25 March 2015
Yesterday I was talking to my colleague Craig and he asked how the running was going to which I replied ‘It’s great, I only have to do 20km this weekend.’ He smiled and said ‘I love it how you say only 20km like it’s nothing.’ We had a bit of a giggle before going back to our desks.
As I sat down to my cuppa and scotch finger I started to reflect on my running story and just how far I have come - 20km used to seem impossible to me too.
Six years ago I made the brave decision to walk away from the vituperative relationship I was in. Despite knowing deep in my heart that it was the right decision I was left feeling heart broken and lost. To deal with the pain of coming home each night to an empty home I started to walk around the block each evening.
After a couple of weeks I started to get bored of the block and decided I would get off the train a station earlier and so I began walking 1km home. After a month my spirits began to lift and so did my pace. I was now running the 1km home. Soon this too became boring and I progressed to a 6km run from home to Bardwell Park and back again.
This was when the so called ‘running bug’ kicked in and I found myself keenly anticipating my evening run each day. It became my way of relaxing and I found that something magical began to happen after I touched the 10km mark. It was if a cloud was lifted from my brain, my thoughts now had clarity like never before.
A few years passed and I decided that I needed a challenge to keep motivated. So with the help of my dear friend Kate I signed up for the Sydney half marathon. Now at this stage 20km still seemed almost impossible. Yet with a bit of training we finished it in just under 2 hrs.
I clearly remember saying at the end of the half there is no way I could ever do a full. The next year I moved to Melbourne and I decided to give it another crack. So I did - twice.
Now here I am less than 3 weeks out from the start of the Canberra Marathon. This little engine that thought she couldn't is now puffing up the hill and my thoughts have transformed from ‘I know I can’t, I think I can’t, I think I can, I know I can.’
Running has taught me so much and I will be forever grateful. It has brought me closer to my family and I cannot even begin to tell you how happy I am that they will all be there in Canberra on the 12th April to cheer me on! It has proven to me that you can inspire others through your actions. It has made me realise that the things I used to think mattered and gave priority to in my life actually do not matter at all. And most importantly, it has taught me to love myself.
Happy running x
Yesterday I was talking to my colleague Craig and he asked how the running was going to which I replied ‘It’s great, I only have to do 20km this weekend.’ He smiled and said ‘I love it how you say only 20km like it’s nothing.’ We had a bit of a giggle before going back to our desks.
As I sat down to my cuppa and scotch finger I started to reflect on my running story and just how far I have come - 20km used to seem impossible to me too.
Six years ago I made the brave decision to walk away from the vituperative relationship I was in. Despite knowing deep in my heart that it was the right decision I was left feeling heart broken and lost. To deal with the pain of coming home each night to an empty home I started to walk around the block each evening.
After a couple of weeks I started to get bored of the block and decided I would get off the train a station earlier and so I began walking 1km home. After a month my spirits began to lift and so did my pace. I was now running the 1km home. Soon this too became boring and I progressed to a 6km run from home to Bardwell Park and back again.
This was when the so called ‘running bug’ kicked in and I found myself keenly anticipating my evening run each day. It became my way of relaxing and I found that something magical began to happen after I touched the 10km mark. It was if a cloud was lifted from my brain, my thoughts now had clarity like never before.
A few years passed and I decided that I needed a challenge to keep motivated. So with the help of my dear friend Kate I signed up for the Sydney half marathon. Now at this stage 20km still seemed almost impossible. Yet with a bit of training we finished it in just under 2 hrs.
I clearly remember saying at the end of the half there is no way I could ever do a full. The next year I moved to Melbourne and I decided to give it another crack. So I did - twice.
Now here I am less than 3 weeks out from the start of the Canberra Marathon. This little engine that thought she couldn't is now puffing up the hill and my thoughts have transformed from ‘I know I can’t, I think I can’t, I think I can, I know I can.’
Running has taught me so much and I will be forever grateful. It has brought me closer to my family and I cannot even begin to tell you how happy I am that they will all be there in Canberra on the 12th April to cheer me on! It has proven to me that you can inspire others through your actions. It has made me realise that the things I used to think mattered and gave priority to in my life actually do not matter at all. And most importantly, it has taught me to love myself.
Happy running x
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