How did I become a runner?

So, I am a runner. I've been able to call myself a runner for the last 3 years, but before that, I would have never said that about myself! I've been an athlete my whole life, but running was never my sport of choice. Basketball, Golf, Cheerleading, Gymnastics, Dance, Track, Volleyball...I did all of those at some point, simultaneously at times, all the way through high school. I was busy to say the least, and I loved every minute of it! Well, almost every minute.

The part I didn't totally enjoy was the long distance training during track season. I'm not a sprinter, I've never been a sprinter, I just wasn't born to be fast, so I was put with the long distance people. Not that I was good at long distance by any means, I was just better at that than short distance. And looking back, training for the half mile or the mile isn't the long distance training I'm used to now, but at the time, it seemed really long! And good thing I'm out to finish the race and not win the race these days, because those girls sprinted that whole half mile in high school! And by the time I got finished with it, I was about to pass out!

I enjoyed field events in track and I enjoyed the experience of being on the track team, but I wasn't a fan of running. Bottom line, I just wasn't good at it! Put a basketball in my hands and I'm where I wanted to be, but lacing up the running shoes wasn't my cup of tea. But I didn't complain and I did what the coach told me to, and I earned as many points for the team as I could. So, high school ended and I was done with organized, competitive sports. I still did the occasional basketball or volleyball intramurals in college, but after all those years of busy activities, it was nice to slow down a little. I've always loved to work out, but it usually consisted of doing a short jog on the treadmill, riding the bike, doing the stairmaster, lifting weights, etc.

Back in 2006, I did agree to join a couple of my friends and train to walk a half marathon in Dallas. That was one long walk! And we weren't messing around - we were walking about 13 minutes per mile! I was extremely sore afterwards, but felt great that we had completed it. That was my first official half marathon. It never popped up once in my mind that I would ever run that same mileage!

Fast forward a couple years to 2008. When I was living in the Dallas area, a friend at work said that I should do a 5K with her. I thought she'd lost her mind. Running 3.1 miles was just for crazy people, right? Well, call me crazy because I did my first 5K in McKinney, TX around Easter in 2008 and I still have the Easter bunny t-shirt to prove it! Crossing the finish line in that race and knowing I had accomplished that, made me want to do it again!

When that same friend told me that she was going to do a marathon, I said, "Good for you! That is awesome, and you'll do great!" She said, "Well, you should do it with me!" I told her that I would never be able to run a half or full marathon, but thanks for asking! Well, I couldn't quit thinking about it and wondered if maybe, just maybe, I might be able to do it? After all, I had walked the distance once. So I thought about it and I convinced myself and one of my friends back in KS to also do it. We signed up for the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco (both of my friends were doing the full, but I was sticking to the half). I completed that half marathon, and it was an awesome experience!



I'm not a good runner, I'm not a fast runner, I didn't run every step of the half marathon, but I did finish my first running half marathon, and a year later, I even finished my first full marathon - 26.2 miles in Chicago! I can't even describe the emotions I felt crossing the finish line.



I was thinking about what got me to the point of becoming a runner and enjoying it, and I decided to list all the things I love about running, so here they are:

I love how running makes me feel.
I love the stress that goes away after a run.
I love the feeling of accomplishment when I finish.
I love the camaraderie of the running community.
I love running in a race with all the other crazy people!
I love the medals, prizes & t-shirts you get after a race.
I love the solitary runs where it's just me and my thoughts.
I love knowing I just finished one more mile.
I love sore muscles knowing I worked so hard for them.
I love the challenge of running because I'm not a natural at it.
I love that I choose to run.

And I hope that running is something I can continue to do for many years to come because honestly, I don't know what I'd do without it!

And I got another 3 points tonight for the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge since I ran 3 miles! I'm planning on another 3 in the morning, I just hope it isn't too cold!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!