December 31, 2008 - Jennifer the female ran 5K today!

history was made as i participated in the Resolution 5K Run today, my first running event registered as a female. it was a very slow and gentle run on account of me being just 14 days removed from major surgery, but it went well. no major concerns. i clocked in at about 36.40, which really isn't too bad given that i was essentially running with a limp.

there was a little social event afterwards where i got to chat with a few local runners i haven't seen for a while.

earlier in the day, i visited the duckies and video taped them running around the pond, check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W964M9cupdk&feature=channel_page

happy new year!
Jennifer

December 30, 2008 - Impromptu Run

and for the record, i ran 1.6k today. i was late for a meeting and ended up running from office to office.. the run was actually a good one. the wound was not aggravated. i think the bleeding has finally stopped. i'm going to give it a go in the 5K tomorrow. even if it is a slow jog, that's better than walking the Resolution 'Run'

Jennifer

December 30, 2008 - the official year in review stats!

Ahh, i love stats and i love self-promotion. here's a review of some of my key running stats and running milestones, as well as some 2009 goals:

Month total running km / net annual running km

Jan 126.30 / 126.30

Feb 114.50 / 240.80

Mar 299.50 / 540.30

April 317.10 / 857.40

May 347.00 / 1204.00

June 352.60 / 1556.60

July 415.40 / 1972.00

Aug 572.80 / 2566.80

Sept 325.40 / 2892.20

Oct 300.90 / 3193.10

Nov 241.90 / 3435.00

December 176.60 / 3611.60 km (includes my anticipated 5k tomorrow!)

# of days in which i ran 42.2k or more: 33

most consecutive days running 42.2k or more: 4 (Aug 7-10) the infamous Quadzilla!

training - ultra calendar days: (days in which i ran more than 42.2k)

05/18/08 sun 52.80 km

05/31/08 sat 46.40 km

06/01/08 sun 53.60 km

07/01/08 tue 85.00 km

08/01/08 fri 42.70 km

08/02/08 sat 58.80 km

10/03/08 fri 44.10 km

24 hour periods which i ran 55k or more:

05/31/08 - 06/01/08 55.80 km run within 24 hours

07/01/08 - 07/01/08 85.00 km run within 13.52 hours

08/02/08 - 08/03/08 80.50 km run within 24 hours

08/07/08 - 08/08/08 69.20 km run within 22.30 hours

10/03/08 - 10/04/08 60.00 km run within 24 hours

multiple day training runs of significance:

08/07/08 - 08/10/08: 168.80 km

(4 marathon equivalents: 17 hours of running within 77 hours)

08/01/08 - 08/10/08: 329.40 km

(equivalent of 7.5 marathons + in 9.5 days!)

Official Marathons:

05/11/08 Mississauga Marathon (Mississauga, ON)

3.19.0606/08/08 Eastern Marathon (Portugal Cove, NL) 3.22.16

06/15/08 Johnny Miles Marathon (New Glasgow, NS) 3.43.10

07/20/08 Massey Ontario Marathon 3.16.59 (Personal Best and Boston Qualifier!)

09/14/08 Newfoundland Marathon (St. John's, NL) 3.36.16

09/27/08 Akron Ohio Marathon 3.50.05

09/28/08 Toronto Waterfront Marathon 3.42.26

Claim to Fame:

Unofficially, the only Newfoundlander and only out Transsexual in world history to complete 2 marathons in 2 countries in 2 days! (note i was 7 minutes faster on day two!)

2009 goals:

- use running as a way to get my weight down below 160 pounds, and keep it below 160 pounds for the rest of my life!

- training run of 126.6k in a 24 hour period, at least once!

- training runs of 42.2k seven days in a row, at some point.- run more than 5000k in the calendar year

- run 10 official marathons

- run 4 official marathons in 4 different states within 9 days - likely to occur as follows: Charlottesville 4/18/08, Boston 4/20/08, Louisville 04/25/08, Toledo 04/26/08 - still working out the logistics for this trip. i hope it happens!

- use my status as a marathon-running transsexual as a way to promote positive education, awareness, and acceptance among society regarding transsexualism

....you'll notice no time-oriented goals here. As i transition from male to female, my strength speed and endurance has taken a hit, and will continue to fall as i get deeper into estrogen therapy; therefore, it is essentially impossible to gain a clear understanding of time expectations. once i have fully transitioned, i will be able to start setting time goals again!

