Running for Mums 101 Part 1: Running Your First Race: A Love Story

Running for Mums 101 Part 1: Running Your First Race: A Love Story

This is part 1 of Tuvizo‘s series on running for mothers as told by our guest blogger, Ann Steel. She describes herself as follows: “I’m Ann; baker of cakes, runner of miles and mother of two. I started running as a way of gaining balance during some difficult teenage years but also as a way of avoiding anything that was remotely related to ball sports in P.E. in high school. I have been running ever since, through the good times and the bad. When I’m not running you can usually find me in the kitchen, or curled up with a good book or telling my kids to please pick up those Lego blocks I just stood on.”

So, you may have been plodding along quite happily without worrying about race numbers and finish lines. But maybe, just maybe you have this little voice in your head telling you it could be fun to try, to see what it’s like. You might still have hesitations; will I get trampled by crowds of people, who will look after the kids and, very importantly, are there toilets on the route? The thing is, chances are most of your fears will be unfounded and, if a few things do go wrong, your sense of achievement will encourage a short term memory loss akin to what you experience after child birth.

It is entirely possible to be a runner and not run races [TWEET THIS!]. I should know, I had been running for about 8 years before I ever ran my first race. Up until then I was quite content to compete with myself and just enjoy the peace and calm of running on my own, in my own time. I now love the high after a well-run race but I still don’t have the need to sign up for every race that presents itself. As such, this article isn’t a technical training program but more of a meditation on what it means to race.

As a physical challenge, running a race needn’t be different than what you do on your normal runs, unless you want it to be. You can run at your normal speed and a distance that is manageable to you. But the thing about races that you cannot replicate on your own is the mental and emotional aspect. There’s that moment, as you stand in the dark or timid light of dawn, as part of a buzzing crowd. It may be cold but heat is radiating off all the other bodies that are as wired as yours. You start to feel something in your tummy, butterflies, letting you know you are embarking on something both exciting and terrifying. People are smiling, embracing running buddies they may not have seen for a while, doling out encouragements to friends and strangers alike. And as the countdown begins, the start gun goes off and the crowd begins to move forward, slow but determined, you may just feel something akin to that first feeling of falling in love. You are

exhilarated and optimistic. In the back of your mind, you know that somewhere along the way you will get tired, you will suffer, the romance will wear off. But you also know that this right here, this moment, is worth that, so you let go of hesitation and run.

Image credit goes to: Flickr user Mike Carey At the end, you may say to yourself “never again” but every runner knows not to trust what your brain and body might be telling you when lactic acid is cursing through you. Take your time to think back on your accomplishment later, savour the great moments of the race [TWEET THIS!] when your head is clearer and then evaluate how you feel. With time, chances are you’ll find yourself at another Sportsman’s Warehouse, swarming the registration table with all the other lovesick fools. Ultimately, what matters most about a race is not the time you did nor the kilometres you clocked up. What matters is how the race made you feel. It’s about the friendships that were forged before, during

and after. And it’s about appreciating the things your amazing body can do, if only you put your mind to it.

Are you a racer? Tell us about your first racing experience in the comments, we’d love to know.

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