Half-marathon

21.1 km is a distance that breaks sweat. It's not a killer but it's not something that you can just get up and run if you want to complete it at a decent time. 

It wasn't easy to find the time to train with Helena. Work, training, Helena, trying to learn some French and squeeze in few minutes to relax. This is a lot for one person. Without Helena's nanny I wouldn't be able to do any of this. Actually, I wouldn;t be able to function. I don't have a family here - so Ms Vivien is the only person now who can help. 

And help she does. Last Wednesday it happened that I fell down the stairs at school. Straight on my elbo with all by body weight. It hurt and I was not able to move my arm for few days. Just before the race. There was a race in January - I got sick, now I fell down the stairs - I decided that even if I'd have to crawl to the finishing line, I'm not resigning. And I didn't.

I put some bandage on, took painkillers and run.

Oh, what a wonderful run it was!!! I flew! I was happy and felt light. I dedicated this race to Helena and my Mom. I would love Helena to grow up with sport - it teaches so much about life, about challenge, about grit and perseverance. I want her to experience the joys of completing a challenge, the ups and downs of getting the goal - it's not easy. It takes motivation and dedication. It takes some character to train. It takes a decision to make that one is reay to make this commitment. This I want Helena to grow up with and learn from me. Nobody has taught me these things. I had to find them myself and it took me way too much time. For my Mom... I hope that she was watching me proudly from the above: I haven't given up and I'm running. In last few years I was dealt difficult hands: her death, then Helena and the whole stress around it. But here I am! And I'm running, one step at a time. I'm not a champion but I do my work, and I am committed. I hope she sees that and cheers me up. I know she does. 

When the gun went of, my eyes welled up with tears. There I was again - racing, competing with myself mostly but without unnecessary worries about time. I enjoyed the run. I was the run. I was the weather around me and I was one with myself and the nature. I ran with a smile. I ran with my heart filled with love - filled with love to Helena, to my friends, to the world. I ran grateful for what I have and where I am. Last year,  there were moments when I thought I would no more be. But I am and I will be. 

On the finishing line Helena was waiting for me and it was the best thing ever!!! She smiled and I know that she knew how important it was for me. I know she felt me happy and that made her happy as well.

So there. I was ninth in my age category with 2hrs19 min at the finishing line. Not bad a all.

When I stop being sore from Sunday, I'm staring training to another run sometimes soon and I'm seriously considering a full marathon in November here in Bangkok. 

Happy at the finishing line

Another Saturday

A productive day compared to previous eight Saturdays which I spent mostly crying. I cried today as well a bit but for rather positive reasons, they were tears of joy in other words.

I still don't know who I will survive and what will happen to us but I'm ignoring this fact and instead I'm thinking about more pleasant things like reading, and painting, and swimming and working out. 

I hit the gym and the pool today and did all prenatal exercises I could remember from youtube - there are tones of them and some of the working out mothers-to-be are really fit and look amazing! I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone - just to myself that it's possible to stay fit even when the times are not perfect and a situation is far from comfortable. I have this routine and it helps me a lot now. I might have few days of a break but I know that eventually I will be back on the bike and on the mat. And my, it feels so good to be able to move those limbs. It feels so good to be fit! And I hope it feels good for the Little one as well. I hope it will like moving around because move around we will a lot. We have a pool here, there is a communal park with a running path, and a pool. So all I need is a proper carrier for the baby and I'm ready to go. Hopefully, the Little one shares my enthusiasm. Well, initially, it won't have too much of a choice. I will move wherever I am and since I'm the only parent, it will have to follow. Though.

I was thinking the other day that maybe, to ease the pain later, I should start practicing getting up in the middle of the night so that later it's not such a shock for the system. Or not? Anyone out there with parenting experience? Anyone would like to share anything with me? Is actually anyone reading this? Like ever?

Let me know. I would love to hear from you.