LaceUp4Lupus: First time for Everything

Hello again!

For those of you who have been eagerly awaiting the second installment of this blog entry, wait no longer...It has arrived and in full technicolour!

So, lets pick up where we left off. My month of many firsts.

3rd First

Certainly the event that reigned supreme this past month way my trip to Vancouver to run my first event with my dad. For those of you whom I have had the pleasure of running with over the years, you will know there is no greater joy for me than sharing a run with someone. I have logged countless miles with old friends, new friends and total strangers, but rarely have I had the opportunity to run with family.

My dad is much more likely to dance his way through the streets than jog (click here for proof), but this was not the case last Saturday when we tackled the St. Patrick's Day 5K around Vancouver's picturesque Stanley Park. We soaked in the late start and enjoyed a relaxing morning drinking our smoothies, planning our attire and pining on our race numbers; then headed down to the event with a good friend of dad's who was also running with us. The race sold out at 1500 entrants and of those, probably 1350 were in costume!

The sun was shining and the only thing bigger than my smile was my sunglasses. I loved every minute of it. Turns out, not only was this dads first 5K, but mine too. I rarely run this length - because it feels more like a 20 minute sprint. We had a great time and I think dad surprised himself with his pace. We crossed the finish line together (although I should mention that dad's official time was faster than mine) arms raised!


Getting ready for our first 5K

After our run, the three of us enjoyed a wonderful brunch at Sharmaina's house; then the two of them drove me to the ferry...on my way towards another first.


Don't be fooled by the costumes.This is serious business!

Post race picture

4th First

My final first of this installment was my first double event weekend and in two separate cities at that! It was also, my first time running the Comox Half Marathon and my first road trip with my training partner, Jani! I am starting to realize that most days are filled with a first 'something' we just have to choose to look at it this way.

Pictured below is the terminal at Horseshoe Bay. The ferry to Nanaimo is so spectacular - I fall in love every time I am on it.

Jani met me in Nanaimo and we headed up to Nanoose Bay for a sleep-over with my aunt and uncle. We were were treated to a wonderful dinner, 'Top Secret' dessert and even foamy coffee in the morning.

We hit the road and arrived in sunny Comox at 9am. Jani had a wonderful race and honestly, barely looked like she broke a sweat. I on the other hand, had a bit of an 'off' day...Rarely do I struggle to find enjoyment in a half marathon, but Sunday was not my day. I came up with a thousand reasons why (which poor Jani had to listen to on our drive home), but the gist of it is...it just wasn't my day, and in running, the sooner you accept that these days are inevitable (once in a while) the easier this love affair will be.

The long rural roads that stretched out for miles made the run feel more like a marathon. The minute you find yourself counting down the kilometer markers you know you are in for a long haul and on Sunday I started counting down at the 6K mark...yeah it was a long haul!

Nonetheless, I still finished a respectable 3rd in my age category and Jani beat her goal time! We were treated to a wonderful feast and to top it off I won a new Timex watch. wootwoot.

There you have it, a wild month filled with an abundance of firsts!
Thanks for reading. Happy Trails. :-)