December 29, 2008 - Glass City Marathon Accepts Jennifer as a female!

Over the holiday season, i decided to get in touch with race directors of several marathons for which i might consider running in 2009. One of which was the Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio for April 26/09.

The race director has agreed to let me participate as a female, but with the understanding that i will wave my rights to accept female awards (not that i would likely win one anyway). This is exactly what i was hoping to get. I consider this a huge victory and a precedent which i hope will lead to future acceptances elsewhere.

Attached is a thread of my e-mail request, and the response i received from the race director.

---------------------------

Jennifer,
Yes, we would allow any transgender to participate in our events. However, due to software limitations, we are required to enter a value for sex; either Male or Female. My recommendation for you would to enter under the female category as this is ultimately your goal. Should you fall in place of any awards we will pass the award to the next recipient. We look forward to seeing you in April, and good luck with your marathon challenge!

Clint McCormick
Race Director

-----Original Message-----

From: Jennifer McCreath Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 8:41 PMTo: racedirector@glasscitymarathon.orgSubject: Glass City Marathon - transgendered athlete policy?

Dear Mr Clint McCormick,

i am a transgendered athlete who is currently in the process of transitioning from male to female.
i just recently had part one of two sex reassignment surgeries performed (bilateral orchiectomy), so i am technically neither 100% male nor 100% female at the moment (i haven't had full vaginoplasty yet)..

i'd love to run the Glass City Marathon this year as part of a mega marathon challenge (i am planning to run 4 marathons in 9 days this April, including Boston).

it could reasonably be argued that it would be unfair for me to register and compete against males or females, given my current status of transitioning. from that standpoint, i do not have any natural testosterone flowing thru my body, but i have been taking estrogen pills on a daily basis for several months, simulating female levels. running for me isn't about competing against others, it's about me running for myself and to prove that transgendered people are capable of being great athletes. i don't even care whether or not i would be eligible to win awards for age/sex categories. i'd just like to get the t-shirt and finishers medal like everyone else!

would you consider allowing a registration and participation for me without assigning me to an official sex category? (either put me in a 3rd sex category, or leave it as undefined/unclassified?)
Jennifer

December 28, 2008 - longer run!

well, i couldn't help myself. i went for three separate short runs today over to the pond and to the Running Room. i registered for the Resolution Run for Dec 31, a 5k Run that is not technically a race. the big news is that the Running Room has sanctioned me in the female category. Even if i have to walk this 5k, due to my surgery, it is important for me to participate as i would love to be able to claim to have completed at least one official event as a female!

the other runs were over to the pond to see the duckies. most of the pond was frozen over but there is a small patch that doesn't freeze due to a stream flowing in. this is where the duckies hang out. there were about 60 of them today! overall, i ran 7.5k but i think i opened up my wound a bit more as there was a little bleeding. i will not be running again until Dec 31 as a precautionary measure.

Jennifer

December 27, 2008 - back home

just got back in town after a few days visiting family over christmas. first time in 6 trips that my flights to and from Newfoundland were not delayed or diverted due to weather issues. amazing planning on my part... lol

i am now on day 10 since the surgery and i went out for a light 2k jog to test my mobility. things are still awkward down there. but it is my hopes to participate in the Running Room's Resolution Run on Dec 31, a 5k informal jaunt around the pond. i've asked them to consider accepting my registration without a sex marker and they have yet to respond. must be on an extra long Christmas break!

Jennifer

December 25, 2008 - Thumbing your nose?

yes the thumb is still sore. it has now been 12 days since the injury. i am convinced it is a partially torn ligament that really should require imobilization for 4-6 weeks. my fear is that the legament may be completely torn and requires surgery. i am going to follow up with my doctor after the christmas holiday.

the joke all along was that "you know something's wrong with your thumb if that's the major focus of you r cocnerns just hours after having an orchi!"

no running today. but a nice walk outside. won't be running tomorrow either. want to make sure this orchi wound heals properly. won't run until there have been 3 days in a row with no bleeding.

