2008 - My Year to Run

I realize that I haven’t been actively inputting to my website or blog in quite some time now and I’m happy to say that is changing. I love running and I want to write about it. I took on a temporary full-time position in a 9-5 job which seemed to be all I could concentrate on at the time. Well that’s over now.

Even though I never got to my website, I set some goals this year with my running and I’m happy to say that I’ve already surpassed them! I couldn’t believe when I looked back in my running logs and had’nt run a marathon since 2004. Could it have been that long?

Next step… my husband, Dave and I signed up for the Vancouver Marathon 2008 on Christmas Eve 2007. On Boxing Day, my husband was in an ambulance on his way to the hospital with (what we found out later) a bulging or herniated disk.

After 3 weeks off work, 5 doctors, CAT scan, MRI and then physio, he was back running. He didn’t do anything stupid and started out very slowly, but still had the Vancouver Marathon in site. As it turned out, and something that we actually knew, was that Dave is extremely unflexible. And as we age, we lose even more flexibility. That is, unless we work at it.

So, Dave started (and is still doing it) an extremely aggressive stretching program. In the beginning, it was at least 3 times a day of stretches that the Physiotherapist provided for him. Dave joined my marathon training program sometime in February for the May 4th marathon. On the longer runs, I would go for a pre-run and then loop back home and pick him up. My pre-runs got shorter and shorter and our last long run happened when we were in Orlando, Florida and Dave completed the entire run with me.

On May 4th, Dave completed the Vancouver International Marathon. Maybe not in record time, but he finished running (not walking) and feeling great and uninjured.

I started off this post by saying that I had surpassed my running goals for 2008. I’ve told you an inspirational story, but you may be asking what did that have to do with my goals? Well, Dave felt so good about his road back to health and completing the marathon that 2 weeks later, he signed us up for the Victoria Marathon on October 12, 2008. He was truly an inspiration to me, how could I say no?

The training never ends!!!

September Brings New Beginnings

[photopress:running.jpg,thumb,alignleft]September’s here, kids are back in school, summer is ended and it’s time for new beginnings.  Unfortunately I have been away from my blog for a little while as this summer we have experienced the unexpected.  I think that every summer I have ever had, I can typically say that they were great.  Well I can truly say that, for me, the summer of 2006 really sucked!  I will not elaborate too much, only to say that we had two deaths in our family.  This is what has brought the phrase “New Beginnings” to mind.

A good friend offering support said to me saying that with each ending comes a new beginning. I have done a lot of thinking about this and, in my circumstances, this implied how my life changed due to the death of two people I loved.  This was an opportunity for me to create a positive change and therefore a new beginning.  I am still having a difficult time with this as my grief is still raw.  But I do embrace this thought everyday and how I can work it into my life for a positive change. 

A new beginning on a different level has happened for everyone caused by the end of Summer.  September brings about the beginning of a new school year, a new schedule and possibly new goals.  Goals are important, so if there is a chance to work them into your life - do it. My personal goals are to increase my fitness level and get back into my structured running program.

If you are also trying to improve your running program - maybe you had a 10K run, a 1/2 marathon or perhaps a full marathon in mind, I want to remind you that if you haven’t purchased new running shoes in a while then maybe it’s time.  Do not skimp on your running shoes.  Inadequate runners can lead to injuries, so if your runners have 500 miles or more on them, then it’s time to replace them.  Even if they still look great, don’t forget that even though the treads might still be intact, the cushioning and support in the midsoles will likely have worn out.  This lack of support and cushioning transfers to the wear and tear on your body. Don’t compromise your new beginning with old sneakers!

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