The Housing and Habitat home run is an OSC tradition that has been the subject of lots of excitement as services partner together to create route for avid runners, cyclists, and dog-walkers to follow. This year, it was a 5.6km route that took us around some beautiful lakes and running paths in the early morning. It’s been a goal for me to participate in one so when my schedule aligned and I could drag myself out of bed at 7 am to get ready to go; I set off for school with my water bottle and strava ready to go.
At the entrance of the school gate I signed in and filled my water bottle with water. This would end up saving me time stopping at water stations as I could drink on the go. I did some stretching to avoid the worst of the post-run pains, and waited avidly for the event to start. After a few minutes of waiting Mr LeBlanc called for our attention and we directed our gaze towards the picture of the route he held up for all to see. On it was detailed the route and all turns we would have to take. It took us through the ministry of defence road, around Pelawatte lake, and back to school.
Before the start I asked a few experienced runners how long it would take to do and they told me that at a run or fast pace it wouldn’t take more than 1 hour depending on my abilities. This gave me peace of mind because I had to get home on time before I made my way to the Green Peace Rainbow Warrior later that day. I decided not to pressure myself to reach school by a certain time and instead set myself a maximum of 1 hour and a half to ensure I was back on time.
When the start was called I was at the lead of the group which I quickly discovered was a bad move. I put myself in a group of expert runners and highly athletic people who have been doing SAISA for most of their secondary years. It demotivated me greatly when after a sprint of 2 minutes I fell back walking. I didn’t let this get to me and instead decided to go between jogging, running, and a fast walk. This put me in step with another group of people running with their dog. I found this group to be much better as I felt supported and comfortable in my ability around them. As people passed be by from doing the loop I congratulated them, feeling proud of them for their achievement.
When I wasn’t running I took the opportunity to look around at my surroundings. When I came up to Pelawatte lake, I saw how it was turned a vibrant pink from all the blooming lotus flowers sitting atop the water. As I grabbed the water from my bag and walked for a bit I took in the view, spotting herons and other wildlife such as water monitors taking a dip in the cool water disappearing beneath the surface.
As I arrived at the school gates and ran up the last ramp before the end of the race, I was greeted with cheering from those who had already finished pushing me to finish those last seconds. I was proud of myself as I finished with 43 minutes and 49 seconds on the clock. I’m proud of my achievement as I was able to reflect on my strengths and persevere through my challenges. I hope this sets the pace for future runs but before then I will start training.
Featured Image Credit: Housing and Habitat Service Group