Penticton ITU Worlds Duathlon

If you are reading this blog right now I probably don't need to tell you the result of my race. If you follow me on social media you will already know. It was one of the proudest moments of my life, so far, and I was excited to share it with my friends and followers that have shown me so much support on this journey to Penticton ITU Worlds Duathlon.

I was quite open about this race because I felt like to put it out there made me more accountable. But I also hoped to inspire people that watched me on this journey to know that setbacks happen but they are simply that: setbacks. They don’t need to define us.

I was determined to get to the World’s startline. I wanted that startline so bad - for me, but also for my husband; because I knew my setback had indirectly become his setback. We had signed up for this together. We were in it together.

How did desire transpire into success? Well, I stopped running cold turkey for 3.5 months and I focused on what I could control - improving my bike fitness. At the slight chance I was going to be able to make it there, I knew I was going to be relying on my bike more than ever. And I knew running when I should not run was only going to make my chances of getting there slimmer. So, for the first time in my ENTIRE life (yes I’ll admit that) I was patient.

When I was finally back running I was still smart about it. If I was running and my pain came back, I walked home. It didn’t matter if that walk was 3km. I walked! If I woke up sore from my run the day before I took another day off. Or I opted for a bike workout instead. Mentally, this was SO hard somedays. Because, like you, I doubt myself. I question whether I’ve done the work. I feel like missing one workout is going to make me a failure. But it doesn’t. In fact, listening to what you know is best for yourself, whatever that might be, is the smartest thing you can do for yourself. And you know what else I did on those days off? I imagined throwing my hands up in the air through that ribbon. Because even though the thought of winning a world championship seemed SO absurd, imagining it made me want it. And wanting it made me push through those workouts I may have quit before. It made me appreciate my legs SO MUCH when I got them back and respect them when they would work for me.

Flash forward to the week leading up to Worlds. I was a nervous wreck! What had I gotten myself into? That calm cool Mel - I couldn’t find her anywhere. What if I had forgotten how to run? What if I flat? What if I let everyone down? What if..what if...what if?! Sound familiar?

I opened up to a few very level headed people that I knew would ground me. And I’m going to call them out because I think knowing when someone has an impact on others is a good thing. Sarah Penny - Yes, I know I just need to say her name and everyone will know what I’m talking about. Thank you! My sister Christine - thank you for believing in me always. My stepdaughter Kailyn - she thinks I can do anything and told me so the day before we dropped her off and drove to Penticton. And of course my husband Reinier (even if I don’t listen to you somedays I do hear you).

Race Day

So, what happened on race day when I finally got to that start line? Well, that gun went off and confident Mel was back. Two Canadian girls ran off the front right out the gate. I knew the one name and that she is capable of a 36 min 10k. I wasn’t sure if she was going to flex that during a duathlon but I wasn’t worried if she did - just keep her in sight and be patient. At the 5k mark when I realized I’d probably PB’d my 5k, I was sitting tied for 3rd place with a lady from Great Britain. I was feeling great. Unfortunately, this feeling of bliss did not last much longer. By km 7.5 I cramped - both sides of my ribcage were in complete agony. I felt my pace slowing and was overtaken by a USA athlete. Great Britain pulls up beside me and encourages me to keep going. She told me to listen to the crowd. They were cheering for ME. It made me realize, I was not running for me. I was running for them. And I could suffer for them for another 2k. If I could just make it to my bike I could recover there. Amazingly, my pace picked up and I was able to hang with her for the remaining 2k of that portion of the race and PB'd my 10k.

I won’t even talk about my transition because, well, it’s not worth talking about. I have not put enough (or any) focus there and have learned that lesson the hard way. But, once I was securely fastened to my bike, I was off. I used the first few kms to get my breathing in check, assess the situation - who was ahead of me, how far ahead were they? And when I was ready I put my head down and I went for it. I felt so comfortable on the bike. I caught all but one girl within a few minutes and just kept pushing. These girls were faster runners than me and I knew I needed to put as much time into them on the bike as I possibly could. I averaged over 4 watts/kg on that time trial and felt so at ease. I knew the bike was my only ticket to a podium.

Sharon Styles was there (best cheerleader EVER) and told me I was second girl and first in my age. Hearing this gave me enough motivation to drain myself on the bike and hope for the best on the run. My logic here was, how much time can they really gain on me in 5k even if I feel like death?

Transition II was almost as shameful as the first. Once running, I made a mental decision not to look at my watch because my last run in a duathlon is usually quite pitiful. “Just run” I kept telling myself out loud. “Just run”. My upload tells me I ran a sub 20 min 5k and even though many girls ran it faster than me, it was enough to hold off the remainder of the pack.

I can’t really describe what running through that crowd screaming at me with excitement felt like. It was such a surreal experience to run for the satisfaction and pride of others versus myself. Someone handed me a flag and told me to bring it home. As I rounded the corner and saw that finish line I instantly began to cry. I had done it. I had really done it! And just like that, I did!

The amount of support I got following the race brought those tears back many times. The number of people in the running and cycling community that took the time to send Ren and I personal messages about our races was incredible.

Ren finished a respectable 7th overall in his age group. I was so proud of him and would never want to do this without him. On his very last lap when I was done and got to cheer him on, he yelled at me, “How did you do?” I yelled back, “SECOND!!!!” and he pumped his fists in the air and kept running. The stranger beside me says, “I don’t think he’s running hard enough!” It made me chuckle because I know my husband and I know that whenever I have success, it inspires him more. Strava tells us he ran a 3:39 last km.

And so, this chapter is closed. Or is it? It has kind of left me wanting to do it all over again…

Fitness Test: Check! & Race Recap

I learned a few lessons before the start line: tri-suits are really difficult to get in and out of. With pre-race nerves at full force getting in and out of that suit happened more than I'd like to admit. Start delayed 30 mins (as per Reinier interpreting there were horses on the course?) which meant sitting out in the heat just a little longer, but also gave me time for one final bathroom break. Sometimes what we don't expect to be a blessing in disguise turns out to be. Also, 91% humidity will cause you to sweat profusely even while standing in one place.

I knew very little about what was going to happen that day. I have been running for just a month and know that as a duathlete my bike is stronger than my run compared to the competition. My plan was to rely on the bike which meant pacing the first run correctly was the most important part of that race for me. I decided, once again, to run on feel. Be honest with myself when the pace felt too fast or too slow and adjust accordingly. Ren also suggested taking his coaches advice and dousing in water every aid station there was. So I did. I took a sip and dumped the rest on my head at every 1k aid station. One turned out to be gatorade so I was a tad sticky for the rest of the day. Oops! I finished the first run 1st girl and 17th overall, with a 3:59 per km average pace. I felt amazing and couldn't wait to jump on my bike. Nerves settled with that first run done and I actually found myself getting emotional when I realized just how strong my run had gone. Could I possibly win the Duathlon National title? Woah woah woah...don't get ahead of yourself Mel , I reminded myself (I talk to myself when I race). The race isn't even half over...

