We did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We finally did it. 8 laps. 5 km.
There was something about that day. We could just smell it. It was today (yesterday) that we would finally achieve the goal we had set for ourselves months ago. Before we started running, we told each other that today was D day. We said it confidently, calmly, like it was a fact.
"Not only we CAN, but we MUST."
Exactly a month prior to this day, we had told each other that if we could run 5 km by August 1st, we would suscribe to the 5K run taking place at the end of September. It was July 27th. We were right on schedule.
Monday, we ran our usual 7 laps. Then Sonya pushed me for half a lap more. I told her she was crazy. I had been panting like an animal for the past 2 laps. The air was humid and I could feel the sweat rolling off me. I was not in my zone. But I did it. I followed her, not really hearing her encouragements, but gathering the general sense of them through her uplifted tone of voice. When we were done, I crashed on the grass like an agonizing horse.
"I'll give you 5 minutes for you to be happy.", Sonya said, downing what remained of her water.
So it felt good 2 days later to be back on track and feeling the excitement of a new distance to beat. What we call a "new standard".
We didn't keep track of time, not that day. Nothing was going to make this success taste like anything else than what it deserved to taste like. Distance was what we had in mind in the here and now.
We focused on our breathing, on running with a straight back, on pacing, on how good we felt, on how delightfully cool the temperature was.
On our 6th lap, we still felt good. It took us by surprise. The last 2 laps were always hard. We could still talk to each other. Not a whole convo but enough to encourage each other, make a sentence, give an answer.
"Our bodies are following us!!!", I told Sonya, thrilled at the idea that mind was now in charge.
7th lap. Not much harder than the 6th. I had one word on my mind: amazing. "Amazing" seemed to keep my legs moving. Amazing kept my focus away from my exhaustion. Amazing was what we were, what we had accomplished, what we were about to do. Amazing was the day's mantra. I kept repeating it to myself and pushed all other thoughts away. I was still moving! Amazing. Did I lock the door when I left home? Amazing. Move over, lady! Amazing. My hair hurts. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. It just took over everything
When we passed by the point marking 7 and a half laps our pace slightly increasing under the excitement, I told Sonya:
"Sonya, what we are doing now, you have never done before!"
"I knooooowwww!!!!", she said, reflecting to me the pride that was submerging my heart.
All I could hear was the sound of our shoes on the pavement. My eyes were filled with the green of tree tops. Breath was getting shorter. 200 meters to go.
"Sprint!!!!!"
My son at the finish line, two arms extended, ready to receive our victory touch. He almost staggered under the double impact and us, we were walking on clouds.
"We did it! It's DONE! We did it! Omigod! Can you believe it?!"
High tens. This was a high ten moment. So much better than high fives!!!
We shared our surprise at how easy it had been compared to previous times where we could barely breathe enough to finish 7 laps. Now breathing was comfortable and we could still talk!
But you know, this is something I have noticed through our training. You will stall at some points. And then, if you keep pushing yourself to the limit every time, eventually your body will kinda... "upgrade a notch" is the best way I can express it. It just gets stronger at some point and then it stalls for a week, two weeks, then you get a new upgrade. The key is to keep pushing. And yes there will be days when you will crash on the grass with your hands on your eyes like I did and think: "Man... Why can't I just DO it?!" and it's frustrating because you want to, desperately, but you physically can't. The truth is if you stick to your efforts, you WILL eventually do it.
Give time to yourself. Your body IS doing its part of the deal. It is changing and adapting to what you are putting it through. Be patient and perseverant. This is YOUR part of the deal.
So... 5 km!!!!!!!! Weeeeee!!!!!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Partners In Crime
Back when I had just given birth to my son, I was envious of those I saw jogging in my street with a partner. Of course, not having a partner is no excuse for giving up on exercise altogether. We should always make ourselves a priority no matter what. But still... there was something about that bond that I really wanted for myself.
Now, I am usually a loner. I always dreaded team work in school and although I have a wonderful circle of friends, they usually have to make the first steps for us to spend time together (let me grab this opportunity to apologize to them for being such drag, sometimes). But isn't it ALWAYS easier, antisocial or not, to do something you don't particularly enjoy WITH someone else? Like repainting the walls, washing the dishes, making the bed in the morning or visiting grandma?
Well, working out (for most of us) is yet another occasion of the sorts, my friends.
Therefore, if you are lucky enough to find a partner made of flesh and bones (and preferably something to cover all of it), it is important to find the right one.
