I managed a 5K PB last Saturday! Despite the heaviness of living & training in a physically distant virtual world these days, I was super happy with my performance and on my cool down had thought out a perfect blog. I wrote a few notes when I got home to not forget what I wanted to write the following day:
- expect the unexpected.
- w/u – one gel, a bit too much wine the night before, new route plan, warm up – meh, drills – good… it will be what it will be.
- 1K – felt good but held back
- 2K -felt good, and I didn’t feel the need to hold back.
- 3K – only one little elevation but the luxury of down PPD (mitigation & recovery)
- 4K – realization that maybe I did have it in me to go sub 25 and hello self- doubt. Coach is gonna jump on my pain box so get ready. Where is it?
- 5K – not feeling awful yet but panicking about where it is. 4:55 is enough just stick to it. I did until last 200 m. Felt like a wind up doll Dave thoughts to the rescue “ eyes up, chest out, you got this”
- c/d – not completely cooked….maybe I had more? Slogged uphill, big Q – virtual COVID PBs count?
Ended up not doing my blog entry.
Sunday April 19, 2020. A day that would change our beautiful province forever with the loss of 22 innocent souls at the hand of a …. I had no words. We also got news that deaths due to COVID in our precious senior population is rising and the number of infected is getting ridiculously high. This was too much and then the numbness set in.
So much pain, so much sorrow, so much love and so much life. The ups and the downs. Work has to continue. Training needs to continue (running is keeping me sane). Life has to go on. So much positivity circulating. The critics weigh heavily. The artists sing & draw. The mourning is emotional. Our leaders must be exhausted. How do we explain this? Nerves are tight. Our go to Mother Nature spots are out of bounds. Physical distancing sucks. What are Dr. Strang’s 3Cs? Right! Care, Compassion & Common Sense. Be kind….we have to be! Thank god Bishop’s Cellar delivers🍷 False alarms make you jump out of your skin. This is a shitty week and it’s OK.
One week post PB and one week pre Ella’s Front Yard Virtual Last Person Standing Run (that’s another story), it was time to look for the signs. Off I went on my long run. This run was harder than it needed to be, so the purposeful search for gratitude & hope began.
High Hopes: Dock is in dry dock...but look at that sailboat. A sure sign of clamer waters ahead.
Support in unexpected places:Thankful for their support. Even though our low tech solution for learning in NS isn’t perfect, these folks did not balk at our request to deliver learning packages to those without access to a virtual world.
Colour: These buses always make me smile. When we see them on our streets, we know that they are big part of showing those CFAs what Nova Scotia is all about. Can’t wait to see them out and about soon.
Resilience: This church in Africville stands again despite all the hardships, racism and inequity our ANS community has faced. We will come though this and hopefully better and stronger!
Peace: Communities valuing art. May this messenger soothe our worried thoughts and enable us to find renewal in during these troubling times.
Caring: Loved seeing this on a billboard… it captures what we should all be doing! Love overcomes fear…
Love: We need to double down on what we are doing to protect our most vulnerable. 7 more deaths at Northwood… My heart breaks and all we can do is double down on the love.
Sustenance: This man. I love him and his cooking. No better way to finish off a run (after a stretch and a shower of course) than to a healthy brunch, great company and a beautiful Citadel Hill view (that we can’t run on🤪).
16K completed…goal achieved. This search for gratitude was a mood lifter. Still lots of emotion, but the numbness is almost gone. And then:
These ladies help make my week 💙#RunCrewTherapy
So…I did end up with a blessing from Coach Erin the PB stood. During my run on Friday morning, I remembered that pipers would be out on their doorsteps at 8AM, so I did a quick reroute and I leave you this beautiful performance by those who faithfully serve and protect us:
And grace will lead us home