My Half Marathon Journey

There is something about being soaked in rain water, running blind, and choking on rain drops that makes me highly uncomfortable and more likely to head for a treadmill on a damp morning.

High 60s, sunny, with a warm breeze... you know I was running outside this morning!

I’ve been trying to find a new long distance circuit around my neighborhood. It’s pretty challenging when there are limited sidewalks, high traffic volume, and so many dead end streets it’s a miracle anyone actually gets out of town. I finally found a decent loop this morning (only 4.7miles, but it works for the time being), but what I didn’t realize is that I ran it backwards.

How is is possible to run a loop backwards, you ask? Trust me... it just is. The last half mile, unbeknownst at the time, was a 45 degree uphill angle! Talk about endurance training and a final push.

I started really running when I was a junior in college. 

I never exercised, had a tendency to stress out and over eat, and I was not too thrilled when I realized I had gained a lot more than the Freshman 15... 25. Junior year I moved off campus and decided this was my fresh start to make a change. First day of junior year I threw on my barely used pair of generic sneakers and hit the ground running... for all of about 5 minutes and less than half a mile. 

I realized right then that running and getting healthy was something I would have to work for and it would take time and not be easy. The gym became my best friends, worst enemy, and favorite stress reliever all at once. 

I've had ups and downs along my journey. I would lose some weight, put it back on... stop running all together when it got tough... injuries... eating disorders and weight obsessions... and trying new things. I don’t regret any part of this journey because I’ve learned valuable lessons about myself and it has gotten me to where I am today. 

And today I start a new leg of the journey; training for my first Half Marathon! I know this will be just as tough as when I first started, but I remind myself I can overcome anything. Thanks for the love and support...