A Christmas Message - Make 2009 Your Fittest Year Yet

With 2009 literally just around the corner, why not try to make it your fittest year yet.  Have you thought about your goals for 2009 yet?

I’ve thought about my goals and if I write them down here, that will make them even more concrete.  I want to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  In September 2009 I enter a new age category for running events.  Given my new age category and the adjusted qualifying time, I think that I might be able to qualify for Boston.  It will require alot of commitment and training on my part, but I’m ready.

Having been plummeted with snow over the past week, I find it hard to think about my 2009 running goals at the moment.  The ground is so thick with the white stuff that I can’t even get out for a run.  But, I have been taking advantage of the gym and running on the treadmill.  I have to admit that I don’t love working out on the treadmill, but my driving force is how good I feel after my workout.

Don’t forget to make time for your workouts this holiday season.  Continuing your running or heading to the gym will help with those extra holiday calories and balance your “holiday” lifestyle.  Remember your New Year’s goals. 

• Challenge yourself with a running goal that you haven’t reached before. 
• Mentor someone you know to achieve a more active lifestyle.

I wish you all a VERY Merry Christmas and Good Health and Fitness in 2009.

Victoria Marathon Race Review

Sunday, October 12, 2008 - the 29th running of the Victoria Marathon.  My 3rd running of the Victoria Marathon.  Along with the marathon, there was also a 8K and half marathon events taking place.  The marathon started promptly at 8:30.  And prompt it was, I know because I was still sitting on the porta potty.  That was a first for me.  The lineup for the porta potty just didn’t go quick enough even through the encouragement of the fellow marathoner standing in front of me as he called out to those in the porta potty to “pick up the pace”.  It didn’t matter too much, as by the time I got out, scuttled across the racers (as they were moving forward) to meet my husband on the other side and run through the starting gates, only 1 minute and 40 seconds had lapsed.  Because we were using timing chips, it was all irrelavent.

Other than the shaky start - the race day itself was beautiful.  I had heard that there were 10,000 racers out that morning.  We were treated with sunny, clear weather and phenominal views!  The race course itself winds, twists and undulates and was much more challenging than I had remembered it being in 1997.  Runners run through downtown Victoria and Beacon Hill Park before hitting the coastline and smelling the salt water and feasting their eyes on stunning water views.

Personally, my race was great.  I was pumped and in a very positive frame of mind.  After the half-way mark, I was still feeling great, so I just kept my pace up.  I passed runners who were starting to fade and I have to admit that it felt great and fuelled my fire even more.  My goal for this race was to beat my Vancouver Marathon time earlier in the year (4:24), I didn’t care how much I took off, but I knew that I had trained more for Victoria and had the distance under me.  You can only imagine how proud I felt when I came through the finish line at 4:04 - a whole 20 minutes off my Vancouver time.  Next year my Boston Marathon qualifying time is 4:05 - I now think that I can do it!

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