10/10/10 Race Report(s)!

As mentioned previously, today I had a 3-in-1 race day. Last month I signed up for three virtual races: Jog for Joubert Syndrome (held by Laura at My reason to run), Running Diva Mom's virtual 10k and Marcia at Running off at the Mouth's Power of 10 race to finish. I decided that I would combine them all into one race due to the fact that my work schedule has really hindered my running ability.

So, these three races all had different elements to them. JFJS had it's own race bib to wear, which I thought was super cute:

Marcia had a competition to see who could incorporate purple into their outfit the best. So I whipped out my purple red race shirt, and my funkiest arm warmers, made from toe socks. They might be cotton, but they are cheap and kept my arms warm when I needed them! So here is my crazy outfit for the day:

(My Dog Daisy is sniffing the Sharkies in my pocket)

Finally, Running Diva wanted to see who could make the most creative race bib. I am sure it is not the MOST creative, but the little Munckin and I had fun putting together this blinged out 10/10/10 race bib, which I wore on my Camelbak:

With everything together, I headed out the door to my start point. I decided on a course very close to my house that was fairly quiet and fairly flat. It was a short 2.5k loop which I would circle 4 times to get my total distance of 10k. I was looking forward to it for several reasons: #1 it was the longest run to date since my half marathon, #2 it was the first run I was able to do all week, and #3 the weather was supposed to be gorgeous.

I headed out to my "start line", psyched myself up and off I went! I decided that in the tradition of Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend, I would try to think of 10 things I was thankful for along the way. So instead of a per km outline of my race, here are my ten things:

1. My biological family. I have not updated on this, but I am happy that my mom is finally out of the hospital and doing much better. The surgery went well, and while we are still waiting on the biopsy results, I have faith that my mom will be fine. My family has always been there for me, and I feel blessed to have them present at some of the most important moments of my life.

2. My new family. I am so thankful to not only have my blood family, but also my husband and my stepdaughter who have been there for me through all the trials and tribulations I have faced in the past 6 years. They have had patience with me when I was fighting my way through law school, when I was sure I was going to fail the bar exams, and when I had to work late at night on school reports or at my articling position. They love me for who I am, and I feel truly blessed for having them in my life.

3. My friends - Although they are not in the same category as family, there are many friends I have who mean the world to me. They have been there to cheer me up when I am down, to help me when I needed it, to share the joy in my life and to generally help me become the person I am today. Some of them also encourage me to complete half marathons and are currently trying to convince me on some runs for next year.... :P

4. I am thankful for my health. While I have faced some fairly serious injuries in the past, I am happy that I have never been hospitalized, I have generally been in good health for as long as I can remember. I was at one point much heavier than I am now, and I am thankful I took charge and changed that, because my life has been enriched by being active and by being less self conscious about my appearance. I know so many people are faced with challenges, be it from Joubert Syndrome or Lupus, and that health can never be taken for granted.

5. One of the smaller things I was thankful for along my route was the fall. I appreciated the cooler temperatures one I started running, and one of my favourite nature smells of all time (aside from the rain) is the fall leaves as they collect on the ground. Fall Colours in Ottawa are brilliant, and running in them makes me smile.

6. I am happy for my new job! God knows it was a long three months, filled with a lot of self doubt and negativity before I found this position. Although I do gripe about the distance I have to cover to get there, the job is giving me invaluable experience, and I feel like part of the team already. While I will be even happier when I get paid, I feel so lucky that I am no longer unemployed, like many people around the world are right now.

7. Petty one - I am SO thankful it is a long weekend for us Canucks. Three blissful mornings of sleeping in? Thank goodness!!!

8. I am thankful I have the Blogging world to turn to for advice, entertainment, inspiration, competition, motivation and support. Being a lone runner most of the time, it is nice to have someone to talk to when you have a question or are having a bad day. Having others who know what you have been through puts things into perspective.

9. I am thankful for the food on our table every day, and the water we take for granted. I often forget what a privileged position I am in, not only for being educated and working in a professional position, but just for having clean water and enough food to eat. Many around the world, and sadly some in Canada as well, do not have those basic essentials and struggle daily.

10. Finally, I am thankful I can run. I may never be the fastest, but I am alive and enjoying life by getting out there and running. I came across some sad news in the Blogging world today. A man named Rick from the blog "Warriorman Runs Again" died this weekend during a run. I had never read his blog before today, but after reading several of his posts, and what others have written about him, I am inspired by his character. He just wanted to get out there, no matter how slow he was, and enjoy his ability to run. He encouraged other who blogged when they had a bad day to get back up and try again. He oozed positivity and love, and the world lost something great with his passing. I would like to try and be more like Rick: worry less about the competition, the finish, and focus more on the journey, and my ability to run.

So with all those things in mind, I ran my course. I looked down at my Garmin every loop/2.5K to make sure I was on track. I passed couples taking a fall stroll, kids on bikes, a traffic stop, and a lot of chubby squirrels. I pushed myself and am happy to announce a new PR! 1:04:36! It's not the under 1 hour that I long to get to, but I'm still SO happy!

Now I'm off to enjoy the rest of the day with my family. To all the Canucks: HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! To everyone: Be sure to take the time to remember what you have in your life to be thankful for. All to often, we get caught up in life and forget.