I found myself meeting up with some familiar, fresh and even somewhat famous (?!) runners this month. I have a lot to say about these wonderful people, so I've split this month's update into 2 parts.
 |
| See the Spirit Catcher? We're in Barrie! |
Run with Friend #5: Barrie Waterfront Trail
Date: March 7, my first time running with Peter in Barrie!
Temperature: 6-8C
Distance: 6.5K
It's a lazy Sunday afternoon (after running 8K on my own that morning), and I get a text from my friend Peter, asking if I was free to meet up tomorrow. Coincidentally, I was free to meet up on Monday! I immediately texted to ask if he wanted to run together. Since I've set this goal of running "16 runs with 16 friends", there's no doubt in my mind that when a running friend asks to meet up, a run should happen.
Peter and I crossed paths during post-secondary student lives, but we did not become formally introduced until I was recruiting people for the relay team for the Goodlife Toronto Marathon in early 2015. It was Stephie (aka Friend #1) who knew Peter and asked him if he wanted to join the team. I'm so glad that he said yes! Since our first encounter as strangers at a korean restaurant, we've shared quite a few nice runs alongside each other and many many laughs.
Since I started running with Peter, I've learned that we have much in common besides our love of running. Firstly, we're both not in a rush to become marathoners. Despite the "enthusiastic encouragement" from other running friends to train for a marathon, we both want to take our time with checking that off our bucket list. We both come from big families and have had some heart to heart conversations over tea, where I've really appreciated his calm presence and wise words. We're also the same age, and share similar feelings of caution, doubt and excitement while navigating the swampy waters of adulthood.
What's most awesome about Peter is that he's a big kid at heart, who gets excited about the idea of running and jumping around, just like me! During our run, we took a turn that led to us through some slush and icy areas. While my first thought was: Ugh. Now my shoes are wet. Maybe that wasn't a great idea. Peter yelled: YOLO! Hanging out with him reminds me to not only work hard but play hard. I look forward to future hangouts where we'll find ourselves yelling "Wooooooooooooooo!!" until we lose our voices. But whether we're vanilla or chocolate, I know it'll be a good time. ;)
Run with Friend #6: Queens Quay East / Sugar Beach area
Date: March 22, my friend's first time running with NRC!
Temperature: ~1C
Distance: ~4K
Cynthia and I first met while we were both students at a summer research job. I was not yet "a runner" then, and for as long as I've known Cynthia (almost 4 years?), I didn't know whether or not she ran at all. In fact, she told me (right before this run started) she doesn't really run more than 30 minutes on the treadmill/elliptical. That is now proven false, because on the evening of Tuesday March 22, 2016, I witnessed Cynthia run an entire hour long speed workout of ~4K and even sprint way ahead of the pack on our last 400m interval. I thought: Where did all that energy and speed come from? Turns out, Cynthia is just full of pleasant surprises!
It was while catching up over tea and homemade frittatas last month that I asked Cynthia if she'd like to run together sometime as part of my goal of running 16 runs with 16 friends. To my pleasant surprise, she didn't hesitate and said sure! Now this didn't surprise me because I doubted her physical fitness, but because from my experience of asking friends of mine who didn't run regularly, their responses have not been as enthusiastic. Nevertheless, Cynthia was up for a short run around her neighbourhood and we immediately started talking dates. As fate would have it, when the weekend of our running date came around, she couldn't make it anymore and weekends dates weren't looking so good. I was afraid that our run would be postponed til next month and even risk the potential of becoming "that thing we said we'd do but never got around to", so I suggested that she come run with me during Nike Run Club (NRC)'s free speed runs on Tuesday evenings. Once again, Cynthia didn't let me down and agreed to come out to run with me! We decided to run the "sexy pace"(6:30min/km) together and see how far we go with the session.
Throughout the course of our speed run, I ran alongside Cynthia as she pushed the limits of her comfort zone. She found it hard to talk to us during the run. She repeated our workout's interval distances out loud in disbelief. She felt uncomfortable running in a cotton hoody that was wet with the evening's drizzle. She gasped in surprise when she heard our pacer countdown our remaining seconds of rest. At one point, in the last intervals, she even said her body couldn't feel anything anymore.
But not once did she stop. She did not tell me that she wanted to go back early ('cause I did say that I'd go back early with her if she wanted to). She didn't become discouraged by the spitting rain. She did not slow to a walk and wave us off. She ran every interval, giving it everything she's got. What's most admirable is that not only did she come out to do something she's never done before, she committed, and she finished strong! When I asked her where she got her the energy that turned her into a speeding bullet for our last 400m interval, she said that she wanted to finish the run sooner so she could rest for longer. Haha! And she did end up finishing the run way ahead of those in our sexy pace group! The force is strong with this one...
