When life got in the way of my training, I changed the intention of my runs from speed to spontaneity
My three-month training program for this coming Sunday's Toronto half-marathon unfolded nowhere close to my initial plan. Instead of being the poster girl for The Running Room, I followed a haphazard training schedule that mimicked my very own Choose Your Own Running Adventure series.
Ninety days ago I marked my hang-on-the-wall calendar with running and rest days, hill routes and visions of tight glutes. But we all know that unforeseen events (i.e. life) can get in the way of training. What I lacked in discipline, I made up with a spontaneity and sense of adventure along my running routes. My training runs were anything but boring. Some highlights:
- I almost choked on a kernel of hail during a volatile storm. Once I caught my breath, I sprinted under the clapping thunder to a nearby gas station. In the glare of the fluorescent lights, I met a Quebecois couple who saw my flushed face and took it as an invitation to share their love of running. While the woman showcased a marathon medal she had earned only a few hours prior, her husband proudly wore a Terry Fox race t-shirt from a previous run. Together, they had completed over 20 marathons during their 30-year marriage. Perhaps, the adage is true? Those who play together, stay together.
- In August, when temperatures were still balmy, I got lost in a remote valley and had to cross a river barefoot with my runners overhead. Yes, really.
- I unintentionally witnessed an apparent robbery, a screeching get-away car, and I was eventually interviewed by two cops!
- I broke a few rules as well when I unlawfully ran 1/6th of the Chicago Marathon last weekend. I flew out to support my friend Karla who was running her third marathon. I jumped in on the course at the 22 mile mark (that's 35 kilometers into the race) as she was in a fair amount of pain and needed the company. I ended up crossing the finish line with her and thousands of other genuine marathoners. I felt like a fraud, but she said I was a good friend. (I'd love to run my first marathon in New York, Fall 2010.)
While many of my training runs had bouts of excitement, most of them involved just the sound of my breath (my iPod went into a coma en route. Dd you know that the bigger versions of iPods were not meant to be taken for runs - if that is true, then why were "running holders" for those same iPods sold in the Mac store? Misleading Mac marketing, I say!). Running is certainly one of the more solitary activities a person can choose, yet, there's also a strong sense of community among runners. It's always nice to get the subtle nod or slight wave when you cross paths with another runner. It's even better when a fellow runner says something encouraging like, Heygreat pace! That happened to me on one of my longer runs in Mount Pleasant Cemetery when I was low in morale and energy. Those words of support rejuvenated my spirit. Only seconds before I had been close to giving up, then, suddenly, I had enough energy to sneak in a few more kilometers.
In five days, I expect Toronto's spectators' cheers to carry me when my energy lulls. I'm also raising funds for a cause I support (http://pmhf3.akaraisin.com/p/taniahaas.aspx). And while my marked-up calendar may be a reminder of a strategy not followed, it also represents the unexpected adventures en running route.
 Tania Leah Haas | |
| About the author: | |
Born with a nomadic gene and a propensity for talking to strangers, Tania has spent the last three years working as a photojournalist and reporter. Most recently, Tania worked as a writer for Bloomberg Radio in NYC - and covered financial news in the eye of the economic storm. Tania's column will cover health, green-living and other topics that tickle her fancy. She served as a volunteer teacher in Nepal and Tibet after completing her undergraduate degree at Queen's University, and she earned an M.S. from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. | |
| Read More >> | |
Add this page to your favorite social bookmarking websites