Jennifer

December 24, 2008 - rest day

the wound extracted a little blood this morning so i decided against any running today. gonna rest up for a few days in hopes that it will heal completely.. the bruising and swelling has gone down a bit today, so that's definitely a good sign. it's definitely frustrating to deal with, but it definitely exciting to have the operation over with and a recovery going fairly well.

happy holidays to all
Jennifer

December 23, 2008 - 6 days!

only 6 days removed from an orchiectomy, i went for my first run, a very very slow and gentle 1.2k stroll down to the mail box. probably not the brightest thing to do 6 days after this type of surgery, but i just couldn't resist. the run actually went well. no incident. it is still quite painful "down there" and the wound is still open, so i probably won't chance it again for a while, but if it heals further by dec 31, i may sign up for the infamous running room 5k resolution run.

on that note, i wrote the running room today and asked them about transgendered athlete policies. i have been in touch with some other trans runners and they seem to be against the concept of a hird gender category for transitioning athletes, but one liked the idea of competing without disclosing or declaring a gender. an "unclassified" category of sorts. so i ran that idea by the running room. will be interesting to see what they say.

Jennifer

December 21, 2008 - back home!

quite the journey. air canada cancelled my flight back to canada due to an expected snow storm, so i was scrambling from my hotel bed to find an alternate flight back. i ended up skipping town a day early, against doctor's orders. just 32 hours removed from surgery, i was navigating the philly and then toronto airports.

got into toronto before the storm and managed to spend the next day resting while visiting family. got back home early saturday morning...

today, the wound opened as the stiches broke. not sure if this was due to all my movement or due to a poor stitching job. (the stitching appeared weak right from the get go, but i am sure the moving around didn't help). found myself in the emergency room today as a precautionary measure. the wound will not be restitched as there are still some stiches in tact and the would appears to be healing well so far. i am going to have to be extra careful for a few days. the wound is swollen and bruised but nothing out of the ordinary. i am hopeful that the scar won't be too bad, although it looks like an incredible cut.

Jennifer

December 18, 2008 - Recovering going well

I had my orchiectomy surgery yesterday morning. Dr Murray Kimmel performed the operation in Philadelphia. He's done over 12000 of these so he knew what he was doing. i'll be resting for another 24 hours then heading home. i've been instructed not to run or swim for a month. let's see if i can wait that long.. lol

Jenn

December 16, 2008 - Philly!

well, i arrived in Philly yesterday for the big surgery. i booked my flights early to plan in case of weather delays, but i have had 2 really good days here so far as a tourist. Got to take in the NFL game last night, then spent today running around the city as a tourist. Saw the Philly Zoo, the Liberty Bell and the Rocky Statue, among other things. 8k running yesterday and 12k running today. Gives me a nice couple of runs to end my season. Surgery tomorrow morning. not sure if i will get in one more run or not. but it is probable that i won't run until 2009, as recovery is expected to take a while.

Got my official comfirmation from Boston Marathon today. that was really exciting! now i can start booking the trip.

Jenn

December 15, 2008 - flat

finally had a run on some flat roads today. 8k to be exact. tons of fun. more later!

Jenn

December 14, 2008 - cold

well, it was back to freezing temps today. my finger was still quite sore so i didn't get over for a swim. but i had 3 separate runs over to the ponds. 12k in total. felt a bit sluggish given that i ran 42.2k yesterday.

Jenn

December 13, 2008 - It's Been A While!

yup, 42.2k of running today. 71 days since i last did that (gee, that's hard to believe!)

started out my day by sleeping in late. as promised, the temp was 60 degrees out there. i dusted off my running skirt, tank top and sports bra and went out for a run to the pond. i took a brief intermission to feed the duckies. it was very windy out there so the bread crumbs were flying all over the place.

then it was a trot to the mall to grab some empty boxes to bring to my friend's house as she was preparing a move. i ran home and had a brief snack, then ran up to another pond, left pond, where i had a very quick dunk in the water. last year at this time, i was skating on that pond!

then i ran back over to my friend's house and helped her finish moving her stuff. after helping her get to the airport, i ran back home again. this time, i took a stumble and hyperextended my thumb quite badly! i got up and bolted it home as fast as i could to put ice on it. at this point, i was up to 28k on the day.

after dinner with a few friends to 'celebrate' my surgery, i went back out and finished up the last 14k. still fairly warm weather but rainy..

