I have a new role model, and her name is Dory the fish. Yes a fish.

And for anyone who has seen the 2003 Disney-Pixar film Finding Nemo, Dory was the blue coloured Regal tang with short-term memory loss, voiced by Ellen DeGeneres.

Despite her cluelessness, Dory is a lifesaver as she swims the deep blue with her clown fish  friend, Marlin, searching for his son caught by divers.

And despite such adversities as shark and jellyfish attacks, getting horribly lost, and being swallowed by a whale, Dory’s motto is “just keep swimming.”

It’s a simple message and something that I have used a lot lately as I attempt to reach a few personal goals.

One of those on top of my list, besides achieving world peace and a greener planet,  is to run 10 kilometres or one hour without stopping.

This may seem like a lofty goal to anyone who knows me –– athletic is not in my DNA –– but it’s something I have been trying to obtain, with quite a few starts and stops, ever since my first child was born seven years ago. (One of those “stops” came from my second child, who rather rudely interrupted my training with his birth.)

I have had a lot of encouragement from the other runner in my life, my husband, who many  consider one of the better long distance athletes around these parts. (He’s won a few races, including the 2002 Victoria International Marathon, but he hates me to brag, so I’ll end there.)

Me, I can proudly say I am a three-time graduate of the learn-to-run program at Vernon’s Starting Block, where my own personal Dorys, Wendy and Cindy, have been encouraging me with their knowledge, kind words and promise of dinner at the end of every 12-step, I mean week, program.

My latest graduation came this past December, when I completed 40 minutes, without stopping, then went on to wolf down a 500-calorie enchilada.

Hey, it was worth it.

But then, Christmas went on to kill all that hard work –– darn you, chocolate and wine!

In January I decided to roll out of my egg-nogged haze, and join a 10-k training program with Brent and Susie Helland of Mind, Body and Sole Running and Fitness.

My new Dory, Brent, is a gazelle when it comes to running, as he leaps and bounds between the fast, medium and slow runners on our weekly group training sessions along 25th Avenue.

As in any learn-to-run program, we have started out slowly, with small intervals that have eventually built up, the end goal being a 10-k run. (Some will be participating in the Vancouver Sun Run.)

Although my favourite word from Brent is when he yells “walk!!!” That word is coming less frequently now, and I seem to not be anticipating it as much. However, this past weekend, it screamed loudly in my head as I attempted to run my first “timed” five-kilometre race –– race being the operative word for the 300 or so people who were in front of me.

My nerves, or that energy bar I ate an hour before start time, must gave gotten to me as I reached the 1.5-k mark. That’s when the most searing stitch decided to imbed itself onto the right side of my lower rib cage.

I started to blow hard on my exhalations –– like Darth Vader with a head cold –– as you are supposed to do, and…. nothing. That invisible knife kept jabbing away. By two kilometres, I had to walk it off –– a few times. But luckily I had a Dory in my friend Sue.

A retired nurse and Ironwoman, who has not only run a marathon, but has done one in succession with a 3.8-k swim and 185-k bike ride, Sue slowed her pace with mine, walking me through my agony, and took me to the finish line.

Despite my rather slow time, and slightly bruised ego, I’ve decided not to give up.

I’m  taking Dory’s new advice: “just keep running.”

 

Vernon Morning Star