The bike course was exactly 20km long, which we were required to do twice. In just 40km we climbed over 500 metres of elevation. Ren always reminds me that even though I stress about how much hills are going to hurt, they hurt me a little less than most. Use this to my advantage. So I did. The course was a little chaotic with both Olympic distance and Long Distance triathletes riding the same course. I made sure to check the legs of every male I passed looking for the "DO" marker ("Duathlon Olympic") because for every one I caught meant my husband had caught them also. I lost track of how many I had passed, especially as the course got more congested, and guestimated Ren to finish around 3rd place.

The last run is more mental than physical. My legs were happy to move at a pace anywhere from 3:50 to 4:20 in that last run and I just let it happen. But my mind started to falter. I had to remind myself that it was just 20 minutes of my life. Suck it up! I did have the benefit of being able to pull back if necessary because I knew I was in the lead and it was unlikely that I was going to get caught in the last 5k. I was nearly sent the wrong way on the course, however, which caused the last 2k of the race to really weigh on me. Apparently language barriers mid race DO matter, because I had no idea what the volunteer was telling me and went on gut versus her signalling, and thankfully so! When I saw my husband at the finish line with open arms and a smile, I knew I had come in the right way. The other direction was for the Duathlon Sprint...thank GOD I went on instinct. Average pace: 4:09. Good enough!

I finished at 2:15 which was good enough for first female and 7th overall. Learning that my husband took 2nd for the men was a pretty surreal moment. We could share this victory together!

And so, using this race as a fitness tester for Worlds has left me more confident in my ability there. My run came back strong which I completely attribute to the bike fitness carryover and the mental strength I had built up during those 3.5 months off envisioning taking the National title. If you don't believe you can do it, your body won't believe you can either.

World's will clearly be a different ballgame. My goal there is to podium in my age-group (of course) but I also recognize that is likely everyone else's goal also. All I can control is what I do that day and congratulate those who may do it better. On any given day, there is always someone faster than you out there. It just depends if they show up that day or not. So, we celebrate the victories we get, and humbly accept the ones we do not. It makes the ones we DO get so much more victorious!

Worlds Duathlon and More!

This year started out exciting! I had a new focus for my training with World’s Duathlon on the horizon, my new business was thriving, and my husband and I were planning trips and adventures. It was going to be yet another great year! And then just like that, SMACK! I ran into our counter top. I know, not what you were expecting. But let me tell you how one stupid silly incident completely turned my world upside down.

This run-in with the counter (no pun intended) accelerated a pre-existing issue in my hip. The sudden impact exposed this issue putting me out of commission for 3.5 months. That’s a LOT of time to miss for training. At first I was optimistic. No injury lasts THAT long. But low and behold, this one did. The only two things that kept me from wallowing in self pity were 1) my husband was still going, and I was not going to ruin this for him and 2) I have athletes that need me to be strong for them and that I need to be an example for. So to my husband and my runners, thank you for pulling me through.

As they say, “this too shall pass”. And it did. Overnight. I accompanied my husband on a work trip to Seattle and finally gave myself some time to breathe. He went to work, I attempted a run…no pain. I expected to wake up in agony the next day but I didn’t. I attempted another run a day later and PB’d my 2 mile. This was all I needed to mentally get back in the game. I had “lost” my legs for 3.5 months, but they were back and they were running and they were ready to go!

I recognized quickly that I had a lot of work to do for my goals. With Nationals Duathlon, at the time, just over a month away (now less than a week, EEEK!!!) I made a plan. I would get myself there, but smartly. If I felt any pain at all I would pull back. I would listen to my body, more than ever, and take it a day at a time.

So here I am, a month later, running and feeling strong. In that time I have gotten back on my bike and even won a road race.

My husband one day hesitantly said, “Maybe you’ll look back on your injury as a blessing in disguise?” (Yes, he ducked as he said that ;) But you know what, you never know! Mentally I struggle to stay in the game month after month after month of intense physical training. But with my 3.5 month hiatus I am so raring to go it will be really hard to stop me.

So, what’s next? Well, Nationals is this weekend in Magog, Quebec. It will be a training race for Worlds and a fitness check. And a great excuse for my husband and I to explore Montreal while we are there. And then, WORLDS! Let’s talk about Worlds…

I am pretty excited to be going to Worlds in August, which happens to be on Canadian soil. I am honoured to have this opportunity to represent Canada as part of the Canadian age-group team and to be able to share this experience with my supportive husband. Knowing I will be lining up with fellow Duathletes from around the world wearing our country’s colors is pretty exciting to me. I am not a professional athlete, so for me this is truly the next best thing. I get to take four things I love and put them all into one day: my husband, our beautiful country, and running and cycling. I CANNOT WAIT to lace up my runners and run and cycle my heart out for those who are truly rooting for me to succeed. I’m running for you, for me, and for those who can’t! I know just how lucky I am to have two legs that allow me the freedom to do the things that bring me so much joy in life, especially after losing them for 3.5 months. In the grand scheme of things, that is nothing.

And so, 2017, we have had some hiccups along the way. But now as I sit back I realize just how lucky I have been. I am starting a new job in just a week’s time as a part-time accounting manager to free up some time for my own training and my own business. I am healthy, the people I love are healthy. And my legs are back!

My husband’s advice to me on the bike has often been to power over the crest of the hills and coast down. And so, I’ve taken that advice literally on the bike and it works for me. But I think it’s going to be my 2017 mantra for everything I do: keep powering through when things feel tough, even when you’re uncertain about just how much father you’re going to have to keep pushing. When you finally get to “coast” and enjoy your hard work it makes it all worth it!

Looking Forward

Some of you know the story, some of you won’t, about how I met my husband. And I think it’s very fitting that our first real encounter revolved around a running race and a running bet (I lost, btw). Since that day, just over four years ago, my world has been turned upside down. A lot has happened in those four years, some really great things and some really sad things. But each year since that day I met my husband I ask myself, “how can I possibly top this one?” That’s a pretty good problem to have.

2016 can be summed up like this: AWESOME! I had a lot of success in my running and cycling and both sports combined. My husband and I qualified to represent the Canadian team at the 2017 ITU Multisport World Championships in the duathlon event, which will be taking place in August 2017. This is as close to “pro” as I’ll ever get so I’m going to relish every minute of it!

My husband and I at the finish of Great White North Duathlon
after qualifying for World's (his "good luck socks" worked!)

