.

The ring symbolizes "the pride which engineers have in their profession, while simultaneously reminding them of their humility. The ring serves as a reminder to the engineer and others of the engineer's obligation to live by a high standard of professional conduct." - www.ironring.ca

....countdown to graduation....

last exam: April 25

convocation: June 14

STAND UP FOR CHARITY - an evening of laughter in support of the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Thursday March 8th '07, I co-hosted a fundraiser at a local comedy club, Absolute Comedy, for my Team Diabetes Campaign. We pre-sold close to 50 tickets for this event. Most of which was last minute. As expected, no one under 30 can plan anymore than 2 days in advance. The club was packed with other members of the public, I'm guessing 150 in total. The 50-50 tickets sold well and I even got rid of some diabetes wristbands. I was happy that everyone I approached to talk about diabetes and the 50-50 tickets was very receptive.

Altogether, we raised $427.92!!!

But we also raised awareness about the CDA with the use of brochures, posters and cards.

A very enjoyable evening. My second fundraiser at Absolute Comedy and I would do it again.

Taylor, where are you? Good question. I suppose it's time for an update. I've taken quite a hiatus from blogland and maybe it's time for my triumphant return. I took a bit of a break from fundraising and training as school started to get serious. My last year as an undergrad has definitely been the worst. I am definitely counting down the days until it is all over. God I hope I pass everything and graduate!! Updates might be a bit slow until after April 25th (my last exam) but I hope to not be so distant.

update: Most exciting - a new website! Check out http://www.taylorshantz.com/

update: My boyfriend Charles has decided to join with me in the fight against diabetes. Together we hope to raise more than $12200! Oh dear.

update: Fundraising event scheduled for March 8th 2007 at 8pm at Absolute Comedy, check out www.taylorshantz.com for more info.

News from Dublin! I recieved word from the Ottawa CDA office about my fellow participants running the Dublin marathon on Oct. 30th. Here are some of the highlights;

Team Diabetes Canada was well-represented at this year's Dublin Marathon by 82 participants of whom more than a quarter were TD Alumni. The race kicked off with some sunshine and strong winds, but thankfully none of the rain that Dublin is famous for. Over 40 friends and family members were on hand to lend their support.

For the third year in a row, the Dublin Marathon had over 10,000 participants and Team Diabetes was again one of the largest foreign contingents at this year's race. Tammy Hackett of Halifax, NS finished first amongst the Team Diabetes women and was 16th overall in her category. Team Diabetes' own 'Marathon Man' Greg Andreas of Cranbook, BC completed his 100th Marathon in under 4 hours; Team Trainer Lise Edwards of Sudbury, ON also illustrated her staying power by logging over 26.2 miles to ensure that each Team Diabetes participant was well-supported and encouraged on the course.

The trip to Ireland and the successful completion of the race are a fitting end to the months of dedicated fundraising and training by these participants. In total, the Dublin team has raised more than $450,000 for diabetes research, education, service and advocacy. In addition, they have demonstrated a commitment to changing their lifestyles and themselves for the better while raising awareness about diabetes prevention and management.

Well Done Team!

It feels like in the last month or two I've been talking to a lot of new people about my experience with the Team Diabetes program. So I thought it might be nice to give a little re-cap for the newbies on the blog and give some thoughts for the future.

Re-cap. In June 2005 my roommate came home and told me about this program that she heard about from a friend. Her mum has diabetes and she had just finished the Ottawa half-marathon. This is right up her alley, well maybe except for the fundraising. It was Team Diabetes.

The Canadian Diabetes Association has set up a program that "allows participants to take an expense-paid trip to a fabulous destination and raise money for a worthy cause." I mulled over the decision to join or not to join (that is the question?) for about a month. I had been one of those kids that was the number one fundraiser - door-to-door selling $500 of saran wrap or oranges etc. So the project felt like a challenge and I felt up to it. I met with a Team Diabetes representative a month later and committed to raising $6000 for the Canadian Diabetes Association, setting my eyes on a 10 km run in Reykjavik Iceland in August 2006!

