I had tried running in the past but it never stuck. But in the spring of 2014 I signed up for the Sister in Fitness Learn to Run program. Best choice I ever made. I reflect on that day on many of my runs. I will always remember the positive energy that Michelle exuded during that pre-run talk and how hard I had to push myself to complete the three kilometers of that first run. I can honestly say, that first run was the hardest of my life, but I was so proud of myself.
I started running for the sole reason of being happier. I figured that a little more exercise in my life would do me some good. Little did I know that I would be welcomed into a family of empowering people, and a world of endless possibilities.
I have so many positive memories of running with Sisters in Fitness. My first Tely 10 which I decided to run only 8 weeks after starting will compare to nothing else. I cried for the final kilometer. A few weeks later I had a fantastic run which encompassed part of “first run” and all I could reflect on was how far I had come, how much I had gain, all the positive people in my life. I have trained and ran a marathon, an exercise that has taught me more about myself than I thought possible.
The message that I took away from my marathon experience has nothing to do with the distance. Instead it was a compliment paid to me by a fellow instructor that had joined me on most of my training runs and too was on the journey of a “first marathon”. So this instructor decided to take the time during the race to think of a single word for each of us that she had trained with. Just a single word. For me she gave me the word “positive”, a word a do not usually associate with myself because I see others as being my positive motivating force.
I was asked to be an instructor just a year after starting running and I was honoured. I love sharing my passion with others. I love watching my friends accomplish major milestones from finishing their first 5k, or mastering that hill that has haunted them.
Currently if I am not running I am working on my graduate degree. Anyone what to know about seabirds? Wildlife diseases? Crazy adventures with polar bears? Just come ask me.