We also made the decision to try and expand our family. Even though we have had no success yet, I truly feel it will happen when it’s meant to happen. And my favourite part about 2016 was I started my own running coaching business that has been successful right out the gate. I cannot even describe in words how fulfilling it has been! I have learned, because of my husband’s encouragement, how much I can accomplish. And this is my sole purpose in coaching - to give back to my athletes what I have been given: someone to believe in them and help them achieve their personal best! To push them to become stronger physically and mentally and wake up feeling like they can handle whatever is thrown at them.

I also learned a lot from being coached myself this year, not just in training but on a life-level. I used to look at some of the workouts my coach would give me and go, “there’s no way.” But I took away two very important lessons from it all: to be happy with what you DO achieve and to accept when someone sees something in you that you may not see yourself. Take things “1 interval at a time” and try to stop worrying about the next challenge. Before you know it, that workout that used to seem hard or that moment in life you never thought you’d get through will be a distant memory. You will get through it and you will come out stronger in the end.

And so 2017 has a lot to live up to. What are on the plans? A half marathon, a marathon, World’s Duathlon (ya baby!), and growing my coaching business. I don’t usually make new year’s resolutions but mine was simply this: get more sleep. I’d also like to learn how to be less sensitive. But that is a work in progress. Further, I want to put my energy into some new and some old friendships I’ve developed. A few really stand out as also supporting me in my endeavours this year. They know who they are!

We also plan to keep trying for a baby, but are putting it on hold now until the duathlon is done. I want to go all-in and represent Canada well. And I want my life to go on if a baby isn’t meant to be for me. It’s easy to get caught up in what we don’t have going right versus all the good things we do.

So, 2017, bring it! I know there will be ups and downs but if we can finish each year wondering how we are going to top it, I think we can call it a success.  

You Can't Buy the Finish Line

I read an article the other day that stated an ugly scary stat: 35% of Albertans do not make enough money to cover their monthly debt. I recognize that a large chunk of this likely has to do with the number of jobs lost in our province. But it also comes down to desire to always have more NOW, even if it's not within our reach just yet. Sadly, credit cards allow us to do this. I'd be a fraud if I said I didn't have a single loan. But what does it teach us? It teaches us to not work for things. Act now, pay for our actions later. To expect everything to just come to us. It stretches to every part of our lives: relationships take work, succeeding at work takes work, running a personal best takes work. While the world promotes immediate satisfaction, the reality is, things that matter generally are not something you can buy now pay later. But they are the things that give life satisfaction and depth.

As with most things, I instantly related this stat to running. I could never buy a personal best and it would be pretty worthless to me. A friend once told me, "the reward IS the race. The hard work is done!" And what great advice that was. I want the reward! Like so many things in life, the reward is proving to ourselves that all of our hard work was worth it! 

I've recently been training alongside my husband for a 10k. I have never targeted a 10k race before. I've done them in training for half marathons but with little pressure other than a good hard workout. This weekend I'll be racing the BMO Okanagan 10k and I'm pretty excited about it. It's actually my least favourite distance. It's short enough to push hard (threshold). But it's long enough to really blow yourself up. It's long enough to doubt the finish line, and it's a zone that for me simply hurts right out the gate. These past two months have been a lot of speed workouts, some ending with fear of what I need to do on race day (how can I do this pace for 10k if 1k hurts?!!) and some ending with confidence. But if every workout ended knowing I was going to crush my goal, would it give me the motivation to keep going out there on my lunch hours, or after work when I'm tired and my stomach is acting up? No! Training for this race and all before it has taught me the more you work for something, the greater the desire and the greater the satisfaction when you do actually achieve it.

Our goals need to be realistic or we just set ourselves up for failure. But our goals also need to be a big enough stretch that we need to work for them. My husband told me recently that he thinks I play my races too safe. I set a target and come within seconds of it each time. It's normal to fail at times but if we are constantly achieving our goals maybe our goals aren't lofty enough? I think, as with many things in life, fear holds us back and can sometimes keep us from achieving our greatest potential. 

So, what have I done with this? Well after I told him he was wrong (of course) I thought about it and realized he was right (I'm never going to hear the end of this). I train hard, yes. I race hard, yes. But I play it safe! I go in with a goal and I pace to that goal. I don't run on heart and mind and feeling. I do what my garmin tells me to do. Slow down, you're two seconds over your goal pace. Speed up, you're two seconds behind. I've ran this past month on heart and feeling. I rarely look at my paces. And I really hope to carry this through to race day on Sunday. To be honest, I don't feel pressure about Sunday. I have NEVER been able to say that about a race before.

I don't know what I will do out there, but I can promise you this: whatever the result is I know I have worked my ass off for it. And I will celebrate that race day reward far more than anything I've bought on my credit card. 

Race Season Recap - What I Learned

It's July 13 and my race season has officially been over for three days. It was fun having a focus other than running for a change. There were times I missed it as I watched my running PBs I worked so hard at from last year become nothing more than a foggy memory, a dream even, maybe? But my still achy foot reminds me, every so often, of the effort I put into obtaining those PBs and it's enough to make me remember that yes that was me and, even still, is me. 

If someone were to ask me who I was last year I would have said, "runner, wife, accountant, step mom, and doggy mama". Now I can happily add cyclist to that list of "who I am" confidently! I am a cyclist! 

What makes you define yourself as something? In my opinion, it's the things you love, the things you work hard at and find pride in. It's the things that require effort but give you a sense of achievement and pride. It's the things that make you excited about life! So being able to add to these definitions only makes life more and more exciting and gives you more options for finding joy in any given day. Don't restrict yourself to who you've been! Finding new definitions of you can enrich your life.

I dabbled in ABA racing last year. I had some success with it but still thought of it as my cross training for running. And it was. But with a forced break from running it allowed me to overcome my fear of swimming (no I'm still not a "swimmer") and discover xcountry skiing (I will be a skier) and become a cyclist! 

I had four goals for my race season. These goals may not make sense to all of you but they were: 1) increase my FTP by at least 5% (I ended up increasing it by 12.5%!!)  2) upgrade to cat three, 3) top three in a crit, and 4) defend my RMCC hill climb win from last year. I can happily say I obtained all four goals plus some I added along the way. But it did more than help me check off a list - it gave me confidence that, hey, I can set goals and I can achieve them! One of these, in particular, I'd like to speak to. 

My husband and I had decided in February to do the Axel Merckx Gran Fondo in Penticton that took place on July 10, 2016. My husband was going to race it and I thought I'd come for moral support and a good long bike ride (that's what gran fondo means after all) with one little goal - give it my all on the Summerland KOM hill. That is a little race within the fondo that essentially times every rider up this 8%+ climb. The fastest riders up the hill in each age block of ten years gets a prize - the coveted polka dot jersey that represents the king (or Queen) of the mountain. My main motivation: I've always liked polka dots...

