Going back and giving back

My racing career, so far, has been rather short. I started in the spring of 2009, so I've only been at this for three seasons - March 14th, 2012 (just a couple of weeks ago) was actually 3 years to the day after my very first 5k. I've been fortunate enough try experience a wild variety of events during that short span, but this has meant that there have been very few races I've done more than once.

With my wonderful husband's blessing (or at least lack of objection - love you sweetheart!), I've now registered for the Mudpuppy Chase 10k in downtown Kitchener on Sunday, May the 6th. This was actually my second race ever - and my first 10k - back in 2009. There's a full race report (the first one I wrote) here.

Almost to the 5k mark in 2009.

I'll level with you: I hate 10k races. They hurt almost as much as a 5k, but they go on twice as long. I had kind of vowed not to do one again, but the Mudpuppy Chase is a local classic race that's both well-organized and lots of fun. It's amazing to see the downtown core of a city as large as Kitchener taken over by a celebration of running! I also figure that the 10k distance will be a good one to race early season as the prep work will serve the 7.5k runs at the end of the two sprint triathlons I have on my schedule for this coming spring (Woodstock later in May and Welland in June) and even the two Olympic distance races later on (Gravenhurst in July and Lakeside in September). After spending 2011 devoting myself to distance, it's time to try to bring some speed back!

Passing a 5k runner in 2009.

This race also supports a wonderful local organization called KidsAbility. They provide rehabilitation services for children from Waterloo Region with a wide range of special needs, including children with developmental disabilities and delays related to premature birth, medical syndromes such as Down syndrome, coordination disorders, and autism; physical disabilities such as muscular dystrophy, spina bifida and cerebral palsy; and communication difficulties in language, articulation, fluency and voice. From birth to 18 years of age, the children receive assistance with speech, social interaction and a wide variety of other skills that most kids take for granted, all in a fun and caring environment. 

As a racer, I have the opportunity to raise funds for KidsAbility through my personal page - I ask all of my fabulous readers to please click here and donate whatever you can, even if it's only a dollar! These children deserve to receive the extra helping hand they need to realize their potential, and you can help make that happen. I'd love to meet my fundraising goal of $500, but I can't do it alone! 

2009 results. 

Apart from supporting KidsAbility, I have a couple of personal goals I'll be pushing for when the gun goes off. My previous time on this course - again, my first 10k race - was 57:39. My overall 10k PR, set on a completely flat course at the Eaton Electrical Downtown Dash in July 2009, is 55:00. With another two years of running under my belt since then, I'd like to see if I can best both of those times. The course has a bit of elevation change to it, but with Around the Bay under my belt I hope to make a decent showing of it. I've also continued my "put less in your mouth" theme, and lost another pound and a half, which means there should be a little less of me to haul around.

Two loops of this 5km course.

Really, though, I'm just in it for the fun...and for KidsAbility! Once again, I beseech you - please visit my sponsorship page and pledge what you can! You can donate by credit card or PayPal, and receipts will be provided for your income tax files. Every dollar helps!