It's been something...
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I feel like right now I am in one of the phases of my life where it looks like everything is coming together, things are good, and I am thriving. And yes, things are in fact good overall. I am grateful and appreciative of my life, the beauty and richness it brings. However, I'll be honest, the last few weeks have been really tough from a motivation standpoint in my recovery. It's not that I regret the surgery; I have not had that thought even once in the past five and a half months, but six months in feels like playing the long game; to me, it feels like I should be so much further along than I am. The voice telling me to skip my calf exercises or PT exercises is really loud right now, and is likely going to be even louder as I head into my busiest two weeks of the year. I want to be able to work towards something, a 100k sometime in the spring feels right...and yet, as I head to Chicago this weekend, signed up to run the Abbott Chicago 5k, knowing I won't be able to run the whole thing, something that seemed unimaginable a few months ago, makes it hard to visualize how a 100k could be anywhere within my future. The difficulty is that in these moments, the times like now, when something big and scary feels so impossible, we forget that every little step, no matter how small, counts. Even if, like at this phase, sometimes four steps forward can result in three back, it's still a step forward. Maybe I will get to train for a race in the spring, maybe I won't be ready, and either way, I'll be okay; either way, I will still be me; I still have a lot to be grateful for in my life; I still have a lot to offer the world. I am interested to see how I handle the next few weeks, when everything is all about races and doing your best and pushing yourself. Will it make it harder to know how far away I am or make it easier to see that each of these moments is all part of the journey? I am not sure, but you know I'll report back... This week on the Running For Real podcast...Here's the official description: David Roche smashed the 19-year-old course record at the Leadville Trail 100 Run this year. It was the first time that he’d run 100 miles, and even more incredibly, only months after a very different kind of smash. In April, while riding his bike, he was hit by a car and thrown 100 feet through the air and into a ditch, sustaining lacerations, a broken wrist, and a concussion. Far from derailing his training and aspirations, the accident intensified his motivation. Here's the real deal: As David ran by me in the crew areas multiple times during the Leadville 100, I could not believe what I was seeing. I will be honest; at times I doubted he could hold it, surely not? His first 100 miles, to be that far ahead, to be going for a course record that had stood for that long?! And yet every time, in true David Roche style, he came by with joy, gratitude, and a love for his sport all over his face. It was really amazing to see. I had so many questions, and I couldn't wait to ask them. Now I have, and you get to hear what Leadville 100 really meant to David.
ChicagoIf you or any friends are running Chicago this weekend (or going to spectate), here are some things to know (or forward to friends who are):
TorontoFriday, 18th October at 12:30 p.m., join me for plogging with Canada Running Series (who puts on the race) and Trans Canada Trail.
Saturday, 19th October at 11:40 a.m., I am moderating a panel at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon expo. See you there? Sunday, 20th October, I will be with the Green Team; hope to see you! New YorkFriday, 1st November, we will host a plogging event at 9:30 a.m. from the NYRR Run Center.
Saturday, 2nd November, I will run the Abbott Dash to the Finish 5k in my trash skirt in the morning. In the afternoon I will be in a panel at 12 p.m., and at the NYRR booth another time that afternoon (or maybe Thursday, stay tuned) with copies of my book. Sunday, 3rd November, I will be with NYRR's Team For Climate and the Green Team. I was on an all-star panel with Precision Fueling and Hydration last weekend, about fueling your next marathon. I thought I knew a lot about marathon fueling, but I learned a lot, and you will too.
Come to the Boston Run show March 1-2, 2025; you can get a free ticket with my link below We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. E. M. Forster Thanks to our partner, TracksmithGuess what! It's Brighton Base Long Sleeve time of year, and I LOVE it! I have already worn mine multiple times in this early fall season, and yesterday I wore it on the bike on a chilly morning. Within a few minutes I thought maybe I had made the wrong choice and was going to be too hot, but as always with that beautiful material, my body settled in to the temperature, and it somehow simultaneously kept my body cool and warm at the same time, as I tackled hard hills. It lasts and lasts and lasts, and can seemingly handle any conditions. My favorite Tracksmith item of all time. Use code TINANEW for $15 off your order of $75 or more as a new customer, or use code TINAGIVE for free shipping, if you are a previous customer. -- Be kind to one another, yourself, and this beautiful planet of ours. Enjoying these? Why not forward to a friend who may enjoy. Encourage them to sign up and get these emails too. And if you missed an email, or would like to reread one, you can find past newsletters here. |
Running For Real
World Athletics announced this morning that the World Athletics Road Running Championships is being moved out of San Diego to another city. My role as Sustainability Director for the event? Over. In some ways, I am relieved. I was in over my head; the imposter thoughts were loud and strong; could I really pull this off? Sure, I had the city of San Diego in my corner, but there was a LOT I didn’t know. I was feeling my way through the dark, and I felt I was doing okay at it, but never quite...
Last year, I noticed something about my sleep. If I had given myself at least 10 minutes of quiet time during the day, I was able to fall asleep at night. On days I did not allow myself that time, as I had my phone in my hand, or feeding me content as I showered, walked up the stairs, and ran, I struggled to fall asleep. It was like my brain was unable to process anything as it went through the day, and was forced to go through it as I lay in bed, finally in quiet. l'll be honest; sometimes I...
A few weeks ago, I shared that I was feeling motivated and energized to keep pushing forward this movement of doing whatever we can do to be our best selves, and to believe in the future we are working to realize. I have to be honest: My ability to do that has faltered over the past week, has been intermittent, has been tested. Yes, it does feel like every day when I look at my social media, I see some kind of devastating blow that has occurred in the past 24 hours. It feels like every day...