I am a good climber. My power to weight ratio works in my favour for this very thing and I thought I had a chance at top three. Usually I don't have this kind of confidence. I was liking this. I brushed off this newfound confidence until during breakfast before the race I announce to five perfect strangers, at the B&B we were staying at, that I was going for the Summerland QOM. All of a sudden I realize what came out of my mouth, embarrassed, but kinda proud of myself for actually thinking I might be able to do it. Otherwise why would I announce to perfect strangers that I'd have to see later that day again that I was going for something I could fail at? 

In all reality, no one there would have cared. They were all there to put in a long ride and give them guilt free consciences for the okanagan wine they were going to consume post ride (part of my motivation also - who am I kidding)! I came up to that hill like a bat outa hell passing people on my left and right. I felt good about my effort and then had another 95km to ride until I'd know how I'd done.

Well I ended up second women overall by 0:01 and first in my age category. Since first place was a former Olympian I felt quite privileged to come in behind her! Results show that I was 9th person over the finish line for the velofondo and first girl. I rode my bike back to the hotel in my pretty polka dots and a smile from one end of okanagan lake to the other! 

We got invited to dinner that night with the fellow fondo-ers at our B&B and when they asked how it went I proudly told them I'd gotten the jersey! One lady's jaw almost dropped and she said, "OMG! When I heard you say that this morning I thought, oh you're so cute thinking you can get that jersey!" We all had a good laugh and it made me realize - if we don't believe in ourselves no one else will! If you work hard at something, you better believe in yourself doing what you set out to do because, quite frankly, no one else will until you prove it to them with a polka dot jersey, or whatever tangible thing you can present to them. No one else knows the hard work we put into the things we love and work towards. The reality of it is - I don't need this jersey to prove to myself that I am a cyclist. There were thousands of other cyclists out there with me on July 10th doing what they love and working hard at it. 

This season has seen many other successes. Even as a runner on sabbatical I was able to achieve a Guinness World Record with the help of 11 beautiful ladies. I finished first at the GWN Duathlon qualifying me for age-group worlds next year (along with my hubby - so proud!!!!) and many ABA successes. It's been an amazing couple of months but I am ready to focus on these other definitions of myself for a few months, maybe more. And even then, I will still be a cyclist, and a runner, and whatever else I want to become that is within my power! 

Life is short. Seek out things you love! Give them your all, and never fear unbecoming someone you have already proven to yourself that you are! 

Positivity

I am a person with a big love of life. This doesn't mean that things always go my way. In fact, I'm sure as often as they do they don't. But recently I'd realized I'd lost my joy for the day-to-day. My workouts had become chores, making dinner another "job", and talking about my day with my husband and stepkids a burden. In fact, all the things that used to put me in my happy place were suddenly just extra things I had to do. What happened? How did it happen? 

I read a saying on the side of a lululemon bag once (I know - profound ;) that has resonated with me ever since: if you wake up two days in a row unhappy, change something. Sure, we can all have a bad day, but when it starts to become your norm, it's up to each of us to recognize this and make changes.

She probably has no idea how much her positive energy affected me when I met her. All the ladies on the Guinness team were fantastic and when I say they all inspired me for one reason or another that is wholeheartedly the truth. But one lady I got to know a little better and when messaging me the other day she said, "Life is Awesome!!!" It made me stop, evaluate, and question why I even had to stop. I have good health, I have an AMAZING and gorgeous husband, I have two pretty great stepkids, I love being active and busy, but I was not facing the reality: I was unhappy in one major area of my life. I responded with "It is pretty great!" but immediately missed that passion for life she has that I used to have. And knew it needed to change, now! (Thank you Debbie :) So, what was it? What was causing me to lose my passion for the day-to-day? The answer was simple: my job.

Changing a job is scary. Especially when you're well respected at your job and you make a good paycheque and you're used to your routine and so are your managers (ie: I have a hard run tonight so I'm checking out early...). Making a decision based on feeling rather than logic can be scary. But no matter what logic told me - good pay, great benefits, etc etc - the emotion had taken over and I'd lost my love of my day-to-day. I missed the feeling of being challenged and the feeling of being scared and excited about the next project at work. I missed thinking life is awesome ALL the time instead of just before and after work. I missed not dreading Monday's and living for Friday's. 

So, I've taken the leap. And it's a big one and one that has me getting more time for me but less pay as a result. It has me reworking my routine and being excited about it! I haven't even started and already tonight making dinner was fun and chatting with the kids about their day was fun! 

Someone at work expressed their sadness for me leaving today but then said, "I'm happy for you. Your light is back!" And that was the only thing I needed to hear to know I had made the right decision. I don't even talk to this lady much and even SHE could recognize my light had gotten a little dimmer than it used to be. I am so excited for this next opportunity and shining brighter than ever! Thank you to my husband for always supporting my decisions and always choosing happiness over money! 

The picture below is an exaggeration (sorta) as I left my job for the last time today! Excited much? Ah, the old me is still in there :)

May Recap June Preamble

I've always thought there are few things in life that are a once in a lifetime experience. And yet I'm learning that these experiences can happen often, if you let them.

Recently my sister posted a blog about anxiety which I really admired because for one, she's not one to speak out (the one area we are very different ;)) and two, I suffer from it too but have never fully accepted that until now. As I'm aging it's getting worse and the only reason I can think of is just how much I have to lose now. I feel lucky to have been given a second chance at marriage, the ability to do what I love in sport, and good health to do it. Anxiety makes me fear losing it all and anxiety at times causes me to be certain that it will all flutter away any day now. And somehow, just somehow, sport enables me to conquer this anxiety, and do things and push limits I've already convinced myself on any given day are not possible.

There's my intro to this past month. Now let's talk about the pretty cool opportunities I've been given to face my anxiety head on. 

May started our bike racing season off. I've been training hard this winter with Jack Van Dyck out of Talisman Centre and even though I've seen huge improvements, I am never confident until I put them out on the race course. I told my coach I wanted top 3 in the Velocity ITT and the rest didn't matter! 1st in the ITT, 1st in the Roadrace, and 8th in the crit for an overall placement of 3rd for the weekend and a few extra bucks in my pocket. Good things can happen when I face my anxiety head on! I never ever expected to win that roadrace, and had convinced myself once again, a once in a lifetime experience. Oh wait - that was last year I convinced myself of that. There's such a thing as once in a lifetime experience repeating itself?

How about organizing a team of strong talented beautiful women to attempt a Guinness World Record? How about achieving a Guinness World Record and crushing it by almost 30k?! Why set limits when you don't even know what they are? Another once in a lifetime experience...or was it? I feel like this group of ladies are bonded for life and may just have other tricks up their sleeves. Stay tuned!

This past weekend I entered a duathlon for training for my upcoming Great White North Duathlon that is my target race of this season. I went in without expectations and surprisingly less anxiety than ever. My foot pain had returned and I almost didn't do it because I'd convinced myself if I did my foot would break again. It didn't. I ran hard, I biked hard, I ran hard again (yes I puked a bit) and managed third place overall and first woman overall, chicking all but two guys. Still not sure how that happened!

