Digital Champion Fiona Burrows feels lucky to live on the west coast, where she can run year round. An avid soccer player since she was nine-years old, and a runner for many years, the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon will be Fiona’s first 21.1k race of this decade! She looks forward to sharing her training journey with the #ScotiaHalf community. Connect with Fiona on Twitter, Instagram, and her blog.
Step One: Enjoy the Training Journey. By Fiona Burrows.
VANCOUVER April 22nd 2015. So you’ve decided to do a half marathon, now what? For starters, pat yourself on the back for making an amazing and empowering decision! So much of your training journey is a mental challenge more so than a physical one. Trust me, physically you can, and will, do it. And mentally you can too, but for many runners, this is the area they need to focus on. There will be days when hill training, fartleks or tempo runs will push you to your limit—and that’s a good thing! Tell yourself you can do it and you’ll be amazed at what you will achieve. Think of a positive statement that resonates with you; something that is short, powerful and motivates you to lace up and do the best you can. And don’t be afraid to repeat it many times in your head as you start running up a hill, speed up your pace or run farther than you ever imagined.
One of the best ways to ensure success is to train with others. Consider joining a local running club where others with the same goal gather to share running tips and tricks and train together multiple times per week. A training program, such as the one I’m currently doing at the Running Room, will keep you focused on your goal. You will stay motivated being surrounded by other like-minded individuals and training in a group will also keep you accountable. The celebratory high fives at the end of a long weekend run, the words of encouragement while conquering a grueling hill and sharing the feeling of accomplishment with your running friends is fantastic. It’s also a great way to make some new friends!
It’s important to enjoy the training journey. It should never feel like a chore. Always keep your goal in mind. Training is a time to focus on you. It’s a time to be free, to embrace the simplicity of running and be a happier and healthier you. Write down the initial reason/motivator you decided to register for a run and post it on your fridge. The visible reminder will help you strive for that goal.
Celebrate the small victories as you train. Some of my most memorable training runs for the 2015 Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon have been in monsoon-like weather, while running a distance I haven’t run in months, if not years. It’s those small victories, which you will achieve frequently, that motivate you to keep going and do better. It’s really amazing what you can achieve – don’t be shy and share your happy news! I’ve lost count of how many small victories I’ve had during the past four months but I do know that they helped shape me to be a better, stronger and more confident runner. As for June 28th, I choose to call it the big run day rather than race day. It keeps me grounded and reminds me to enjoy all of the kilometers I’ve ran–on roads, trails, in sunny weather, in rainy weather, in the daytime and at night.
One of my biggest motivators is my friends and family—many of them aren’t even runners but they encourage and support me. I originally thought running a half marathon was a personal and solo experience. But I’m learning that it involves so many others who truly care and embrace it with me. Every kilometer of my half marathon will be dedicated to one of those special people in my life. I know that the greatest part of this journey is what I am discovering about myself and a renewed appreciation of friendships made along the way. So as I pound the pavement along that scenic English Bay route on June 28th and pass each km marker (yes, all 21 of them) I will focus my thoughts on a person that enriched this experience and reminded me that all of this training, sweat and every single stride is so worth it.
I wish you nothing but happy trails during your training and that June 28, 2015 will be a memorable day.
To join Fiona on Sunday June 28th at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k, sign up here!
