Enter athleticism

Hail to the world.

I finished my first 10K run this morning.  It was a wonderful, exhilarating moment that I wish I could share with everyone I know, not just the 27,000 folks who ran with me.  I was so inspired by what transpired today that I felt the urgent need to create a blog to talk about what brought me to this point, and furthermore, how I will continue this addictive journey I've unwittingly begun.

I moved back to my hometown this past summer, and while reconnecting with friends, I found one friend who was interested in starting up a running routine in our neighbourhood.  We finally made solid plans and began in the (cold!) month of December.  Shortly after beginning our weekly runs, our mutual friend told us we should sign up for the Sporting Life 10K run annually held in May.  We thought about it, and we said "Sure!"  May as well have a goal to help us along, yes?  Then another one of our (slightly more sadistic) friends made a friendly bet - he bet that we would not continue our weekly routine of running.  On the line?  Drinks for the night.  So Ben and I, motivated by pride and money, consistently met at least once per week to run.

Fast forward to today.  The race was upon us.  I was anxious and nervous.  A number of friends were running, and some of us met beforehand to chat and get pumped up.  It was freezing in the morning.  Something like 4 degrees centigrade.  We hurried into our corrals at the last possible moment and jumped and shivered to stay warm.  As we edged towards the starting line, my nervousness began to fade, and all I felt was excitement and certainty - certainty that I would run nonstop and finish this race.  I also had hope - hope that I would finish the race with a time of 00:59:59.

The excitement took over completely.  The adrenaline and the crowds gave me strength.  I put my earphones in and started up my iPod, which was full of tunes I had selected carefully the day before.  I reached the start line, and then I was off.  The course is mainly downhill, but there are a few hills that require a bit of extra effort, so I paced myself.

What happened next was amazing.  I ran from uptown to downtown in the city I had grown up in.  I had biked this distance before, I had walked all parts of it, and I had ridden in cars and public transport through it, but I had never just taken off and run the whole distance.  It was strange to run down the middle of a usually busy street.  At each kilometre there was a different band playing a different kind of music, revving the runners up and cheering us on.  I smiled as I ran by, focusing on my running.

Kilometres 1 through 4 felt absolutely normal, besides my intense excitement.  It was just another morning run.

At kilometre 5 I felt a slight cramp coming on.  I thought I might have had too much tea in the morning and maybe I had to pee.  By kilometre 6 it was gone.

At kilometre 7 I grabbed a cup of Gatorade just to wet my mouth.  Most of it ended up on the ground, along with the cup.

At kilometre 8 I got a little cocky.  I passed a number of people, but kilometre 9 was taking too long to arrive, so I paced myself down again.

At kilometre 9 I could almost taste victory.  I stepped up the pace.

At kilometre 9.7 I could see the finish line.  I revved my engines, and I directed all the energy I'd been conserving for hills towards my legs for a mad sprint to the end.  I sprinted and I sprinted and I sprinted, and I hit the finish line with every last bit I had.

Kilometre 10... I smiled, cheered, and slowed down to a brisk walk.

And that was my run.  My time?  1:02:37.

My certainty at the beginning of the race had been proven.  I had run nonstop and I had finished.  My hope, however, had not been met.  I did not hit under an hour.  But 2 and a half minutes over?  Not bad, not bad.  Instead of shattering my hope, my spirit has been reinvigorated.  I know I can improve, and with more training, I'll be able to run at a faster pace.  For now, I think what I did was amazing.  It has also given me a benchmark.  I know that next year is the year I should aim to run at an hour or under.

As if this post weren't long enough, I have one more thing to add - last week I joined a gym.  My friend had taken me to some of Goodlife's crazy aerobics classes, which I adored.  One thing led to another, and here I am, a brand new member.  My journey into fitdom is just beginning.

I am so lucky to have so many supportive friends.  Everyone has encouraged me to do my best at this run, and I am grateful.  I could not be doing this without friends who think my actions are worthwhile.

With all this written, I would like to now formally welcome you to my corner of the internet.  Encouragement, laughter, and inspiration are what I aim to dish out here.  I imagine this journey I've begun will be eventful, and it would be my pleasure to share it with those who care.