What's to come? Well, June is full of bike races, then the duathlon in July and a Gran Fondo. And then I plan to "retire" for a year and experience another once in a lifetime experience and try for a baby of my own. I'm pretty convinced this will be a one time thing, but I'm learning I can't say that anymore when something amazing happens! 

What is your once in a lifetime? What makes you SO happy you are pretty sure it couldn't possibly happen twice? We all have them! Find yours...it's a powerful tool for coping with the ups and downs of life, whatever that means for you!

I am a proud supporter of women in sport. And it doesn't mean winning races. It means putting your all into something. Letting yourself face your fears and proving to yourself that you can do just about anything you set your mind to. Have you wanted to start your own business? Have you wanted to travel somewhere? Have you wanted to change careers, or even just move jobs? I dare you....

Live, Love, Run, Bike!

Wow, how has 3 months gone by since my last post? It's been an exciting 3 months and I'm eager to share it with all of my readers.


What's New?
I spent last week in Penticton at a cycling training camp with Peloton Racing. Gorgeous weather and a great group of people made the week a success. But I was also pretty proud of myself, comparing myself year-over-year when I attended this camp last year.


Last year at this time I rode my "Longest Ride Ever" (strava title) which was 112km. Two days later I rode 144km, marking a new longest ride ever. I came home feeling pretty accomplished - 256 km over a course of 4 days seemed pretty hardcore to me!


Let's go forward a year to last week. 456km over 4 days and a new longest ride ever of 155km (thanks for being my good? influence Ania!). Following that new milestone, the very next day I chased a fellow teammate, Karel Bergmann, up Mount Baldy in Penticton capturing the QOM by over ten minutes and increasing my FTP. For those of you not familiar with these terms, QOM means Queen of the Mountain. It's a strava term and if you haven't heard it before you need to get on strava! FTP is your functional threshold power. Make sense? Didn't think so - dumbed down it is essentially the power (measure on a bike) you can hold for one hour.


Here is the victory shot from the top of Mt. Baldy, along with my tow-rope, Karel! @visitpenticton featured this shot in their IG feed, so I was pretty stoked about that!

I am also happy to report that I'm back with my coach from last year and I'm also back running more frequently! It's been over a month now where I'm able to run without any pain at all and even able to push the paces a bit. I surprised myself by running on feel* about a month ago and ended up running 10k at 4:10/km pace. I'm on my way back! And I need to be, because I have some other exciting news:


What's Next?
This year the Great White North Triathlon is also hosting a duathlon event for the very first time. It's a world's qualifier and the world's event just so happens to be held in Penticton of next year.


I know what you're thinking - how are you going to race that if you're pregnant? What happened to those plans? Well, obviously, I won't race if I'm pregnant. And I have to qualify for World's first, anyways, which could be a MEGA challenge considering it brings out the best. But, like all things in life, nothing is for sure. I am not guaranteed I will even be successful in getting pregnant, so I'm carrying on as I would and will obviously adjust my schedule should I end up pregnant in the near future.


I have learned through one failed marriage and many other personal obstacles over these past few years that there are many things in life out of your control no matter how hard you work at something or how badly you want something. So it's always good to find happiness in the now, in the things that are going your way, because plans can change whether you want them to or not.


So, what makes me happy now? My bike, my running shoes, my husband, my dogs, and chatting with my sister. This is my now!


Food for Thought
*I have been seeing more and more posts and articles lately on running and cycling based on feel. Many of us endurance athletes are data junkies. We swear we are "Garmin powered" or whatever device it is one uses. We spend more time analyzing our data than actually performing the activity. Without it, we are certain our legs wouldn't even move! We can't wait to upload our activity; in fact, we do that before getting out of our sweaty gear!  Aside from making us look like crazed lunatics to the regular person, it can also have detrimental training effects. A few of the studies I've read claims it puts more pressure on ourselves to get faster, better, stronger and push through paces we have pushed through before, even if we are not feeling it that day. It can lead to injury and burnout faster.


So I challenge you all to put away the watch, or the power meter, (at least hide it from your view), and go for a "free-ride" or "free-run" every once in a while. You might rekindle your love for the sport if you find you are not making any progress.


Guinness World Record
As many of you know, the Guinness World Record attempt is going down in just over a month. We are well on our way with fundraising events. If you have not purchased a calendar from me yet, please do! For just $25 you can support such a great cause and get some fun reading in, as each month includes a bio of the runner and a picture or two, or three (some of them ladies were just too photogenic!). I could be your Miss June (Mrs. June, in reality) of 2017 ;)


Taking the lead on the female team has been so inspiring. I am continuously in awe of the things this group of ladies has accomplished, even in just the four months of getting to know them. It has shown me the beauty of running. Running is so much more than personal bests and podiums. It's about the community and everyone trying to do better for themselves, and even more often, for others.


"Life is a marathon, so let's train for it!"

New Year, New Focus

It's been a while since my last post but that's because I was too busy doing everything BUT running and biking. But I'm easing my way back to running and I've lined up my coach again for cycling...wait cycling? Yes! This is my new year, new focus...for the first half anyways. I've never focused on cycling and with one season under my belt I'm no longer a newbie and would love to see what I can do on two wheels!

Since getting injured a lot has happened to this one-track-running-mind of mine. Not only have I overcome my fear of swimming (see last posts) but I have found a new obsession: xcountry skiing. In fact I love it so much that even after seeing The Revenant, which was filmed in kanaskis country, I am still eager to get out there and ride my skis! The cross training it has provided is phenomenal. The few runs I've done have been surprisingly speedy, for four months off! This is why I have changed focus...I can still run at a high caliber while enjoying the many other things life has to offer me. 

That being said....I have a pretty exciting running event on my calendar also. I was given the opportunity to organize a team of 12 local female runners to take on the Treadmill Relay 24 hour event Guinness World Record. That's right - Guinness world record!!!!! Well now THIS gets me excited about running again. It's for an amazing cause. There will be a men's relay team along with two crazy soloists (sorry guys but you're crazy!!!) and we are joining forces to raise money for Mito Canada, a charity organization for mitochondrial disease that affects a local endurance athlete's family. I can't pass up an opportunity like this! And pretty excited at the amazing talent I will get to run along beside at this event!

So that takes up my first half of the year. Why am I copping out so early? Well, I have some pretty exciting plans for the second half. My hubby and I have decided we would like to expand our family and are aiming to do so this year. I can think of some pretty awesome reasons to have a baby...like stroller races and mom strength...oh and a little human being to take up all my time and energy and sanity ;) but seriously, as nervous as I am equally excited and also know that I don't want to keep putting it off. There will always be another race to train for, another holiday to go on, or whatever other reasons I've used until now. And for me, personally, I do want to look back on my life and have a mini-me to share it with. I do, however, wish my little girl could be delivered to my front doorstep and I could just skip the whole being pregnant thing! *sigh* And I've decided I'm having a girl, in case any of you missed that!

