Tuesdays on the Run: Favourite Medals

Oh hey Tuesday!

Today I'm linking up with Marcia, Patty and Erica for Tuesdays on the Run.  Today's topic is Favourite Medals.  I've raced so much I have a ton of medals.  It's a little crazy really.   And I can confidently say that many of them have a lot of great significance to me.  But for the sake of keeping things short and sweet, I'm going to list my top 5 in chronological order.

1) Boston 2003.  This was my first Boston Marathon and my third marathon.  It was probably one of the worst races of my life.  It was super hot, I was over trained and I went out way too fast at the start.  But I didn't know any better.  I finished but not without a lot of tears and a lot of walking.  If there's one thing I took away from this race it's that I'm mentally a lot stronger than I give myself credit for.  

2)  Ironman Lake Placid: 2006.  This was my first Ironman.  It was such an amazing day.  I raced with G and a couple of friends.  Both my family and G's family came to cheer us on as well as a bunch of our friends.  I couldn't have asked for a more memorable day.  

3) Boston 2013.   This race will go down in history as one of the most tragic events in sporting history.  I will never forget it not only for that but because it was an absolutely perfect day for me race wise.  I set my current marathon P.R and had the best race of my life.  It was perfectly executed from start to finish.  I went from celebrating to mourning in the span of a couple of hours.   And what a difference 10 years makes in terms of the bling issued! 

4) Scotiabank Half Marathon 2013:  This was my second big A race of 2013.  My goal was to break 1:30.  My training went so well, I knew I could do it, the question would be by how much.  I went on to run a 1:27:11 which netted me 3rd place Masters female and 21st female overall.  This was a HUGE deal because it was the biggest race I had made the podium on.   Again, it was another race that was almost perfectly executed.  And I think I was smiling the entire time, haha.

5)  IM Luxembourg 70.3:  This was to be mine and G's 10th wedding anniversary race.  Because that's what we like to do.  5 weeks out from the race, he had a bike crash and separated his shoulder so he couldn't race.  I toyed with the idea of not racing, right up to just before race day.  But, I had trained hard and it was going to be my first half Ironman in almost 10 years so I wanted to see what I was capable of.  I knew G would be out on the course cheering me on.  I went on to have an absolutely amazing race.  I loved every second of it.  Racing in Europe is such an incredible experience.  I squeaked into the top 10 in a really competitive European field, which completely surprised me.  It was the perfect way to start our European vacation.  The only thing better would have been to have G out on the course as well but I know we'll venture over to Europe to race again at some point.  

Do you have a favourite race medal?  What is it and why is it your favourite?
Head on over to the link up to check out some more awesome bling! 

Boston 2014: Am I Ready?

One year ago today, the unthinkable happened.  Bombs went off at the finish line of one of the most hallowed races in running, killing 3 and injuring 264 others.  The shock, disbelief and outrage that followed was magnified a thousand fold by runners around the world.  In the days that followed, runners united all over the world to run for Boston.

In 6 days I will be back at the start line in Hopkinton.  I've trained through a very tough winter and I pushed myself hard this year.  I feel like I'm physically ready.  I might not be at 100% (damn knees) but I'm close.  Mentally I know what I'm in for so I think I'm ready for that too.  The bigger question  is, will I be emotionally ready?

Over the last few weeks there have been several features and interviews with some of last years victims.  There is an entire spread in Runners World.  I excitedly sat down to read month's issue and was surprised to find that I couldn't get through the stories without crying.  Anytime I read anything online about the race, I find myself tearing up.  Watching last years news coverage this morning brought a new flood of tears.  I was shocked and very upset last year when all of this happened but over the months that followed, it became a distant memory.  They say time is a great healer.  Now all of those emotions are coming back.  I am thankful that we didn't actually experience or see any of it but we saw the aftermath and that was enough.  I had a hard time watching the news coverage in the days following.  I had originally told G before the race that even if I re-qualified, I wasn't going to go back.  That changed the minute those bombs went off.

Running a marathon is an emotional experience at the best of times.  Last year I smiled from start to finish and was practically laughing out loud when I got to the finish line I was so happy.  I want this year to be the same and I will do my best to make it so but I also think I need to be prepared for the inevitable flood of emotions that will come.  I suspect that there will be tears shed at the start and as I make that turn on Boylston.  When they come, I'm going to let them flow. 