And this is where I am going to quote the best workout partner of all: mine.
Sonya: "It doesn't have to be your best friend in the whole wide world that you start running with. It can be that work collegue of yours you give a wink to when your boss is being a pain and have a good laugh with. You know? It just has to be that one reliable person who shares your goals and visions and with whom you get along."
I have mentionned that Sonya and I didn't know each other well before starting our regular training. But what really mattered in the beginning, more than common ground, was that when one would say "Let's do it.", the other would be there and would follow. Bonds will form by themselves after going through some of it together, the effort of it, the pain, the mistakes, the successes. But what you are looking for, your main criteria in the choice of your jog (or workout in general) partner should be to choose the one who WILL BE THERE.
You will push and encourage each other. Sometimes you will have a better day than they do and be the wind under their wings, and sometimes you will say to them, totally out of breath: "We...can...do...it...." just because you need to hear them say aloud to you (and they will): "Oh yes, we can!!!" and this is what will bring you to the finish line of whatever goal you have set for yourselves and sometimes, you will both feel vibrant and push it just a bit further together that day and be that much closer to a bigger achievement.
From the bottom of my heart, I wish you this person if working out regularly is something you want to do.
If you aren't that lucky, I suggest you still go out there and do you thing. Who knows? Maybe you will meet some lonesome soul with a lion heart to whom you will end up offering to join forces and become like Yin & Yang (sorry, Micha, Yin never turns against Yang), peanut butter & jelly, Betty & Veronica!
In the meantime, iPods make pretty good jog partners. For those who like cool gadgets, check out the Nike + iPod project. It's the next best thing, I say!
Now, I am usually a loner. I always dreaded team work in school and although I have a wonderful circle of friends, they usually have to make the first steps for us to spend time together (let me grab this opportunity to apologize to them for being such drag, sometimes). But isn't it ALWAYS easier, antisocial or not, to do something you don't particularly enjoy WITH someone else? Like repainting the walls, washing the dishes, making the bed in the morning or visiting grandma?
Well, working out (for most of us) is yet another occasion of the sorts, my friends.
Therefore, if you are lucky enough to find a partner made of flesh and bones (and preferably something to cover all of it), it is important to find the right one.
And this is where I am going to quote the best workout partner of all: mine.
Sonya: "It doesn't have to be your best friend in the whole wide world that you start running with. It can be that work collegue of yours you give a wink to when your boss is being a pain and have a good laugh with. You know? It just has to be that one reliable person who shares your goals and visions and with whom you get along."
I have mentionned that Sonya and I didn't know each other well before starting our regular training. But what really mattered in the beginning, more than common ground, was that when one would say "Let's do it.", the other would be there and would follow. Bonds will form by themselves after going through some of it together, the effort of it, the pain, the mistakes, the successes. But what you are looking for, your main criteria in the choice of your jog (or workout in general) partner should be to choose the one who WILL BE THERE.
You will push and encourage each other. Sometimes you will have a better day than they do and be the wind under their wings, and sometimes you will say to them, totally out of breath: "We...can...do...it...." just because you need to hear them say aloud to you (and they will): "Oh yes, we can!!!" and this is what will bring you to the finish line of whatever goal you have set for yourselves and sometimes, you will both feel vibrant and push it just a bit further together that day and be that much closer to a bigger achievement.
From the bottom of my heart, I wish you this person if working out regularly is something you want to do.
If you aren't that lucky, I suggest you still go out there and do you thing. Who knows? Maybe you will meet some lonesome soul with a lion heart to whom you will end up offering to join forces and become like Yin & Yang (sorry, Micha, Yin never turns against Yang), peanut butter & jelly, Betty & Veronica!
In the meantime, iPods make pretty good jog partners. For those who like cool gadgets, check out the Nike + iPod project. It's the next best thing, I say!
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Right Way To Run....
So I'm back from the gym with Sonya whose birthday is coming up. Happy birthday, pretty lady. I adore you.
I haven't even showered yet. I'm gross. But girls don't sweat, right? We glisten. Tell that to my soaked up tshirt. It's damp with glow.
2.22 miles in 22 minutes!!! I'm letting you guess the lucky number of the day.
I do have a plan to eventually get to 30 minutes (the so very desired 3 miles) when I'm done crawling instead of running the last minutes.
So... Focusing on the topic of the day: the right way to run.
Cuz there is one apparently and it's a good idea to start with that. It's like learning how to break when you take on biking. Good old logic.
