Running to myself or how did I get here?

About this time last year, my running life knocked itself up a notch. I had been a runner for about a decade after not being a runner for several decades. It was not that I was not active; it was just that I did not take running seriously and did very little of it. I had been a runner, a sprinter actually, in high school; excelling at the 100 and 200m events, with a dose of high jump and long jump. I was pretty much a natural athlete, training very little, but still winning events. I was also a competitive swimmer, but trained a bit more for that summer sport. I attribute my abilities to genes inherited from my mother, who in her high school days was the third best high jumper in all of Vancouver. Yeah, Mom! She and her siblings were also very fast runners. Their parents too were runners, but on a casual basis, winning races at local community events. One of my brothers is also an exceptional athlete, and you guessed it, at 6ft 4in, excelled at basketball and hockey as a kid and still plays a lot. There are other athletes in our family too; I think I can say that the “Sports Gene” runs in our family.

Prior to this running epiphany, I had recently left a long career in the library/computer industry, where I sat at a desk pretty much all day. Talk about butt expanding! For a time, there was some grieving for that life, but my running friends, embraced me and took me on fabulous running adventures up and down mountains, around lakes, on wildflower laden trails; sometimes running, sometimes on snowshoes or cross country skis. Talk about good therapy!

Last April, I also decided to take a long dreamed about vacation to France. I ran there too! Imagine running through the Louvre in Paris! Not inside, but outside through the grounds; past the statures and fountains, past the long entrance lines, past the pyramid, past the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, through the Tuileries, and beyond. What a rush! I also ran around the walled city in Avignon, along the Calanques in Cassis, and other places. That trip too, changed me!

When I returned from Europe, I decided to take this running sport a bit more seriously. I had friends who were training for half and full marathons. While I had no intention of running those distances, I decided to join a friend at a Running Room marathon clinic. This was initially for the convenience for both of us; sharing car and boat rides. But once I got started, I found that I loved the camaraderie and the thrill of running with others who were as competitive as me. These people talked a whole new language that I did not understand: PB (not peanut butter, but Personal Best), race pace, tempo runs, LSD (not drugs, but Long Slow Distance), speed work, hill workouts, chip timing, injury prevention, running nutrition, gels, fuel belts, and the latest running shoes. They had goals for certain races; they talked about trail runs, series races, destination races, etc.

It did not take long to get completely absorbed into the running world. I began reading running blogs, magazines and books. While I had been doing some yoga, I upped that activity even more and found a wonderful connection with mind, body, strength and running. I ran four or five times a week – sometimes more. I easily got up early in the morning, if it was for a run or running adventure. I encouraged others to get out and run. I started a running blog (you’re here). I thought I could perhaps make a career out of running (still the plan). I began taking a fitness training certification course. I signed up for another running clinic – to take and another one to coach. Oops, I’m getting ahead of myself in the timeline.

My first serious running event with this newly found spirit was at the Goodlife Fitness Marathon in Victoria in October 2013. This was the race my running group and my friend were training for last summer and fall. I however chose to not run either the half or the full, but opted for the 8K. What an event: we picked up our bibs – which at the time I was calling race numbers, duh, get with the program; attended the Race Expo – entered every draw there was – never winning anything! The pre-dawn Sunday race started in a corral with hundreds of other people and I got completely caught up in the excitement of the whole scene. Amazingly all the training paid off and I ran the 8k in a PB of 38:36 and ended up being 4th out of 139 in my age category. Unbelievable! I was hooked on these events!

After that first big race, with chip timing and tons of people, I decided to sign up for the Vancouver Island Running Series and joined the Bastion Running Club. Since January, I ran 5 races in the series: the Harriers Pioneer 8k, Cobble Hill 10k, Cedar 12k, Bazan Bay 5k, and the Merville 15k. While not the crazy big attendee numbers as the marathon races, there was just as much competition. I placed in the top 10 in all the races in my age division and much to my complete delight, placed 6th in my age division for the whole series. I think I like this competitive stuff! Although this was only my first time running this series, I’ll be back! I realized quite quickly, given the level of competition, this series is an absolute must for runners to stay competitive over the winter. I PB’d in all the races, except the first one – an 8K… being just seconds slower than the 8K race in Victoria the previous October (I blame the seasonal consumption and slow-down in training over the previous month). I also ran distances, 12K and 15K, which I’ve never run before and therefore they we definitely PB times. I can handle these distances, if I think of them as multiple shorter distances, but I still don’t think I’ll jump up to a half marathon distance.

This past weekend I ran the Times Colonist 10K; another fabulous big race in Victoria, which I’ve wanted to do for years, but the timing was always wrong or I easily found other excuses. This year… no excuses, plus I felt an obligation as a coach to my Running Room students to be there. I placed 980th out of 8473 runners or rather, and this sounds better, 6th in my age division (this seems to be my place), with a time of 49:20. Another PB; which I’m pretty proud of.

Now that I’ve caught, or rather reignited, the competitive running bug in me, I want to get even faster. I know I can. I just need to train harder. I may even considering hiring a coach. I’m not expecting to be anywhere in the same league as fellow Nanaimoite, Erin Burrett, ‘cause I’m just not that young any more, but there are at least 5 other runners faster than me in my age group… let this be a warning!

I’m so glad I’ve taken this racing seriously – even at my age (and I’m not even old compared to some of the other inspiring runners out there still running and racing in their 60s, 70s and 80s). I’ve met so many great people. I want to be a role model to others. I want to inspire runners young and old to get out and move. And above all, I want to keep on running well into the next few decades… as long as I can get the gear on and get out the door!

I can now concur with Rick Mercer, who said, “I think I finally found my sport”. Mind you… it was not running for him, but the sentiment is the same!