Its been almost a year since I managed to complete my firs 21k run. For the first 6 sundays in 2010 I ran 21k training runs, and it was a truely inspiring time in my life.
It was all in preperation for the Noosa 1/2 marathon which was to be my first official race of this distance.
As a runner this year has been massive for me, life altering and perspective changing.
I started the year with lots of training runs and came to the realization that running alone without music or other stimuli is a great way to find peace and calm within your thoughts. I started to value the calm that I found when I focused on my breathing and my feet hitting the ground.
I discovered what it truly meant to be high on life, the endorphin high after my training runs was one of the most incredible legal experiences I have had. There is nothing quite like walking around like a stoned teenager all because of running.
I found that the motivation to be active is always there, constantly doing battle with the motivation (or lack-there of) to sit on my ass and do nothing, to fall back into the lazy sedentary life style that I had before.
I discovered that in 13 months it is possible to complete your first 5k, and your first 42.2k marathon.
We as a family discovered that planning holidays around running interstate events is a really good way for the family to travel, and that the support of family is an always present warm feeling that keeps me running.
Knowing that Ben and Grace look at their daddy and see a runner, a man who is fit and active, and who chooses to be self disciplined in the pursuit of his goals makes me smile every time I think about it. What will my kids remember of their dad when they grow to be my age. I would like to think it would be along the lines of. "remember when dad ran that race at ......." or "remember the look on his face when he crossed the finish line of the marathon" or even "remember the first time we ran that 5k run together as a family"
This is what I hope for. That one day my kids will remember happy family times because we were active as a family, we worked towards goals as a family, and we ran as a family....one day :)
But the year has not been all good unfortunately, I rolled my ankle in June and lost a month of training towards the marathon in October. It was odd when it happened I cried a lot, I just couldn't help myself, but it was not the pain which made me cry. It was the mourning for my training, my stress relieving runs, I felt instantly that every run I had completed had been taken away from me, and that I would never get back to the point that I was when it happened.
After a month of physio and the fact that she recognized I would have a break down if I didn't start running again, I got back into it. It was scary running on it again as I didn't trust my ankle anymore. I was able however to get to a point where I completed the Melbourne Marathon in October.
The rolled ankle marked my first and only visit to the emergency department.
1 week after Melbourne I ran a 10k. I had underestimated the impact that running a marathon had on my body. I had felt ready to run again about 3 days after the marathon but waited on the advice of fellow runners.
The 10k felt great, it loosened my stiff muscles, got the blood pumping and was all good. Until about 2 hours afterwards when I got a sore throat, this turned into a killer headache and eventuated into 3 days in bed resting. Its amazing how psychologically I needed to run but physically my body just was not ready.
3 weeks later I ran the Marysville 1/2 marathon which was one of the hardest runs I have done due to hills and I still managed a time I was very pleased with.
All in all its been a great year for me. I am calmer, more patient, fitter and have more energy. As a result of making better lunch decisions (Home made salads instead of bought lunch) I have now managed to achieve a weight which I have not been down to since I was about 18 years old.
To put things in perspective I have gained the motivation, drive and passion it takes to be a runner, and really all I have lost is 20 off Kilos.
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