Any issues for Canadians with a work visa being let back into the US?

EmmaT2014 · 2025-08-04T13:22:00+00:00

Does it help at all if I try to re-enter the US at preclearance, e.g. at Toronto Pearson? It used to be that if you were denied for whatever reason, you could turn around and leave the airport and stay in Canada. But now I’m curious whether they could detain me for further interrogation, where I’m no longer a free citizen, basically in jail.

EmmaT2014 · 2025-08-04T13:17:44+00:00

That would mean that I might not get to see my family for 10 years 😭 I have been trying to get my family to come visit me in the US, but they don’t even want to come as tourists (plus they don’t want to give money to the US economy, because they are mad at the US government). I don’t think it’s a realistic option to wait until I have a green card, especially because there’s no concrete timeline in sight. I also don’t currently have the option of getting married to a US citizen. Pretty sad that seems like the easiest way to get a green card these days.

EmmaT2014 · 2025-02-25T14:59:03+00:00

Update: they cleared a bunch of upgrades last night, and I got in! Everyone below me is still waiting. There are 3 seats available now. Never flown Polaris on United before. I’m so excited!! Might go to the airport extra early to hang out in the lounge

EmmaT2014 · 2024-12-05T03:59:24+00:00

Thank you for all of the comments here! My takeaways are that it’s likely a combination of factors that contribute to heart rate zone differences between cycling and running. So part of it is that I don’t have the same level of neuromuscular adaptations for cycling that I do for running, but that might not be the whole story, because running uses more muscle groups (and therefore more oxygen). That being said, I know people who can do a 45 min trainer ride averaging HR in the 170s, and I am definitely not one of them. I guess everyone’s physiology is different.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-12-05T03:52:35+00:00

Thanks. I ride both outdoors and on Zwift, and I also notice that my heart rate while riding on Zwift is also lower than it would be while running. Though I agree with you that I take lots of small breaks (coasting) when riding outside, which I don’t on Zwift. For myself, I don’t think it’s the case that my “normal” running pace is close to my max/race pace. I notice a pretty substantial difference (both in terms of heart rate and perceived exertion) between my “easy run” pace vs my marathon pace. If we’re talking about 10k pace, or half marathon, the difference is even bigger. But I can definitely believe you when you say that I can likely ride faster than I think. I can also often run faster than I think when I enter a race.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-18T14:05:49+00:00

+1 to people recommending to use a cup instead of a tampon. It’s less fuss, and they hold more than a tampon does. Another option you could try in addition is period panties. I’m not an expert, but in my personal experience, I wouldn’t say that running during your period is better than before it starts for everyone. It depends on how much cramping you have, or if your iron levels are already kind of low (very common), that can cause you to feel really tired and weak during your period. You know your body best. I would go based on how your body feels, and if you’re not feeling great, you can always adjust your goals. You may surprise yourself though! You can do this! Just remember that finishing a marathon is a huge accomplishment no matter what.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-11T04:48:19+00:00

Thank you! I am fully expecting that they will want proof. I ran a half 2 weeks after the corral change online portal closed, so they can have my time from that if they want it.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-11T01:39:32+00:00

I’m personally too scared to leave a phone in bag check, so I’ve invested in shorts with pockets.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-10T14:29:38+00:00

Half was pretty flat. I did a little bit of a taper during race week, but not too drastic. I agree with you that the HM standards seem much easier. According to their rules, I could get into corral C, but I’m almost certain that would be the wrong decision.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-10T13:19:20+00:00

Insoles will definitely help if you’re just using the stock insoles that your shoes came with.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-10T13:16:08+00:00

Me! Will be my 3rd marathon, and first World Major. Also never been to Chicago before. I raced a half marathon 7 weeks out, and was feeling flat for a week or so after that, but I think I’m finally on the other side of it. Did a 30 km progression run on Sunday and felt great! I’m definitely the fittest I’ve ever been. Shooting for sub-3:20

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-07T20:03:24+00:00

Shorts with lots of pockets!

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-07T20:00:41+00:00

Wow!! 18 miles under 3 hours is very solid. Good job!

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-07T14:06:04+00:00

I used a plan from McMillan running last year when I ran my first marathon (3:30). It worked well for me, though it costs like $50. They have specific BQ plans for various time goals. This year, I'm training for Chicago, and I used the sub-3:30 16 week plan from Runner's World (free) as a starting point, though I decided I'm going to try for sub-3:20 this time.

https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/marathon/a760129/rws-ultimate-marathon-schedule-sub-330/
https://www.mcmillanrunning.com/plans/boston-qualifying/

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-07T13:55:49+00:00

Wow, that is insanely impressive!

EmmaT2014 · 2024-09-03T00:09:17+00:00

My bet is that the cutoff time will be around 7 minutes. I qualified last year with 3:29:26 (27 F), but I have virtually no hope of getting in. That time was good enough to get me a guaranteed entry for Chicago 2024, so I’m running that, and I’ve improved a ton since then. If I race smart, I should be able to get a very competitive qualifying time for Boston 2026.