I'll always remember what Cynthia told me at the end of our speed run. She said she felt "the most accomplished she'd felt this year." Running made her feel accomplished! I feel so happy about our run together, not only because I got to hear her motivational words, but because I got to witness my friend being brave and trying something new! And even if running doesn't stick with her, I know she'll always be up for a casual run. In fact, she told me that she wanted to come out next week right after we finished! :D What did I tell you? This girl is full of surprises!
Stay tuned for Part 2 of my March update! :)
Distance: 6.5K
It's a lazy Sunday afternoon (after running 8K on my own that morning), and I get a text from my friend Peter, asking if I was free to meet up tomorrow. Coincidentally, I was free to meet up on Monday! I immediately texted to ask if he wanted to run together. Since I've set this goal of running "16 runs with 16 friends", there's no doubt in my mind that when a running friend asks to meet up, a run should happen.
Peter and I crossed paths during post-secondary student lives, but we did not become formally introduced until I was recruiting people for the relay team for the Goodlife Toronto Marathon in early 2015. It was Stephie (aka Friend #1) who knew Peter and asked him if he wanted to join the team. I'm so glad that he said yes! Since our first encounter as strangers at a korean restaurant, we've shared quite a few nice runs alongside each other and many many laughs.
Since I started running with Peter, I've learned that we have much in common besides our love of running. Firstly, we're both not in a rush to become marathoners. Despite the "enthusiastic encouragement" from other running friends to train for a marathon, we both want to take our time with checking that off our bucket list. We both come from big families and have had some heart to heart conversations over tea, where I've really appreciated his calm presence and wise words. We're also the same age, and share similar feelings of caution, doubt and excitement while navigating the swampy waters of adulthood.
What's most awesome about Peter is that he's a big kid at heart, who gets excited about the idea of running and jumping around, just like me! During our run, we took a turn that led to us through some slush and icy areas. While my first thought was: Ugh. Now my shoes are wet. Maybe that wasn't a great idea. Peter yelled: YOLO! Hanging out with him reminds me to not only work hard but play hard. I look forward to future hangouts where we'll find ourselves yelling "Wooooooooooooooo!!" until we lose our voices. But whether we're vanilla or chocolate, I know it'll be a good time. ;)
Run with Friend #6: Queens Quay East / Sugar Beach area
Date: March 22, my friend's first time running with NRC!
Temperature: ~1C
Distance: ~4K
 |
| From left to right: NRC '"Sexy pace" pacer, me (seen as an excited heel striker), and my friend Cynthia (loving every minute of this run!). Photo credit to NRC's photographer Tobias Wang. |
It was while catching up over tea and homemade frittatas last month that I asked Cynthia if she'd like to run together sometime as part of my goal of running 16 runs with 16 friends. To my pleasant surprise, she didn't hesitate and said sure! Now this didn't surprise me because I doubted her physical fitness, but because from my experience of asking friends of mine who didn't run regularly, their responses have not been as enthusiastic. Nevertheless, Cynthia was up for a short run around her neighbourhood and we immediately started talking dates. As fate would have it, when the weekend of our running date came around, she couldn't make it anymore and weekends dates weren't looking so good. I was afraid that our run would be postponed til next month and even risk the potential of becoming "that thing we said we'd do but never got around to", so I suggested that she come run with me during Nike Run Club (NRC)'s free speed runs on Tuesday evenings. Once again, Cynthia didn't let me down and agreed to come out to run with me! We decided to run the "sexy pace"(6:30min/km) together and see how far we go with the session.
Throughout the course of our speed run, I ran alongside Cynthia as she pushed the limits of her comfort zone. She found it hard to talk to us during the run. She repeated our workout's interval distances out loud in disbelief. She felt uncomfortable running in a cotton hoody that was wet with the evening's drizzle. She gasped in surprise when she heard our pacer countdown our remaining seconds of rest. At one point, in the last intervals, she even said her body couldn't feel anything anymore.
But not once did she stop. She did not tell me that she wanted to go back early ('cause I did say that I'd go back early with her if she wanted to). She didn't become discouraged by the spitting rain. She did not slow to a walk and wave us off. She ran every interval, giving it everything she's got. What's most admirable is that not only did she come out to do something she's never done before, she committed, and she finished strong! When I asked her where she got her the energy that turned her into a speeding bullet for our last 400m interval, she said that she wanted to finish the run sooner so she could rest for longer. Haha! And she did end up finishing the run way ahead of those in our sexy pace group! The force is strong with this one...
I'll always remember what Cynthia told me at the end of our speed run. She said she felt "the most accomplished she'd felt this year." Running made her feel accomplished! I feel so happy about our run together, not only because I got to hear her motivational words, but because I got to witness my friend being brave and trying something new! And even if running doesn't stick with her, I know she'll always be up for a casual run. In fact, she told me that she wanted to come out next week right after we finished! :D What did I tell you? This girl is full of surprises!
 |
| She really did come out the week after! This is her "seeing the light" that running has shown her. ;) Haha! |
