How To Run Your Best Race: Super Fast

Until recently, I kind of forgot that Amy was always the athletic one growing up. At nearly three years my junior, she was the sporty one. That’s what happens in families. You forge your own niches to stand out from the rest of your siblings. We both were successful in school and filled our schedules with choir and piano lessons, so we needed to find something else that distinguished us. I became the indoor-loving bookworm while she spent her time outdoors shooting hoops or challenging me to races that she’d often win. (If you want to create animosity in a big sister, be a little sister who wins.) Amy loved track & field day at school, while I dreaded a day dedicated to nothing I excelled at. Amy begged to join a basketball team while I begged to not have to join too. While she got better at athletics, I avoided them so that her superiority would not be evident.

Surprisingly, I was the first in our family to start running as an adult. My once-athletic sister even admitted to me that she could never run for any amount of time and couldn’t imagine how I did it. Forgetting how competitive she was, (and not realizing how competitive I could be with her,) I encouraged her to start, and convinced her to sign up for a race with me so that she would have a reason to run.

At a race earlier this month, my sister’s goal was to finish a 5K in under 30 minutes. I have never run a 5k in under 30 minutes and, while it is a goal, it is a very long-term one. Amy managed to run not one, but two sub-30 5Ks on consecutive days and even came first in her division on Saturday morning’s race. Meanwhile, her husband, who had not run in months, just planned to go as fast as he could for the full 5Ks and finished 10 minutes before I did.

News flash: Even though I run, I am not fast.

I am usually good at remembering why I run. I know that I am not trying to beat any particular person, but instead, better myself. I admit that it is hard when I have a lifelong competitive relationship with the person I am running beside, (especially when that person has had two babies since the year that my last was born.)

This past weekend I participated in another race with my sister, but this time, she didn’t influence how fast I wanted to go. This time I, (and she, for that matter) walked most of the course.

When I heard that a colour run was coming to my province, I knew I needed to sign up and get everyone I knew to sign up too. I have been dyeing (pun intended) to run one of these since the minute I found out it was a thing. As I encouraged friends and family to sign up for Run or Dye Halifax, most people were quick to tell me that they couldn’t run.

Here’s the thing about races that I didn’t know before I started running them: You don’t have to be fast. You don’t need to run the whole thing. You don’t even need to run at all. When I ran my first race I was surprised that I was not the last one to cross the finish line. There were runners (and walkers) of many different abilities challenging themselves by taking part in something active with their community. Not worrying about speed goes double for a fun run. Races like Run or Dye are not timed and are meant to be enjoyed. If that means walking the whole way, that’s okay. If that means rolling through the colour stations (like we saw one tutu-ed little girl do), that’s okay too. It isn’t about proving to others that you’re a runner. It is about proving to yourself that healthy activity can be fun. (Check out Nicole’s super inspiring post about walking a 10K race.)

The real reason I walked most of Run or Dye this past weekend wasn’t because I wanted to stretch out the colour run experience, even though running this race did allow me to cross something off my bucket list. I walked (most of the way) because I was able to fulfill another one of my dreams during this race: I did a race with my biggest boy. This was Cameron’s first race, and I made sure we travelled at his desired pace.

I was impressed with my little three year old. Sometimes he walked. Sometimes he went “Super Fast!”. He ran through the colours with a huge smile on his face and trudged up the muddy hills with barely a complaint. The last leg of the race was a little slower than the rest, but as we neared the end, he grabbed my hand and ran through the finish line as his little legs would carry him.

In their innocence, children are so incredibly wise. Cameron’s performance at Run or Dye reminded me how to run a great race: Push yourself a little bit and make sure you leave enough to finish strong. Have fun. Connect with the people you’re running with. Be proud of yourself when you finish. And sometimes, for just a few steps, go “Super Fast!”.

Amy can continue to be the fast sister. That’s okay with me. I’m proud of her for her running accomplishments and I am proud of my own running accomplishments. We’re not in it to compete. We’re in it to have fun being active. We’re in it to raise healthy families. (For further reading, check out Christopher’s post about Run or Dye and how it is convincing him to raise a healthier family).

As you know, I am training for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon in January 2014 with Team in Training. I am also raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada to fund blood cancer research and patient services here in Canada. Did you know that there are over 100,000 people living with or in remission from a blood cancer in Canada? If you have been thinking about starting running or need that push to keep you running, I whole heartedly recommend Team in Training. If you’re local, contact the Atlantic Chapter. If you’re anywhere else in Canada or the United States, find the chapter near you. If you have any questions or want me to help you get into contact with a representative at your chapter, let me know.

Please consider donating to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada through my fundraising page.