AHA Moments

Karine, Rachel, and Myself after a shakeout in paradise!!

Oprah often refers to “AHA moments.” These are moments that give perspective; moments that inspire feelings of gratitude. These are moments that may be subtle, dramatic, personal, or public.

They are defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as: a moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition or comprehension. It is a beautiful thing.

The more aware I become of myself and my surroundings, the more I notice them. Notably, I have the clearest thoughts when I am running.

I take in my surroundings, whether I am just going for a little run from my apartment to the oceanside trail, or being back on the beloved West Coast trail that surrounds the UVic campus, doing a pre-comp shakeout along the beach in the Bahamas, or exploring a new trail in the endless Flagstaff terrain. I can’t help but feel like I am one of the luckiest girls in the world.

In honour of Mother’s Day: a throwback photo of my wonderful mama, my baby sister, and myself.

“AHA moments” don’t just come from being in a favourite or new place. They can come anytime. It is the realization that arises when you put life in perspective.

No matter how hectic things become, what curve balls are thrown, I’ve learned the importance of focusing on being grounded. Reminding myself of the people who support me, my wonderful friends and family.

It was the moment when I got home from my trip and I was lying on my couch looking up at a painting that I just put up on my wall. My new roommate (my Vikes teammate, Andrea) had picked up some beautiful irises and placed them in a vase on the coffee table. The scene I had in front of me, as I sipped my coffee and listened to the street sounds coming through my apartment screen door, allowed me to have a simple moment of bliss.

Exploring the Atlantis Resort with my friend Dontae in Nassau from the top view from one of the water slides (which went through a tube surrounded by sharks…)! This place was ridiculous..

After a fantastic, month-long altitude camp in Flagstaff (honestly, another one of my paradises… just with a little bit less oxygen), I jetted off to Nassau, Bahamas to represent Canada at the IAAF World Relays Championships in the 4x800m.

The meet was such a fun way to open up the 2015 outdoor season. There’s something about having three other people keep you accountable to yourself and them in order to perform, but in another sense takes a bit of pressure off by having a sense of team where you can all support each other.

It was the perfect way to kick off the season: there was a sold out stadium of screaming track fans, nice weather and a beautiful track. I ended up splitting 2.03.18, marking a new personal best season opener.

Sold out statium; Electric Atmosphere

The team was made up of Rachel Aubrey, Lizzie Whalen and Karine Belleau-Béliveau. The gun went off and we got in there – while the American team had a stellar day and took off, earning themselves a well deserved national record, it was a five-way fight for the silver and bronze spots.

We situated ourselves well, running gutsy and smooth. We came up short, in 6th spot, while still being so close to medal position at the finish line. I am so proud of these ladies for putting on such a show. As it is early in the season, this was a great start and a way to ‘bust the rust’. I am honoured and beyond proud to represent my country.

When hearing the results from the west coast at Stanford last weekend (Payton Jordan Invitational), I was beaming with pride as so many different updates popped up showing that World Championship/Olympic Standards were dropping like flies.

It was a great day for Canadian middle distance, showing the increasing depth and solidarity of our team. Hey… hey… world, don’t sleep on Canada!

A goodbye dinner with my stunning sister: celebrating a belated birthday and a send off for her adventure in New Zealand and Australia. She inspires me daily.

After a week at home, which allowed me to reset, enjoy my favourite coffee shops, organize my life, and put in a week of training, I was off again to L.A., California for one of the biggest middle distance races in North America: the Hoka One One Middle Distance Classic. The race went well, I won my heat and while the time wasn’t quite what I was hoping for, it was a great place to start.

http://www.runnerspace.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=45365&do=videos&video_id=144571

Rach, xo.
(Reposted from my personal blog: read more here)