Women Running the World

When we moved back into central London in the summer of 2018 I was completely overwhelmed with what turned out to be a disastrous move with one roadblock after another (not to mention moving Dallin to the US).  Getting the kids settled at their "new" school was about all that I could handle.  I tried to sign up for a couple gatherings just to get myself out there, but feeling very noncommittal to just about everything.  On two separate occasions I was, what I would call, accosted by very enthusiastic running group evangelists imploring me to join this crazy running group I had long heard about, and long avoided.  I had less than zero interest in joining.   Like really, negative interest.  At one point, to be polite, I suddenly found myself giving my contact details to one of the group leaders, thinking to myself that I would delicately decline whatever email invitation came my way.  Only when it came, as if by some out of body experience, I found myself accepting a very kind offer to meet with one of the "beginner" coaches, Amy, who suggested we meet for a trial one-on-one session to see how I got on.  Had it not been for that gesture, none of this would have happened.  The beginner group (intended for true beginners with no experience running, and also likely not in great shape) was already in week four of a very prescribed several-month-long program leading up to a half marathon in the spring.  Say what?!  Ignoring this ridiculous notion of a half-marathon (which was nowhere on my life's bucket list!), I met Amy.  We did the week four interval and I found it was very doable, so I committed.

Showing up on my first day felt a bit like the first day of middle school, I had zero experience and no actual running gear, but I soon found all my fears melted away.  And quickly discovered I had joined the most marvellous group of women.  No one in this group really knew each other, or not well, most had very little in common in a lot of the obvious ways, and in another setting it could have been just awkward.  But it was anything but, actually it was magical.  In the coming weeks I would soon learn the truly special thing that happens when a group of women come together, masks off and perhaps a bit dishevelled, guards down, with a goal of accomplishing something difficult all while doing it supporting and uplifting one another.   There was no cattiness, not ever.  There was no competition.  There were no facades.  Just a bunch of women looking to do something hard together.  I had truly struck gold.

The coaches energetically, yet gently, guided us through seven months of training, increasing our distances each week, helping us troubleshoot injuries, managing our wildly different psychologies and cheering us all along the entire journey.  The progress we made in those seven months still astonishes me.  They promised if we just showed up and put one foot in front of the other that we would get there, that we would run our first half marathon.  I put that arduous task out of my mind, for fear that it would just completely paralyse me, and did as they said, one foot at a time.  I seldom missed a run, partly because I was afraid of getting off track in the training but mostly because I loved these women.  The group was now my tribe.  We didn't just support each other on the roads, but also in our lives.  A true sisterhood.

And in March 2019 I ran my first half marathon.  It wasn't fast or pretty, but I did it.  And I'm still running now, the bigger gift in all of this.  I am a runner.  And I keep progressing, reaching new goals I never knew I had.  It has truly transformed my life and given me lifelong friends that I'll treasure forever.  We are women running the world . . .

Early days when interval training, run 1 walk 3, repeat was our challenge.  Mostly confined to Regent's Park at this stage, not yet ready to fly the coop.  

Our first destination run, four miles to Big Ben!  

Getting it done, some of our smaller group self-guided (i.e. no coaches) Tuesday runs.  

Barclays, where we always begin, and Joe and the Juice (aka the Office) where we often end.

Running amidst the grand monuments, London is our training ground.

Finishing our first 10K running all the way to Borough Market, a big milestone!  

Good old Wellington Arch, a frequent passing point.  

Hyde Park runs often lead to breakfast at Dishoom, or at least we engineered it that way!  

Festive, early-morning Christmas lights run!  

Things are getting serious now, 9 miles to Wembley.

The London Winter Run 10K, our first "real race."  

Finish! 

Celebration brunch! 

An epically terrible 11 miles through heavy rain and mud to Kew, our final long run before the half. 

Milan!

Here we go!  It's half marathon time!  

A little fun exploring Milan the day before the race.  Lots of hydrating and a little gelato.

Okay, more gelato.

The group dinners, oh the fun we had!  

A little pep talk from Amy the night before the race. 

It's go time!  

The entire WRW group.  

Beginners class of 2019! 

Power of the Pack!

Starting line . . .

This is really happening! 

We did it!!!

Collapsing into the hotel lounge post-race.

Time to celebrate!  

Amazing coaches!  Melissa, Megan, Amy, Jess and Vicki

Party time! 

Bye, Milan! 

My welcome home

Joining the grown up running group after the race, we keep on going!

Farewell party time karaoke style.