News Updates
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Shirley's Blog - North America Shirley's Blog North America This post is my Valentine to everyone who supported my run. Marathon #7. After landing in Miami, going through customs and picking up our luggage, we arrived at the Miami Beach boardwalk for the run. I scanned the crowds of happy family members yelling and shouting greetings to the other runners, looking for my husband. I didn’t see him, but then I heard a voice beside me say, “hello”, and there he was. I was so happy to see his face. We walked slowly to the start line together, where all at once I heard someone scream, “We love Shirley,” and saw poster boards with the letters OIC and photos of my face on them. 
What a surprise! Mary Beth Perrine, Assistant VP of Development at the OIC Foundation, had brought an OIC patient, Tarra’, a state champion gymnast who had been treated for ACL and meniscus tears, along with her moms, Tarra’ and LaShonda, to cheer me on my last leg of this marathon of marathons. I found out that the Charitable Children’s Guild had underwritten their trip. I felt humbled and immensely touched by that gesture. My cheering squad was small but mighty, and LOUD. They cheered me at the start, ran (not really, they took Uber) to the turnaround point and cheered. Mary Beth and Tarra’ ran some ways with me (hey, the 7 Weeks + 7 Days regimen really worked!). And most touchingly, they were at the finish line some 5 and 1/2 hours later to see me cross the finish line, even though it was already 3am in the morning and they had a 7am flight to catch back home. I am forever grateful for them and my husband, Chairul, being there to support me all the way. 
It was an emotional finish. I had my dad’s name written on the back of my running shirt and he ran with me all the way. I knew he was tickled pink when I told him about this 777 plan about 18 months before. In the past year, he had been telling all his friends about it and how proud he was of me. He told me in person many times as well. It is a bittersweet finish that I can’t show him all the medals and pictures in person.
It was an emotional finish also because we runners were saying goodbye to each other after going through this physical and mental challenge for 7 days together. Many of us were walking wounded by marathon #4 and by #6 I was basically walking dead. I was hardly thinking. When the plane landed, we automatically grabbed our running gear, got off the plane, followed everyone to the bus, followed everyone to the start line, and ran, hobbled, shuffled, whatever it took and however long it took to make it to the finish line. Five of the seven marathons started at night, and four of them (Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Santiago) at or around midnight. I saw the incredible sunrise in Perth and listened to the call to prayers and the roosters crow in Dubai. Each race was unique. Each unforgettable. All a test of will, determination and sheer grit. Thanks to everyone’s incredible support, I have not only successfully completed the challenge of a lifetime, but we have also exceeded our fundraising goal of $77,700, currently standing at $84,329. We could not have achieved this without the support from each and every one of you. I am deeply, deeply humbled by all your good wishes and generous donations. You are my heroes. 
In loving memory of Dad. |
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Shirley's Blog - A Moment for Reflection and Thanks A Moment for Reflection and Thanks This journey would not have been possible without the following people and I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart. I love you all and I am truly grateful. My husband of 23 years, Chairul. Thank you for sincerely questioning my sanity when I first mentioned the event and for being the source of boundless support when you knew there was no turning back, for the rides back home after long winter runs and for juggling your schedule around and missing Chinese New Year in Indonesia to be with me at the finish. At least you got to groan about the Rams losing with Isabel and Kyle. Matt Leu of Truth Fitness on Silver Spur Road in Palos Verdes/Rolling Hills Estates, my coach and trainer every step of the way throughout this journey, and a talented triathlete himself. Thank you for leading me through the sessions of strength training, conditioning, and running drills, for working with my travel schedule and general laziness, and for taking off my training wheels and pushing me towards the finish line. Dr. Yuki Uchida of Uchida Chiropractic in Lomita. You coaxed my sore muscles to somehow function without serious injury throughout my year of training. Did you know I planned two of my multi-day runs to end on your doorstep, so I had something to look forward to? Good luck in your work with the Japanese National and Olympic Ski and Snowboard Teams. You deserve it with your good nature, dedication and expertise. Sarah Pruett Soufl of Soufl Nutrition in Redondo Beach. Sarah was recommended by Matt and basically overhauled my dietary plan. I never knew I should or could consume 100g of protein daily. That really made a difference to my recovery throughout my training. Thanks for helping me figure out the perfect amount of gel to take during the marathon. It really helped to make me feel less run down after each one. Cecille Chui, my friend since we were 7. What would I have done without you? You handled everything for me after my dad passed away. Without having to worry about anything, I was able to focus on finishing the marathons, one at a time. I have no words for the gratitude and appreciation I feel for you. You are the absolute best, and I mean it. There are numerous other people whose words of encouragement propelled me every step of the way. Everyone had a role in making this happen, from giving me a hug or a pat on the back, to hosting a send-off party, to giving me a nod and thumbs up on my runs. You made every step possible. Even those who questioned my rationale in running this challenge helped, because in giving justification, I became convinced that while my choice was unconventional, it was still sane, and the result achievable. And to my parents who are united in heaven … Pa, I know in the past year you had said many times how proud you were that I was taking on this challenge and how chuffed you were when you told all your friends about it (and all your friends donated by the way), but I never really knew for sure whether you meant it or whether you said it to make me feel better about my choice. Mom, I hope you knew that I tried my hardest so you can be proud of me. I hope I made you proud. To my friends and family, I say again – I love you and I am so happy you are a part of my life. Thank you for your company on this remarkable journey. One more post to come, because I know you’ll want to hear the details from the culminating run in Miami.