I remember when we told Seb (our boxing coach) that we wanted to jog, he predicted I would hurt myself. And me with my foolish pride, I didn't go beyond the "Naaah...." in my mind. But yeah. I mentionned the split shins. Good times. I don't want it to happen to you.
I have found a great article on the matter called "You probably don't know how to run properly" , which I wish I had come across earlier. I highly suggest that you, my little aspiring runners, read it and try, as much as possible, to reduce the impact on your body.
Another good point that is brought up in this article: don't slouch when you run. I'm a sloucher. I'm 5'10" and Quasimodo has a better posture than I do. Sonya pointed it out during a particularly difficult jog for me, that I should stand straighter to allow my breathing to flow better. I tried to pay particular attention to it the next time and it made all the difference.
And yeah, get good shoes. You deserve it. Think of all the miles you will have to devour. You're a warrior out there! Get a good armor.
I am concluding this post with the song that got me through today's run: The World Is Mine by David Guetta .
Because the world IS mine (and yours, as well).
I haven't even showered yet. I'm gross. But girls don't sweat, right? We glisten. Tell that to my soaked up tshirt. It's damp with glow.
2.22 miles in 22 minutes!!! I'm letting you guess the lucky number of the day.
I do have a plan to eventually get to 30 minutes (the so very desired 3 miles) when I'm done crawling instead of running the last minutes.
So... Focusing on the topic of the day: the right way to run.
Cuz there is one apparently and it's a good idea to start with that. It's like learning how to break when you take on biking. Good old logic.
I remember when we told Seb (our boxing coach) that we wanted to jog, he predicted I would hurt myself. And me with my foolish pride, I didn't go beyond the "Naaah...." in my mind. But yeah. I mentionned the split shins. Good times. I don't want it to happen to you.
I have found a great article on the matter called "You probably don't know how to run properly" , which I wish I had come across earlier. I highly suggest that you, my little aspiring runners, read it and try, as much as possible, to reduce the impact on your body.
Another good point that is brought up in this article: don't slouch when you run. I'm a sloucher. I'm 5'10" and Quasimodo has a better posture than I do. Sonya pointed it out during a particularly difficult jog for me, that I should stand straighter to allow my breathing to flow better. I tried to pay particular attention to it the next time and it made all the difference.
And yeah, get good shoes. You deserve it. Think of all the miles you will have to devour. You're a warrior out there! Get a good armor.
I am concluding this post with the song that got me through today's run: The World Is Mine by David Guetta .
Because the world IS mine (and yours, as well).
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Intro
So... I'm 30 years old. I'm a Montrealer. I am a self-confessed procrastinator.
I'm a runner.
Now... It wasn't always like that. Back in the old days (a bit less than a year ago), I was wondering if that theory about imagining that you were working out really helped to get you into shape. I closed my eyes and imagined I was running along a river. I could hear the sound of the breeze in my face, my steady breathing... Then I opened my eyes cuz I was exhausted.
Then Sonya happened.
The first time I saw Sonya she was peeking at me from behind a mutual friend of ours. I was almost ready to turn to her and go "What?!" but she knocked me out with her amazing smile that spreads to her eyes like a wave on a warm caribbean beach. I was hooked.
During that week, her and our friend mentionned to me that they were suscribing to a gym. Maybe I would like to join them? I had been through pulmonary embolism a year prior to that and had gained about 30 pounds (so I was around 175 lbs) due to various factors. I thought about a million ways to turn them down but ultimately, I said okay.
It was the best okay I've ever said in my life. And the first of many I would say during that year.
Shortly before Christmas of 2010, Sonya and I were working out with weights when I mentionned I would love to try boxing. I am a tall girl and I have good wide shoulders that make me look like a football player with a taste for low waist jeans and glittery lip balm. I have a square jaw that can crush a jaw-breaker like it's a jelly teddy. I could totally see myself being the next Million Dollar Baby. And Sonya, in her usual Sonya ways said two words.
"Do it."
So I took it literally and ran downstairs to tell the gym owner I was interested in boxing and she immediately set me up with a policeman who would make Mr Miyagi green with jealousy with his knowledge of martial arts. I started the classes with him and loved it although it was extremely, extremely demanding. But I was so excited that Sonya ended up wanting to join me in my classes and for maybe 3 months, we did boxing.
