Words by Julie De Vos and Heather Gomez
One of Connected In Motion’s biggest events of the year happens annually over the same weekend in May. The Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is the largest marathon event in Canada but it offers so much more than long distance running.
With a family 2km, 5km, 10km, half-marathon, and full marathon there is something for everyone! With Connected In Motion being an official charity of the event, we pride ourselves in having the best Spectathlete team out there! What is a “Spectathlete” you ask? It’s a person who takes cheering to the next level. They make signs, practice their dance moves, are pro clappers and bell ringers, whistleblowers and tambourine shakers.
I have personally ALWAYS been a pro spectathlete and have taken that job seriously, cheering for my sister in her first half marathon two years ago and my brother in in his first Ironman half and full races this past year. Am I a runner you ask? The simple answer is NO. I prefer adventure sports like hiking, alpine skiing, scuba diving, and traveling. I used to be a runner and never felt the elusive runner’s high. I stopped running and turned my attention elsewhere.
Well with enough peer pressure and someone to do it with – enter Heather. I decided to give it a go! Plus, I’ve got a new running buddy all lined up. Ari, the t1 German Short Haired Pointer.
In, Heather’s words: To be honest, I have always hated running anything slower or farther than a short sprint. Every since mandatory grade 5 cross-country, I have avoided “long-distance” running like the plague! I think I need to face the fact that it’s really just the fear of discomfort that keeps me from trying the sport of running, and so this Couch to 5k training is the perfect opportunity to conquer something that’s been holding me back for years! I’m looking forward to the accountability component of putting myself out there on social media to the whole CIM community. See you on the race course in May!
Join us every Tuesday for Training Tuesdays with Heather and Julie on CIM’s social media channels where we’ll share our Couch to 5km journey starting Tuesday, March 14th. We’ll be using the Active app “Couch to 5km” to help us along. Why not join us?
Looking to do more than a 5km run, or perhaps want some training tips? Catch our Coach’s Corner Post on CIM’s Fresh Air Blog every Wednesday with guest posts from athletes and CIM members across Canada.
