First Post

About seven months ago, I discovered something about myself: I love to run. Most people who know me know the story by now: I was taking Amy's Definitions (strength training) class at the JCC, and she was talking up the running program that she would be starting. She tried to convince members of the class to join the running group. Lauren asked me if I was going to do it. I looked at her like she was crazy. "I can't run. I hate running!" I said to her. "Really, it's fun," she said. I asked her, "Really? Are you a good runner?" She said that she is not a runner at all, and that she started from doing nothing and was able to do a 5k. Well, I thought to myself, for the past three years I've had the goal of running a 5k. It couldn't hurt to try and have a little motivation. And besides, Amy is fun and would make it enjoyable. So, I decided to join the group.

I still remember the first day. We alternated running and walking for a mile, then did some stretching. Not bad, I thought, but I definitely need to do something to supplement this workout! As the weeks went on, we began to do different drills and went outside for "long" runs, which started at about 2 miles - and felt like a lifetime! This was March. We had planned for a 5k race in April. I remember freaking out about two weeks before the race, doubting that I would be able to run 3.1 miles in a couple of weeks. Amy understood that a lot of us were nervous about the 5k, and she took us out for a practice 3 mile run. In the pouring rain. I thought she was crazy, but when I finished those 3 miles, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment! I didn't think I could run 3 miles, but I did it, and I did it IN THE RAIN. I felt hardcore. A week later, I ran my first 5k in 35:16, coming in one second after my younger sister Tara, who had run a half marathon earlier that year. My goal of the race was to finish. Hers was to beat me. We both achieved our goals. Actually, Tara started off way ahead, but by the end of the race, I came around and passed her. Then she sped up, then I sped up, and we were neck and neck for that last tenth of a mile. I couldn't believe that I finished so close to her. I was ridiculously proud of myself.

After that 5k, things happened fast. I decided that I wanted to try to run a half marathon. I hit 5 miles and was psyched. I ran a Memorial Day 10k (and came in way ahead of Tara), then really racked up the miles over the summer, sometimes getting up to 40 miles a week. I struggled to pass 7 miles for a few weeks, but once I got my hydration system set into place (FuelBelt Sprint water bottle) and hit the trail where the miles just seem to roll into the next, I did it. Then came 8 miles, 9, and then when trying for 10 miles, I found that they stopped marking the miles after 4.5. I didn't know. I kept running, waiting for the 5 mile mark to come up so I could turn around. After talking with Andrea (who has been my biggest cheerleader) I found out that I ran 11.6! A few weeks later, I ran the South Nyack Ten-Miler, then the Philadelphia Rock & Roll Half Marathon (with a PR at every mile!), and the Diva Half Marathon.

I found that in addition to loving running, I love racing. When I was a swimmer, I hated racing, because I almost always came in last. With these races, though, there are so many people, so much adrenaline, and almost no chance of coming in last. Plus, as I read all over the place now, "Dead Last Finish > Did Not Finish >> Did Not Start." I take that attitude with every race and even every run that I go out on. I know I'm not a fast runner (although given the right motivation, I'm faster than I think I am), but I'm getting faster.

As summer ended, my motivation has both increased (I want to run a marathon as soon as I'm ready) and decreased (I don't have time to run after work outside so I can either get up early or run on the treadmill, and I don't particularly love either). I'm also trying to spend some more time in the pool, cross training to prevent [more] shin splints and other injuries.

In looking to see if the NYC Marathon Tune-Up had passed yet (it unfortunately had), I came across a bunch of running blogs. Reading them, I really wanted to start a running blog of my own. I love to write, and love to run, so what could be better? Here goes.