Why I sucked - Part II

Here it is, the last post of the summer. No really, I promise. I realize that I haven't been this vocal and visible across the social mediatic board since that time in grade 7 where my best friend stole my girlfriend on the day of our weekaversary (yeah we called it that). It was a rotten thing to do. A lot of regrettable messages were sent through facebook and MSN. My grade 7 self made me cringe. I was a little ball of ambition, Pokemon, Axe body spray and American Eagle.

Where am I going with this? Oh right. I guess my constant updating, blogging, ALS Ice bucket challenging and so on were a product of a lot of downtime mixed with a rediscovered zeal. I even went against one of my life promises and made an instagram account. I'm pretty awful at it. It's like a mix of twitter, facebook and estrogen. Even on there, like on everywhere, I realize that most of my posts were related to running (except for my occasional rants about dogs...I guess that can also be classified as running related) and eventually, I discovered that it was helping me.

My posting began as a product of insecurity, but it is now to me a physical representation of my progress. As I was talking to a friend who began blogging while recovering from a major injury, she was hesitant for me to read it as she told me that 'they are mostly just for me.' At the time, I didn't really understand. It's just later that I realized that I was subconsciously doing the same. I didn't blog to entertain, I blogged for my own purposes. I unknowlingly needed therapy, and unknowingly went to go get it through blogging. Eventually, a mix of this unorthodox therapy and Ferramax pills began breeding the results that I was looking for, and I ended up doing more racing this summer than I did all year (which as Bryden Tate would kindly remind me, wasn't much.)

So this is the best explanation of my many posts. I could go revisit them all and invite you to join me, but I need to start packing my bags soon. So, in a shortened format, here is the complete documentation of my journey back. To honor my fellow countryman, Drake, I'm starting from the bottom.

Feb 2014

Lee's 8:33 indoor 3k. That indoor season triggered 2 things- The debut of the notorious Not Lee Wesselius twitter account, and the hunch that something was wrong with my running. I had run a 4:32 1500m.

That indoor season was my lowest of lows. It was bad to be injured during XC, but it was even worst to be able to run, but seriously underperforming without knowing why during indoor track season.

March-April-May 2014 - Took some time off for a while and was finally diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia. Solving the case and determining the underlying cause of my struggling was a gift that I can't appreciate enough. After some rest and a lot of thinking, I decided to stay away from the pressure that came with the specificity and repetitiveness of the sport of track and field, and to use road races as a path to find my lost motivation while rediscovering the physical and mental perils of racing.

June 2014 -

College of Piping 5k - First race back with a humbling time of 18:47.  Over 3 minutes off my personal best.

Cornwall classic 5k - 17:52. Still not fast, but progressing

July 2014 -

Cox and Palmer 5k. Finished 1st in a time of 16:45 and left with a neat prize. Saw some more improvement and began to feel fast again

JFC

Headed to Gatineau for a week with this crazy bunch. Was a good break from the routine and a great time. Coaching was awesome, as it presented me with a different perspective of the sport. I can't wait to continue doing so.

August 2014

Hugh Campbell Memorial 5 miler. Finished 1st with a time of 28:54 on a very challenging course.  Later in the month crossed 8k in 27:04 during a tough tempo run on much easier terrain.

Source for Sports run for Kristen Cameron. 34:58 10k - felt pretty relaxed and closed in a 3:06 to take 1st place.  

Gold Cup trot

The 2014 Gold Cup Trot was rumoured to have been the fastest road race in PEI history. I failed to conduct a complete research, but from what I heard, and from all the other results that I did find, I have yet to have found a faster one. It was easily my fastest 5k of the summer. To find out my time, and where I placed among the 5 Xaverians running the race, you will have to read the first post of our 18 Greening house blog.  http://snowcoveredtrack.blogspot.ca - coming soon.

Overall I've experienced some weird things. Going through workouts that seemed impossible the week before became a recurring theme, and I am still seeing some fast improvement now, even if I estimate that my iron is getting close to, if it already isn't, normal. So with the summer of doping through beef liver coming to an end, my thoughts have been shifted towards the future. This second year of being an Xman (and this first year of CIS eligibility) can't come quickly enough. The internal and external expectations which were unfulfilled last year all seem doable this year, and I am excited to make up for the lost time.

Lastly, thanks to all for the positive moral support, you have helped me more than you know. It has been a crazy ride, but in the end I am feeling stronger than ever, but not satisfied. Looking forward to a fun XC season. Kids, eat your damn hamburgers and spinach.

#Strive4Five
AC