27.11.10: gunner shaw: race day

Strength: The quality or state of being strong; ability to do or to bear; capacity for exertion or endurance, whether physical, intellectual, or moral; force; vigor; power; a, strength of body or of the arm; strength of mind, of memory, or of judgement.

i wrote the letters on my arm in permanent black ink. i asked for the strength to keep running. i asked for the strength to push through when i wanted to stop. the strength to run fast, to give it my best effort, and to greet my family and friends with a smile no matter what the outcome.

race day.

was i ready? it didn't matter now. i woke up feeling nervous, but something else too...giddy? excited? after all this time, i was finally looking forward to this race! the weather was stunning: beautiful sunshine and warmer than i had expected. i ate a breakfast of oatmeal, fruit, and water and packed an after race care bag, complete with a towel, food, and a spare set of clothes.

there were 398 people at the starting line making it the largest mass start they had ever seen at the gunner shaw. my race partner, SB, and i started slow as we shuffled between the other racers, everyone jostling for their position. I pushed myself right from the beginning. i knew this was going to be tough for me and i wanted to hold nothing back so i locked my eyes onto the person ahead of me and chased them down the trail.

the course was amazing! it was every bit as slippery, icy, hilly, and beautiful as people said it would be. the route was changed slightly to divert racers around the swamp instead of through it, on account of the ice this year. but i was ok with that!! the race marshal told us there was three inches of ice on the swamp and if we race through it the ice would cut our shins.

every time i wanted to stop i would look at the word strength written on my arm and think of why i was here. this was a strategy borrowed from JU, my good friend and competitive ultra racer. as part of her race prep routine she often finds an inspirational quote and writes it on her arm so when the body wants to stop, the mind can find inspiration and push through. i have to say, it is a beautifully simple and extremely effective strategy. it made me think of my goals for this race, think of who i was running for, and it brought me all the way back to the purpose of MOVEment. i wanted to inspire others. i wanted to show people what it meant to take control of your health and fitness and challenge yourself. i wanted to show anyone who would watch me, 'look! if i can do this, you can too'! wearing my MOVEment t-shirt also reminded me that i was part of a team. this team consists of everyone who supports MOVEment and who strives to live an active lifestyle.

completing the race was thrilling! i ran out of the trees, into the lake, and across the finish line to my waiting family and friends. my time was 01:01:01 which placed me 308 out of 398 racers. what amazed me was that i shaved off nearly 10minutes from my most recent 10km training runs and this was by far, the hardest terrain i have ever run on! that is a great personal record for me!

i can't thank enough the people who supported me and came to watch me race. and my race partner, i don't know if i could have done it without you! the support means so much to me.

my 'runners high' lasted well over five hours that day...and when i think about it, i still can't wipe the silly grin off my face!

so would i do it again?

you bet! SB and i were already talking about the race next year. and i will look for other races too. this showed me that i am capable of entering the trail running world, capable of achieving a goal, and pushing myself through something that scared me a little.

that evening in the shower, i scrubbed at the black letters on my arm but strength refused to wash away. and i was just fine with that.

25.11.10: race prep

this cold weather has thrown me off a bit.

what should i wear for my race?

how wet will i get?

will it be icy?

will they change the route due to safety concerns?

i have settled on a mix of lululemon and mountain equipment co-op gear, with frontrunner socks and my favorite la sportiva trail runners. this should do fine. i have run in this gear before.

so many thoughts swirling around in my head tonight.

i am getting excited...a little bit. this sounds silly but sometimes i actually get running cravings. really. my body (and my mind) will start to crave running if i have not done it in a while. and i have not run all week.

will i have eaten what i should?

will i have enough energy?

why am i even concerned about all this?! the run is meant to be for fun, right? my training partner SB and i have our matching MOVEment t-shirts and we are out there to have fun!

so relax....

let go of expectations...

just run.

what is holding me back?

