Built for Comfort, Not for Speed

It’s always entertaining reading the mantras, team phrases, or inspirational quotes on the back of running shirts. People come up with some pretty creative statements. Last December Matt and I, along with some good friends ran the Las Vegas marathon. We thought it would be a great idea to get T-shirt made with a bright red maple leaf on the front, and a catchy slogan on the back; mine was “Built for Comfort, Not for Speed.”


It wasn’t until yesterday I actually realized what that truly meant to me. Originally, I picked that slogan because of course it was funny, but secondly I had never really been the skinny runner type; there has always been a little cushion (which I am proud of). But yesterday morning at about 5:40 am, I had an ‘aha’ moment!

On Thursdays I run sprints around the track, with plans to increase my overall speed. This was my fourth week doing 400 meter sprints; therefore… it was four dreaded repeats! Well this morning, Matt decided he would join me. Of course, I forgot to mention the sprints until we were nearly at the track. Now running 5km or more, I can out run Matt anytime, anyplace… but 400 meter sprints, that’s a totally different story.

Lap One - How is it possible that he is keeping up with me?

Lap Two - Are you kidding me, he just beat me? He’s lucky if he runs twice a week.

Lap Three - How does he make this look so easy, I am ready to puke!

Lap Four - Okay, now he’s not even trying, this is not fair!

Of course, the entire time, I was trying as hard as I could to beat Matt, my pride would just not let me give up. Meanwhile, at the end of each sprint, Matt continued to remind me that it wasn’t a race! So, this morning, after four attempts, it became crystal clear that there is no way I could beat Matt in a 400 meter sprint. I was truly built for the comfort of distance running, and not for the speed of sprinting.

The Zen of Running

I have survived 165 days of running… only 200 more to go! It’s hard to believe that I am nearly half way to my goal, a goal that in the beginning days I thought was unachievable. Now here I am, already 165 times healthier, both mentally and physically.

One of the most surprising things that I have learnt over the past 165 days is that running with an iPod is extremely overrated. Now don’t get me wrong, running the trails, singing John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Hurt So Good”, and doing some kind of a runners jig, does make for an exhilarating run. But I have learnt that there is actually some sort of zen-nus when it comes to running.

Though “zoning out” with your iPod doesn’t really count, I do believe that taking to the road without distractions and focusing on your breathing and the present moment can certainly be considered as meditation. What other natural alternative can make the stresses of your day melt away so quickly? I can promise you that Matt would rather have the pavement feel the wrath of my stress than have me take it out on him! Not that I beat him or anything…

This awareness has taken me nearly six months of running every day to realize, and I am not sure if I completely understand the full power and potential of it. What I do know is I love that moment, about 2 km into a run, when you are able to hit the mute button on your inner voice and all you can hear is the rhythm of your breathing and the constant pulse of your footsteps. In that moment, and that moment alone, my world seems at peace.

Blame it on the Rain

Today I came to two very important realizations.  The first, after 4 straight days of rain… there is no way to avoid stepping on every worm.  In my 29 years of life, I don’t think I have seen so many worms in one location.  It seemed as though all of the worms that lived in Lacombe’s vital soil had congregated on the trial outside my house.

The second realization, and probably the most important … at 5:30 am this morning, about 2 km into a run with Matt, while the rain was dripping off my rain coat, I realized that my husband hates running!

For about the past year in the back of my mind, I knew that he wasn’t as passionate about it as I was, but I always thought that there was hope.  This morning that bubble burst into about five pieces.  The first, as he marched down the stairs to the front door with a scowl on his face, the second as he complained about his wet feet, the third the grumble about his coat no longer being water proof, the forth a loud huff as we changed directions and the wind blew the rain into our faces, and finally the fifth, the moment home was in sight he took off in a sprint so he could be done that much sooner!

Meanwhile, I am taking in every gift that Mother Nature has to offer.  The sound of rain on my hood was a steady tempo to keep pace with.  In the distance, I could hear this morning birds chirping a beautiful song.  The cool breeze and rain was a nice change from the previous runs where I nearly overheated.  And the worms, who could forget about the worms, and how trying to avoid them as best as possible made this morning’s run fly by.

Of course, when I brought this insight to Matt’s attention, like Milli Vanilli, he just blames it on the rain.  So today, June 10th at 6:00 am, I vowed to myself never again to insist that Matt should run with me in the rain.