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Shirley's Challenge - Cheering a Successful Finish Shirley's Challenge - A Successful Finish! An enthusiastic welcome committee, including an OIC patient and her parents whose participation was sponsored by the Charitable Children’s Guild support group, greeted Shirley upon her arrival in Miami last night, and cheered her through the successful finish to her 7th and final marathon. Check back soon for Shirley's update on her closing race in the amazing 777 Challenge.
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Shirley's Blog - South America, Part 1 South America Update: Landing in Santiago now! Can feel the heat of the sun even 5000 feet up in the air. The muscles are not recovering well on this trip. Feet and ankles are swollen from the flight. Blisters were drained but the areas are still tender. I just saw a runner with a huge area of raw chafed skin on the torso under his arm. We are all suffering in some way but the finish is so near.
If you would like to make a gift to my Challenge and help children at OIC, you may do so here. |
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Shirley's Blog - To Isabel and Claire and Everyone Who Ran with Me in Heart, Soul, and Spirit South America To Isabel and Claire, I carry you with me always – with every step! I am so proud of what you do every day. Whatever I have done or am yet to do in my life, I will forever be proudest of what you two accomplish. To all my family and friends, your heartfelt embrace of my challenge has meant so much to me. It has been a constant that continually fueled me – so important as the miles grew long and tough. To my OIC family – the Guild, Las Madrecitas, Las Amigas, the 777 Committee, members of the 7+7 Club, the Foundation staff, and most especially, you, Mary Beth: It has been an absolute honor to run this challenge and raise money and awareness for such a worthy cause. Thank you for your commitment and help! We are all here to serve the children. And because the race is not quite over, and never will be as long as there are children to come to OIC … if anyone would like to give another gift to the cause, it will only and always help the kids. My profound and humble thanks to each of you. Thank you for giving your all so that I could give mine. |
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Shirley's Blog - South America, Part 2 South America Sixth marathon done. It was a struggle.
The marathon in Santiago was in a park. The Andes were beautiful as our plane made our descent. The airport was chaotic and after waiting around for 20 min, the bus showed up to shuttle us to the venue. The path is 1/2 dirt path and 1/2 concrete. I really liked the surface because it reminded me of the path on PV Drive South and PV Drive West. I took a melatonin on the flight over from our fuel stop in Brazil and the effects had not worn off yet when we started so I was dragging my feet a little. The race started at 11:28pm local time and once again I heard the rooster crow when I finished. And the showers ran out of hot water so us slow boats had to take cold showers. Refreshing indeed.
