Ready, Set, Fly

Five days to go until the California International Marathon!

Last week, I dug up an old blog post that I had written during a taper period in 2011 and was delighted to find that it was full of kind and wise words from my late and much loved running coach Cliff Matthews.  Today during an easy solo taper run on a beautiful morning, under the still-starry pre-dawn sky, I was thinking about Cliff.  I was thinking about how before a big race, he’d always say: “I think that you are so lucky,” or “Aren’t you so lucky.”

Don’t I know it.  Leading into this race, I am so lucky.

I was also thinking about lyrics of a song by “The Band.”  This is probably my husband and I’s mutual favorite band and on Saturday night, we went to a tribute-band’s performance of The Last Waltz at the Marquee.  The Last Waltz ends with this incredible rendition of “I Shall Be Released”:

They say everything can be replaced
They say every distance is not near
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here

Bob Dylan wrote this song in 1967 and he definitely wasn’t talking about running long distance road races.  But on the run, the lyrics fit a bit for me with running a marathon: a distance that is not near. Leading into this race, I can remember, with gratitude, every face of every man/woman who put me here, ready to roll in Cali.

So for this blog post, from this lucky place, here are things that I am lucky to have:

1. The Halifax Road Hammers: 12 members of my training team are about to travel to California together for this race. That’s amazing! Nine of us are staying together and about to put on what Denise is calling “NS does Big Brother in Cali” (to be continued…!).  In this training cycle, I did not do a single long run alone. I also did not do any workouts alone.  Runners are infinitely #bettertogether and my current fitness has absolutely been shaped by the work of my teammates next to me.  With this marathon build, my most regular training partner Damian and I’s pace group has been lucky to have Erin, one of the best runners in Nova Scotia, join us for many workouts because she isn’t training for any specific race right now. We’ve also been so lucky to have Nick McB rolling with us while recovering from injury. Damian and I are grinding it out in workouts and these 2 are always sailing along smoothly next to us.  This is tremendous help in completing the hard work on pace. I’ve also done very few morning runs solo as I’m ridiculously spoiled with the company and camaraderie of Leah, Linda and other Nick at the running hour of 5:15am several times a week.  The Road Hammers come with the best running coach in Lee McCarron who’s got me all figured out and his tight control of all things training for me has been helping me put up results all year.  All of those faces put me here.

   

2. 

   Recovery from injury:  By the grace of the running Gods, the bone bruise that I sustained when I fell down the stairs while carrying my 2 year old healed without any lasting effects. I lost 2 weeks of training but when I got back on the roads, there were still 4 weeks left so I got in a full 2 weeks of training before 2 weeks of taper. I recovered from this injury because my excellent coach held me back even when I was fighting him on it. And because I got excellent care from chiropractor Richard Thompson which both helped speed recovery along and provided the accurate knowledge  that my coach and I needed to make good decisions about how to structure training through this. So now onto 42.2 where “the body achieves what the mind believes.”

3. The best husband: People who are new in my life often asks if my husband runs. He does not. But he makes my running possible as I am leaving behind a toddler and preschooler.
4. The impact on my children: The impact is positive. My preschooler is a girl. She is 4 years old. She’s already coming home from preschool saying things like, “Can I be an astronaut, mommy? That seems like a boy job.” Breaking my heart. But to her, athletics are women’s territory because that’s the worldview provided to her at home with a mother who runs six days/week. This is at least a step forward and against gendered stereotypes for her. In fact, this morning, I asked both of my kids, “Who can run faster? Boys or girls?” They both shouted, “GIRLS!”  (I’m usually not supportive of gendered expectations but feel like this one is a protective buffer). Recently, I’ve been delighted watching my kids play a new imaginary game where they put on my running watches and my son pretends that he is Lee going to running practice and my daughter pretends that she is Maddy (my teammate) going to running practice.  They ask about their favorite babysitter Angus (my young teammate and Dal running star) all the time. They are surrounded by excellent role models.   
5. My BFFs: They are runners and mothers. They get it all the time and they are there always.

Bob Dylan says “they say that everything can be replaced.”  With marathon racing, for me right now, maybe that’s true. I love running and racing marathons. So I’m ready to fly and will sure as hell go out there to enjoy every single mile doing what I love.