This was a race that I have been excited about for a while now! 3 months ago I got my best friends to become my running bff’s. Some of them even went from zero to hero! Literally. On day one I may have got messages that resembled this, “I cannot even do one km. I don’t think I was made for running. How am I going to do this?” And yesterday, they made me SO proud! They all did AMAZING! And, I’m convinced that some of them caught the running bug. (At least that is what I am hoping for!) Seriously, they rocked the run.

On Saturday, we went to pick up our packages and I forgot my camera. Not to worry, I stole pretty much all of these pictures in this post from Shannon and Tasha! Thanks, ladies!


It was a beautiful sunny and warm day and the weather couldn’t be better. It was a perfect day to stroll the shops in Uptown Toronto. So, that’s exactly what we did. After we picked up our kits of course:

Some ice cream may have been screaming our names:

And then we did what any athlete would do after eating ice cream– we relaxed and rested up for the big day:

This is where I started to get antsy. For the last two weeks I haven’t been myself. I have had headaches, migraines, and zero energy to run for an entire week. I literally have been falling asleep at 5pm after work. The weather has been a roller coaster. Some days it’s sunny and humid and the next it’s a downpour of rain.

Lucky for us, the weather on run day was scheduled to be rainy and cold. And then I had a nightmare. I dreamt that I couldn’t get my ipod to work during the race and this weird monster looking Harry Potter creature attacked me. Weird, right? I don’t know why I was so strangely anxious about this run. I mean seriously, what was with me?! I was completely out of character. When I woke up, I tried to shake it off as best as I could and brushed my teeth:

The temperature had changed from morning cold rain to an overcast and nine degrees. So, it was a game day switch. I didn’t wear a jacket and just hoped that I wouldn’t be freezing in my corral before the gun went off. The best part of the location of the starting line of this race is that the Starbucks is literally right beside it. Grabbing your morning coffee half an hour before the start is perfection. And it almost makes you feel like you aren’t freezing in the bursts of wind:

At the starting line, I had to leave my friends from their corral and make my way solo to the yellow corral.

I didn’t mind it and I loved that there was a Boston Marathoner beside me. Do I want to BQ even more now? You better believe it! Especially when I was running this race and saw the 2011 Boston Marathoners in their new jackets.I’m not gonna lie, I was not in game day mode during this race. I had to convince myself that I wanted to run and had to pump up the jams to get going. I was at the starting line and I had to be ready.

I know– seriously, what was with me?! I still don’t know. I did have a good run but it just didn’t feel right for some reason. Don’t get me wrong- I did get excited and even sang a little while running but it wasn’t my usually happy-go-lucky, I-love-everything-in-the-entire-world kind of run. I blame the ridiculous weather that we have been getting for the past two weeks. My energy is gone like Nemo and I just want it to come home.

My goal for this race was 47:30. I felt great and that last kilometer I sprinted like no other. My finish time on my Garmin was 48:13. I was happy with it. I feel like I could have pushed myself harder but then remembered I was in a funk and I probably am just being too hard on myself. And then one of my old cheerleading coaches Runner Mama called my name just past the finish line and I was so happy to see her! I love that I keep literally running into my cheer family at races! And the funny thing is, I had NO idea she was even at this race let alone near me during the run! Seriously, where was my mind at?!

I couldn’t wait to see my running bff’s at the finish with their well-deserved bling! Somehow we colour co-ordinated a picture unknowingly. If that’s not talent- I don’t know what is!

I’m so glad that they all set out and finished this amazing goal. I mean really, go from zero to hero in 3 months and run a 10k race?! You ladies are an inspiration! And I love, love, love you all!