For the past few years, I have been working on not comparing myself to others, mostly through fear of injuring myself while doing more than my body can handle or by trying to stay competitive with younger athletes that this body has no business being competitive with. My age group, …
After a great year of running and racing, which included 3 successful half-marathons, I was looking forward to this part of the half Ironman. But because it was my first one, I really had no idea what to expect. Over the summer, Dave kept reminding me, “Who knows how your…
In over 30 years of running and racing, I have never had any interest in running the New York City marathon. The thought of toeing the line in a ginormous big city marathon has always been overwhelming. Yet I have always had huge admiration for those who head down to…
The Chilly Half Marathon, held the first Sunday in March, is one of my favorite races. This year was extra special as it was the first time that it has been held since March 2020. In fact, the Chilly Half Marathon was one of the last races in many people’s…
I have seven weeks until Burlington’s Chilly Half Marathon and nine until the New York City Half Marathon. I also have zero base – squat. Covid does that to you. But since my official return to sport, I have had 2 slow runs (8K and 10K) and one 30k ride…
Burlington’s Canada Day 5K, organized by VRPro, has always been a favorite. After a two year absence, I was keen to do it again but I had just finished my first triathlon the weekend before; with the 5K only five days later, I felt that rest was what I needed.…
My races are usually targets, ones that I work towards and, on race day, I give it my all. Not during the pandemic. My training consisted of running and running some more: no speedwork, no tempos, no intervals. “Why beat my body up if I don’t need to?” I reasoned. …
On Thursday night, my physiotherapist cleared me to start walking and cycling. “Start slowly,” he cautioned, “to see how you feel. If you’re feeling good, add a bit more.” This week’s goal, then, has been to gently wake up the muscles. I spent Friday and Saturday getting use to being…
A few weeks ago, I decided to participate in The Winter Scavenger Hunt, organized by Gary Robbins of Coast Mountain Trail Running. In all honesty, I almost decided to not register for this series of virtual challenges but, after having so much fun with the Summer Scavenger Hunt, I felt…
Adapt. Pivot. Let go. In the past six months, I have learned to let go. The background: My recovery from the hamstring tear on my right hip has gone exactly as I had hoped. I was running and running well. I was starting to race again and was happy with…