16.11.10


what is holding me back?

i have never truly achieved the fitness level i have wanted to achieve. i have not yet seen my goals through. why don't i push myself harder? what is holding me back?

sometimes we get stuck in other people's perception of ourselves. we act a certain way because that is how we believe other people see us and how we believe others want us to act.

sometimes we also get stuck in our own perceptions of ourselves. we cease to move forward because we become rooted to the only 'us' we have ever known, the one who is still trying to achieve their goals. still trying is great but that's exactly all it is.


still trying.


i want to be more than that. i want to be the one who actually achieves her goals and accomplishes her dreams. then i want to dream bigger and do it all again. i want to be fearless and realize that i can not fail. i can only learn and achieve more than i ever thought i could. instead of thinking of myself as the person i once was, i need to think of myself as the person i desire to become, because somewhere deep inside, she already exists. i just have to bring her out a little more.

i want to train harder for my race in two weeks. not just 'i need to' but 'i want to'. i want to because it is who i want to be and what i want to achieve.

what else do i want to achieve....

• have a garden.
• write a novel.
• sell my paintings.
• publish a book of poetry.
• roll my kayak.
• live in tofino for a year.
• own a house.
• have a family.
• graduate university with my recreation and health education degree.
• compete in more trail races.
• create my own personal training company.
• be a source of positive energy.
• teach a yoga class.
• laugh more.

what do you want to do?

and what is holding you back?

the next adventure...

i have exactly 23 more days until i run in the gunner shaw 2010 race.
http://pih.bc.ca/gunner-shaw-info.html

my training:

• three runs a week:
• one long distance (10km), one 30min (or 5km) focused on speed training, and one run 30 min (or 5km) focused on strength training such as hills and stairs.

my goal:

• run this race in 1hour.

my motivation:

• trail running is one of the most exhilarating ways to explore the forest! i love the physical and mental challenge of the technical terrain. this type of running is completely different form road running and although some might consider it a bit more dangerous, i highly recommend it!! i am so excited to prove to myself that i can accomplish something like this.

i am motivated by others who have also done physical challenges:

• my friend SB ran her first sprint triathlon this past summer!
• my friend JU has become a force to be reckoned with in the world of competitive ultra trail running!
• my mother is about to complete her 100 days of MOVEment and has been hiking every week!

...these (and many more) are the things that inspire me.

my fears:

• i won't have trained enough.
• i won't achieve my goal.
• i will embarrass myself in front of the family and friends who are coming to watch me.
• i will injure myself.

i must remeber:

"impossible is not a fact...it's an opinion"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOlAmhsdr6o

the afterparty

28.10.10

the afterparty...



"are you going to exercise tomorrow?"

"well...what do you guys think? do you think i should stop?"

"no!"



thank you to all my dear friends and family who were able to come out and share some MOVEment stories last night as i celebrated my 100th day. it truly meant the world to me!



reflection:

i started this project for three reasons:
to share my fitness journey, to dispel several common myths about fitness, and to hopefully inspire others to take control of their own fitness and health goals.

the myths i wanted to dispel were:

myth 1: exercise is boring.
truth 1: i did not find my time exercising to be boring at all. the activities i used for my MOVEment included walking, group yoga classes, hiking, trail running, hot yoga, group fitness classes at BDHQ, crossfit, running, outdoor bootcamp with my friends, and weight lifting (and maybe some others...). i also found the exercise session changed drastically depending on who else was there with me. it could go from a solo run to a hike with my family or trying a new class with a girlfriend. i really relied on the support from my family and friends to make my MOVEment interesting everyday.

myth 2: i don't have time for exercise.
truth 2: if exercise is a priority in your life, you will make time for it. i did struggle with this concept but it definitely rings true. during my challenge i attended three weddings, took a month long family vacation, attended school, and started a new job. some days were more difficult than others but there is time for exercise if it becomes a priority! we all lead busy lives but discovering what is meaningful in your life and making it a priority is absolutely essential to being successful and happy.

