Faith. Magic. Transcendence.

Well where do I begin, first I’m sorry (but not sorry) as STWM Half Marathon seems to be all that I can talk about, so abort now if you wish. 🙂   And for the rest of you, I hope you find muse in what I am about to share.

Sunday’s Half Marathon was a moment that I still can’t find the perfect words to describe. It was filled with excitement, nerves, pain, and pure ecstasy. I would do it all over again in an instance, if I wasn’t so sore. Don’t fret, it’s a good sore, a soreness that you know you just kicked butt! A pain that you know you worked your body hard, but in a good way. As quoted from the running documentary Transcend, (which I highly recommend watching, runner or not)  “Relish the hurt, we never promised it would be a rose garden.” It is so true, no one said it was going to be easy and it was FAR from easy, but it is amazing what your body is capable of and every agonizing moment in this journey, was solidified yesterday in the whole 1:54:45 minutes of running STWM. 26,000 runners all out to accomplish their own goals on their own journey. Being amongst elite athletes who make running their profession, but also alongside those who do it for pure fun- it was simply magical.

Sure it was hard on my body and there were moments I wanted to give up, but I dug deep and chased something that wasn’t visible. After months of training, my body was more than ready to run 21.1 km, it was my mind that needed to be in sync. As suggested in the film Transcend   “Be dumb and run, just let your body move…Stay in the moment.” And I did just that. It was me, the sound of thousands of feet hitting the pavement and some killer music to clear the mind.  I  kept on running without much other thought. I let the feelings flow through as I passed each kilometer and time flew as if I were in a trance.

I mean there were some thoughts that crossed my mind-

• like Ryan Gosling – when I saw the BEST signs of him with the speech bubbles  “Hey Girl, you’ve got a beautiful pace” & “Hey Girl, you’ve been running through my mind all day” – I legit laughed out loud
• after 6 km running on pure adrenaline, I thought of the time when 6 km seemed impossible
• at 10 km I thought wow that was much easier than the Women’s 10 km only 8 weeks ago
• at 15 km I started to feel some serious hip pain, but I thought of my mom who had severe hip pain due to osteoarthritis + a degenerate ball that slipped due to destruction. Her pain got so intense that it was hard to do simple things like put socks on- this put things into perspecitve and I knew I could definitely power through the next 30 minutes (I may have fought back tears here)
• at 16 km that it was time to pick it up and dig deep to get through the remaining kilometers
• at 17 km it felt like my feet were sticking to the pavement- “how do I shake this?” I thought
• at 20 km I knew I had this done and as the countdown began I couldn’t help but smile the rest of the way

It was amazing being able to start the race with Vanessa and see her finish seconds ahead of me. Her goals and determination pushed me to my max. I really had no idea where I was all race in terms of hitting my goal, because my Nike+ GPS watch was so out of whack (not sure what happened there!) So when I saw Vanessa pass me at 19 km, my heart jumped with joy, knowing that I was definitely going to far surpass my goal of 2:00. I just had to keep her in sight.I set out on yesterday’s race with the thought that I wanted to finish strong. If that meant over the STWM 2013 average half marathon time of 2:03:48, I was more than okay with that, because for me it was about accomplishing 21.1 km and feeling good, feeling strong. Of course I knew I’d be super thrilled if I finished around the 2:00 mark (I was literally figuring out pace/km 15 minutes prior to the gun going off). So when I finished at 1:54:45 – I couldn’t shake that high. All day I had a grin on my face ear to ear.Crossing that finish line with 10’s of thousands of spectators cheering you on, is an experience fully worth training for. The pain, sweat, tears completely forgotten in a second when your bests are there to hug you and congratulate you. I can’t thank you guys enough. That was a moment of complete rapture. XO!

All in all, I am glad to cross another goal off of my 2014 list, and yes I will be doing it again! I am not sure when and how soon, but there is no doubt that I WANT to do that again.

Thank you again to all of you for support and encouragement along the way! xx

I am 5 days out from the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon and filled with anticipation and nerves. Training has had its ups and downs as expected. I knew that not every run was going to be a good run and that the last 6 months was going to be intense and challenging, but who knew it would be such an emotional roller coaster! I must say though, the ups have far outweighed the downs. 🙂  Luckily, I have had a great support system of family and friends, encouraging me along the way. Special shout out to my run buddies (V & M) who have helped set the pace and pushed me through those extra miles.

I have shared this before, but feel it’s appropriate to share again, as I always revert back to this piece from Tyler Knott Gregson, whenever I need some extra motivation. #571 reminds me of how good it all feels, even when it can be so tough. It helps encourage my body to keep going because it can, that it’s strong enough to get through the extra miles.

Tyler Knott Gregson, Typewriter Series #571

Last week I had my longest run yet at 19.12 km in just under 2 hours (1:57) and damn did it feel good. I am hoping during Sunday’s race I will feel just as amazing and strong. Unfortunately, following that run I have been experiencing some Extensor Tendonitis for the first time. Good thing this week calls for tapering and rest before Sunday’s race. I’ll fit in a short run or two, a yoga session to stretch it out, some good fuel and lots of positive energy.

My ultimate goal is to finish STWM at 2:05, but will be more than happy if I finish strong and under 2:10. I am geared up with all my race day essentials, necessary fuel and a killer playlist- I can’t wait to get out there! Stay tuned for my results.

Good luck to all those running STWM on Sunday- Remember to run for your joy.

Run. Because you can. xx

Even though I have been clocking 10K’s for a while now, today was my first official race, Toronto Women’s Set the Pace 10K. It was a Women’s only race which was inspiring to see 4,000 strong women all out to get active and have fun. It was a perfectly cool morning and I had my dear friend Vanessa join me, which added fun and motivation. There is always a mix of nerves and excitement the morning of a race, so it is important to keep focused and having a run buddy makes it that much easier. I kept Vanessa in sight for the majority of the run, to help set my pace, as I knew I wanted to finish strong and within an hour. Vanessa is a speedy one (finished at 52:33) and I lost her around the 6K mark, but I kept on trekking and finished strong at 55:16! Finishing a race like today, helps put things back into focus and reminds you what you are capable of. Can’t wait to the next one!

Here are some shots from today’s race. Special shout out to Natalie who was our motivator, cheer squad, photographer, and always our runspiration 🙂

Go Get Your Run On. xx

After realizing several of my goals were carried over from 2013, I realized I had to set the goal for myself to “Make it Happen.” These goals were things I have always wanted to do, but always got pushed aside. The hectic lives we live, should be no excuse to not make time to do things for you.

A goal of mine has been to run more races, in particularly a Half Marathon. Well this year I am committed to Making it Happen! I just registered for the Scotiabank Toronto Half Marathon in October and am super pumped for it! And now I have made myself publicly accountable- yikes!

The last 4 years I have had a real love/hate relationship with running. I wish I could take that runner’s high and stow it away for when I’m lacing up and dreading the miles ahead. Once I’m out there, there are no regrets, it’s just needing that initial push.

I’ve started getting out 3-4 times a week and look forward to it knowing that I am working towards a goal. I’ve learned that it really is mind over matter and that once I’m out there, there are no limits. I’ll keep you updated on the progress that lies ahead.

Happy Running Friends! xx