Another race season comes to an end

A rain soaked race

After doing the race I thought it would be fun to reflect back on the season and write a wrap up piece. This is it. In case anyone is wondering, these are my own words written from the bottom of my heart. I’m not getting any remuneration from the race organizers for writing this post. Race day started out cloudy and drizzly. By the time the race started, the rain was relentless. I ran/walked up the mountain at Rigaud. The rain wasn’t an issue, but the very slippery terrain was a little scary. The last thing I wanted was to twist my ankle or get injured in any way. Not when I have a 160 km walk coming up in a few weeks! I was very grateful for my Merrell trail running shoes. They gripped the very slippery rocks and I never felt nervous. My perseverance paid off. I reached my goal of not being the slowest! I don’t make it to the podium, which suits me fine. But, I’m stubborn and proud. I do not want to be the slowest. Goal achieved!

Blackout races involve running, obstacles and challenges. The challenges require strength and stamina. I’m in reasonably good shape, and yet… One thing I’ve learned over the past few years is that my biggest obstacle is the little negative voice in my head. The one that says “you’re too old for this” “you don’t belong with these strong, fit, young people” “this is a tough course. You won’t finish” Maybe it’s because I don’t have a long history of training. But, silencing that voice has become my number one priority. It’s a struggle. But, I’m one determined woman, so I’ve made this my mission. And, I think it’s working! Why do I think that?

Shutting down the negative self-talk

Later that evening the Loft held a gala to celebrate the end of the race season. As I was chatting with Mathieu, he said “I was surprised that you showed up for the race today. I expected you to bail because of the rain!” At first I was surprised (and a little mad!) that he said this. But the reality is that a couple of years ago, or even last year for that matter, I would have bailed on the race. Yet, this year, it never occurred to me to not race because it was raining. I’ve changed. And it’s very weird. The woman who would find a reason not to race (too hot, too cold, very humid, soreness) now makes sure she’s race ready regardless of the weather. All week I’d been feeling off and it showed. I just didn’t have the energy I normally do. Mathieu commented on it and I said I was fine, but I knew that something wasn’t right. My body felt weird – I couldn’t bend my right knee; my lower back felt odd.  In the past, I would have said to myself “better not to race. You don’t feel like yourself.” This time I decided to be proactive and go see my osteopath. She said that my right tibia was out of alignment and so was my L3 vertebra. A couple of adjustments and I felt like myself. So, being proactive is my new strategy.

Other things that I’m doing differently, include doing my pre-race warm-ups alone. I spend the time visualizing the race and breathing deeply. I focus on how I feel. If I start to feel nervous, I tell myself “you’re ready. You’ve trained for this. You will finish the race. Enjoy being here.” This seems to work.

So much more than a race

But this race is about so much more than finishing the race. It’s also a fundraiser for the palliative care residence of Vaudreuil-Soulanges (http://www.mspvs.org/en/). This year, the race raised over $4,000; to date the races have raised over $15,000 for the palliative care residence. It’s so wonderful to be a part of something that gives the community a much needed resource. I had the opportunity to speak with the residence’s director at the gala and she was so grateful for the support.

The August race also includes a kids’ race, which is so adorable! All these tiny tots, sporting their Blackout shirts, run, climb and jump in their own race. The camaraderie is another thing I really like about these races. Yes, there are some really hardcore competitors in the race. There are also recreational athletes who enjoy the challenge of pushing themselves. When I’m huffing along, all I hear are words of encouragement; you go this; don’t give up; keep going; you’re doing great.

This year, we also had a young woman in a wheelchair who did the race with a friend. They basically tag teamed. Since the running part involved going up a mountain, they didn’t do the mountain part of the race. But they did all the obstacles as a team. So inspiring! All in all, it’s a fun, festive celebration where each person does his/her best and has fun. No wonder I keep coming back.

I was very, very surprised to receive a plaque for perseverance. It turns out that I’ve done 15 of these races in the last 4 years. There were a few of us who have done anywhere from 14 to 17 races. It felt good to see my name on that plaque which is going up on my office wall.

Looking forward: setting some goals

As in the past, I asked myself “what about next year?” I can safely say that provided I stay injury-free, I’ll be back. Participating in these races give me concrete goals to reach for. I push myself harder because I know that I want to do the races. Two days after the race, I was back at the Loft doing the Monday night group class. It was another challenging, but fun class. We moaned and complained (well maybe only I moaned and complained!) as Mat put us through our paces. I woke up sore but happy. Eight months to go and Blackout season 2017 starts again! I’ll be ready.