Through ups and downs I raised the coin to qualify to be a part of the Iceland adventure. Over the year I held three events and sent out numerous letters and emails soliciting donations. I definitely learnt a lot throughout the process. Although there are the work related skills including letter-writing, media contacts, business networking and so on, I felt that the number one thing I learnt was the ability to talk to strangers. I have the double trouble in that I'm shy and I have a quiet voice. I don't even like to call for takeout, I'd rather someone else do that. So the fact that I learnt to talk to random people and business owners and comfortably ask for something is a big step!

So with my new skills in tow, I joined approximately 200 other athletes from various parts of Canada to participate in a 10 km run in Reykjavik Iceland. In total Team Diabetes participants in Reykjavik this year raised over one million dollars for research and advocacy! I found the whole experience very moving; many people I talked to told me about how diabetes had affected their lives or the lives of loved ones, I watched participants run/walk their first marathon - many starting at the charity start so as to make the 8 hour time cut-off and finally felt inspired by the many Icelandic locals cheering us on and yelling "go Canada!" from the sidelines. Almost makes you want to do this again...

Future. So with this accomplishment under my belt I have decided to continue to support the Canadian Diabetes Association by remaining apart of the Team Diabetes program. With the inspiration from some of the Team diabetes participants, I've challenged myself to participate in the FULL marathon event in Rome, Italy in 2008!
Furthermore, I hope that my experience will inspire others to get involved in their community or to do something new and challenging or travel to fabulous places.

Back to the training…most likely. After a nice long break from anything that involved exercise I think that it’s time to jump back into the running shoes. Since the race back in August I also put my diet on hold. Eating while travelling, Rosh Hashanah, and Thanksgiving? Oh and a few bags of my absolute favourite ruffles BBQ chips. Luckily I’ve stayed at the same weight all this time. I find this comforting that when I do finishing counting all the points that I won’t gain all the weight back like many do, well as long as I make healthy choices.

Just to keep me honest – this is my progress so far is;


Jun 07th 2006 - 185 lbs
Aug 16th 2006 - 170 lbs
Oct 16th 2006 - 168 lbs


I don’t exactly have a number goal in mind when it goes to this diet, which is probably a good thing. Basically I just would like to fit into my clothes comfortably again. From what I remember this will most likely happen in another 10 lbs? But I don’t really have the foggiest idea.
So I will dust off my sneakers and see what 2 months with no training will do to my running endurance. Hah. Back at square one? I’ll let you know. Oh dear.

Vote for me! Today I entered the Gap Adventures photo contest. Gap Adventures is a travel company specializing small group adventures. I became interested in this company while researching tour operators in Africa for a hopefully future Kilimanjaro climb. Although it's rather doubtful that i'll be the big winner, go and show your support and check out some amazing photos from around the globe. Just enter my name "Taylor Shantz" and you'll find my pics. Cheers!

http://www.gapadventures.com/contests/photo_contest

Donation in the Mail! A big thanks goes out to B. Badalato on breaking the donation drought! Way to go! Your support is greatly appreciated.

Gobble gobble. What a great Thanksgiving weekend! On Sunday Charles and I hosted a traditional Canadian Thanksgiving meal (turkey, potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin pie, etc.) for his family. I was very excited last Wednesday when we got the turkey. My first turkey – at least I thought it was exciting. I thought it was funny that if I told anyone about my excitement for my first turkey the response was varied between genders;

Male response – so?
Female response – oh that is exciting, I remember my first turkey! Take pictures!

Okay and I keep talking about MY first turkey but in reality I completely refused to touch the turkey. I’m a vegetarian. And so really it was mostly Charles’ first turkey. The turkey came out perfect, or so I’m told. No crazy first-time horror story about leaving the plastic bag in the turkey and baking it or anything. Although I’m not a huge fan of “tofurkey,” I still had a great dinner with all the veggies. Way too many leftovers.

On Monday Charles’ parents had the opportunity to host Thanksgiving Dinner Part II – Slovak style. Ummm-handmade perogies with potatoes and sheep cheese, dumplings (veg and meat variety), goose, beef soup with matzo balls, berries, meat, meat and more meat.

Both nights we stuffed ourselves silly. I’ll have to wait until the leftovers run out before I start counting Weight Watchers points again. I love Thanksgiving!