Then spring came. We decided to go take a walk on the Mount-Royal and we were congratulating each other on adding to the fitness training, our mouths admittedly working out more than our butts, but still, we were there. As we were discussing, it was more and more obvious that we had a lot in common. Now you'd see us and you'd probably crack up at how different we are. A caramel petite exotic beauty with long flowy hair in a ponytail, very energetic and talkative dressed in Burberry walking next to a reserved blonde giant nodding and smiling dressed in her ex boyfriend's workout clothes. Except that once in a while, you'd see these two jumping up and down, highfiving each other, squealing like only girls do: "YeEee!!! Me tooOooOo!!!". Well, that's during one of those squeals that the magic happened. One of us mentionned she would love to participate in a marathon.
Squeal. High 5. "YeEee!!! Me tooOooOo!!!"
Done deal.
Fast foward to the next day. We're on a track in a shady neighborhood, I swear, there are bags of drugs hanging to the branches of trees and suspicious weirdos walking by who grab them and shove them in their jackets. But we're dressed in our brand new Lululemon outfits with our bottled water and I see her walking towards me with a big smile and I'm thinking "Alright! This is it!".
Runner friends of Sonya had advised us to start with walking half the distance we would run and then do it again. So we aimed for 2 laps around the track and then we'd be walking for one lap. We tried that and honest, it was so hard. We were really looking forward to the lap we would walk and to me, it never lasted long enough. Sonya, in a much better shape than I am and owner of a very good cardio, didn't seem to find it as hard as I did but still had to push herself to achieve our four repetitions of that exercise.
I knew there was a gap between our capacity to do it so I tried to go more often and trained alone when I could. But I didn't have a good way to do it, it seems. I do not know if it was the way I ran or my weight or lack of stretching or overdoing it too fast... or all of the above. Nevertheless, I hurt myself pretty bad. My shins had hurt for a while but I kept running on it. I thought it was surely muscular, that it would pass. I had read that by starting to run, my body would hurt. I sucked it up and ran. But it started hurting more and more. The thing is when I started running, it would hurt less and less until I stopped, then I could barely walk on it. I asked a doctor friend of mine who quickly diagnosed split shins .
I had to stop running. It took more than a month for me to feel I could run again. During that time, Sonya and I walked. I felt so guilty and mad at myself. How stupid! To just barge in there and do it the foolish way, not listening to my body at all.
Switching shoes helped a lot. See, I thought that by inserting a shock absorbing sole in my shoes, it would help. But if you buy a good pair of shoes, it is already designed to do that, so adding a sole only adds disbalance, which will make things worse. Just sharing experience acquired the hard way here...
When I got better, we had come to love the surroundings provided by the Mount-Royal and during our walks we always saw the Beavers Lake, which is a small lake at the top of the mount on which people skate during winter. It's very cute. Sonya suggested we run there during the summertime. It would be less hot and more agreable than the track.
Her partner even calculated the distance around the lake for us so we would know how much distance we nailed.
0,629 km
If we wanted to run a 5 km, which was the new goal, we'd have to run 8 times around the lake.
We decided to run and see how much we could do. With much effort, we could do 3 laps, then walk one lap, then run 3 more.
Soon, we could push for 4 laps, walk one lap, do 3 more.
Then we diminished the pause. And what I'm mentionning here was quite rapid progress. In about 2 weeks or so.
So we were now running 4 laps, walking half a lap, then we ran 3 more.
One day, Sonya's best friend came to see us run. We got distracted then and realized that we took less "pause" than usual so the next time, we decided not to stop.
God it was hard. SO hard. Frankly, maybe the hardest thing I ever did.
We ran it between 35 and 40 minutes.
Then we did it again: 35 minutes.
We are both competitive on different levels. Sonya seems competitive in a more general way. She likes to be at the top. I am competitive with myself. So we both agreed that we'd try to do it faster and faster, eventually adding the missing distance for our 5 km.
Last week, the skies were gray and rain started pouring, suddenly. It soaked us. But we kept running and it gave us the whipping hit we needed. At the last lap, when it is hardest because you are tired and your breath is short, we always pushed. But we felt good enough to push this one during the whole lap. I am estimating we ran it twice faster than the other laps. When we stopped, we checked our time.
30 minutes.
THIRTY MINUTES!!!!!! We were walking on clouds. We bragged about it to our friends and were surprised to find lukewarm congratulations. But we were not defeated and went back running this week... until that guy happened.
You know. That guy.
That guy life sends you when you're sitting on your laurels. Of course he's young, breathtakingly beautiful, arrogant, and much better than you are.
He's the Devil's Advocate.
And he's there to push your limit.
When Sonya told him about our progress, looking for advice so we could run our 5K at the Montreal Marathon on September 25th, he gave her that killer answer:
"What... that's it?"