Let's talk about the elephant in the room now, my foot - well I'm happy to report it's on the mend. I thought I had potentially refractured it but it's just weak and requires patience. But it's getting there and I feel optimistic that this four month hiatus will just be a blip in my past one day very soon. Kinda like pregnancy (I hope) cause I have NO desire to be pregnant. But I'm trying to liken pregnancy to training for a PB - before you know it the race is here and you forget about the hard work it took to get there. Except that instead of losing weight I'll be gaining it, retaining water, swelling......ya ok maybe I'm not quite "ready"...oh this is gonna be fun :)

That's all I got for you for now but stay tuned for some exciting fundraising events the ladies GWR team has planned. You've always wanted a desktop Calendar of ladies in action right? Or our recipes for our speedy secrets? Those all can be yours very soon! 😉

"How is Your Foot?"

"How is your foot?" I think I've heard that question more than "How are you?" in the past 5 weeks and to be honest, I'm not going to answer it with a "Ya it's fine" because I care more about my foot than how my day is. And I assume you do too? So, if you ask me how my foot is, I'm going to tell you. So don't expect an "it's fine" response like you would get when you ask me how my day is. Be prepared for more than a two word reply.

Let's step back a day. How is your foot? I would have responded, "It's feeling great. I'm going to be smart about it though and simply go to the pool and get lapped by old women again. But, I'm ok with that because I am improving. Yes, I can now officially swim 3 laps without stopping! Improvement is what keeps me going, no matter what I am doing. And even though 3 laps is still only 75m it's enough to keep me hungry to go back for more. I'm going to go home and kudo everyone's amazing runs and outdoor bike rides (in November, nonetheless) and it's not going to make me remotely want to join them. In fact, I'm going to feel happy that I finally have an excuse to NOT feel guilty about NOT going running. I could get used to this!!!"

That was yesterday.

Today, if you asked me, "How is your foot?? I would have responded with "TERRIBLE! In fact, I'll probably never run again."

Today it is bad because I climbed a flight of stairs too fast, and painted my stepdaughter's bedroom, and shopped, and cooked lasagna (yes, I know - great diet food while I'm unable to run) and did I mention I didn't sit down until now? So my foot hates me because five weeks later simply standing on it all day STILL HURTS! Ya, you can probably guess, today was a bad day. Add a beautiful "winter" day to the mix and a strava CR being ripped from beneath my feet (no pun intended) and there is nothing I can do about it. The fact that it was from Seattle is besides the point right now!

Injuries are a funny thing and they F* with your head. To be perfectly honest, I'm dealing with it better than I ever imagined. But I still have those days that if you ask me how my foot is, I'm going to tell you!

The ironic thing is is that seeing people run and bike is still inspiring me more than it's not and makes me hungry to get back out there. So keep it up, please. If I curse your name take it as a compliment. On my inspiration list is obviously Trevor Hofbauer with his amazing achievement recently, and my sister Christine who has taken up running again and who is so naturally talented it's quite sickening ;)

Last week I found out that Canadian Half Marathon Championships are actually going to be held in Calgary for a few more years to come and they have kept the sub elite program at 1:27; so, I have officially qualified with my BMO Okanagan half marathon and sending in my application ASAP. It's also giving me incentive to behave by staying off my bike because I have bigger plans for my running future than my basement biking career that is setting back my healing schedule. Don't get me wrong...I still plan to race bikes next season but I first must run my heart out at Canadian Nationals.

So, how is my foot? Well, it's better than it was five weeks ago. That's something!

A Blessing in Disguise?

An x-ray, an ulstrasound, and a bone scan later, I finally have an answer to this nagging, ok, excruciating pain in my left foot. The bone scan, although not a pleasant reason to be there, was a pretty cool experience. As the image of my foot came into view my left foot lit up like a Christmas tree and I could finally rest assured that this pain in my foot was not all in my head. The doctor's report confirmed I have an acute stress fracture on my third toe (which is very unusual, btw) and that I am not to run or bike for 6-8 weeks. Wait a minute...I can't bike either?

That news I was not expecting, but since most people can put pressure on their foot after two weeks, even leading them to think the fracture is healed and I could not, it was a sure indication that the delay in healing has likely been influenced by the overly intense bike rides I have been doing in my basement.  I was trying to make up for the "running appetite" I seem to have even when I'm not running. *Sigh*

For all who know me personally, they will affirm that if I have 15 minutes without something to do I get bored. And boredom for me translates into cranky or shopping. So I needed a solution. A solution was quickly arrived at since there really was only one option: swimming. That very day I bought a bathing suit, goggles, a punch card to the nearest pool to my house, and watched two YouTube videos on how to swim. Three days later I've put two punches into that card and swam over 60 laps. I'm quite proud of this! Not because I've swam 60 laps, that's no great feat in itself, but because water is, and has been for many many years,  my biggest fear. I will bungee jump, I would jump out of a plane given the opportunity, but I will avoid water like the plague. I was quite convinced, and even accepting of the fact, that I would die with this fear. But then I got to thinking...maybe this six week hiatus from running and cycling will in fact be my ticket to overcoming the greatest fear of my life.

My husband is also out of commission for six weeks so the timing of my injury is almost humorous. He came to watch my first "swim" and I laugh thinking about it because I was like a child after every lap looking for him behind the glass with a thumbs up or a big grin as if to say, "Did you just see that?!!!"

I went back alone the next day on my way home from work. I swam a kilometre, the slowest kilometre I have ever covered. And as I was swimming I saw an older lady in the "slow" lane beside me making gains on me and it got me excited. I know this seems like a very strange thing to be excited about. But little old ladies and me getting passed by them has a history.

Come back at least 7 years ago with me when I ran my second half marathon ever. I was untrained and crossed the line barely in 1:51:XX. And when I say barely that's because I nearly died trying to beat 1:50. But a 70-79 category woman did. She beat me! A 70-79 year old woman beat me?!! I see her up on the podium getting her first place age-group award and thought to myself, "Wow! I have a long way to go!" I don't think she knows how much she inspired me to run faster but I also don't think she'd be able to catch me now. I hope this transpires into swimming.

It's a humbling experience, doing something out of your comfort zone and not being very good at it. But think about how many times we have all accomplished something by putting ourselves into a state of discomfort? No one PBs without being in a state of discomfort. In fact, my motto always is: It never feels good to PB! But, it sure feels good after. This is what endurance athlethes do best! We perservere through pain and push our limits even if it means only a slightly better PB. We are used to discomfort and being really bad at something is just another form of discomfort. It can only get better from here!

