My Running Story: A Renewed Love

I love this! I would love to hear other people’s stories too. My running story goes WAY back. I was a competitive long distance runner in High School. It was something I was naturally good at and then trained very hard for. I spent most of my teen years training or recovering so that I could train some more! Although I loved running I look back now and realize that I got a bit too caught up in the competition and sort of lost track of the sheer joy I got from going for a run. Everything became about my time or my start or where I placed. So, by the time I went to University I was burnt out and just wanted to quit. Although I ran occasionally I gave up competing much to the major disappointment of my coach and family. I was still active but felt so much pressure to perform while running that it just wasn’t fun anymore.
Then, after I had my daughter 6 years ago I decided to run to get rid of the baby weight. It had been years so I was not sure whether I was going to like it or whether some of my resentment would come back but I knew it was a straightforward, flexible way for me to get active postpartum.
I am so glad I did! Not only did I find my love for running all over again but it gave me time to clear my head and saved me from some serious emotional breakdowns. I bought a baby running stroller and became one of those moms who is always seen running in the mornings.
As I continued to run I started toying with the idea of doing a race. My head was in a totally different place and I thought “this is something I can do for me”. It was a goal I could achieve in a my crazy life.
My first race was the Sporting Life 10k in Toronto but it certainly wasn’t my last! I have done a few marathons and am now training for my first ever trail run this summer! In the meantime, I have had 2 more children and run through both of those pregnancies to stay fit.
Running is such a big part of my life and is a great gift to myself!