RuNnInG

Running: (adjective) galloping, racing, moving, or passing rapidly. Or, if you had asked me a year ago, running: (adjective) hell, torture, or dying a slow death.

Running and I were never friends. I wanted to be friends with running, I used to dream of being friends with running. As I quickly acquired my college weight and the scales tipped at over 200 pounds, I was desperately trying to get running to like me. I would try and I would FAIL. I would make D be my coach. He could go out and run 7 miles without blinking, after not running all winter and I thought he could show me how it was done. I thought he could introduce me to running and show her how awesome I was. Nope, still running did not want to hang with me. I would call her up and start running but then quit, telling myself all sorts of good reasons as to why running and I should not be friends.

Once in 2003, I think it was 03, I ran a 5k. The whole thing without stopping and vowed I would keep contact with running so we could start to like each other. Well I never called her again. Then again, in May of 2008, I decided to do another 5k. This one I did a run/walk combo, then used the preggo excuse to not do it again.

After giving birth and dropping my pregnancy weight and then an extra 20 pounds I decided to give running a call to see if she would be my friend again. I started out small, really small. I ran/walked a 5k in Oct 2009 and did it again in May 2010. In August 2010 I started running with a couple of really cool moms. We would run late at night, in the dark, in the humidity. We started out running not far and then walking, then running again and then walking.

We set a goal of running an Oct 5k, we RAN THE WHOLE THING! We even came in under what we thought we would. We loved it so much we decided a Nov 5k needed to be added. We ran that (uphill the entire way) in even less time!!!

Now running was starting to see that I was a nice person that needed her in my life. We started to hang out more and more. I could go out alone with running now and not stop, not let myself quit. I could go to the gym and run the track or the treadmill and finish what I told myself I would.

Running and I now seem to understand each other. And now the snow is starting to melt (just a couple feet left to go), the weather is warming up (it reached 40 today!) and my running shoes are broken in. Running and I are going to forge an even closer bond. I have EIGHT 5k's on my calendar this year and I WILL finish ALL OF THEM! My first one is next Sunday and I can't wait to hit the road running and see what I can do :0)

Live Laugh RUN!

PS I just *may* have convinced my lovely husband that with all this running I am doing my stroller needs to be upgraded...hmmm I wonder what I will get :0)