April 24, 2006 Source: :
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/060424-2251.asp Marathoning with Style(r) Development officer does diabetes fundraising on the run
Apr 24/06
by W. D. Lighthall Typical laid-back summer vacations such as going camping or to the cottage for a couple of weeks don’t hold a lot of appeal for Sarah Styler. "I’ve always tried to do something a little different," says Styler, a project development officer with the Division of University Advancement. "I broke my arm in Las Vegas on vacation once. So that’s what happens when I go on conventional vacations." Styler’s vacation plans this summer will certainly involve both a physical and a mental challenge. She’s on her way to Iceland to compete in her first full-length marathon. Styler will be running, along with some 200 other Canadians, as a member of Team Diabetes Canada in the Reykjavik Marathon, being held Aug. 19. The Canadian Diabetes Association reports that two million Canadians suffer from the disease. Team Diabetes Canada has raised more than $4.5 million on behalf of the Canadian Diabetes Association. Volunteers on the team run in marathons to raise money and awareness for the battle against diabetes. "I’m really excited about going," Styler says. "There’s this huge fundraising barrier and this huge training barrier. But I really want to do this in memory of my grandfather." Styler’s grandfather, Garnet Earl Brown, suffered from diabetes his entire life. Brown, a former Toronto firefighter, died in Februrary 2005 after a lengthy battle with cancer. The minimum fundraising goal for participating in the marathon, set by Team Diabetes Canada, is $6,000. Styler has raised almost half so far. "Friends, family and colleagues have been wonderfully supportive. Everyone I know is donating, so that has been a big help." Styler took up running as a sport in the fall of 2003. She’s completed two half-marathons but Reykjavik will be her first full marathon, a distance of 42.2 kilometres. "I’d like to think that the two half-marathons equal one full one but they probably won’t," she says. She began her official training for the Reykjavik marathon in early April, using a training schedule provided by the Running Room. She runs five days a week, starting with eight kilometres on the first day and increasing the distance each day, building up to Sunday when she runs 32 kilometres. "I’m really excited about going and a little frightened after receiving my training schedule," she says. One thing she’ll have in her favour when she gets to Reykjavik is the weather. Temperatures in Iceland average from 12 C to 14 C in August. Styler says that’s "perfect marathon weather," much better for long-distance running than the hot and muggy weather Toronto typically gets in August. After competing in Reykjavik, Styler plans to visit Scotland, Norway and possibly the Hebrides islands if there’s time. "The Scottish portion of the trip is definitely a language thing. I took a Gaelic language course here at U of T so I’ve always wanted to go to Scotland and hear native Gaelic speakers," Styler says. "And I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland." To learn more about Sarah Styler’s efforts to raise money for diabetes research by running in the Reykjavik marathon, visit www.sarah-rah-rah.blogspot.com.
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