Five boroughs of fun

My race-day clothes are washed and folded, my shoes returned to the heap by our back door, my bib and medal are in the shoe box with the others – and best of all,  I can finally get up off the toilet without having to lean forward and push off the seat with my hands.

It’s more than three-weeks post-race and not only has the feeling returned to my arms, but the Toronto-marathon-fog has lifted and I’m looking forwards.

What’s next for this wannabe Kenyan? Well, the burning question of the day is: Is it acceptable, or even possible to run a marathon just for fun?

See, as always, I want to get faster. I want to be a bad ass runner chick. In fact,  I want to be so bad ass that I become the bad ass honey badger of the running world (or at least my neighbourhood). I want to tear down my competitors one by one, stick my head in bee hives for fun and take naps half way through eating poisonous snakes – that would be awesome.

For now though, I’ll settle for subbing-4.

Still.

So now I’m going to let you in on a little secret I’ve been keeping. In April sometime, just after my Boston Marathon running friends returned to recount their glorious run and heroic Bean-Town reception, I decided I wanted a piece of  the action – badly.

I wanted to run a race where lines of onlookers screamed for me – just because I was ‘doing it’ and not because I was blocking traffic. I wanted to run with thousands of like-minded marathon-freaks who got a kick out of pushing through their pain for the glory of a cheap medal and a high five. I wanted to run where the world’s best runners had run before me.

Now, Boston seemed unlikely, since guaranteed qualification meant shaving off 40-plus minutes from my marathon PB . So I did the next best thing. I put my name in the New York Marathon lottery. I mean, it might not be packed with the world’s best, but Katie Holmes did it so it has to be good. Right?

I knew I had about as good a chance of getting in via the lottery as I did of becoming TLC’s next Sister Wife, but I thought I’d give it a shot. Dare to dream right?

So, of course, I got in.

I am seriously thrilled. Even happier than these ladies. But a PB in NYC? I’m not so sure.

According to fellow blogger Rory Gillfillan I’ll be spending the race trying not to get peed on while getting peed off at all the people who dare run slower than me and apologizing to those who have faster “Pee”Bs. According to every other NY runner I’ve talked to, I’ll be spending the time enjoying this once in a life time opportunity, taking in the crowds and the sights and appreciating my luck at being there.

Either way, sub-four might be a stretch. If it happens – awesome. If not, I’m okay with it. Because this time, I’m going to focus on having fun — that’s my goal.

Fun? Huh?

Let’s face it, as rewarding as they were, my marathons caused me pain. Can 42.2km seriously be more fun than a U.S congressional texting party? More fun than cleaning day at Arnie’s house?  Better than this?

I’m going to find out.

In the meantime – I’m also be training with the Canadian Running Magazine’s Marathon Quest for the Scotiabank half marathon in Toronto on October 16. Take it from me spud-buds (props to Stephanie Preston for coining this term for my readers – rolls off the tongue much better than ‘Couch to Kenyeners’), if you’re still deciding on a fall goal, the Marathon Quest is a great one. For a low low price you get registration for the full or half marathon, all the training tips you need, special group runs if you live in the Toronto area, a snazzy t-shirt and best of all… special race day toilets! (otherwise known as a VIP area).

So sign up now, it’s going to be wicked awesome.

Oh, and try to have fun!

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