2003 Half...2008 Half

Time to reminisce! Five years ago, three running friends and I completed the Red Deer Half Marathon! It was the 5th anniversary of the race, this year it’s the 10th!

Running it in 2003 was an experience to remember and I hope this one will be too but for more of the right reasons. The circumstances this time so far, are different in many ways. I hope the pattern continues and the circumstances remain different and it’s looking like that could be a possibility!

In 2003, three of us set out to conquer! We trained together, we drove to Red Deer together, we shared a room together! We had our dinner at a local restaurant, we toasted with a glass of wine and then enjoyed a tea at Starbucks afterwards and before heading to our room, spent time at Chapters. Two of us not brave enough to buy the books we choose, the third more brave, did it for us! On not the greatest night sleep, we had cold and wind to face us on race morning. None of us were feeling 100%. One friend was still recovering from the flu, one friend was nursing a not so happy knee after completing a half just three weeks prior. And me, I woke with a migraine headache! We did conquer though! Not the most fun time, not the fastest time! But we have the medals to prove we showed courage, guts, fortitude, perseverance and that we were not quitters!

This time around, I trained by myself! I am motoring up on my own and will have the room to myself! Not always the favourite way for these things to go, but that’s life! I have spaghetti to pop in the microwave, there will be no wine and I do not feel the onset of a migraine. So far so good. The forecast is much different with a race start temperature predicted to be +15 and sunny.

My hopes are I can share a positive report in about 26 hours!