As the challenge is nearing its end, I am at times overcome with emotion. There were a few tears from me along the course today. One time was when the song “my way” came on my playlist. And several times along the way I couldn’t help but start thinking about my dad and my mom, and my kids, Isabel and Claire. But there is one more 26.2 to go. I got to keep my s@@t together. Excuse my language. In memory of Dad. |
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Shirley's Blog - Europe Madrid So I am filing a quick report after our run in Madrid. Now we are sitting on the tarmac in Tenerife for a fueling stop. Madrid. Marathon 5. The weather in Madrid was 40 F when we started the race and 36 F when I completed it with the wind picking up a little at 3mph. It wasn’t that much warmer than Antarctica. It was so cold I wore the same layers and the same type of running gear, except they were clean clothes! We started at 8:14pm and ran approximately 11 laps around the Formula One race track. The camber is steep so a lot of the times I felt I was running lopsided. There is a steep, and another steeper, incline with corresponding downhills. Because it is the eve of Chinese New Year, there was a strong contingent of Chinese living in Madrid coming out to support all of us, waving flags and yelling “jia you” (literally translated is “add oil” but intended to mean “keep going” or “go faster”). Since I had run around the track so many times and would stop to drink and eat gummy bears and fruit at the aid station, I felt like a race car (albeit one with a 100hp engine) making regular pit stops to refuel.
Taken during my last lap. How often do you get to take a picture in the middle of a Formula One race track? Injuries are starting to pile up among the participants, although some of them are still running fast and strong. Mentally, this is also the race that tests your reserve. After the push to get past 1/2 way by finishing Dubai, this fifth marathon seemed like another grudging slog for some, and there were frayed nerves and tears both on and off the course. For myself, my calves and Achilles’ tendons are very tight. The top of my right foot is also quite warm and a little swollen. The doctor massaged my left calf a little and prescribed strong doses of anti-inflammatory meds with something else to counteract an upset stomach. And I am icing my foot and ankles pretty much round the clock. My legs are so used to the ice now that I don’t even wince when I place it on my skin.
A friend texted me and asked how I felt. I said, a fellow-runner from China summed it up best when a reporter asked for his reflections on the race so far: He paused and said, “I felt like the simplest human pleasure is to eat and sleep, which I both lack right now.” My friend came back to his thought and said, “they are not simple pleasures, they are basic human necessities. That is why these things are deprived of prisoners during torture.” While we are not technically being tortured, the world marathon challenge entails suffering on the way to reaching a goal. It is true for all endeavors. There has to be sacrifice, determination and mind of steel. At this point, it is a matter of survival. Volunteers along the way encourage us to enjoy the race. I will enjoy it, maybe, looking back in a few months or years’ time, but for right now, all I can think of is one foot in front of the other. At the conclusion of the race, the Chinese contingent were offering Chinese food with stir fried vegetables, fried rice and dumplings. The evening meal on the eve of Chinese New Year is customarily when families get together for a big meal with delicious food, just like the American Thanksgiving. It is a time for reunion and also to get ready for a new beginning. I was warmly invited to join them and I appreciated their hospitality.
These next pictures are me with the current (and very likely eventual) winner, Mike Wardlian, who is currently running a 3-hour marathon, on average.
The doors to the plane have closed. We are going to Brazil to refuel again. Time for melatonin. |
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Shirley's Challenge in the News Shirley in the news If you haven’t yet had the opportunity, check out this great article in Southbay Magazine on Shirley and her run for our kids. |
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Shirley's Blog - Asia Part 2 Marathon 4 Dubai Marathon 4. Dubai. On the plane leaving Dubai, if we are not eating, then we are either passed out on the floor or in our seats, or stretching and rolling out our fatigued muscles. The doctor on board is becoming increasingly busy: a tear of a ligament, a knee sprain, ankle swelling, blisters, tight calves. On the course, aside from the top professional athletes, some people are starting to hobble, to wince in pain, to shuffle along. For me, walking hurts more than shuffling so shuffle I go. Yesterday, I thought I “crossed the finish line” when they pulled out the ribbon for me at the end of the lap. After that, I looked at my watch and saw that I had only gone 24.6 miles, not 26.2. I checked with the time keeper and he confirmed that I needed another lap. The mental letdown was almost too much to bear. I turned around and started to walk another lap, but I really had to give myself a minute to gather my thoughts and re-focus. Fortunately, a fellow runner from the running club in Dubai was pacing me and he kept giving me words of encouragement: “What’s another lap when you have already done 14?” Or “You are so close now, just another 2.8 kilometers to go.” Or “You are amazing. You have already done 3. This one is right here.” So I said, “Yes, I can do this,” repeatedly until I reached the finish line, this time for real. We started the race again past midnight and I finished when the sun was about to rise. During my last few miles, I heard the call to prayers from the mosque - twice. Then I heard a rooster crow, and I just had to laugh out loud. I have been on the course so long that even the rooster is awake, ready to start the day. Why does a rooster instinctively crow at daybreak? 