So, can I call my stress fracture a blessing in disguise? I think I can. As that older lady proved, I have 40+ years of running ahead of me, so what's 6 weeks in the grand scheme of things? Let's call it a blip! And while this blip is occuring, I am GOING to learn how to swim! And heck, I've always wanted to do a triathlon....

What's Next?

I had saved my post this week with the intent of another TBT; however I thought it would be more beneficial to share the findings of my husbands research on Vitamin C. "Tis the season" to start downing the stuff to avoid the inevitable flu season that is upon us. But be careful how much you take!!

For those who read my debut post you will recall that I experienced intense kidney pain near the last quarter of my race. A few weeks leading up to that race my husband and I were, apparently, overdosing on vitamin C. The side effects of that include kidney pain (even kidney stones), diarrhea, headache, abdominal bloating and cramps, and heartburn. The pain in my stomach I described as a heart burn or acid reflux feeling, termed by me as "gut rot". My husband was experiencing mega heartburn too! It is worth mentioning this is uncommon for both of us. Not putting two and two together we kept at it with our "it tastes horrible but it works!" attitude and downed 1000mg per day for two weeks. Kidney pain, diarrhea, and stomach pain explained. 

My blood work also came back normal which perplexed my doctor given the symptoms I was having. So much so he took it upon himself to do extra research (did I mention this was a walk in - kudos to Wellpoint Health - Chaparral) and called me on my holiday to assure me I was ok and he is now certain it was exercise induced. Will share more of that when I have finally made my follow up appointment to collect his research. Needless to say I'm very happy that I rejected the impromptu colon exam I was offered as that would have been an unfortunate unnecessary experience. Ha!

So What's Next?

Now that I know I'm healthy to continue running I'm not going to pretend I'm not also excited for a little racing hiatus. Between bike races and running races this year, since spring I've done over 15 races and I'm raced out! I think a mental break is in order before I join the ranks of the elite crew at Calgary Scotiabank Half Marathon next May, if accepted. My race time at BMO qualified me for this (complimentary entry status only but still pretty cool) and I figure it's an opportunity I should take, circumstances permitting. That being said, I'm sure you'll bump into me, or pass me, or be passed by me at some local races or along fish creek park in the next few months, but don't expect stellar performances ;) I'm going to enjoy the schedule of "whatever workout I feel like doing" for the next few months while I get back into the game mentally. 

I'll continue to write and share things I have learned in my amateur experience but the new race stories may be fewer and farther between. But hang tight...I'll be back on the racing scene before the snow is gone!

Tbt - NYCM 2014

Today seemed like a good day to reminisce about New York City Marathon since it's just weeks away and my little mini me is running it as her very first marathon. This post is dictated to you Stephana!

New York. Experience of a lifetime. However getting there was not the easiest experience. Let's step back another year where I trained as hard as I could with a good friend as a coach to obtain a sub 1:30 half. I did it on my first try at Scotiabank Half Marathon in May 2013 which qualified me for NYCM. That was my ticket. I applied, was accepted, and immediately booked my hotel. $1000 in already, I was committed to running my first marathon.

I used the same coach that had gotten me success at my half the year prior. He set my schedule and I would try and follow it to the best of my ability. The marathon was a new beast for me and I discovered early on, when Saturday morning sleep ins and pancakes were soon replaced with getting up early to beat the heat for my three hour run that ensued, I didn't love the marathon training. The reality of it is it consumes your life and leaves you pretty exhausted for anything else. But I was committed. Early on I set a race goal of 3:10 and quickly became married to, obsessed even, with that goal.

I hurt my knee at a half marathon race in Vancouver that year just months before the big day. I'm not going to get into that race because that deserves its own throwback Thursday. But the knee became a persistent issue right up until race day. I couldn't even walk on it for a week and then eagerly jumped back into my training. I tried a knee wrap, icing, heat, rolling. I finally buckled down and went for acupuncture (needles are my worst nightmare) and this seemed to help the most.

My boyfriend, now husband, jumped at the chance to come along. It was only fitting considering he helped me through countless long training days whether it be planning out my route for me, or even tagging along for his longest runs ever, up to 30km one day. He became as dedicated to me running this race as I was and the support was amazing, like he is.

The race day neared and about two weeks before it my nerves were out of control. Could I even run a marathon? Is my goal too lofty? What if I die? Yes, I can be a little dramatic at times. I became obsessed with the weather and it would influence my mood. 14 day weather forecast says blustery winds. Hmmmm didn't like the sound of that.

A couple days before NY my boyfriends 6 year old daughter is sitting at the table and blurts out, "Melissa, my daddy LOVVVVES you!" Which was sweet...and random...or was it?

Turns out, not so random. She had gone ring shopping with her dad. Friday before the race in New York my boyfriend proposes. The nerves I was feeling and the anxiety about how I would do on this race suddenly were not the most important thing to me anymore. There would be other marathons to run, but there would not be any other men to marry. This one was it! 

We spent Saturday answering texts and emails from excited family and friends back home and riding the tour bus around NY to save my legs. Weather was turning and those 14 day forecast winds were becoming a reality. 

I wake up at some crazy hour the next day to catch the 5am bus that shuttles us to Staten Island where the race begins. My good friend was also running so we met and rode together. Not a lot of talking ensued and once we arrive we were quickly separated due to us running in different heats. The security to get in is worth mentioning. Airport style security with helicopters hovering above you and police officers wandering around all the corals. If 50,000 other runners wasn't intimidating enough. 

The wind at this point was at 40kph and it was freezing and we had to wait until 9:50am for our heat. I was in the first heat thankfully (based off predicted finish from my qualifying time) so my wait wasn't as long as some can be. I had purchased an over priced NYCM wind breaker at the expo because I wasn't prepared for weather like this so I wore it along with some old grubby clothes to donate to charity at the start line. Even when I removed the old grubby clothes I discovered that I was way more heavily dressed than those around me with my long sleeved shirt underneath my windbreaker and long pants. But it was November in NY and I was cold. 

Well I soon regretted that! Talk about amateur move. By km 8 I was so roasted I was frantic to get rid of this jacket. I spent a km with my handheld water bottle in my mouth while I unpin my bib number on my jacket.  Finally get my jacket off, tie it around my waist to pin my number to the shirt underneath. I see someone on the sideline and throw her my jacket and say, "You look my size, take my jacket!" And away I go.

The winds were intense. According to the reports afterward we were experiencing north winds of up to 65 kph. Did I mention we ran north for over 30k? By the halfway mark I knew I wasn't going to get 3:10 in these conditions and quickly resorted to plan B: sub 3:20. 

Km 32 came and went, the one every other marathoner tells you is the worst but I felt "ok". And then km 37 hit me like a brick wall. I saw a water station, stopped, drank an entire bottle of water, got some encouragement from a volunteer and off I went. This was now a 5km race. I could do 5km.

