Monday, May 31, 2010

What makes you awesome?

So remember my post about celebrating successes? How I decided that I needed to get back to a place where every little achievement should be celebrated for the success that it is? People have shared their successes with me since then and I LOVE hearing them. From throwing punches in the air at the top of a hill or using the Rocky theme song as your own, people are celebrating what makes them awesome and yesterday I did the samething.

Despite the crapola weather that is sticking around in Vancouver I still got to the pool for a swim with the club and the last technical workout in the pool before we hit the open water next week. It was a killer workout complete with lots of high intensity speed work. An hour and a half later, I considered my butt kicked.

As per the Sunday tradition, I got myself out of the pool, changed and headed out for my long run. My back injury has me a bit behind schedule as far as the long runs are concerned but I'm ok with that because I'm still injury free, feeling strong and on a solid road to recovery.

However, running with a couple of girls that are a bit faster than me made me work that much harder. I was looking forward to a nice easy long (and flat) run along the seawall but my running mates had something else in mind. "We'll just run along the seawall, back up to UBC and along 16th back to the pool". Sounds good to me, a nice easy 1:45 loop. But wait.... seawall to UBC?? There's only one way to get up to UBC from the seawall at Spanish Banks... DAMN IT! For those not familiar with Vancouver landscape - I'm talking about a loooong, giant hill. It's big. Anyhow, standing at the bottom of the hill is too late to change the plan. Plus, I wasn't whimping out while my girls and the rest of the gang have already started up.

Head down, grinding away and ignoring all the convincing reasons why I needed a break, deserved to stop, or should just walk for a minute, I trucked all the way up without stopping. I certainly wasn't the first one to the top, dead last actually. But I made it, I never stopped and that's what makes me awesome. Although I didn't do my "649 Happy Dance" right then and there... believe me, I was celebrating :)

It feels good to acknowledge when you've done something your proud of even if it's just to yourself. In fact, most importantly if it's just to yourself. Big or small, everyday we can find something thats worth celebrating. My focus right now is training so a lot of my successes are found there but not everyone's are. What's important to you right now? Where are your little achievements everyday? What makes you awesome?

5 comments:

  1. Were you running with Amy by any chance? I ask as "awesome" is her new favourite word, and it's all due to this race report - http://inauspicio.us/2007/06/eagleman-703-race-report-35658-holy-crap/

    I like the idea of training how you wish to race, I wish to be awesome when I race so I should be awesome when I train!

    I am awesome because yesterday, despite having a freezing swim and an awful ride I managed to knock out a totally respectable run in the Shawnigan Lake oly. Furthermore, I didn't let any of the badness get to me, I just let it all slide. Because. I. Am. Awesome.

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  2. You are awesome! Way to go Alison. Congrats on the race and for letting all the bad stuff slide, easier said than done. See you at practice :)

    .. nope wasn't running with Amy, although I do appreciate her word of the day :)

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  3. We get you back at practice now? Yay! Someone else to be Awesome with!

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  4. Brian made me climb that awesome hill every week last year in prep for Big Sur. In retrospect we should have also run down it to get ready.

    Sorry I missed the run, we swapped our ride and run around to fit with the weather better. Doing it that way doesn't leave you feeling so awesome on your bike though.

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  5. Sarah - you are awesome - So proud of your little sis! You inspire me!

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