I May Be Slow, but I'm Faster Than a Couch Potatoe

A Slow Runner - that's what I am.
Although that does not mean I forever and always want to be labeled as such. My goal is to run a 5k race under 30 minutes. My first 5k race was last summer and I was one of the final 3 to cross the line, clocking 38:58 min. I have been working hard, but lately, most days it feels like I am getting no where in my progress. My friends had signed up for a fun run/ charity race and I didn't ...until the last minute. I hesitated for weeks because I was nervous that I would not do well. Days before the race something clicked in my brain and I realized I was approaching my running in all the wrong ways. With all the motivation posts/ blogs/ memes floating around how could I ever doubt my abilities? and yet I did. 

Mr & Mrs. before the race.

The race was crazy fun. Tropical Storm Andrea was hitting the Atlantic provinces on the day of the race. I could have backed out but a true runner goes out rain or shine. So I psyched myself up for it, had my coffee, banana and bagel breakfast and piled in the car with my two comrades and head for the PEI Runway Run. 

Comrades: L to R Grant and David

A damp Day: 10C, 70km/hr winds/ heavy rain. Approx. 300 runners line the runway waiting for the signal. We were soaked before the gun went off. I stayed at the back of the pack while the boys went ahead. Many people were passing me but I kept a good steady pace. I had my tunes playing and miCoach guiding me, I was in the zone. By the first km I started inching on some of those who raced out of the starting line. That felt good. To be able to pass people was something I never imagined, especially in those weather conditions. I reached the 4km mark ahead of my anticipated time and realized if I push it just a bit more I can shave a minute of my 5k record. 


36:17 mins. That's what my finish time was. I was riding a high for the rest of the weekend. A new PB. 2 1/2 min faster than my last race. I couldn't be happier. Chilled and Soaked but over the moon with excitement. I may not do a sub 30min 5k this year but I am well on my way and not giving up on the possibility. 

drying off and all smiles. 

Milestones

My friend Tammy introduced me to Sunday Scribblings and this is my first post. The subject this week is Milestones. So my mind starts pondering what exactly does that word mean to me.In essence, milestones are constructed to provide reference points along the road. Well they are many milestones on the world scale. For ones the 80's. Which I am slightly to stuck in. But I wanted to get a little closer to home as I reflect on the word milestone. What are some the markers/ reference points in my life?
Let's see, when I was 10yrs old, I got my own room. This was huge. My oldest sister was 20 and had moved out on her own thus allowing my other sister to take over the now vacant room. It was heaven. No more sharing drawers and closet. I had my own space. My own private sanctuary.
When I was 20yrs old, I met the guy of my dreams. I didn't know it at the time. As a matter of fact, I had considered him to be my summer fling. I had had it with guys and I was going to start calling the shots. A month into my new found control and authority, Cupid shot me. Although I was in denial, by the end of the summer I knew I was going to be with this guy for awhile.
30's were big. The year I turned 30 was a year for change. That guy and I had now been married 8 yrs and were going to start our own business. I kept my regular job while he got the biz going. We bought the sweetest little house and got pregnant. Buying the house was the easy part. The business was a challenge and we didn't have a lot of resources to fall back on. The baby was the hardest. After 7 years of trying we finally went to a fertility clinic. First try.Success. The year flew by, I couldn't imagine what the rest of the 30's would be like. Turbulent and yet joyful. The whole decade was full of change: I changed my career, my husband suffered a serious brain injury being the victim of a drunk driver, we moved into a bigger house, are just a few of the highlights.
As I approached the 40's I realized I had evolved into a more confident and successful woman. Successful in that I had made it out the other side of some pretty traumatic experiences~stronger and resilient. Just months before I turned 40 I took another big leap and opened a new business, this time with my bestest girlfriend. With the full support of my hubby of 18yrs, my friend and I took a leap and opened the most amazing store for women. A shop that empowers women and makes them feel confident and beautiful.
I have some pretty incredible milestones (some I do not care to record so publicly) all of which have molded and shaped me into the woman I am today. And for the first time in 40 yrs. I like the woman staring back at me in the mirror.