At km 40 I see my fiancé's smiling face at the marker in Central Park where he got the picture below. It's still one of my favourite running shots! That was enough to push me through the last 2k and at a decent pace even! I finished in 3:13:52 which is damn good given the weather we experienced. And 10th Canadian female!

The walk to meeting up with my fiancé was the toughest. It's over 2k but because of security you can't meet them until after. We met at a local Starbucks nearby which we had thankfully prearranged. My fiancé didn't recognize me because I looked like a hobo in my Poncho they had given me to stay warm. And I didn't look so well either. Back to the hotel we went and two baths later I was good to go. We met my friend and bar hopped some speak easy bars around the city! What a blast.

I was able to run 5 days later, not that it's recommended. I was a little disappointed I'd missed my Plan A of 3:10 until I realized that even the pros were 6 minutes slower than their previous years times. Six minutes to them is like 10 to me. Hmmmm....do I have a 3:03 in me? ;)

I may do another marathon one day but it really isn't my glass of red wine. If I do, it will definitely be another destination race on a flat course, with hopefully no wind! But how do you match NYCM? I don't think you do. I think you just realize how lucky you were to be apart of such an amazing experience!

Still high off my experience I got a random linked in message from the girl I had given my jacket to. I had also left her my ID and $30 USD in one of the pockets and it was on its way back to me! What a perfect ending to a perfect weekend.

Debut to the Bloggin World

My husband has been trying to encourage me to write a blog. I love to write and I love to run and those two things combined are the recipe for an amateur blog - so here it is...my blogging debut!

I'm starting on a high note off of my recent win at BMO Okanagan half marathon. I'd be lying if I pretended I didn't train for this race and that it all comes naturally to me. I honed in on this race in June and quickly hired a coach to help me reach my new arbitrary goal of 1:25. Throughout the summer I cross trained by racing bikes. Sometimes I nearly switched focus given the success I was having but would quickly remember the reason I was riding bikes was to ultimately run this race!

Back to running...my coach soon filled my schedule in with intense training weeks. Every time I'd dread a workout a new one would be in its place that I would fear more. I'm not sure how many times my husband heard me say, "I'll never be able to do that!" And somehow I'd (generally) make it through. And of course on the days I couldn't finish it was my coaches fault for making the workout too hard even if I'd nail the same workout a few weeks later! But that's training - it's emotional and exciting and doesn't always go as you envision it, for better or worse!

I hurt my foot three months into my training. I had thought it was plantar fasciitis but it doesn't appear to be what it was. No I didn't go to physio and you can shake your finger at me if you want. But I'm an amateur racer who still works full time and helps run a household, so sometimes you neglect yourself. And sometimes getting your run in takes higher priority than spending those few precious moments of freedom in a physio clinic. Either way, it put my training back significantly as my cross training started replacing running days in order to stay off my foot.

Three weeks out from the big day after an intense training session I came home and spent the rest of the evening in the bathroom. This pattern repeated Itself two more times the week before BMO, but at a higher intensity. My stomach felt awful even when I wasn't running. Something wasn't right and I was advised to see a doctor. Four days before the race the doctor suggests I don't run it at all. Two days before the race I gave four tubes of blood for tests (a quick Google search from my husband let me know I'd be replenished to run if I still wanted to - thanks hunny). I wasn't sure what the right decision was but a message from my coach helped me make a decision. I'd worked so hard for this, I was going to at least try it.

Pacing strategies were constantly on my mind. Using my last 10k as a benchmark my coach thought I should aim for a 1:30 to start but I knew I was faster than ever and that I had not regressed (a 1:30 would have been a dramatic regression) and that the 10k course I had just run was challenging. So I took a well known local runners time on that same race, compared it to some of his recent races and confirmed in my head that that course was not a good predictor of what I could do - I decided I was going for my 1:25 anyways! 

My husband and I arrive in Kelowna and go straight to race package pickup where we had also planned to do a leg shakeout. My sister was also racing and had just messaged to say she forgot her garmin. Who forgets their garmin?? Oh wait a minute...I guess it runs in the family. I also forgot my garmin. So...$100 later I purchase the cheapest garmin I can find and make sure it's pink so that my husband won't insist on me taking his (even though I know he'd have worn the pink one for me). Not off to the best start...I play around with it and the minimal features allow me to see distance and lap pace on one screen so I set it there and hope for the best.

Race morning arrives. I was nervous as heck. I could barely down a piece of toast and half a coffee. However, I'm a firm believer that some nerves are good...it means you care enough to endure the pain you're about to inflict on yourself and push through it. So I took this as a good sign. Mentally, I was in it!

I lined up at the front. The last marker was a 1:30 and I was determined that was not me today! I didnt size up my competition because I had my sights on a PB and whatever place that put me in was fine by me. I had done some research and figured I had a chance at podium if today went as planned. But you just never know who's going to show up on any given day and it wasn't about that today. Gun went off, I kept my pace in check and didn't allow myself to get caught in the excitement of the start and go out too fast. I was in the lead right off the start, battling with two other girls for the spot. The "lead female" bike couldn't figure out who to follow and I could hear them talking and it was starting to distract me so I initiated a 50 to 100m surge and it seemed to intimidate the other two enough that they didn't follow. At the 5k point it was a turnaround and I counted second place at least 20 seconds back already and never thought about it again. I was feeling good, was on pace and focused! 

There was a strong west wind and it started to take its toll on me. By kilometre 12 I started to fatigue but was still seeing 4:0X's on the watch so kept at it. By km 16 I started to experience kidney pain and knew it was apart of starting to break down (or the few glasses of wine I'd consumed the night before with my sister - hey loving life is important to not taking yourself so seriously). I grabbed for water and Gatorade at the next two stops and held on til the finish. 

At 700 m to go I see my husbands smiling face as he sees me in the lead. He slaps my ass as I run by which makes me laugh and forget about the pain I'm feeling to just hang on to this last few 100m. I round the corner for the final 200m and see 1:26:20 on the clock. I wasn't certain until then because my new cheap garmin didn't give me total time. Well I guess I missed 1:25 I think to myself and then snap out of it when I hear the cheering for lead female and run through the victory ribbon. Course was long, as always, and my strava says I ran a half in 1:26:01. I'll take it! Official time: 1:26:32. And next time I choose 1:25 as my goal it won't be so arbitrary because I KNOW can do this. 

So amazing to have my sister and brother in law and husband at the finish line. I wouldn't be out here competing if it weren't for my husband. We train together and push each other and this has just become apart of our daily lives. Did I mention he also ran the 10k and got his #sub40before40? Ya he's pretty awesome too!

Not sure what's next for me. Maybe a fun 10k or maybe, just maybe, 1:25 half marathon ;)