Training Journal

• Well today is officially 4 months before the Valencia Marathon. Marathons still scare me tbh. An overseas marathon is even scarier. I've made a lot of changes this year from where I'm living, to relationships in my life, to my coach. If you think of looney tunes Tasmanian devil ripping around the dessert with a plan but like not really, that was ME. But, finally the "dust" has settled and I say I'm genuinely happy and really proud where I am at the start of this build.


• I wrote down my yearly "goals" to find a running group IN Toronto. I had been running workouts pretty much solo with some guys jumping in, but honestly, it's HARD finding people to run with when you reach a certain level. Not to sound elitism but yeah, not many guys even can keep up.


• My coach I've had for the last 4 years taught me so much about the marathon, habits to stay healthy while balancing a full-time job + other side jobs, and it honestly has felt like a slow burnout of a candle over the last 10 months realizing my life is IN Toronto and I'm not moving anytime soon to be closer to him.


• It was as my therapist described it "a break up" of a kind and one spring day I decided to pack away all my things that I once identified a huge part of my life into a box out of sight in my closet. I cried.. the uniform I wore in Boston pro field, warm ups that had been with me in many nervous call rooms, earrings I wore to every race as good luck charms... all sat in a box now. But it was time to move on. Running is also NOT my full time job.. I still work a 9-5, launched a running sock company but I love the sport, it's not so serious, it's a glorified hobby that Michelle and I joke "got out of hand".  


• So this spring there was a newer performance focused group kinda emerging in the run scene here. I was coaching a guy who also jumped into the workouts who was around my speed so I figured why not give it a try. I don't need hand holding coaching telling me every day what to do, but I do want a group to hold me accountable, to do reps with and I was also open to changing what kind of workouts and training I have done in the past. It's been a great fit and Toronto has strangely felt more like home than having a remote coach in another country.


• I'm blabbing about this because unlike the last 3 builds. This one has that excitement of something different. Being open to change is f&^*ing terrifying but following your intuition and your heart has lead me to some pretty amazing opportunities and changes over the last 18 years. From moving from a small rural Northern Ontario to competing in professional fields in road races I once use to watch on TV. Life has LIFED.

What's the phrase "you can't keep doing the same thing and expecting different results"? I think it was to do with the invention of the light bulb but whatever, it's applicable to running. This build has a new shiny little perspective on it and although uncertain what result will come to be on December 7th if I even make it to the start line, it feels really good :)

-Kim

• Distance: 10 km
• Time: 55 minutes
• Pace: 5:30 min/km

Notes: Enjoyed the run, weather was perfect. Focused on maintaining a consistent pace throughout.