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Sunday was a day like no other.
It really was a day 2 years in the making.
I did it. I ran my first 10km race.
I’ve been working towards this since January, returning to running after getting a stress fracture training for the same race last year.
I woke up nervous and excited, surprised that my excitement was even more powerful than my nervousness. I headed downtown Vancouver where many streets were shut down for this race. You know, cause it was just me and 48,000 others running! I arrived early, checked my bag and chatted with folks around me while the streets got more crowded by the minute.
Then it was time, and my wave of participants began running.
Honestly, the time flew by so fast because all I was focused on was trying to weave around all the people who would stop all of a sudden and keep myself moving.
We ran through gorgeous cherry tree lined streets, by the beach and across bridges that were normally full of cars. It was incredible. Every so often I’d look behind, or the road would stretch out ahead and I’d just see tens of thousands of people ahead and behind me. So beautiful.
Running isn’t always blissful and I was prepared that it might be a miserable experience but I was shocked that I totally loved it, felt great and did it. My goal was to run the whole thing and I did just that.
After lunch a dear friend met me for a divine brunch at one of my favourite restaurants, Bandidas.
In a way, making it to the race, pushing myself to get out there each week to train and completing my goal was a way for me to rewrite some stories that I have in my mind. I felt them shift the moment that I crossed the finish line.
Rewriting the story that I’m not athletic or can’t succeed in sporty things.
Rewriting the story that I give up, self-sabatoge. Cause this time I sure didn’t.
Rewriting the story that you don’t have to be tiny and naturally athletic to run. There were folks of all shapes, sizes and ages out there running.
Rewriting the story that I’m breakable and that any moment my leg will break again.
Rewriting the story of my goals, one that now includes a desire to keep running, keep getting stronger and likely race again.
It was a weekend like no other. Now the soreness is kicking in but it was definitely worth it!