Tuesday, September 21, 2010

If at first you don’t succeed….

Spend the next 5 months logging lots and lots of Kilometers, figuring out a better nutrition plan, training with amazing people, bouncing ideas off your coach, friends and experienced endurance athletes…then try again


There were a lot of great things about my first marathon, countless friends and family cheering me on along the course, a HUGE fundraising success, new friendships formed and it was capped off with being able to cross the finish line with Derek…I don't think any race will ever be able to compare to this experience, but in spite of all of that, not achieving my sub 4:30 goal…left me with unfinished business and any of you who know me also know that I can be fairly tenacious…ok you all likely call it stubborn or pig headed…but no matter what you call it, setting a goal and not achieving it…just doesn’t sit well with me.

“The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running”, so this Sunday in Toronto, I’ll be lacing up my shoes, pulling on my Team in Training purple shirt and applying all of the lessons learned over the last 5 months.

I feel calm, rested and ready to run, I’ll keep you posted on the results.

My thanks to all of you for your continued support and encouragement!

Thomas Foxwell Buxton said “With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.”

Let’s hope that he was right and that I’ve got enough of both to reach this goal!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Random running thoughts

It's been a long time since I wrote anything on this blog, not since the day after my first marathon.


That's not because I haven't been training, or fundraising for that matter, it's more about that precious commodity...time. With Summer vacation, summer camps, Elrik's activities, my activities and oh yeah training, there really hasn't been much time to sit down, gather my thoughts and put them to paper...er or blog as the case may be.

Summer camps are done, activities are winding down and some would argue so is summer, so I "found" a few minutes away from the hustle and bustle of family life, post training and oh yeah it's raining.

My first couple of years of running and Duathlons, I trained mostly alone and was happy to have the time alone.

I've been blessed this summer to be able to get in a number of long runs with my Team in Training team mates, amazing women everyone of them in their own right. If you ever decide to take on an endurance event, my hope for you is that you find a group of equally amazing, positive and inspiring people to train with. Going the distance with these women along to share stories, laughs and sometimes the pain of training is part of what makes getting up early on a Saturday morning worth while.

I look forward to the long runs mapped out meticulously by our very own Julie McCoy (a.k.a. Jane), the meet and greet pre-run and the post-run chats that inevitably ensue and although I still enjoy the occassional long run alone, it's just not quite the same.

This weekend I did my long run alone and let me tell you, you get some pretty strange looks along the NCC paths when you're chatting with yourself and laughing at your own jokes...maybe next time I should se my inside voice or just ponder the stories in my mind.

A great big thanks for all the runs this summer and dangit I sure missed you gals this weekend, can't wait for next weekend's run!!