Wow.....I Really Like This Running Thing......

I started training for the Houston Half Marathon in July 2010.  I went to Luke's Locker and got some new shoes, I was ready to go.  It didn't take me long to realize I liked to run. 

There is something about running.  It is calming and soothing.  Your feet hitting the ground in perfect cadence, your steady breathing (most of the time), your mind a million miles away.  Running is an escape for me.  I love the peace and quiet it provides, and the serenity of running outdoors.  Although a good portion of my running is spent on the treadmill at the gym, I still love to run. 

I love the early morning Saturday runs we did in the training program, we ran through many a sunrise, and each one was beautiful.  I loved running with the group most of all.  It would be very hard for me to run more than 5 miles or so without other people.  And it is not because I want to talk to the people, most of the time I don't like to talk while running, it is just to have their presence.  You feel a sense of camaraderie as you run together, all at the same pace. 

And the crazy thing is, I was pretty good at it. I always finished the training runs at the front of pack and my time was about a 9:45 minute mile.  Now I understand that is NOT a great time, there are a lot of people that run below 7 minutes like it is nothing.  However, it is very good for me, especially since it is only my first year.

I just soaked it all in.  I got a subscription to Runners World, signed up for running websites, etc.  I researched ways to run more efficiently, what to eat and different ways to run hills, speed workouts, etc.  I wanted to learn everything I could about running.

My true love for running didn't start until I ran my first race.  In preparation for the Half Marathon there is a Half Marathon Relay that you and a team member can run.  I asked a lady that was in my running club, and who was always at the front of the pack with me, if she would like to run the relay. We each ran 6 1/2 miles and we kicked butt.  We both ran a 9:30 min/mile and got 16th place out of 68 teams.  And that was my first race ever.  Yep, needless to say, I was hooked.  I now understood that little thing they call adrenaline.  The feeling you get when you cross that finish line is like no other.  It feels so extraordinary to be proud of yourself and to accomplish something so big. I ran 6 1/2 miles, how many people do that?

I soon started thinking of the training session for 2011 and how I was going to train for the marathon, instead of the half.  I will have completed a half marathon by then, it will be time to push myself further to see if I can run the full.  I have big dreams.

The Journey.....So Far.....

I never really thought of myself as a runner.  I ran a few times before in life when I wanted to lose weight, it always seemed to be the quickest way to get it off.  I was always pretty active though, soccer, softball, etc. But never a runner.

So when a friend of mine suggested I consider running a half marathon I instantly thought no, I don't think so.  I had knee problems since trying the quick-weight loss method of running in college, something about "over-use" syndrome, blah, blah, blah. All I knew is my knee hurt most of the time after that.  Knee pain and half marathons don't mix.

But my life changed in a big way in 2006/2007.  For most of my life I have battled weight problems.  I was never huge but overweight for a good part of life.  I decided to change all of that in August 2006 when I joined Weight Watchers.  I had just had my second child.  I pretty much let myself blow up between children.  I knew I was going to try WW after I had my second child so I just ate whatever I wanted for about 4 years, it was great!  Except I was a lazy, fat bum who didn't do anything.

I lost 52 lbs following the WW program.  I learned how to eat healthy forever, not just until I lost the weight.  I now prefer a grilled chicken breast with broccoli over a chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes.  I NEVER thought in my life I would say that. I have never been prouder of myself in my entire life.  It takes a lot of work and determination to lose 52 lbs and even more to keep it off.  Once I did that I truly felt like I could do anything.  I gained so much confidence in myself, in all aspects of life.

But the biggest gain I got was a motivation to workout. Being 52lbs lighter suddenly cured most of the knew problems, amazing, right?  I started working out regularly 2 years ago and I love it.  It is a release for me.  I am a very busy person who juggles A LOT every day so I need to decompress to be able to maintain.  I found that in working out.  I like to strength train with weights and like to take classes like step aerobics and kickboxing.  I also love yoga and try to fit that in when I can.

But in February 2010 I decided I wanted to challenge myself even further.  Can I really do anything? A friend of mine had just trained for and ran the Houston Marathon for the first time and I thought, let's try it, but the half, not the full marathon, that is just crazy.  So I got the training group info and marked my calendar for July 2010, when we had to sign up.

I was ready and inspired to try this new sport.  To push myself past where I thought I could go.  To prove to myself once again that I could do anything I set my mind to.  Let's see what this running thing is all about.....

Surprise.....I am Blogging.....

I never thought I would have a blog. I am sure I have a few friends reading this right now that are about to fall out of their chair (I hope everyone was sitting down).  I am a very busy woman who never has time to sit down, much less keep up a blog.  So I am interested to see how this goes.  But I am going to give it a try.

I am here because I have recently discovered I love to run.  And I have been wanting to somehow capture all of the lessons I've learned and the feelings I've had from this new sport.  I considered just journaling it on my computer when I got the chance but in the 7 months I have been running I have only done that once, so I don't think there is a chance I will keep up with that.

So I decided to try a blog for two reasons, 1.) to hold myself accountable to keeping up with it, I will write more if I think other people are reading it. And 2.) to share with other runners the highs and lows of running. 

I hope I can motivate people through my journey.  I have big dreams.  I want to run! A lot! I plan to share my life with you as I chase this dream. From race to race. Let's see where it takes me.

And as a bonus I will have journaled my journey to remind myself later of how great it all felt.