I am constantly amazed by the volunteers who come out to support us with food and drinks and pacing, sacrificing their precious sleep time to help a bunch of crazy runners achieve their dreams. Of course they also come out to watch the top runners like Mike, Petr, Suzy, Stephanie and Kristina battle it out. But they stay for us, hour after hour, manning the aid stations, making sure there are enough cups of sports drinks and water, sliced oranges and bananas, potato chips and chocolate bars to keep us going. Fatigued muscles. Frayed nerves. Lack of sleep. Always hungry. Trying to keep calm with some short mindfulness exercises. Sleep whenever I can. And just not think too much. Staying positive when the going gets tough is easier said than done, but the alternative is to break down and cry and that is not an option at this point. I expected to be tested physically and mentally and the blessing is that everyone in the plane is in this together and we joke and chat and give encouragement to each other. 
Landing in Madrid for #5. In memory of Dad. |
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Shirley's Blog - Thank You for Donating and Joining My Journey We Are Closing in on Our Goal To those of you who have made a gift, thanks so much for your donation in support of Orthopaedic institute for Children! We just finished Perth. We are waiting to get on the bus to board the plane to Dubai, our 4th stop. Most of us are walking wounded to a greater or lesser degree now, but we all push each other on. There are only 40 of us and we cheer for each other a lot because the courses are all loops of 5, 8, 10k. We give each other “woo-hoos” and say “way to go” and give encouragement, and when we get tired towards the end, we manage silent nods and thumbs ups. I really appreciate your support. If you are interested, you can track our progress at the World Marathon Challenge Facebook, twitter, or instagram pages in addition to these personal updates here on my blog. With heartfelt thanks, Shirley |
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Shirley's Blog - Asia, Part 1 Dubai
Leaving Perth - on the way to Dubai!
Trying to get 40 winks on the plane.
We have landed in Dubai! There is lightning. It has been raining. It is not raining right this minute, but it wants to rain, so it is super humid. We will be running in the middle of the night again.
Ready for Dubai in 3 minutes! |
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Shirley's Challenge in the News 777 in the News Shirley's interview with Canada’s CTV NEWSCHANNEL is posted on the channel's Facebook page. Watch it here. |
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Shirley's Blog - Australia Race Three Finished Perth in 5:38. Couldn’t have done it without the volunteer pacers who came out and ran with me the whole way. I made a friend who wanted to hear about OIC and donate!
Perth sunrise. The race started at midnight.
In memory of Dad. |
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Shirley's Blog - Africa Race Two Really rough marathon in Cape Town for the Africa leg. 39.5 Celsius is 103 Fahrenheit and I was still on the course with 1.5 hours to go. We started at 80 degrees that gradually went up to 93. It was 103 from 2 pm onwards. It was so hot I had to put ice in my cap to cool my head. And I had to walk the second 1/2 of the marathon. I thought the marathon would never end.
I could not take any photos in Cape Town Marathon. It was so hot all I could think of was not dying. Sorry!
Coming in at the airport at 6am in Cape Town. In memory of Dad. |
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Shirley's Blog - Antarctica Race One
We started off sunny and warm 29F. Then the wind picked up 1/2 way through but died down after an hour. However the last 4 miles was battering against a headwind. And with the windchill, the temperature dropped 10-15 degrees.
The course was a lot more technical than I expected. The snow was soft so our feet sank in 2+ inches in some and 4-5 inches in one particular area. There were patches of exposed ice that we had to navigate around. The rest of the course was crunchy groomed corduroy.
The unfortunate thing is that the course was measured inaccurately and was about 2 miles longer than the 26.2. We consoled ourselves by saying that we have officially run an ultramarathon on Antartica. Antarctica: done.
(PS. My friend who followed my progress said I came in 5 of 14 women in the field and beat 4 men. Let’s see how today goes. Only 10 hour turnover from end of last race to beginning of next race. Ugh) |
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Shirley's Blog - In Memory of Dad In Memory of Dad
My husband called yesterday to say my dad passed away. In loving memory of Cyril A. Parry 1/9/1929 - 1/31/2019. He is reunited with my mom. May he Rest in Peace. Every race will be run in his memory.
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Shirley's Blog - On the Way On the Way Today's the day. How do I feel? Nervous. Excited.
