guess what i'm doing this weekend

Tomorrow morning I'm going to be joining 22,000 of my closest friends for the Toronto Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon.



I will be following that little green line there, for the 5km course:

I'm trying not to let the fact I haven't even run in over 2 months sway my confidence (ha!), but I am feeling quite intimidated by the size of this event. I will probably end up filing this experience under "Rae's Stoopid Ideas that Sounded Like Good Ideas at the Time". But alas, it will feel good to hit the pavement again, enjoy some time with a couple of good friends, and feel like I'm joining the fitness world again.

I may even get to see this guy:

i did it

Just over a year ago I vowed to get myself back into shape by committing to running 5 miles comfortably (at whim) by May 2011.

In the spirit of keeping it random (at whim), I put on my running shoes on the evening of Thursday May 26th and set out to run 5 miles straight. I had butterflies in my stomach, as the longest I'd ever run at any given time was approximately 3.5 miles at once....and I knew I was going to have to give you all the full report no matter how it turned out. I was nervous.

I decided to take one of my normal routes - a mix of residential streets and some paved and gravel paths in my neighbourhood. Running the loop three times would bring me to exactly 5 miles.

I felt really strong and confident for the first 2 miles or so. Oh ya - I'm comfortable running this amount. No problems!

By the third mile, a bit of panic started to set in. Can I do it? I plugged along keeping my regular pace up, much to my surprise.

Mile 4 was an....interesting one. My brain started telling me "Wow - you've gone a long way. Maybe you should walk a bit", but my feet just kept on moving. I turned off my music and decided to just listen to my feet hitting the pavement. The rhythm kinda put me in a trance - it was the oddest thing. I kept on going, listening to my feet and my breathing and focusing on just keeping moving. Before I knew it I was halfway through my third and final loop - the home stretch! My legs were feeling strong and for the first time I started really believing I could do it.

I emerged from the ravine trail with a quarter mile to go. I could see my house in the distance, my husband waving to me as I headed home. My heart really lept....I was going to do it! My breathing was good, my legs felt great, I was getting teary and...before I knew it, I was blowing past him shouting "one more loop".

Wait. What?! Did I just say that?????

Yeah, I did!!!

Why stop running when you still have fuel in the tank, right?

I have to admit, that last loop was a tough one. I had to pull out all the stops: pump up the music, turn off the music, think about work, swear, moan, talk to myself out loud. Ha! But the thing that really kept me going was just thinking about the fact that one year ago, I couldn't even run one loop. Heck - I couldn't even run for one minute last year! I realized that I felt better in this moment than I ever have.

I finished the last stretch with tears in my eyes, dripping with sweat and shaking with excitement. 6.6 miles. 66 minutes. I think I have a new lucky number. ;)

This whole experience has taught me that I can do whatever I set my mind to. The most difficult part is having the courage to set a goal, make it public and kick yourself daily to work toward it. The support I've received from all of you has been invaluable. I would thank you individually, but I fear I would leave someone out, so just know that if you've ever commented on my blog (or seen me on yours) it's because you gave me fuel for this journey that I can stand here today and say: I DID IT!!!!!!

It never felt so good to be this sweaty and exhausted:

Rae

xo

it's time

I began this blog just over one year ago. I was fat. I was frustrated. I wanted to run.

I stumbled across this quote as I researched a few "learn to run" programs:

A year from now, you may wish you had started today

It struck me. One year could change my life.

I began this blog with a single-focused mission: to run 5 miles comfortably (at whim!) by May 2011.

It's going to happen this week. I am going to randomly choose one evening this week and head out for my first ever 5-miler. Check back in next Saturday for the full details!

Rae
xo

quick-fire updates

Happy Monday, everyone. I'm trying to ease back into blogging after my recent hiatus. I promise to stop by and catch up on everyone's adventures this week. In the meantime, here is a quick update on all-things Rae:

1. Tito is on the rebound
We haven't had any further episodes since last week. We've been monitoring him closely and have been encouraged to see him get back to his old tricks this week. Rather than putting him on some hardcore seizure meds (ie. phenobarb) we are hoping this was a one-time thing that won't appear again. Hubs is convinced it had something to do with his vaccinations, which just so happened to be given the day before his seizures. I dunno. We'll see what happens. In the meantime, Tito has been relaxing and taking it easy.


2. I'm a Godparent!
My niece Savannah was christened on Sunday. What a beautiful day.


3. Wine & Cheese
We hosted 50 people at our house on Saturday for a 40th Anniversary party for my inlaws. It was a wine & cheese. I managed to navigate the spread while keeping my snacking under control and enjoyed 1 glass of wine and some sparkling water. Most important: I was able to keep my sanity while entertaining this huge crowd.


What a weekend. I'm wiped! I'm looking forward to getting back to my routine. First on my agenda: meal planning & grocery shopping. Oh, and a date with my running shoes. :)

need some support

I'm long overdue for a post. Since returning from vacation a week ago, my husband and I have been dealing with a very sick little dog. Our Boston Terrier has been suffering some horrible, inexplicable seizures.

Please keep Tito in your thoughts and prayers.

random updates

1. Oh hi!!! There you are, never-ending hunger that shows up every time I run more than 10 miles per week. Good to see you again!


2. This is the time of year when I always wish I had the foresight to plant more bulbs for tulips and crocus in the Fall. By the time Fall rolls around again, I will forget this feeling and the cycle will start over again.


3. I'm going on a well-deserved vacation with Hubs next week. Anyone care to guess where?


4. I lost 3 pounds during the Hard 10 challenge. Now, how do I lose another 30-lbs quick before I go away next week?


Hope everyone had a great week!
Rae
xo

hard 10 - day 7

Confession: I drank beer. Actually, make that 2 beers.

I got a little carried away at the Toronto Blue Jays home opener. It was an amazing win (13-3). Go Jays!





Don't worry - I had a salad for dinner and did an extra jog to make up for caloric overload. ;)