Wait. I need to stop scoffing. It's bad attitude.
YAH that's it, man!!!! I mean, "It" started with nothing. Two lazy girls who hated to exercise but ended up progressing enough to run an "almost 5 km"... I mean....
That was my reaction when Sonya called me last night to tell me that. And like she says, at least I didn't have to "live it" as she did because he actually made that comment in front of her friends!!!!
More scoffing.
"We have to do better than that... can you imagine?", she said, with a whispery giggle that cracked me up.
In that guy's opinion, we should aim to run the full 5 km in 25 minutes, no more. Or else we should be ashamed.
Ahem. Yah.
Oh he also called us crazy for running under the sun at a 30 degrees temperature.
And we MUST do weight training to strenghten our legs and therefore increase our performance.
So... Here's the plan today. I'm meeting Sonya at the gym. And we'll step on the treadmill. And we'll run and see how far we can get in 20 minutes. Then we will do weights. And curse that guy. But also send him a bit (and I do mean a LITTLE BIT) of love cuz he's not only the negative trigger factor I will write down on a Post-It and stick to my fridge so that it feeds me the negative energy I need to propulse myself.... he is also the wind beneath our wings.
So... send us all your positive thoughts. :)
I'm a runner.
Now... It wasn't always like that. Back in the old days (a bit less than a year ago), I was wondering if that theory about imagining that you were working out really helped to get you into shape. I closed my eyes and imagined I was running along a river. I could hear the sound of the breeze in my face, my steady breathing... Then I opened my eyes cuz I was exhausted.
Then Sonya happened.
The first time I saw Sonya she was peeking at me from behind a mutual friend of ours. I was almost ready to turn to her and go "What?!" but she knocked me out with her amazing smile that spreads to her eyes like a wave on a warm caribbean beach. I was hooked.
During that week, her and our friend mentionned to me that they were suscribing to a gym. Maybe I would like to join them? I had been through pulmonary embolism a year prior to that and had gained about 30 pounds (so I was around 175 lbs) due to various factors. I thought about a million ways to turn them down but ultimately, I said okay.
It was the best okay I've ever said in my life. And the first of many I would say during that year.
Shortly before Christmas of 2010, Sonya and I were working out with weights when I mentionned I would love to try boxing. I am a tall girl and I have good wide shoulders that make me look like a football player with a taste for low waist jeans and glittery lip balm. I have a square jaw that can crush a jaw-breaker like it's a jelly teddy. I could totally see myself being the next Million Dollar Baby. And Sonya, in her usual Sonya ways said two words.
"Do it."
So I took it literally and ran downstairs to tell the gym owner I was interested in boxing and she immediately set me up with a policeman who would make Mr Miyagi green with jealousy with his knowledge of martial arts. I started the classes with him and loved it although it was extremely, extremely demanding. But I was so excited that Sonya ended up wanting to join me in my classes and for maybe 3 months, we did boxing.
Then spring came. We decided to go take a walk on the Mount-Royal and we were congratulating each other on adding to the fitness training, our mouths admittedly working out more than our butts, but still, we were there. As we were discussing, it was more and more obvious that we had a lot in common. Now you'd see us and you'd probably crack up at how different we are. A caramel petite exotic beauty with long flowy hair in a ponytail, very energetic and talkative dressed in Burberry walking next to a reserved blonde giant nodding and smiling dressed in her ex boyfriend's workout clothes. Except that once in a while, you'd see these two jumping up and down, highfiving each other, squealing like only girls do: "YeEee!!! Me tooOooOo!!!". Well, that's during one of those squeals that the magic happened. One of us mentionned she would love to participate in a marathon.
Squeal. High 5. "YeEee!!! Me tooOooOo!!!"
Done deal.
Fast foward to the next day. We're on a track in a shady neighborhood, I swear, there are bags of drugs hanging to the branches of trees and suspicious weirdos walking by who grab them and shove them in their jackets. But we're dressed in our brand new Lululemon outfits with our bottled water and I see her walking towards me with a big smile and I'm thinking "Alright! This is it!".
Runner friends of Sonya had advised us to start with walking half the distance we would run and then do it again. So we aimed for 2 laps around the track and then we'd be walking for one lap. We tried that and honest, it was so hard. We were really looking forward to the lap we would walk and to me, it never lasted long enough. Sonya, in a much better shape than I am and owner of a very good cardio, didn't seem to find it as hard as I did but still had to push herself to achieve our four repetitions of that exercise.
