Faking the Run

I went for a fake run tonight. I had my half-marathon clinic and quite frankly I’m not enjoying it so much. I’m always the last one in on all the runs and always have to run alone. It sucks being last… but it sucks even more when you realize you took a clinic to meet other runners but are still running alone.

So tonight I decided to fake it. I got completely dressed up for a run (toque, mittens, tights and all), got in my car, drove to the grocery store and bought myself a bag of two-bite brownies.

Then I proceeded to drive around town, eating my brownies and listening to some good tunes while my class was taking place. I did this with absolutely no intention of going to the class. I’m not sure who I was hiding from or what I was trying to prove by getting dressed anyway, but somehow, I felt less guilty.


After the bag of brownies was empty, I headed back home, satisfied with tonight’s workout.

Favourite Running Quotes

In the last few months I have been collecting motivational quotes to add to my weekly clinic emails. No matter how often I read them, some still inspire me. The following are a few of my favourites.

“You are tomorrow what you believe today.”

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”
- John Bingham

"I have met my hero, and he is me."
- George Sheehan

“We are different, in essence, from other runners. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon.”
- Emil Zatopek

"In my mind I am Kenyan"

“I’ll keep running because it’s good for my marriage. I don’t know if I get cranky when I don’t run or if my husband becomes more annoying when it rains.”
- Asics

“Everyone is an athlete. The only difference is that some of us are in training, and some are not.”
- George Sheehan, M.D

“Resolve to laugh, smile – and run at your own pace with like-minded enthusiasts to cheer you on. That’s the new breed of marathoner.”

"When I finish a run, every part of me is smiling."
- Jeff Galloway

"Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever"
- Lance Armstrong

"Be like a postage stamp; stick to one thing until you get there."
- Josh Billings

“Running is very beneficial. It's good for your legs and your feet. It's also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed.”
- Charles Schulz, Peanuts Comic Strip Creator

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great."
- Mark Twain

"Tough times don't last but tough people do."
- A.C. Green

"There are clubs you can't belong to, neighborhoods you can't live in, schools you can't get into, but the roads are always open."
- Nike

"Those who think they can, and those who think they can't, are both right".

"Pain is temporary. Pride is forever."

"You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming."
- Frank Shorter

"Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible."
- Doug Larson

Motivate me

I’m already halfway through teaching my running clinic and I know I’ll miss my group when I’m done. I wish I could lead another clinic in the spring, but with my own training I don’t think I could manage it. This week’s talk is on motivation. The irony is, what motivates me these days is this group of women! When you’ve been running for a while, it’s a challenge to get excited about milestones you’ve already passed. The first time I ran 10 km was extremely thrilling, but now it’s just another run. However, with this group, every milestone is a thrill. This week we ran 3 km and I was so proud of them! I wish I could bottle their enthusiasm and sell it… I would make a fortune.

The mind of a nine-year old

Yesterday was my 31st birthday and I got a wonderful gift from my nine-year old nephew Sébastien. My sister said he decided he would get me a birthday gift all on his own. After carefully reading every card he finally selected a very nice one that he felt was the best choice. Then, on to the gift. He spent quite some time at the store finding the perfect present. After some time had passed and he was still struggling to find something that was just right, he resolved to ask his Mother for some guidance. She suggested body wash. He was happy to tell me that he had to smell ALL the soaps (six to be exact) and after concluding that coconut was indeed the ickiest, he chose a nice mango scented body wash. Excellent selection!

He finally gets to the car with his new purchase, convinced his efforts will be appreciated. However, that's when he asks his Mother... who's birthday is it again?

I'll have a double double please

Sunday was the first time I experience my teaching world and student world colliding. I had to run with a Learn to Run group for 25 minutes or so and THEN do my own training. It was a challenge finding the motivation to do 7 km after I had already done almost 3 km. The thing that kept me motivated was that Christine was running with me. We haven’t run together in quite a while and I feel completely disconnected. We would have such great talks on our long runs and I really miss it. Hopefully she will be doing more Sunday long runs in the future.

Tonight is supposed out be my half-marathon clinic, but I'm opting out. I need a break from the cold! I have no choice but to do my Sunday, Monday and Wednesday runs (I have to be there for my students) so I feel a little more lenient with my Tuesday clinic. It’s not good for my training. Right now I’m trying to motivate myself to go to the Y!