Daily Mile Meet Up & Pushing Yourself

Last Saturday, Daily Mile had it's monthly meet up downtown in the Distillery District. Anyone could come out and run, and the course was 8.5K. I decided to go as it was a great way to meet fellow runners that we usually interact with online and run with a fantastic group of people.

This day was full of many "firsts" for me, including the first time I ran with a group, the first time I ran 8.5K, and the first time I ran outside. It was an incredible experience to say the least and one that I'll try not to forget! 

We all met at SOMA Chocolatiers in the Distillery District. The path was through Cherry Street, passing Tommy Thompson Park, and ending back at Mill St. I heard someone was going to turn back at 5K and I was about do to the same because I've never ran 8K in one go in my life. Needless to say, there was NO ONE going back at 5K, so I decided to push it and finish the 8K.

I was clearly the newbie, at the end of the pack, but that didn't matter because everyone made me feel welcome and not at all slow (even though I feel like I'm a turtle sometimes compared to all these veteran runners). About 5K in, I was beginning to get tired and slipped from the pack, which caused me to run by myself for a wee bit. The incredible Will came to my rescue and paced me with encouraging words and support. We ran together, talking about our running adventures and lives right before catching up with the group. When we saw the group standing and waiting about 200 meters away, we decided to Fartlek! Oh yeah! If you don't know what fartlek means, it's a Swedish word for sprinting. Fancy, huh? 

That fartlek (hehe) will stay in my mind forever. With Will by my side gently coaching me on running in choppier strides, and the entire group cheering for us felt amazing. I felt amazing! We never know what the human body is capable of doing, and this was definitely a surprise that made me appreciate my body and what it's capable of. 

Afterward, we ended up going for breakfast at Fig's restaurant and had delicious eggs, coffee, bacon, waffles, and everything in between! Yummmm! :)

I am so glad I met such a diverse (from 20-62 years of age) group of runners from all walks of life; from a competitive cyclist, to a triathlete, to a rock climber. It was one of the most fantastic experiences of my life; having a support group coaching and cheering for me every step of the way is something I will always cherish. The group of people I ran with gave me hope, inspiration, and the will power to continue running even when I want to stop.

You guys know who you are, and I thank you.

Happy Running!

- K

Goals, Hopes, & Dreams

Sometime last year I decided that I wanted to run a marathon in my lifetime. Keyword on lifetime, not next year. But oh how times have changed! As I started running this year, I set a realistic goal: to run a 5K this year. Well, let's just say that my goals now exceed the 5K. I'll be doing the Goodlife Fitness Toronto 5K on Sunday, May 15th. Preferrably (and competitively) I would like to finish between 25-30 minutes (approx 8 min pace/per mile), or faster. The first time I ran the 5K, my time was 35 minutes. So I'll need to cut 15 minutes off my total time in about 11 weeks of training (11 weeks to go! Exciting!).

I also decided that the 5K was not nearly a challenge since I know I can run it. Therefore, I would love to run The Beaches Jazz Tune Up 10K on July 26, and finish between 40-45 min. It'll be a great race in between the half-mar and get me to still have heart and competition while halfway through my half-mar training program.

Finishing off the year, I'd LOVE to do the Toronto Scotiabank Half Marathon. After the 10K, that gives me under 3 months to finish training, so hopefully I will be injury free and ready to kick it! Preferred time would be sub 2, i.e under 2 hours. (approx 9:15 pace/per mile). 

Enough with the rambling. All I know is that I want to finish strong, finish as fast as I possibly can, and just finish these races as best as I can! I don't want to push myself this year and run a full marathon, so I will save the big M for next year. 

I hope and believe in myself that one day I will qualify for both the Boston Marathon (one of the most prestigious races in marathon history, with time requirements for each age group. For me, the qualifying time for 2013 would be to finish a marathon in under 3:30) as well as the ING New York City Marathon, which would hold a special place in my heart since I used to live there for a few years and my grandparents live in Brooklyn.

Those are my hopes, dreams, aspirations, and whatever else you want to call them. They may be high and hard to reach, but I will get to them if it's the last thing I do. I believe I can do it, and I'm ready to train my body like never before. So watch out! I'm excited to see what the future holds for me, and hope to share the journey with each and every one of my fellow readers.

Happy Running!

- K

And So It Begins

I used to say that you will never find me at midnight on a treadmill in the gym. I used to say that people are crazy for waking up at 5 to run a marathon. I used to say that I will always sleep in and enjoy my slice after slice of pizza. I used to hate running. Then it all changed.

In December of 2010 I realized I didn't want to continue in the self-harming lifestyle that I led which included a sedentary life full of pizza, ice cream, and any type of junk food (obviously no exercise). Not only did my body feel exhausted from all the toxic food, but I felt exhausted from all the guilt & all the binge eating; and most of all, all the judgments that my own mind conjured up. I didn't want to be my own worst enemy. I wanted to make myself proud; push my body to its limits, and let go of the past that was toxic. 

And then January's inevitable resolutions rolled around. But for some reason, something clicked. I had a thirst for fitness, a thirst for healthy delicious food! I had a thirst to push myself at the gym; to actually get to the gym 3 days a week! What I thought was another mindless resolution turned out to truly be a desire that I wanted to achieve, not just this year, but every year following this one.

Needless to say, I signed up to a gym and I started running on the treadmill. I used to despise (and I mean despise with a capital D) running. I hated feeling winded and overall exhausted. But that's because I didn't know HOW to run. My body didn't understand what was going on. So I went slowly and surely. I could barely run for more than 5 minutes. 

Weeks passed, and by the end of February I tested my abilities, my body, and my mind to run 5K (3.1M) on the treadmill. I had 3 or 4 walk breaks (consisting of 1-2 minutes) but managed to run for 35 solid minutes. I couldn't believe it! All this time, I was capable of this! My body could actually do it without hating the sport (or myself).

And as they say, I was officially bitten! I am, what you call, 'addicted' to running (I'll use that term loosely and let you define it yourself). I began to 'see the light' and nowadays it's one of the only things that keeps me sane. I feel powerful, energetic, and amazing afterward. The abilities of the human body amaze me. I feel like I can take on the world. I finally feel good about myself and my body. Not to mention, there's nothing that beats the runner's high.

I know I have a long way to go (I've got all kinds of running expectations and goals which I will share soon), but I am so excited to see what the future holds for me; so excited to see the possibilities! So come along on this journey with me, you may be surprised at where we'll end up.

Happy Running! See you out there on the pavement ;-)

- K