A Winter Wonderland

Well it's here... winter has arrived with a bang! The snow had finally started coming down and I expect it to pick up it's intensity as the night wears on. I can't say that I'm sad to see it get here.

For the last few weeks I've felt almost panicked at the thought of getting in as many runs as I could before the streets become slick with snow and ice. Well now i can relax because I've done quite possibly the dumbest thing I've ever done. I've gone a registered myself in a half marathon...at the end of February...in Winnipeg.

For those unfamiliar with that time of the year here it averages about -35'C plus windchill...which could drop it below the -40'C mark. It could also be a balmy -25'C...you really never know.

So the long and the short of it is that I now must run outside no matter what the conditions are and I'm not afraid to admit that after yesterday I might have bitten off more than I can chew.

I had a simple 6 km run yesterday and it fell just shy of agony. It took at least 4 km for my legs to warm up and then they decided that they were done...out of gas. For the first time since early training runs I was forced to do a gel after 4km. Oi. That was a rather humbling experience for me, but i soon realized that I needed to stop acting like I had somehow failed myself.

The point of all of this running is not to hold myself to the same standard that other runners have for themselves. If I did that I would not see all that I accomplished this past summer as a success. It's not failing when you need help. It's only failing when you refuse to acknowledge your vulnerability.

I don't mind the fact that I'm slow. I don't mind the fact that people still see me as fat. I don't care that sometimes I have to consume $30.00 worth of gels just to finish the run. The point is that I do whatever it takes to get it done.

And that alone in my book makes it a success. If we only try what we know we'll succeed at, we'll never truly know what we're capable of...I'm living proof of that.