Running for Water, Running for Me

I ran in Abbotsford's Run for Water yesterday. It was a 10k run, which is nothing new to me, with a start and finish at the beautiful Mill Lake.

I had a tough time getting started. With my legs still bothering me, the warmest day I've experienced in my running career so far, and noone I knew running with me, I felt defeated before kilometer 1. Fortunately, just as I was starting to question if I would be able to run another race (this being my second one ever), I heard someone call my name. There, running beside me, was Linda who had been one of my Team Leaders from the Sun Run training clinic I had completed.

As it turned out, this was her very first race/running event without her good friend who usually ran with her. She had been contemplating staying home, and I had been contemplating walking. I can not convey the emotional relief I felt when she said "You know what? I'm sticking with you today". We decided to motivate each other. She stuck by me the entire run, and I could not be more thankful. She kept me going and says I kept her going too.

As we were discussing motivation and the importance of going at your own pace, etc. a gentleman came from behind us and hared a little wisdom. He had overheard our conversation and said " You know some great advice someone told me once when I was starting out? This is your run. Noone elses. It belongs to you. However you run it is great and that's how it is supposed to be run".

Even though I have run a top distance of 17.3 kilometers so far for my training, I still found it a challenge to complete a 10K. Maybe it was the heat. Perhaps it was the route. I believe it was all mental. I had myself mentally prepared to run 10 kilometers and that was it. I think, for me, there's something to that. I had no more of a challenge running 17(.3!)k for a training run and I think it's because that is what I knew I had to do. I was mentally prepared to run 16K that day and that was all tehre was to it. As hard as I may try, I can't argue with my own mind. My body may try though.

My run buddy kept a smile on my face, kept me distracted with conversation, and kept me on task with pace and energy conservation. What a blessing she was to me. We agreed we were meant to meet that day and our purpose was to support each other. Support each other we did.
For 10 kilometers.

My usual supporters were at the finish line; My husband greeted me with a huge smile, wave and camera in hand as I ran by. My baby girl was sitting happily on the grass, thrilled to see "Momma" back in her world.

Another first for me happened yesterday... a medal! All finishers got a medal. I wore mine proudly ALL DAY LONG :-) It was an emotional finish because I was handed a medal, I had such a struggle at the start, I had been given a wonderful friend to help me through, and I was questioning if I would be able to run a Half Marathon (it still seems daunting to me). I was overcome with emotion.

I was happy to run for such a good cause, bringing clean drinking water to those that need it most. I was also happy to realize that I was running for me. I was not running for time (I never do - and this seems odd to a lot of runners I talk with), I was not running to impress others, I was not running against anyone else.

I was running for ME. Because, after all, this was my run. Noone elses. This run belonged to me.