How I Race to Combat Getting Old and Grumpy

It was a great morning in Toronto last Saturday at the Waterfront 10K. This was the first time I’ve been at a Canada Running Series event with lululemon acting as a sponsor, and boy, their influence shined. First of all, the weather was terrific and that always helps. But second of all, you could feel the energy on the course, on the sidelines, in the cheers. There were cool things all over the 10K event: a cycle class, a drum line—at one point I ran past a DJ playing Nas.
Of course, all of this wouldn’t mean much if the race wasn’t any good, but the race was terrific. The field was studded with Olympians and racing was Krista DuChene, Natasha Wodak, Reid Coolsaet, Eric Gillis and probably more. Timed by Sportstats, the race had anything you’d need for serious running, hence folks like Longboat Roadrunners were in the house. Photos for the event are free, from Marathon-Photos, and afterwards, a volunteer gave me a beautiful donut. Hell, I told ’em I had two kids and imagine that? They let me take two. Usually I can’t even get a second banana.

Anyway, later walking home, I saw the streets of Toronto studded with people still in their race bibs. People smiling. People wearing their medals. It was a good look for the city, a good look for running, and a day where the community really flexed well. I didn’t take any pictures so I can’t post them here—and, as a funny aside, I saw Natasha (who won) and Lanni Marchant right at the finish line and I was talking to them for a second until this guy said, “Ben, you’re foaming at the mouth.”

It was pretty hot out there and I love racing, I love running hard—I didn’t want to stop for even one second to drink water. I’m 43-years-old and have two children but Ed Whitlock never stopped racing. Never stopped giving it his all. Do we grow old because we stop racing or do we stop racing because we get old? Either way, I don’t want to stop. I want to keep pushing. Keep taking photographs with spit all over my face. Why not? The times don’t really matter. It’s the effort that counts.

Who else raced this weekend? And who ran the Manitoba Marathon? Who’s running Pride this weekend and who’s looking forward to other events this summer? Share your pictures and share your stories. And keep getting out there and racing. Keep showing up at the start and crossing new finish lines. Push yourself. For no other reason than that you can. 

We only get old when we stop fighting.