Clara Hughes and I

Superstar athlete Clara Hughes was recently touting the wonders and necessity of massage therapy. I couldn't agree more.

This notion that it is one's will and determination that are the defining elements of success doesn't ring true for me. I function within the, "It takes a village" model, as in, the more the merrier to make me move faster, stronger, longer.

Kristen Muntz is my massage therapist and she is talented. She knows what needs to be kneaded, what needs to be held, released, strengthened and lengthened. Every visit feels like a body gift. This machine that I make sit for too long, not sleep enough, stuff with food, forget to stretch - it needs a regular Kristen fix.

Don't believe me? Call and book an appointment - 405-3538, kristenmuntz@eastlink.ca or book online kristenmuntz.clickbook.net.

I lost a team member recently.

The gifted and generous Sarah Gordon passed away but before she did, she healed me.

She was a friend's physiotherapist and my friend recommended her, saying she was a miracle worker. Yes indeed. I run because Sarah taught me how to stretch. After every run, I follow the stretching routine she created for me.

I like the space a run gives me, the thinking and dreaming alone time. But early in the morning, late at night or any run in between, I am never truly alone. My team keeps me going.

Should I or Shouldn't I

I spent yesterday in bed. Damn head cold, hit me on Tuesday and knocked me over for a day on Wednesday. Today I went to work, sniffling and snorting and worrying colleagues about my germs. I made it through the day with the help of Tylenol and a lot of Kleenex.

Home, with chicken soup on the menu for dinner and another cold drug in me, I went back to bed. Caught up on important information from Perez, did some banking, Facebooking and tried to sleep. No sleep.

I got up at 8:30 put on my sneakers and went for a run. I left my bed and got up and ran. Even seeing it in black and white it still hasn't sunk in. I think I might be living the life of a runner.

The scheduale was 9 minute runs x 3. I tried a different route and ended up shuffling up the biggest, never-ending hill that I didn't even know existed when I turned down that side street; damn those side street surprises.

But up I went and as I went up the conversation went like this:
Oh my god, this hill! interject voice of my husband, 'Way to go athlete'
There is no way I can make it up this hill! followed by my daughter saying, 'You can do it mom'. I made it up the hill with not only my husband and daughter but my mother and bff too.

Still scared of 10 km. Scared of race day and nerves and the whole bathroom thing and the weather and the speed and the route and the bridge but tonight I felt no fear. I met the runner in me and I like her, head cold and all.

Time

I had a quick run today.

After my fantastic 50 minutes this weekend I had to do a mere 2 x 9.

For the first time I felt a little something like speed.

I ran on the treadmill and at 7 minutes I had covered 1/2 a mile. Which I went on to to count would mean a 14 minute mile which would mean an 84 minute race which would be less than the 100 minutes I've been imagining.

The logical part of my brain knows I couldn't keep that pace and that the machine is always off but the, wouldn't it be nice, part of my brain imagined not running for almost 2 hours and finishing in under 1 and 1/2 hours and running with something like speed.

I have gone from wondering if I could finish to wondering how fast I can finish. Love that!

Run fast or run slow

I don't know, I do want to be fast, it's just totally beyond my realm of possibility at the present time.

I'm slow. Faster than a shuffle but not by much.

I'm using turtle-mind, forget a bragging completion time, completing is my goal. I had to remind myself of that numerous times today while out with the running club I'm a part of. We took off at a pace I have never ever reached and began by going down hill which made me feel speedy for a moment. That is until my body went into total "forget about it" mode. At the bottom of the hill the light turned red so I caught up only to be left in the dust a moment later.

By losing the group I also lost the time keeper and my stop watch was back in my locker. Made me realize I am obsessed and controlled by the minutes and the seconds. I am a clock watching runner. Forget the wind in the hair, sun sparkling on the sea, nope, I am going for 8 and 1 and if I'm at 6 and about to collapse, I can make myself go for 2 more.

Not sure if it'll happen before the Blue Nose or after but I will become a non-clock watching runner. I will head out to feel that wind/sun/rain but now I am setting a slow and steady as the clock ticks pace.

Zumba

Getting back into the groove ain't easy. Holiday fun shifts into the grind of 'real life' which really is pretty wonderful, just lacking in afternoon naps.

Trying to shake up the holiday hangover my daughter and I went to a Zumba class this week. Lots of fun. Very tiring and kinda tricky too. I liked the focus on learning and listening to music and not thinking about anything but the rhythm and turns the crazy-fit teacher was showing us.

Day after Zumba my knee was sore.

So sore I didn't run and didn't have anxiety.

Missing my run didn't have any other meaning other than I was listening to my body.

Sore knee = day off. It does not mean that I won't complete the 10 km, it does not mean I am lazy or that I am not committed.

That's how I used to think if I missed a work out.

The critic voice can be so darn loud! I'm learning to turn it down. With great results.

I walked home from work on Thursday to be outside in the sunshine, not to burn calories. I think this is what is meant by an active lifestyle versus obsessive weight loss anxiety. An active lifestyle feels like freedom.

Airport purchase

Back from a great holiday.

Lots of sleep, lots of shopping, lots of sun and my longest run ever. Yup. On holiday I managed to sweat through a 4.8 km run all because of Runner's World. I picked up the latest copy during a lay over and got inspired.

I learned about my feet.

I found easy healthy recipes, new stretches, and runners who do things like 100 mile runs. Oh.

When I was doing the 'should I stop, should I keep running' yada yada I thought of that guy featured in the magazine going for 100. I kept going.

Part of this 10 km quest is figuring out how to make the training successful. I learn new stuff every week.

This week was the week of Runner's World.

Now I have another tool, another part of my running life I can rely on like my music, cushiony socks, supportive bras and satisfying post-run snack (blueberries, Kashi Go Lean cereal and yogurt).