42.2k in total. 4.11.02 of running in just over 11 hours. the last 5k were a struggle, as i had not carbloaded for the run or done anything like that. but it was nice to know that i could still run 42.2k on any given day out of the blue. my weight is up to about 190 now. hard to believe i have gained this much in 3 months!

well, perhaps i will get out for a few more long runs before my surgery..

i missed my swim at the pool today and might not get over tomorrow if this thumb is still as sore as it is.. kinda sad. only i could get a thumb injury by running!

Jennifer

December 12, 2008 - Soggy Lunch

ended up getting stuck at work late tonight so i only managed a 2k run around the pond at lunch. the snow was in the process of melting so it was quite slushy out there! this evening, it is 60 degrees f. hard to believe it is warmer outside than inside!

if i get a good sleep tonight, i will plan a long run tomorrow morning, as the temp is supposed to stay work until early evening.

missed my swim today but will plan to have one tomorrow and/or sunday!

Jennifer

December 10 & 11, 2008 - Ahh, no title comes to mind

well, back to the pool yesterday and today after a few days off. it's amazing what emotional stress can do to one's energy levels. life is definitely not easy for me.. trying to constantly prove myself and get doors opened for everything i need, from transition, work, family/friends, health care, etc..

i have averaged 10k per day of running this week and i have had 3 nice swims so far this week. trying to keep myself in the best shape possible. surgery is around the corner and i will be shelved for a while to recover.. i'm concerned i will gain even more weight due to inactivity at that time..

weather is looking good for saturday here..i might try to give it a go at a long run..

Jennifer

December 9, 2008 - ice!

gee, more snow and ice today. -4 temp and windy. the pond is starting to freeze over. i almost fell in again today. that ice is slippery! couple of nice laps around the trail. 10k running in total. the knee is still banged up from yesterday's fall.

Jennifer

December 7, 2008 - snow!

what a day. 6 inches of snow in the morning. made for a challenging run. had my first snow shovel of the year and built a snowperson. ran 8.2k and swam 2.5k. the swim was very exhausting.

Dec 8, 2008 - all the snow melted overnight. got as warm as 10 degrees, but now back to freezing. i fell and banged my knee at the pond on a rock so i canceled my evening swim, but did manage to get in a total of 12.2k of running.

Jennifer

December 6, 2008 - Night Run

well, after watching the big SEC title football game on tv (Congrats Florida!) i decided to head out for a 10k run in the -5 fresh night. 65 minutes. knees were painful. felt good in terms of endurance, at least to a certain extent. ran into a cat after 6k, so i stopped for a brief petting visit.. lol up to 3503k on the year. let's see how many more i can sneak in before the surgery!

Jennifer

December 6, 2008 - dark days

yesterday was an off day. i actually had a car for the day to do various errands, so i didn't get around to running or swimming. but this morning, i returned the car and ran home. this was around 7.30 am! i immediately went back to sleep and woke up at 11 am! took me a while to get organized and i ran over to the pond to visit the duckies, then to the pool for a swim, as per usual.. then it was lunch with a friend that carried on for a few hours. it just seems like my day is starting and it is already dark out. feels kinda strange, and sad. i miss my long 10 hour beach visits..

the SAD light seems to be starting to affect me. i appear to be in better moods more often, although i continue to average about 12-15 crying spells every day.. it will be interesting to see how i do over the 2nd week.

12.7k of running today so far. i may head out for an evening run. new shoes are nice. but i'm disappointed with the new asics 2130 model. they don't seem as durable as the 2120. the shoes seem to have lost most of their umph by 200k.

Jennifer

December 4, 2008 - Groundbreaking Trans Athlete Policy Development!

Due to an Olympic policy precedent, transwomen athletes who are less than 2 years into transition are often forced to compete as "males." i found this to be unfair and degrading. I proposed a better idea, and it looks like the idea may get accepted!

The World Out Games are the Olympic equivalent for athletes who identify as Lesbian / Gay / Bisexual / Transgender /misc Queer, etc. It is a combination of athletic excellence and pride. The inaugural World Out Games took place in Montreal Canada in 2006. The next version will take place July-Aug 2009 in Copenhagen Denmark.

My big news of the day is that the World Out Games race organizers have given preliminary indication that they will likely accept and implement my proposed policy amendment to their policy for transsexual athletes, paying special attention to those who are currently "in transition".