Yes, I have a lofty time goal for this race but when it comes right down to it, the day is not about a finishing time.  It's a celebration.  It's a day to pay tribute to the victims and to celebrate the unity and strength of the running community and the amazing city of Boston.  And for many of us, a day that will hopefully bring some closure.

The tears will come but I will be ready. 
 

How Was Your Year of Running?

I love the end of the year in the running blogisphere.  Everyone takes a step back and shares the highlights of their year.  It's nice to reflect on the things that went well.  I find it incredibly motivational to read about other people's experiences so I'm excited to participate in Miss Zippy's #yearofrunning13.  I'm looking forward to reading about everyone's 2013.  Amanda asked 6 simple questions.  Some of which were very easy for me to answer and some of which required a bit more thought.  This year seems very surreal on so many levels, I don't think I've processed it all just yet.

Without further ado, here are her questions:

*Best Race Experience:  It was Boston, hands down, despite the horrible events of that day.  I executed the perfect race.  I ran happy and I reminded myself to be grateful even then the going got tough and I wanted to stop.  I really took in the atmosphere of the race and the support of spectators.  They are the ones that really make that race what it is.  I can't begin to describe the difference that made in my day.  I crossed the finish line with a P.R by over two and a half minutes.   I'm really looking forward to going back next year and celebrating the amazing city that is Boston. 

*Best Run: #BostonStrongTO:  This was a run I organized a week after Boston.  Brian at Pavement Runner came up with the idea and asked me if I would be interested in heading up a Toronto edition.  I jumped at the chance.  There were probably about 50 people that came out to run around High Park in Toronto's West End.  The outpouring of support and camaraderie that was shared that day still warms my heart and probably will for years to come.   

*Best New Piece of Gear:  My Garmin 910xt.  I am such a data junkie and this thing gives me SO much info it makes my head spin.  The best part is, I can use it for all 3 sports (swim, bike & run) because it is completely water proof.  Best $$ I spent this year for sure.

*Best Piece of Running Advice I Received:  Ironically, it's the same as Miss Zippy's and even more ironic is the fact that I got it from reading her blog, ha ha.  She spoke very highly about MAF training and after reading up on it, I decided to try it on my long runs only for about 6 weeks in my down time after Boston, leading up to my triathlon season.  It was difficult to slow down that much but I did find that by the end of my first 4 weeks, I had actually gotten faster at the same low heart rate.  It's definitely something I'd try to incorporate into my training if I have significant down time after an event, or, heaven forbid, after coming back from an injury. 

*Most Inspirational Runner:  Emily Eliason a.k.a Run Emz.  I've never met her but from what I see over the interwebz, I think she has the most gigantic heart.  She comes across as ray of sunshine, always positive, always grateful and incredibly humble. Plus anyone that can run over 100 miles on a treadmill for 24 hours straight is amazing. 

*If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?   Self discovery, respect, grateful, beyond expectations.  All of those words sum up my 2013 running year.

Free Hugs

Nine hours in a car gives you ample time to be alone with your thoughts.  I figured after the drive home from Boston that I'd have sorted through everything that was running through my mind.  I haven't really.   A marathon is supposed to be a celebration of the triumph of the human spirit, not about senseless violence.  This cowardly act just reaffirms what I have known all along:  Runners are a STRONG bunch.  Good luck bringing us down.  If anything you've just brought us closer together.

As for my race, I made a conscious decision to run happy and smile no matter how hard things got.  I kept reminding myself that I was lucky to be there.  I'm so glad I kept that promise to myself.  The result was an absolutely perfect day.  I'll post my race report later in the week once I've sorted my thoughts and had some time to process everything. 

What this tragic turn of events has taught me is that the running community is truly AMAZING.  There are so many of you that I have never met and may never meet but because we share a common love of a sport, we immediately embrace each other as friends.  I was touched by all your messages, tweets, emails, texts and messages on Instagram.   As I posted on Facebook yesterday:  Finally back on home soil. Can't wait to get home. Just a heads up that if I see you tomorrow there is a very good chance I'm going to give you a hug. Life's too short guys, remember that.

I did just that.  Yeah, it was a bit of a hug fest today but I didn't hear anyone complaining.   To all of my blends and virtual friends out there on the interwebz, I'm sending you a virtual hug, because life is too short not to.

Have you hugged someone today?