Kelodie BEATS The Mental in the ORW 10K

[Kelodie]

It has been 7 years since I ran a 10K race. 6 years since I ran 10K in training.

Last fall, I decided to sign up for the 10K at Race Weekend thinking it would motivate me to get out there and run. I have been running 5Ks for many years now, but I have had so many injuries that I did not perform in any of them. I stuck to cycling, because I enjoyed it more and I didn’t get injured cycling.

A friend challenged me to walk/run/bike/ski/skate/etc. for 2,013km in 2013. This challenge has resulted in me walking more, not just for leisure but to go places. In the fall, I was walking everywhere and had many days when I walked 8-10K between October and December. I kept up the walking all winter and feel all this walking has really made me stronger. I have less lower back pain and my hips/pelvis feel more stable.

It has been a rough winter, not just weather-wise, but also from a personal point of view. My life has changed completely in the past 6 months and I have to say that running hasn’t been top of mind. I kept active by walking lots, but I didn’t train like I was hoping I would. My “training” for this race was 7 runs ranging 3-6.5K over a period of two months, about 200km of walking since January and about 270km of riding my bike since April. Needless to say, I was feeling less than confident that I could complete this race without injuring myself.

The days leading up to the race were very challenging emotionally. I had a major anxiety trigger and it nearly ruined things for me. However, I have been through a lot of sh!t in the past few years and it has made me so much stronger – I was determined to at least try. Worst case scenario: I would walk the whole thing. So I spent the day of the race dealing with my out-of-control anxiety – thank God for good friends, I could never have made it through without them – and I did not eat much because the anxiety makes me severely nauseous. I ended up only eating one peanut butter toast, some almond milk and an energy bar during my whole day. I know, recipe for disaster.

I got to the race site and saw my friend Suzy (not a Maniac). It was great to see her before the race as it helped calm me down. She was shooting for 65-70 minutes, so she was seeded ahead of me in the starting corrals. It was a long wait before they let us start and I could not wait to get going. The sun was blazing and I was getting hot!

They eventually let us through the start line. Everyone around me was running, so I decided to run a little bit to see how it felt. It felt great! Cardio was good, legs were fine, mental was strong. There were a lot of people cheering along Elgin and it really helped me. I kept going and was amazed at how much I was able to run: I have been doing run/walk intervals by feeling, not looking at my watch. I know I haven’t done more than 5 minutes in a row of running in training. I have no idea what happened but my cardio was so good that I could run for way longer than that. I even ran the whole “climb” to the overpass at the turn-around point. I was passing people like crazy!

My legs were feeling great until about 7K. The Mental was silent (which is unheard of, if you have been following my racing history). I was not feeling weak, nauseous or light-headed from not having eaten enough. I was smiling and interacting with the crowds and the volunteers. It was fun! As I approached the 8K mark, my legs and hips started to seize up, so I decided to walk for a bit. However, my hip was clicking with every step and I soon realized that walking was hurting a lot more than running so I started running again. It was at that particular moment that I felt like I was a “real” runner again. I ran to the finish line without stopping! The crowds were lining the course during the last kilometer and I loved every minute of it. I crossed the finish line in 1:20:46, which is a similar time to what I got on my first 10K race 7 years ago, after a winter of intense training. Needless to say I was over the moon!

I am very proud of what I was able to accomplish on Saturday. Life has sent me a lot of opportunities to build some mental toughness in the past two years and I feel that Saturday was a celebration of how tough I have become. I am starting to see how much I can accomplish when I shut The Mental up. 2014 is a transitional year for me. On New Year’s Eve, I remember thinking that I would get out of my comfort zone in 2014 and build the life that I want to live. The mental barriers that were holding me back are getting smashed one by one and I am very proud of myself.

Yay! I’m a runner again. (A runner on a semi-break for the warm season, though, as I tackle many new cycling, climbing and water-sports adventures, but a runner nonetheless)

[HCcD]

Glad to see you back in the Running Road Races, Kelodie ..

[Spirit Unleashed]

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jwolf]

Excellent!! glad to see you back at it and in a very positive frame of mind.

[La]

Bravo! Welcome back, runner!

[Jo-Jo]

Your report brought a tear to my eye.
We must have tea this summer and compare notes...I've decided that 2014 is going to be a year of new challenges for me too.

Kelodie...this Crabby Broad is might happy for you...and proud too!

[deerdree]

wow, claudie! i looked up your time and knew that you had rocked it from a time perspective, but i'm so glad to hear that it went well mentally, too! it sounds like everything clicked for you once you made it to the start line! (well, including your hip...)

félicitations!!

[Robinandamelia]

That's a fantastic race report! Congrats to you. Must be such a huge confidence builder. Way to go.

[scrumhalfgirl]

so glad you posted a report and shared the full story. huge congrats!

[IronGoddess]

Great report!! Good for u for getting out of the comfort zone and doing this race!! Awesome!


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[purdy65]

Great report! I was watching the 10K finish! I'm not sure I would have recognized you running past.

[bnn]

WTG! super proud of you!

[Habs4ever]

Way to get out there and race again.

[OLRunner]

Congratulations on your race and determination to finish well.

[mas_runner]

Good job Kelodie, great comeback and well gutted out in tough conditions.

[jes]

So proud of you Claudie!! Great job!

[Kelodie]

Great report! I was watching the 10K finish! I'm not sure I would have recognized you running past.

I was wearing my RM sleeveless shirt!

[Marg]

Proud proud proud!! YAY you!!

[RA.]

So happy to read this!

[chunkymonkeymelonhed]

Claudie this report makes me
So very happy for you, welcome back RUNNER

[AndyM]

Congrats Kelodie! I'm so happy that you made this happen. I hope this is a great re-start to running (or whatever you feel like doing) for you!!!!

[Stampie]

Great report Claudie, thank-you for sharing your experience!
I'm so happy for you! Welcome back RUNNER!

[trixiee]

W00t! That report warmed my heart! Yeah!

[Avis]

Way to go, Kelodie!! What a terrific benchmark for you in your year of breaking barriers! Have a wonderful summer.

[MikeM]

Awesome race, congrats!