Five more sleeps...

for those who are running the Ottawa Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday, May 24th, and for those racing in the 5K and 10K it's only four more sleeps. Yes, the Ottawa Race Weekend is fast approaching.

This will be my first time since 2002 that I won't be participating as runner in this event and admittedly my emotions are up and down like a toilet seat. My head and knee know all too well that it is okay that I'm not running, but my heart is having a hard time letting this go. Anyone who truly knows me knows that I am very passionate and emotional towards something that I truly love. (Yes, even chipmunks).

As I've mentioned before, I started running (again) in 2001, after a painful breakup and major surgery. Let's just say I was tipping the weigh scales on a grand proportion.

I meet the wonderful friends that I have today through running and all of us support one another in ways they (we) don't even realize.

On the brink of my 54th birthday I decided to up my running distances from 5 & 10K races to the half marathon. The race was in memory of my mother who passed away when she was 54, so needless to say it was a very emotional race. (Okay, I'm tearing up just writing this). The race itself was interesting. I laughed, cried, cursed and to say I had a fun struggle jiggling my middle aged body to the finish line in 2hrs 32 minutes, is an understatement, but I was hooked. I loved the long distances.

Many, many, many half's later, I upped the ante for the full marathon!

What was I thinking? The race is in May, that would mean training throughout the winter. Have I mentioned I hate being cold? Well, we did the training and froze our asses off during one of the worst winter's in Ottawa history.

Last May I became a marathoner at the age of 55. I love running the distance, but even more than running the distance, I love encouraging people who are stepping out of their comfort zones to try to up their distances, anyone who wants to go from 5K to 10K, 10K to half marathon's....but most importantly, I love encouraging people to get up off the couch and take that first walk down the block.

There are so many ways to improve our lives, our stresses, our insecurities, but for me, it is cycling, swimming, trying a tri, but my passion is running and helping others achieve their goals.

So, here is a toast to the Wooo Hooo's who are running in the Half and the Marathon. Here's to the blogger's (some whom I've met) who are making their way to our beautiful city this weekend and who will be running their way around either 21.1K or 42.2K of Ottawa's most scenic roadways.

But most importantly, here's to the gang I trained with this year who will become marathoner's in five more sleeps!

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily