Memories from my first race: “All the months of hard work paid off”

I had always been active with interest in yoga, swimming, cycling, strength training but running was something that I could never get my body to adapt to. After dealing with a few set backs, I told myself that when I relocated to the city I would give running a fair shot and join one of the run clubs that I followed on social media. Seeing all of these folks on Instagram in crews like Tribe Fitness, Night Terrors Run Crew and Parkdale Roadrunners, I was inspired by all the different walks of life that were represented and the fact that everyone could be a runner.

Once I moved downtown Toronto, I joined a local run group called Tribe Fitness. They were kicking off their first #Couchto10k program which would meet every Monday night in July, August and September. The program included that group run and two runs that you were responsible for during the week. It started as a walk/run and we gradually worked up to consistently running. In addition to my run training I also did strength training and yoga.

I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to do it. I wasn’t sure if my body was cut out for running. A few weeks into my program my coach told me that “we are all runners.” I kept that with me when I was having a tough run. I knew that I had a great support system to be successful at my first race. I had two awesome coaches, a great crew of people to run with and help me push my pace and I had a well-rounded training plan to help me stay on my A Game.

There is something to be said about crossing the finish line for the first time. It’s really empowering to know that all the months of hard work paid off. Crossing that finish line in my hometown with members of my crew who came to run with me really made the day extra special. Posting my success on my social media and hearing my followers say that I had inspired them was really something else.

Since then, I have run the Toronto Midnite New Year’s Eve 5K Run, the Hamilton Around the Bay 10K relay, Toronto Yonge Street 10K and Oakville Mercedes Benz 10K. I also have a number of races planned through to the fall including the Nike Women’s 15K, the Iron Girl Triathlon, three races in the Burlington MEC series and the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon.