Fueled by Passion

I remember being so intimidated by my peers who were members of the local track club and trained for running events while I would show up in my thick cotton jogging shorts and ratty runners. I stuck out like a sore thumb amidst those well-groomed track athletes and their perfectly pressed running uniforms and expensive track shoes. I would stay bundled up in my sweatshirt and jogging pants, while they sauntered around in their little cliques with matching track outfits. I was so jealous of their status, as if the fact that they were part of a track and field club made them The Elite.

Okay, I digress. They kind of were. I mean, a handful of them, over the years, were named to the National team and went on to compete in PamAm Games, and Olympic Games but whatever.

I never trained outside of gym class or our school track meets. I remember *competing* in grade nine gym class, basically just fucking around, when the coach for the track team approached me after a 100 metre sprint. He asked me to come to tryouts and see if I was interested in joining the team. Sprinting was always my forte, it was quick. Not a drawn out marathon run requiring loop after loop on the school’s crappy gravel/sand track. I figured that was something I had to train for, and I was all about fast and easy.

Needless to say, I didn’t really excel in track and field. I mean, not to brag, but I did manage to hold my own against some of those elitists, but eventually I gave up. Afterall, track wasn’t one of the cool sports like basketball, volleyball or soccer…

I think that sigma of running stuck with me: it’s a club. A club that is hard to get into and only the strong will survive. Up until a few months ago, I envisioned that track club and how little and insignificant they made me feel.

Then something sorta clicked: I wanted to run.

I wanted to train to be a better runner.

I wanted to run distance; to take those seemingly endless loops around the school track.

Okay, so I don’t run on the track. Though the one at the school near me is very worthy – if it wasn’t overrun with hot much-too-young-boys and high school track stars. Ahem.)

If you’re following me on twitter (Um. Hello?! Follow me!)  or Facebook, I’ve probably overrun your feed with my Couch to 5k updates as I’ve been working towards a 5K run at BlogHer this August (where I will run in a tutu for Tanner). My goal is to run the whole thing; and at first I thought I would never succeed, but I’m getting closer and closer to doing it, people! The other night I completed the dreaded 20 minute non-stop run.

I was so anxious about the whole thing, but I persevered and made it through!

(Tomorrow is the 25 minute non-stop run, I am scared. Again. LOL)

But! I am training. I am succeeding and I am so proud of myself. I can’t even tell you what this means to me.

I am more confident than ever I will run the whole 5K in August.

If not for me, for Tanner.

Be Sociable, Share!

•