a picture's worth a thousand words
Kimberley Doerksen
Keeping a training log, aka a runner's diary, is essential for my sanity. By writing things down, I am able to work through problems, find trends in training, and document the highs and lows throughout a training cycle. Sometimes entries can be pages long, and on other occasions I do a "3-minute write". When I don't feel like writing, I set a timer for three minutes and write without thinking. A lot of times those entries are just a jumble of thoughts, but there are other times that something profound comes out of it. In one of those instances, I used the writeup for a school project, and associated images to make the words more powerful. Here's the result:
These words that were written at a time when I was running well. I recently reread them, and it triggered a visceral reaction: my heart swelled, a shot of adrenaline made my hair stand on end, and a huge smile crept onto my face. Running isn't just a hobby, it's a passion. Even the most eloquent pieces of writing fail to articulate how much it means to me. I've started to run again, pain free no less! Although it's a slow and arduous process, I'm beginning to feel the itch of competitiveness again. I'm now ready to lace my shoes up everyday and work towards my goals. The desire to step onto the starting line is starting to pump through my veins and I couldn't be happier. Add in that school starts mid-April, there are copious amounts of recipes that need to be tried, and work will help to fill my days. I know I'll be balanced.
Pictures by Mark Burnham (http://www.burnhamphotography.ca/)