I'm a runner!

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!