Joy and Nomi took the plunge and signed up for their first 10km running race ever in May 2010 in Singapore at the Sundown Race event...Then they trained for a half marathon in the fall of 2010, Joy's in Canada and Nomi's in Malaysia...Then, they finished their second-ever half marathon in Singapore May 2011 at the Sundown Race event, but this time they ran together!

Then their sporting paths diverged: Nomi went on to run marathons while Joy learned how to ride a bike. This blog charts their progress from 2010 to 2012.

Read their blog to see what their sporting adventures look like or just look at the pictures of Canada's capital city and Malaysia's capital city. You can choose the "follow" option or subscribe via email to be notified of updates. (You can start reading/skimming their first entries from the summer of 2010 or just jump right in, reading from any point you like. The "Archives" will be your guide.)

Monday, February 20, 2012

Sunday Afternoon Run: The Blessing of Experience

The melting snow along the sidewalk.
Joy here...Okay, with my plan in hand, I figured that after taking 10 days off working out (which includes NO RUNNING), I should at least get out there and do an easy run.  After all, my main goals coming up this spring/summer are running goals, and so I should focus at least some attention on moving one foot in front of the other, right?

So Sunday came, and the sun rose high and began to melt away some of the piles of snow, clearing the roads and luring me out for an easy run.

It didn't feel so easy, though.

I really felt that time off my feet.

I felt like I did as a beginner runner.  I had stitches, cramps, huffing and puffing...the only thing that differentiated the me of Sunday with the me of four or five years ago is that the me of Sunday has the experience to know that I can run.  I have the experience of hating the first 30 minutes of a run, and then suddenly settling into it and feeling like I could run all day.  I have the experience of knowing that I can huff and puff my way through a run, even if it feels bad.  I have the experience of knowing when I'm causing any real damage, and when I'm just being a suck.

And, trust me, that experience was worth its weight in gold on Sunday.  Because at around the 25minute mark, I suddenly began to feel into my run.  And even though I had planned just a small loop, by the time my 7.5km run was over, I was wishing that I had planned a full 10km run, I was feeling so invigorated.

Even though this is just the beginning, and 7.5kms is a long way away from 21kms or 42kms, which are my main goals, I also now have the experience of knowing that longer runs have to begin somewhere, so no matter what your starting point is, just get out there and start!

For me, even though I'd love to think that by now my starting point would be longer or faster or easier or better somehow, I have the experience to know that it's not where you begin, but how you end that matters (oh, and the journey that gets you to that end), so for now, I'm happy with my sunny Sunday running starting point.

My run stats!
Over and out,
Joy
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