myth 3: exercising for too many days in a row will hurt you.
truth 3: variety is the key!! i had to vary the intensity of my MOVEment from gentle to moderate to hard depending on how my body (and mind) were feeling that day. some days i was ready for something extreme and other days...a simple walk did just fine. but the goal of MOVement was simply that: MOVE.

i believe this challenge was a complete success. what i find most meaningful, however, is not that i completed 100 days of MOVEment, but that other people joined me! i am so grateful and amazed at the support i have around me. i know i can choose a goal and have the people i care about (and maybe even complete strangers!) support and believe in me and what ever cause i choose to take on.

does this mean MOVEment is over?
NO! absolutely not! it can't be. there are still people starting this challenge everyday and we need to be there to support them just as they have supported us. i will continue to post information, photos, questions, and advice on the community facebook site and i encourage you to do the same. this site will also remain active. after all, there are countless more challenges out there!

the next challenge that i will be focusing on and training for is the gunner shaw 2010 trail race. this race is 10km through the trails of thetis lake and claims to be a real fall classic, complete with giant mud puddles, hills, and fallen trees. i will be updating you on my training schedule, the gear i will use, and my physical and mental challenges as i go through the race experience.

until then...
What moves you?

27.10.10: DAY 100

DAY 100

i began my day with a jog to the water, two of my most favorite things (jogging and water, that is). i was feeling strong, powerful, and inspired. this is the last day of my challenge. but what should i make of that?

as i was sitting at the water i reflected on how excited i was to get out and run today because today felt like a very special day to me. it was my day 100 after all! and then i realized that in reality this day was no different than any other day. i had chosen today to be special at random. it could have been another day. and i realized today, the present moment, is all we really have. there is no more yesterday and no such thing as tomorrow yet. we only have today. and if i could make today special just by choosing it to be, than i could do this with any other day as well. and if i could be excited about exercising today, than i could be excited about it any other day too!

as i completed my run and looked out over the ocean, my most prominent feeling was that of being ALIVE. simply ALIVE. my body has allowed me to appreciate the beauty that is all around me, not just in this fall morning, but around me every single day. i did not feel concern for the projects i had to accomplish, the exams, the clients at work, or the dishes in my sink. i only felt grateful to be alive. and i held onto this peace and gratitude and took it with me into the rest of my day.

now if i could do this today, i could do it everyday.

i think we should all take the time to find out what brings us true joy and true peace and commit to incorporating it (whatever it is) into our lives. we owe it to ourselves and the community around us.

for me, it is MOVEment. adding MOVEment into my life everyday brings me so much more than just physical benefits. i think (i hope) anyone who has committed to this challenge will discover this for themselves...i don't have to tell you.

so moving forward....

reflection?

new goals?

another direction?

we shall see....

26.10.10: day 99 knowing your limits

26.01.10: day 99



knowing your limits is absolutely necessary.....and extremely humbling.



this morning i participated in a workout that was more intense than i was used to. and two thirds of the way in...i started to feel dizzy. now, i know my limits, but to admit to them is very difficult. i knew i had two choices: to sit out for the remainder of the workout (with my head below my heart) until i felt better or i could continue, and likely faint. this second option was obviously not the option to go with (plus it might have really freaked out my coach!). so, ever so humbled, i sat out and watched while the rest of the group pushed on.



knowing your limits is relevant is ever exercise, in every scenario because knowing when your body has had enough or when it it time to rest is crucial to optimal performance. this doesn't mean you can use your own linits as an excuse however. knowing your limits gives you a place to start challenging yourself and a place to start pushing those limits. and pushing your limits or your comfort zone can only lead to two options: you suceed or your try again next time. this was my 'try again next time'. i feel frustrated, yes, but i know it takes courage to try something new and challenge your limits. i see that courage all the time when i hear of people trying an exercise for the very first time, entering competitions, or simply striving to make their life better in any way they can.



at the risk of sounding too philosophical, there is no such thing as failure. we challenge, we learn, and we try again next time. thats all there is to it. those are our options.