Tired because I woke up at 4:00am to meet up at 5:00am and I hardly slept the night before. I was writing a donation letter, hoping to persuade a few more people to come in with me on this. But I am on my way.
I am making acquaintances with the participants. Everyone is friendly and collegial. It is before the first race, so everyone is still smiling and chatty. There are so many amazing people on this trip. It is very humbling. And here we go.
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Shirley's Blog - Arrived Cape Town! Arrived Cape Town! At Cape Town! Finally after almost 24 hours in the air and 12 hours waiting around various airports.
All good. I will be sightseeing in the next few days before the run. I am Tired! 24 total hours in the air and about 12 hours hanging around various airports. But also jet lagged. So I am glad I have a few days to get myself together.
Time for bed! |
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Shirley's Challenge is in the News 777 in the News Two news articles featured Shirley’ Challenge this week. Canadian Running Magazine Palos Verdes Peninsula News Today, Shirley is being interviewed by Canada’s CTV NEWSCHANNEL. More coverage to come. |
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Shirley's Blog - Packing Packing I drew up a list of things to bring on the trip a few months ago and started to “accumulate” them slowly - mostly through amazon.com. A week before the trip I took out my suitcases, trying to decide which ones to use. I fully expect to be tired and not thinking properly after each marathon and want to plan ahead to minimize thinking and organizing during those 7 days, so I decided to pack the gear for each marathon into 7 separate ziplock bags. This way, all I need to do is to pick up a bag and change clothes. Next, how am I going to find a bag that fits all I need for each marathon since I want to use transparent bags and don’t want the items to fall out. Fortunately, I have a friend who is super organized and she gave me these huge ziplock bags that are at least double the volume of the regular gallon bags. Preparing for Antartica required considerably more thought, so I packed the other 6 marathons first. Each bag contains: 1 sleeveless running top, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pair of socks, 8 Clif shots or Power gels, undergarments, and 1 individually wrapped disposable body wipe (I am trying out Dude Wipes).
For Antarctica, before the race organizer sent out a packing list last week, I already researched it online, looking to see what people were wearing in their promotional photos as well as other runners’ posts about winter running. Even so, when the time comes to pack, there are some items I can’t decide to bring or not to bring. Hence, one of those plastic bags was not enough. I had to use two. Stuffed into them are thermal underwear (top and bottom), long winter specific running tights, long sleeve running shirt, hoodie, beanie, ski goggles, socks, gloves, mittens, gaiter (a thin one and a thick fleece one), gels, a stretchy neoprene belt that stores all my gels, windshell pants, and Yaktrax which are mini spikes that I can wear with my running shoes for better grip on ice and snow. I think there will be some items I don’t need to wear but since I couldn’t decide what they will be, I just packed everything, just in case. My suitcase has a zippered compartment. There I put all the accessories that I need during and after every marathon - cap, visor, sunglasses, compression socks, sunblock, moisturizer, Body Glide, Arnicare, Advil, first aid kit, and an extra set of clothing for lounging on the airplane. Since I am not sure if I would like the food choices offered, I brought some of my own supplies - protein powder (Bulk Supplements), protein bars (Crunch), Omega trek mix (nuts and dried fruit), uncrystallized ginger (my go-to candy), peanut butter, and honey. Of course this will not be all I am eating throughout the week, but this will definitely give me the amount of protein needed (100g, according to both my nutritionist and coach). Personally, I find it difficult to eat a proper meal after a long run, so candy and honey are the easiest and fastest-absorbing carbs for me. Hopefully, there will be plenty of fruit on the plane as well.
Of course, I need to pack my running shoes. For this trip, I am bringing 4 pairs - 3 are my regular running HOKA Cliftons and one is my Adidas trail runners which the organizer recommends for the Antarctica leg. You may ask why I am bringing trail runners when I have Yaktrax. Well, there it is, I can’t decide! Finally, I stuffed in a down jacket and my massage stick. Packing for the 7 marathons – done!
My other suitcase is a carry on, in which I have my basic clothing for the 4 extra days I have in Cape Town, with a bag of lenses and chargers for my camera, toiletries, an extra traveling bag, my recovery sandals, and my hydration pack.
Lastly, my backpack has my essentials; travel documents, phone, iPad, computer and their chargers, camera, scarf and light weight jacket. All done! |