The International Olympic Committee has clear guidelines for when and how trans athletes will qualify for their new sex. but for those who are less than 2 years into transition, they are forced to compete under their old/original biological sex category. The World Out Games had adopted this guideline as their official policy.

i suggested to the World Out Games that although i agree that it would be unfair for me to compete as a female, it would be unfair for me to compete as a male as well, given that 1 - i won't have all of the male "parts" that i was born with, and 2 - the affect of estrogen gives me an unfair competitive disadvantage against other males.

I also suggested that asking me to compete as a male was not only unfair, but disrespectful, humiliating, and degrading, given that i identify as a woman.

i proposed that a 3rd sex category be created for those athletes who neither identify with and/nor biologically qualify as male or female. this would be a participation category, as opposed to a competitive category (given that it is not really fair to ask transitioning competitors to compete against one another as some will be further along into hormones, and hence further advantaged or disadvantaged from others). the spirit of the World Out Games is to give LGBT athletes a chance to display their athletic talents while expressing pride of their LGBT status. this isn't really about winning or losing.

if this policy amendment does in fact go thru in January, i would consider this a huge precedent and a huge victory in terms of trans recognition and acceptance.

Jennifer

December 3, 2008 -

10.8k of running and 2.4k of swimming today. i was late getting my act together after work so i didn't get to swim as long as i had hoped.. the knees are still giving me trouble. the new shoes are feeling good and taking some of the pressure off. i'm thinking it may be my extra weight that is cause for concern.

it's starting to sink in that my surgery date is approaching and that i will be on the shelf for a while. won't be looking forward to that... oh well, it will be worth it!

Jennifer

December 2, 2008 - Sad Memory

Sad Memory.. let's see how many hidden meanings are in there..

dec 2, 2007 was the date of a major snow storm here in st. john's. i'll never forget that. it was my first taste of the newfoundland winters.. lol

Sad - my 2nd day of Sad light treatment. i've been told that i should see signs of improvement in 2 weeks.. this will really be interesting.

Sad Memory is also a 1967 tune written by Richie Furay of the Buffalo Springfield

today is also Britney Spears' birthday.. hard to believe she is 27! i gather from her interview today that she is having a sad life lately.. lol ..actually, that's not lol. poor Britney. i hope her life gets better.. you can all laugh at her if you want, but she actually represents an important part of my transition.. back in 1999, i seemed fasinated by her. little did i realize that i was essentially wishing that i could be in her shoes.. a young pretty successful teen.. being a teenage girl is something i will never get to experience.. but at least when i am fully transitioned, i can life a rewarding and fulfilling life as a middle aged woman.

anyway, 9th pair of shoes got broken in today. nice little run after supper to yet another pond (Burton's Pond) a place where duckies hang out all night. none of this flying away to go sleep somewhere.. lol

well, the sleeping pills are starting to make me woozy.. i better click this off before i pass out at my computer.. lol

Jennifer

December 1, 2008 - SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder is something i think i have been dealing with, so i went out and got myself a therapeutic light. it's going to be very interesting to see if this works!

ahhh, amazing how the topic of Boston Marathon Qualifying and surrounding controversies seems to dominate the web forum over at the Running Room's website. are the standards fair? should the rules be bent in extreme circumstances? is it morally right for them to break their own rules? would it be easier to qualify as a female than as a male? lots of interesting discussions!

7.5k of running today. the knees are sore from the weekend. i also think they are sore from the high heel boots i have been wearing to work.. might have to cut back on wearing them.

a negative situation at work has upset me greatly over the past few days. this has definitely affected my mood and energy levels too.

geeze, the detroit lions are 0-12 this season so far. wow.. as i enter december, i can't help but feel as though my year is going to go 0-12. sure there have been lots of great things accomplished for me, but i'm no where near where i wanted to be when i looked ahead from the beginning of this year. my job, my running, my transition, etc... nothing seems to have developed as i had envisioned.. i had hoped to get over the hump but 2009 is going to be just as painful.

Jennifer

November 30, 2008 - out with a run!

wow, 23.7k of running and 4.2k of swimming on this last day of November. the swim was slow and painful but i managed to get thru it, giving me my 5th highest monthly total of the year.

the runs were a series of runs around the city from pond to pond. felt pretty good, although the knees were sore toward the end.

Jennifer