Bridge to Brisbane 5 KM Run/Walk

Well folks, I DID IT! I set an intention, a very concrete goal early in May and today I saw myself fulfilling that goal. What a feeling!

Back in May after I returned from Vancouver I wanted to dig back into my personal training. My PT asked me what I would like to work towards, and other than I wanted to be healthier and a bit more trim I didn't have a goal. That's when she suggested run/walking the Bridge to Brisbane 5 or 10 KM Fun Run.

Now usually I'm not one for these 40,000 plus people extravaganza events, but something was calling to me this round. She suggested I join the Sowelu Clinic team, and be part of something bigger. So I did.

Then the training began. As I've written previously, the training has mainly been the battles in my mind to get out the door, but I concede that muscles also need to be worked on.

In this past week I trained 6 of 7 days, and even ran/walked twice over an hour in preparation for today. What I ended up finding out today is that I far surpassed the 5 km running mark in my training. Today was a breeze compared to what I had prepared my mind (and body) for. In retrospect I calculated that on Wednesday I actually ran about 7 km, not the prescribed 5.

And what did it feel like after the race? Absolutely AMAZING! When we first crossed the starting line I heard my inner voice jump up and down saying "You're doing it! You're doing it!" To be perfectly honest I took it super easy. I started running for about 5 minutes, then walked, ran again for 5, walked for maybe 2 or 3 minutes and continued this way for about the first 20 minutes when I passed the 3 km mark. I even stopped to take a pee on route because I truly wanted this to be an enjoyable experience.

Then when we pased the final 1 km marker I couldn't believe that I had only been travelling for 30 minutes! When I passed through the finish line the tears of triumph came quickly to my eyes. I did it! I couldn't stop saying to myself over and over. I did it! I did it!

It's not that I didn't believe I could finish the course, but it's been over 30 years since I last ran 5 km that it just seemed such an unrealistic and far on the horizon goal. And with the time quickly passing, having an injured achilles tendon and not being able to run for 3 weeks and then getting the flu and being set back another 2 weeks I had an incredibly hard time getting motivated again.

I think that's why the feeling of triumph is so great. Because the obstacles leading towards today were big, in my eyes, and in my mind.

Changing our minds, setting intentions and goals, stepping beyond our comfort zones, beyond what we know of ourselves and what we think we're capable of, that is the work of a spiritual warrior. Regardless of the activity, if one is able to go beyond a previous level, then growth is occuring. Growth of the spirit, growth of the person. We grow, a day at a time into becoming the person we were brought here to be. So often we get in our own way of becoming that beauty. But today the spirit triumphed!