My involvement in Team Running Free has been an exercise in personal running goals: running a fast (for me) 5km, challenging myself on long and/or gnarly trail races, overall trying to be a healthier runner. However, the most meaningful and inspiring run I have done this year didn’t focus on me at all. On September 20, I ran the Oasis ZooRun at the Toronto Zoo with my wife Christy. Christy is not a beginner runner per se (in fact, she completed a strong half marathon a few years ago). However, 4 years ago, while she was very pregnant with our son, she tripped down some stairs and badly damaged her ankles. Years of frustrating pain and injury followed, with her just being able to run consistently (mostly) pain-free this year. She set the Oasis ZooRun as her goal race to celebrate her return to running after such a long battle with pain and relative immobility. I ran the race with her as a supporter and encourager, and I was witness to my wife’s incredible dedication and strength!
Before the run, in our starting corral! Feeling nervous, but ready to go!
My wife continued her determined running, weathering a rough patch towards the end of the race, and finished strongly (hand in hand with me!), ahead of her goal pace! I was so inspired to see her determination, smart pacing, and steady running, especially knowing the details of her years of injury. Christy modeled strength, resolve, and consistency to me, and it was an honour to witness first-hand her return to racing! Encouraging her through the rough patch late in the race (this was the longest distance she had run this year!) and seeing her push through to finish the race was truly inspiring. For her, the run was so much more than hitting a certain pace (though she tried to do that, too!) or trying to impress anyone: she did it as a challenge for herself and a commitment for her own health. And I got to witness it all! Truly a remarkable experience, and my favourite race experience in a season full of scenic and exciting run!
We set out at a bit faster than her goal pace, and for the most part she was able to consistently churn out km after km at this challenging pace. We eased up an early long hill which was located just outside of the zoo property, and after that early triumph we joined the other runners in entering the zoo property. From that point on (around 4km), we ran on rolling paths throughout the zoo, with the hills mercilessly increasing in steepness and length as the race went on. There were some live bands providing energy to the throngs of runners, and there were also a few spots where spectators could cheer the runners on. One aspect of the ZooRun that was fun was that we were able to see our friends running at different points of the course, so we could cheer each other on. While the cheering aspect of the course planning was fun, it did make for some rather narrow paths to run on, as the traffic was two-way in some parts. This made for some tight areas with lots of runners trying to fit into a small area.
She did it!!!
I understand that this report is less about the Oasis ZooRun, and more about my wife, but I will end with a few other tidbits about the race. It was very well-organized, though parking was a bit of a challenge for people arriving a bit later (luckily we arrived in time to get one of the closer parking spots). The race started in the parking lot of the zoo, and the early ms run on city roads outside of the zoo might be disappointing to people who wanted to run IN the zoo (again, about 6km or so of the run was run in the zoo, and the entire 5km race on the same morning takes place in the zoo). We saw surprisingly few animals, (I counted about 5 or 6 I caught sight of), though the flamingos were splendid and the monkeys were funny. Nevertheless, the novelty of running in the zoo with thousands of people (and free entry to the zoo after the race for the day) still render this event a truly unique one. And, despite the less-than-scenic early kms, and few animals showing off for us, the ZooRun creates the setting for stories of everyday running heroes like my wife to strut their stuff and accomplish their goals. Sometimes the best runs aren’t about us at all, but about those we encourage and support as they reach for their goals!
