Early morning, it’s bright and sunny.  A perfect morning for a run. Today isn’t just any run and it’s not one that I really wished to miss.  The reason is it was the Vancouver Sun Run and this year is my 8th in a row running it.  I’d love to make it 10 in a row if I could.  Next year will fully depend on my clinical schedule though as I’ll be in my preceptorship at that time.
This year was particularly significant as I didn’t know if I’d make it.  Having mono this spring has really thrown me for a loop.  I started running with one of my running partners (we’ve done a number of half marathons together), and after 3 km she went on without me.  She was doing great feeling strong and fast.  I wasn’t. I couldn’t run right through — as I have always done in past races.  But I kept going, and managed to finish. It wasn’t my personal worst, but it was no where near my personal best.
I’m thankful I finished because this race holds great personal significance — it was the birth of my running, and a lifestyle that’s very different than what it was.  It’s a symbol of personal changes — in terms of what I’m capable of, and who I am at the core of my ‘self’.  And for that reason I realize that even if my partner had stayed with me through the race, I still would have had to fight the fight alone to finish the race.
Now I have to recover, recover the rest of the way from mono and decide: Do I have it in me to train and run my annual half marathon in 6 weeks???