I knew there was a gap between our capacity to do it so I tried to go more often and trained alone when I could. But I didn't have a good way to do it, it seems. I do not know if it was the way I ran or my weight or lack of stretching or overdoing it too fast... or all of the above. Nevertheless, I hurt myself pretty bad. My shins had hurt for a while but I kept running on it. I thought it was surely muscular, that it would pass. I had read that by starting to run, my body would hurt. I sucked it up and ran. But it started hurting more and more. The thing is when I started running, it would hurt less and less until I stopped, then I could barely walk on it. I asked a doctor friend of mine who quickly diagnosed split shins .
I had to stop running. It took more than a month for me to feel I could run again. During that time, Sonya and I walked. I felt so guilty and mad at myself. How stupid! To just barge in there and do it the foolish way, not listening to my body at all.
Switching shoes helped a lot. See, I thought that by inserting a shock absorbing sole in my shoes, it would help. But if you buy a good pair of shoes, it is already designed to do that, so adding a sole only adds disbalance, which will make things worse. Just sharing experience acquired the hard way here...
When I got better, we had come to love the surroundings provided by the Mount-Royal and during our walks we always saw the Beavers Lake, which is a small lake at the top of the mount on which people skate during winter. It's very cute. Sonya suggested we run there during the summertime. It would be less hot and more agreable than the track.
Her partner even calculated the distance around the lake for us so we would know how much distance we nailed.
0,629 km
If we wanted to run a 5 km, which was the new goal, we'd have to run 8 times around the lake.
We decided to run and see how much we could do. With much effort, we could do 3 laps, then walk one lap, then run 3 more.
Soon, we could push for 4 laps, walk one lap, do 3 more.
Then we diminished the pause. And what I'm mentionning here was quite rapid progress. In about 2 weeks or so.
So we were now running 4 laps, walking half a lap, then we ran 3 more.
One day, Sonya's best friend came to see us run. We got distracted then and realized that we took less "pause" than usual so the next time, we decided not to stop.
God it was hard. SO hard. Frankly, maybe the hardest thing I ever did.
We ran it between 35 and 40 minutes.
Then we did it again: 35 minutes.
We are both competitive on different levels. Sonya seems competitive in a more general way. She likes to be at the top. I am competitive with myself. So we both agreed that we'd try to do it faster and faster, eventually adding the missing distance for our 5 km.
Last week, the skies were gray and rain started pouring, suddenly. It soaked us. But we kept running and it gave us the whipping hit we needed. At the last lap, when it is hardest because you are tired and your breath is short, we always pushed. But we felt good enough to push this one during the whole lap. I am estimating we ran it twice faster than the other laps. When we stopped, we checked our time.
30 minutes.
THIRTY MINUTES!!!!!! We were walking on clouds. We bragged about it to our friends and were surprised to find lukewarm congratulations. But we were not defeated and went back running this week... until that guy happened.
You know. That guy.
That guy life sends you when you're sitting on your laurels. Of course he's young, breathtakingly beautiful, arrogant, and much better than you are.
He's the Devil's Advocate.
And he's there to push your limit.
When Sonya told him about our progress, looking for advice so we could run our 5K at the Montreal Marathon on September 25th, he gave her that killer answer:
"What... that's it?"
Wait. I need to stop scoffing. It's bad attitude.
YAH that's it, man!!!! I mean, "It" started with nothing. Two lazy girls who hated to exercise but ended up progressing enough to run an "almost 5 km"... I mean....
That was my reaction when Sonya called me last night to tell me that. And like she says, at least I didn't have to "live it" as she did because he actually made that comment in front of her friends!!!!
More scoffing.
"We have to do better than that... can you imagine?", she said, with a whispery giggle that cracked me up.
In that guy's opinion, we should aim to run the full 5 km in 25 minutes, no more. Or else we should be ashamed.
Ahem. Yah.
Oh he also called us crazy for running under the sun at a 30 degrees temperature.
And we MUST do weight training to strenghten our legs and therefore increase our performance.
So... Here's the plan today. I'm meeting Sonya at the gym. And we'll step on the treadmill. And we'll run and see how far we can get in 20 minutes. Then we will do weights. And curse that guy. But also send him a bit (and I do mean a LITTLE BIT) of love cuz he's not only the negative trigger factor I will write down on a Post-It and stick to my fridge so that it feeds me the negative energy I need to propulse myself.... he is also the wind beneath our wings.
So... send us all your positive thoughts. :)
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