I received notification that my blog has turned 4 years old. Wow! 4 wonderful years of sharing my running ups and downs, my race stories, my work stresses, the joys of my weekends and sometimes, my inner most thoughts.
Reading my very first blog post made me quite teary-eyed. I started a blog to share my frustrations with being such a slow runner. The more I hated my slow pace, the more I loved blogging about it. With each and every race, I was learning more and more about myself. My running forced me to step back and look at what it all meant to me and what was important in life.
But looking back and reminiscing about some of my favourite blog posts, something has started to niggle me…
This was me crossing the finish line at the 2008 Two Oceans 8km fun run.
During the 4 years of blogging so much has changed, not only in my life but with my running too. In fact, my running has improved. Dramatically.
What started out as being a frustration and the source of many (many, many) blog posts, I’m not that slow runner anymore. I can confidentially say that I can now run a half marathon in under 3 hours. Comfortably. In fact, my next goal is to run it in under 2:40.
Running with Comrades green number runner Tanya Kovarsky at this year’s Sarens half marathon. My time: 2:44
So then what’s been niggling at me you ask? Well, it’s what I say about my running. It’s how I talk about my blog. And it’s how I introduce myself on the various social media profiles.
I use words like “slow” and “trying to run faster than 8 minutes per km”. I keep saying I’m a 3 hour half marathon runner. Really? I keep holding onto something that I’ve grown out of and it’s holding me back. “I am what I speak” and I need to stop harping on about my so-called slow pace. I need to change the way I speak, because I’m most certainly not acting like that anymore. And if I’m going to achieve my next goal, I need to speak it into being.
I need to start telling people that I’m —“this close”— to running a half marathon in under 2:40. Because I am. I can feel it, it will happen. Soon!
I will never move forward and reach my goals if I continue to hang out in my past with all my failures.
I love the name of my blog and won’t change it. Keeping up with the Walkers and managing the stresses of life is still very much part of me. And no matter what my pace is, running continues to teach me so much about just that! But I need to listen to my gut and start being proud of my achievements. I am a great runner and yes, I can run in under 8 mins/km!
I haven’t updated any bio’s just yet. Watch this space.
Keeping up with the Walkers... 
I think it is awesome that you are watching the way you talk about yourself & your blog. I have never been a runner (although I really want to be one). I am more of a let’s stretch, focus on our core and do some Pilates – kind of person. Logan (my 9yo) and I have started doing Capoeira (total madness of course) but we’re loving it.
I started running a bit in last year and I want to take it up again. I find your blog very inspirational – mostly because I don’t see myself as a runner at all. So the though of a person who’s aim was to run a little faster, inspires me to just get started!
Keep it up! Change the bio 🙂
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Thanks a mill’ for your comment! Capoeira looks fun! I remember seeing it on a trip we took to Brazil a few years back – so cool! Yeah, guess I need to update that bio, right? Thanks for the push and reminder!
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Amazing how much change in 4 years. Happy blogeversary
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Well I think you’re doing amazingly well! I’ve only really followed your running story when I started running,and it made more sense to me, I love reading it now!
You can definitely get under 2h40… it’s very doable! Then you’ll be aiming for 2:30 🙂
See you at the next race
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You’re my inspiration! When I’m running at under 7mins per/km I say to myself, “this is Jenty & Sam’s pace!”
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Oh wow! Really? I’m trying so hard to get to 6:30… But this damn knee of mine is not happy with that idea
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I hope it comes right soon. All the good Spring races are coming up. You’re better off resting it now in time for them. So frustrating.
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All the lessons learnt whilst running, all the ups and the downs, taught me more about life than about running. I see this in your blog too. I run because it reminds me to live. Running has taught me to deal with bad patches in life, has taught me to fight through it, and running reminds me all the time that winning is an individualized event 🙂 You can be last in a race and still be a winner.
You are a winner because you show up at training. You are a winner because you finish your races. You are a winner because you dare to dream to be better. We are a success story, just because we dare to try. Running is fraught with possibilities for failure and it often creates fear/self doubt because we fall into a trap of comparing ourselves. But we are still winners. Why? Because we dream so freely about getting better. I think running has given me the ability to “dare to dream big”. I often feel like I am being left behind because I don’t improve as quickly as the others, and because my improvements are so small, but really…it all lies in the perspective doesn’t it. You are a winner. And when I am finally back at track, we will improve together and remember to celebrate every second of your success.
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I read this over and over! It’s made my day! I miss our chats and I can’t wait for you to come back to track!! Simply. Can’t. Wait! (Hug)
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Of course you can and you will. Only one rule- make sure you have done the training. Now just go do it 🙂
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