With My Dad ♥

I went jogging for the first time since my 1/2 marathon today! My dad and I first wanted to run 10km but ended up not having enough time. Instead, we ran 5km which was still fun! I really like running with him cause we both have the same pace and I like to run fast. It was a lot of fun and now I just can't wait to run the Colour Me RAD! That will definitely be so much fun!

SUCCESS!!!

Wow, what a wonderful race! I seriously had a great time. There's not a moment in the race where I thought about quitting. I didn't even stop to walk one single time throughout the race. I also didn't suffer as much as I thought I would. The only time where things were really hard were at the 20th km when we had to run up a big hill. Otherwise, I had such a good time that during the race, I didn't even notice the time passing by. But when things did start to get harder like when running up hills, I just thought about Olivier. What I was going throught at that moment could never be any worst than what he has been through in his entire life. And I know that he would like to be in my shoes if he could. What I was doing was nothing compared to him and what he had ever been through. Just thinking about that was enough for me to go on even stronger. There was also a point in the race where my iPod played Fix You, by Cold Play at the exact moment when we had to go up a big hill. It's so amazing how this song is so powerful and helps me go through so much every time. It made me think so much about Olivier, too. All in all, I'm just happy I didn't have to suffer as much as I thought I would. It was just so fun. It was even better that I met my goal of running under 2 hours! I ran in exactly 1:58:04.7. For someone who didn't complete more than 1/3 of the program, went through a hip injury, an ankle being twisted at soccer and only running 12km at the most, I should surely be proud of myself! My favourite part of the race was at the beginning on the starting line on the bridge. I thought it was such a good way to start a 1/2 Marathon and I was so happy to be there with my parents. Speaking of which, my parents also had a lot of fun. So did my aunt and uncle! The day was even better since everyone had a good race. I even remember having enough juice left to even sprint for the last 200 m! I really hope most of my other races will be as easy and enjoyable as this one. What made it enjoyable was the temperature. It was never too hot, or too cold. It was great not having to worry about the temperature because I know I have a lot of trouble running in the heat. Now, I can only think of one thing. When's going to be my next 1/2 Marathon? I honestly can't wait to run another one! It would be great if I could run another one so I could raise even more money! But even if I don't, I know that 1070$ isn't so bad for someone who wanted at least 500$. Even if 1070$ doesn't change a lot in Olivier's life, just knowing that it made a little difference is satisfying. I also don't just want to become someone who just gave money to him for a project. I want to be someone who talks to him and his family every once in a while to get to know them better and to get updates on how they're doing because I really do care about him! I know that if I were him, I'd like someone to do the same for me. For now, all I know is that I have met all of my goals for my project so far. That just makes my day! We'll just have to see what comes next. Now it's time to turn the page.

                                                                  At the finishing line!

The Day Before The 1/2 Marathon

Wow, what a journey! All these little moments put together that happened before brought me to this big one. Surprisingly, I'm more happy and excited than nervous. I really just can't wait to run tomorrow! I know I will have tones of fun, I know I will suffer, I know I will have to push bounderies that I have never pushed before, I know I will cry, smile, but I also know that in the end, it'll be all worth it. I know I will be so proud of myself and after that, I will want to run other 1/2 marathons for sure. I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow but no matter what, I know that at least one person's life will be affected positively. Olivier, this one's for you.

Only A Week Left!!!

I had a pretty good week! I ran two other times with success; one 7km and one 12km. I think after running these two races, it really convinced me that I could run the Montreal half-marathon. It's crazy to look back at my whole journey and the obstacles I had to go through. All I can say is I'm very proud of myself and it's a good thing that I never gave up. Now, I can see that all my efforts were worth it. For example, I ran my 12km at a 5:20 pace. It went very smoothly and at the end, I wasn't even that tired. I think I would be able to run at a 5:40 pace for my half-marathon which would also make me reach my goal of running under 2 hours! Also, the fundraising has been going very well. I thought I would raise about 500$ but I'm already at 595$ and I know there are other donations that I just haven't recieved yet. Plus, I will me running other races until March so I know that I can raise a lot more. For this last week before the race, I will take it very slowly and try not to think too much about it. But, I have to admit, I really am excited to stand on that starting line on Sunday morning.

Woohoo!

I can't even express how happy I am! I ran and completed a 10km yesterday night. I even promised myself not to look at my watch during the run so that I wouldn't stress with the time but still ended up running with a 5:30 overall pace. There is not one single part of my body that hurt either. Also, near the end, I wasn't even really tired. I could've easily continued with the same pace for another 10km. It really makes me happy to know that I will most probably be able to complete my half-marathon even after my whole injury situation. Can't wait to go out and run again tomorrow!

Back On My Feet

It's been so long since I last updated my blog. Between school, hockey, soccer and many other things, I haven't taken the time to let you people know what has been going on very much. First of all, not so long ago, my mom and I watched the movie Spirit Of The Marathon. It's a movie about different types of runners who all take part in the same marathon. But, some runners are Olympics runners, one is a mom, another likes to run alone, another is a Kenyan who once held a world record and there's also an old man in his late 60s who runs with his daughter. Anyways, you get the picture. So it's nice to see how running can be for anyone who choses to take part in it. It's a very inspiring movie and I think every runner should see this movie at least once in their lives. Looking at my mom with tears in her eyes from time to time was also very touching. I knew right away after having watched that movie that one day, maybe soon or in 30 years, maybe slow or fast, I would run a marathon.

Other than that, I have started running again with no pain. I remember going two times, running 3km and everything went very smoothly. I also ran again today, 5km with my mom with intervals. At 2km, we had to accelerate at 5:30 per km until we hit 3.6km. Then we just continued running at a slower pace for the remainding 1.4km. It feels really good not having any injury. I'm very happy it's over with and I can just continue training without having to worry about everything. Now that I know my running is ok, I really have to start raising a lot more money for Olivier and going around a few stores or restaurants in Chambly. That's the next step because my half marathon is on it's way!