Up until today, I haven't called myself a runner.
For the past 18 months, I have been running...but I haven't been consistant enough to consider myself an actual runner. I have completed three 5K races, but still didn't think of myself as a runner.
But I think I can officially call myself a runner now!
I started running 18 months ago, after a challenge from a friend. I was overweight and unhappy and knew I needed to do something about it. I didn't really want to run, but it sounded like something that would get me closer to my goal. So I bought an old treadmill from a friend and started "training" for a 10K. I had no idea what I was doing. Not to mention, I was so out of shape. I didn't really have a chance at running that first 10K that we made as our goal...but I didn't know better at that point either! I started out running for a minute, walking for two.
I had some obstacles right from the start. I had terrible shin splints and I kept getting sick that winter/spring. Needless to say, I was not ready by Memorial Day, which was our goal to run the 10K. But I didn't give up. I started my training over that June, and ran my 1st 5K by the middle of August! What a great feeling that was!
I continued to run and train...and ran another 5K on Thanksgiving day. And then I stopped running. I didn't run again...not even on a treadmill.
...till St Patricks day. The weather was beautiful, very unusual weather for Colorado in March. So I decided to run the big St Patrick's Day 5K. But I had not been running at all. I literally decided that two days before the race! and I did it! I finished the race, but I walked some of it. And then I quit running again!
You see, I don't really "love" to run. So its hard to stick with a long term training program. But, I really want runners legs. I need to find some sort of balance!
The past month I have run 3 times, I think. Often I will run on the treadmill at the gym on Friday mornings. Usually, my treadmill runs amount to 2 or 3 miles. In fact, I had never run more than 3.1 miles before today.
Anyway, last night a friend sent me a text to see if I wanted to run a 10K in the morning. My first response was "Are you smoking crack"...followed by a "sure, what the heck!" I agreed to it, even though I had not been training. I figured I could run the typical 3 miles and then walk the rest.
Instead...I ran the entire thing! 6.2 miles! I didn't walk any of it! I'm not sure what happened exactly, but I started out strong and felt good much longer than I expected. When I got to the 4 mile mark I decided I would stop at 5 miles. Well I ran and ran, and never saw the 5 mile marker. At some point I looked at my ipod and it said 1hr 7 minutes. I figured I was either running really slow or I must have passed the 5 mile mark somehow. The next thing I knew, there were a bunch of people ahead of me and I was at the 6 mile mark. I couldn't stop then, I only had .2 miles to go. So I ran my heart out and crossed the finish line!
I didn't think I could do it, but what an amazing feeling it was!
I'm a runner now!
