Excesses and Excuses

I'm sure you noticed that HBBC was a bust for me. I lost my momentum completely. I was self-indulgent and lazy during the holiday season and now I'm paying for it with fitness setbacks and weight gain. I feel awful. And I'm old enough to know better! Well, I'm starting fresh today, and I'm putting myself back on the to-do list. I will make better choices about what I eat, I will drink more water, I will take a multi-vitamin daily, and I will start exercising regularly again. If I forget or backslide, don't let me get away with it; give me hell!

Off to a good start: I'm trying a hot yoga class with my running partner this evening. I hope to try a spin class soon too!

The Kind of Runner I Am

I signed up for the Ottawa Race Weekend today. I've got five months to get cosy with 10k and I am looking forward to it!

Yesterday was the first decent run I've had since becoming sick a few weeks ago, and what a nice morale booster it was! A little over 6k and hilly, which I'm feeling today but I don't mind. It felt great to be out there! As I was looking at my route map it occurred to me that the elevation maps don't always tell a true story. One of my favourite routes covers some nice big hills that don't show on the map because the land elevation is different from the street elevation; two of the hills I like to run are highway overpasses.

As I was running I was thinking about the progress I've made in the past few months. My breathing's better, my form and pacing are better, and I can cover much longer distances. But my speed? Meh. Pretty much as good as it ever was with small bursts of better. So I was thinking...does it matter to me? Is racing important to me? And I have to confess, it's not.

When I think about the kind of runner I want to be, I don't often think about how fast I covered the distance. I want to be the kind of runner who finishes the run she starts. I want to be the kind of runner who covers the distance not effortlessly but comfortably. I want to be the kind of runner who casually says, "Just heading out for a run, back in an hour" or "What a gorgeous day, did five miles this morning and loved every minute of it." I want to be the kind of runner who's lean and energetic and who smiles while she runs. I want to be the kind of runner who signs up for a race not to try to win it but for the fun of it. The only competition I think about is the one in my own head...can I go farther? longer? faster than the last time? That's the kind of runner I want to be, and that's the kind of runner I am.

You've Come A Long Way, Baby

June:  I am finally successfully running outside. Not far, and not fast, but I am doing it! Woohoo!
October:  I haven't stopped since and now run outside three or four times a week.

June:  I've been a treadmill runner for years and running outside is soooooo different!
October:  I use the treadmill when time constraints and weather conditions keep me from running outside.  I'm glad to have the option but now treadmill running seems boring and tedious.

June:  Is it 5k? I can do about 3k now so I'll work towards that!
October:  I was disappointed when the club's run was "only" an "easy" 5k.

June:  I hope you're not expecting conversation during the run. I'm not one of those chatty runners you see out on the trails. I am too busy remembering to breathe for chit-chat. And I am focussing hard on motivational thoughts such as "If you make it to the next intersection it will be easier for the paramedics to recover your body when you collapse" because I know the power of positive thinking.
October:  I chat and laugh the whole time.  Unless I'm alone.  And even then sometimes.
 
I am very grateful for friends who encourage and motivate me, running partners who make the time pass swiftly and pleasurably, and running instructors and leaders who teach, guide and correct me.  I am still learning and improving, getting stronger, going farther and faster.  You can do it too, and I hope it brings you joy!