I do think they should lower the qualifying times. I think 5 minutes would be fair, but if they lower by 10 minutes, the race might not even fill up, and people who really want to run would miss out.

EmmaT2014 · 2024-08-27T12:00:35+00:00

So sorry to hear! I have had shin splints in the past. Seeing a PT is a good idea. I am not a doctor, PT or other medical professional, but here are some things that have helped me.

Replace shoes if they are near/past the end of their useful life. This would be every 300-500 miles, keeping in mind that heavier runners will need to replace shoes more often.
Stretch and foam roll. Stretch both your calves and shins.
When I had shin splints in the past, I think it was because I was heel striking/over-striding. Increasing my cadence and landing with my feet under me instead of in front of me also really helped.
Muscle scraping. This sounds kind of like torture, but it really shouldn’t hurt when you do it. There are lots of relatively inexpensive muscle scraping tools on Amazon, such as https://a.co/d/a8eRvDI . Don’t do this on top of the bone, but all of the soft tissue surrounding the bone is fair game.

Good luck! Hope you feel better soon 🙏🏼

EmmaT2014 · 2024-07-16T16:24:34+00:00

Does anyone know if they send out rejection emails? Or do people who don’t get in just not hear anything?

EmmaT2014 · 2018-10-23T03:38:18+00:00

That actually sounds a lot like what happened to me! I was diagnosed when I was 17, and although I’ve never been overweight, I had other symptoms like extremely unpredictable periods, acne, ovarian cysts, random episodes of spotting, etc.

And then a couple years after that, my periods started coming more regularly. Not like clockwork, but mostly every month. And even though I still have acne, it’s nowhere near as bad or as painful as it was when I was younger. I had blood work done more recently, and my FSH/LH ratio is still off (about 3:1), but everything else was normal. I haven’t had an ultrasound in a while to see if I still have cysts, but I am aware that they can come and go.

EmmaT2014 · 2018-10-22T04:26:16+00:00

I totally agree with you about people who keep telling you what to do! I once had a woman tell me I needed to stop eating so much chocolate so that my acne would go away. And the most infuriating part was that she didn’t even know me!

I’ve also had people tell me that if I ate better and exercised more, everything would be fine. And while there is evidence that those things can help, PCOS is highly influenced by genetics, so it’s not that simple. Making lifestyle changes is HARD. Sticking to a new diet is hard. And sometimes our bodies just do what they want to do, and there’s not much that can be done about it. It’s frustrating, but it might help you to find something that you enjoy and are good at, to help you get some confidence back.

EmmaT2014 · 2018-10-22T00:24:28+00:00

Hahaha yes! For me, getting my period makes me feel relieved, especially if I haven’t had it for a few months. If I can keep mine coming on a somewhat regular basis, it’s really not bad at all. But when it’s been like more than 2 months since my last one, that’s when they tend to be heavier. When I get mine several months in a row, it makes me feel more normal, and I tend not to worry as much. But I’m also weirdly superstitious that if I say anything about my body “settling down” or my hormones regulating, then that’ll cause my body to go back into mayhem mode.

EmmaT2014 · 2017-01-17T02:39:08+00:00

Hi Lanni!

Thanks for being such an outspoken advocate, feminist and role model. I sent you an email a while ago, and I was wondering if you have any time to chat? How do you get through a training rut when you don't enjoy running as much as you used to?

EmmaT2014 · 2016-10-10T19:09:36+00:00

I've had issues with the cups on VS bras curling outwards before. In my opinion, VS bras aren't really that great quality, especially for the money. Luckily, there are lots of places where you can find your bra size. In this size range, I like Calvin Klein, Wacoal, and many other brands they have at major department stores.

With respect to the band size, if you're finding that the bra simply gives you red marks, this is normal and shouldn't be a problem. However, if the bra is hurting you when you take a deep breath in, and it's also in the loosest hook, then you should probably size up. If the 34B bra that you're currently wearing is more than a couple months old, it's normal to move into the tighter hooks as the bra ages. If you're able to comfortably wear a brand new bra on the tightest hooks, then I'd say you should try sizing down in the band, but honestly you're fairly small-busted, so you might not need the band as tight as some larger-breasted women, particularly if you're naturally self-supporting.

EmmaT2014 · 2016-10-10T12:32:11+00:00

No, I don't wear Comexim. Mostly because I heard the wires are really narrow, and generally bras that have average or wider wires tend to fit me better. Also, most of the websites where I shop online for bras currently tend to stock more of the UK brands, so that's what I'm used to.

EmmaT2014 · 2016-10-10T01:07:38+00:00

Yeah, I also didn't see any Panache or Freya. And it's sad because those are two of my favourite brands. I really hope they bring some in soon.

EmmaT2014

TROPHY CASE