In The Beginning - Introduction

INTRODUCTION

Greeting Everyone!

I decided to create this blog as a fun way to capture some of my thoughts on running, share some of my ups and downs with friends and family (especially after races), and to provide any insights, training tips, and lessons learned with anyone who cares to know and learn.

BACKGROUND

During my youth, I never really took to running (sad, I know). While I (as we most of you were, I'm sure) was required to do the elementary school track meets, and while I may have jogged a few times with friends in undergrad, I was never really into it and not really a "runner".

Time passed and over a few years of grad school and sedentary office work thereafter, I had gained some (a.k.a too much) weight and finally decided to get healthy again. My first step was to eat better than I currently was. Who knew that a burger and fries for lunch every day was bad!?!? Where was medical science in the 1990s??? :)

After several months of eating better and some reduced inches around the waist, I decided to get more active. At that time, a coworker (Jodi) suggested I try some running with her, and that perhaps I'd like it. This is where I started to get into running. Although this go-around didn't last. While it was a challenge (running 1 km was brutal for me, and the shin splints killed me), I ended up only lasting for half a summer. Before I could be coerced again, Jodi and her husband moved to another country - perhaps because I was such an awful runner. Ha ha.

But then the next year another friend (Kathleen) found out that I was interested into getting into better shape, and she too suggested running with her. I was afraid as Kathleen was one of those "weird marathon runners". They ran crazy distances, like over 6km. ;) But I decided to run with her. Who knew that this would finally be the start of my obsession...

Kathleen helped me through some break through distances (yea! making it past 4km alive!) and provided support and encouragement. Then she did something crazy. She suggested I sign up for the 2003 Nike Toronto 10km with her - and even implied I could finish it. Clearly, she was insane. But the challenge was laid down and I had to step up. I signed up. And it changed my life.

The timing allowed me another 2 months of training with Kathleen, another friend Andrea, and of course the chance to enjoy Nike's free run clinics. Over the two months I was diligent enough to run 2-3 times a week with my friends, and I even got cocky. I would even joke with Andrea that my secret goal was to beat Kathleen in the race. heh heh, of course, not to be mean, I did let Kathleen know this a week or so before the race. You know, to spur some fun rivalry.

Race day came and a new realization of running came to me - races require waking up early in the morning. I am NOT a morning person. Not one bit. The morning had a cool chill, was cloudy and foggy, and a bit of rain unpleasantly peppered us. Not so sweet for a July. But was it ever nice at that hour anyway??

We lined up for the race, the gun went off, and we were-a-running! My "secret goal" was to keep pace with Kathleen then shoot past her near the end. Ha ha, my plotting was coming to fruition (insert sinister laugh here).

Early after the race gun fired, my friend Roman, who apparently was a hard core runner, zipped by all of us. We didn't see him until the end. But Kathleen, Andrea, Randey, and I hung together at first. Between the 3rd and 5th km, the other two fell back. But as tough as it was for me, I continued. I did not want to let my secret goal fail. Around the 8th km, I felt close to puking. The cold, cloudy, rainy early-morning had become a very sunny, hot mid-morning. How annoying. Kathleen was now 10 paces ahead of me. I wanted to push, but didn't want to puke. Then, luck hit me. A stretch of the run was on a boardwalk along the water. A cool breeze blew on all the runners. My core temperature leveled out a tad, and helped fend of my desire to get sick. I pushed. My temples were throbbing, my legs were sore, and my lungs were huffy and puffing. My I kept my 10 pace distance.

A beautiful moment for all runners was in sight. Like the pearly gates beckoning you to somewhere good, the arches to the finish line was in the distance. Time to enact my plan. I hunkered down for the last few hundred meters, pushed my little legs, and accepted the pain. The distance grew and I was now much further from Kathleen! The problem - she was ahead of me. She also enacted her secret counter-plan and powered it at the race's end. As she ripped through the finish, I quickly lost some momentum and slowed down considerably. It took me what seemed like an eternity to get to the end, but I made it. I accepted my finishers medal and oddly, I felt better. A lot better. A sense of achievement tingled in my body. Pride. Peace of mind. And really, really winded lungs. But it was great for the most part! :P

I found Kathleen at the finisher's area and we congratulated each other, posed for a shot from the Nike photographer, and went to grab some complimentary bagels, Gatorade, and water. We found our other friends over the next little while and enjoy the rest of the day's events Nike had going on - live music, tasty BBQ, and of course - a sweet, delicious beer tent!

That night at home I put my first medal on my wall. Hanging off my alarm punch pad, it was an object of beauty. Now mind you, the metal wasn't fancy itself and the ribbon used on it was alright. But the beauty was beyond the physical surface for me. It was what it represented. The pain and pride. The dedication of time, body, and mind. The feelings of accomplishment. And it was the first of more to come (24 total as of writing this).


ENOUGH IS ENOUGH


Alright, I've rambled on too much. I have more stories of other races. But not today. They will come. I will start posting some more things I've learned about running so that anyone who is just getting into it can use this site as resource for them. Along the way, I will share my (long winded?) stories which I hope you will like. Hopefully, I will be able to do a good job on spelling and grammar. But if not, oh well. I'll catch it in the edit for the book.