Why I started running!

I saw this running prompt and thought I would jump on and tell my readers why I started running because it's kind of a fun journey to talk about. 

I actually started running in 2009 because of this crazy dog.

We were a foster home for ARPH and we got this crazy tailed aussie into our program.  Bella, or hell's bells as I liked to call her was probably the closest I ever got to a foster fail.  She was always on the go and nothing wore her out, but I loved her dearly.  We did tricks, we did agility, we did obedience, and she was still go, go, go.  The problem was at night she would NOT sleep.  This was of course pre kiddo, so I didn't really know what sleep deprivation really was, but it was enough that I needed to do something.  We have a concrete "track" that goes around our recreation complex that is not quite a mile long, and it's only about two blocks away.  I would take my cotton shorts/shirt/socks and my pretty whatever brand was the cheapest and looked the cutest shoes and head out around 9 pm at night.  I didn't have a smart phone, I didn't have a watch, I had no clue how far we were going, but I knew about 3-4 laps of walking/running would wear her out and then we would both sleep.

I even taught her how to run on the treadmill so if we couldn't go to the track, she could still get her run in.  Unfortunately I hurt my quad running and walking with her on the mill, and around that time we also found the perfect forever home for her and adopted her out instead of keeping her so we could foster more (we had 3 dogs already and she would make 4 which was more than enough for us).  I was intrigued with running, but not addicted.  I did the PT to get my quad happy again and then kind of drifted away from running.  

Then in the end of 2010 beginning of 2011 I decided I wanted to try again.  I had heard about the couch to 5 K program from a friend who was doing it that i did agility with.   I didn't have a smartphone still, but she showed me how to download the PDF of the walk run intervals from the website.  I used our treadmill once again and slowly started working towards being able to run a 5K.  I transitioned from mill running to running outside in the KS spring, which was BRUTAL with the wind, so I re did one of the weeks and then ran my first 5K once I was done.  Yes, I was covered in cotton, but at least I had gone an gotten proper shoes at this point :)

I finished in 31:47 and I was HOOKED!  I can still remember how I felt, the smells as we ran through the campground, and hearing someone say that if you can run a 5k in 30 minutes or under that you are a real runner (and no this didn't get me down, just motivated me).  I then found a coach and off I went to try and get faster.  Now I had no fancy smart ways to figure out pace or anything. I had map my run and I would map out my routes and do what my coach told me to do (usually run for time not distance).  This was also before the running boom in our area, so finding more 5Ks to run was hard.  I found another one a month later and an hour away.  

It was a TINY race and I somehow managed to eek out a 2nd place in my age group, thanks to it being so tiny.  I think my time was about 30 minutes, but I am not sure.  If I wasn't hooked before, I was majorly hooked now.  I quickly signed up for more races but again, before the boom had hit our area, so about once a month was all i could find in our area.  Believe me, active.com was my most searched webpage at the time.  Then I found out about a 10k in my own town.  WHAT????  My coach at the time wasn't keen on it, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try.  

I loved this course and it is part of my regular running route now.  I don't mind running on gravel and did this first 10K in less than an hour.  

Then I found out I was preggers a few weeks later.  My first trimester was filled with all day sickness but my second trimester was much better.  I tried to run/walk with my hubby, as he was going through the couch to 5K at the time.  I did so until my belly got too big and uncomfortable to do so.  I ended up having a C-section with my son, so a much longer recovery time was needed.  As soon as the Dr said it was okay to get back to it, I was back out there.  NOTHING felt right though.  I struggled with injuries and just not feeling great.  I had had the runner's high but now I seemed that i couldn't find it anymore.  Each run was just a struggle-fest.  Then I met Doug at Body First thanks to some friends giving me a gift certificate.  He told me that I should give my body grace and that I needed to do strength training to get it back to where it once was.  I thought he was crazy, but found a boot camp class in my town that met 5 days a week at the gymnastics gym down the road.  Every morning, no matter what, I was there working out, getting everything back strong again. This is where i met Robin.  Robin and I shared the same goals for our fitness.  She wanted to do a 25k and i had decided that I wanted to train for a half.  We quickly decided we were very compatible training wise and that with the help of a coach, we could both train together with her doing her race a month before my race.  

I did my first 13.1 at the St. Louis Rock and Roll half marathon.  I am SO glad my running friends talked me into going out of town for my first half because I will always remember this trip!  It was my first big expo, my first big race, and our first big family vacation with a 1 year old.  I spent waaaay too much money at the Expo, but I still have the jacket in the picture and still wear it every single winter while I run.  I also met Another Mother Runner and Gypsy runner, both of which I still follow and buy products from.   From there I started running the Heartland Series (3 half marathons in 5 weeks) every year and then in 2015 the Chicago Marathon.  Then it was onwards and upwards with 50ks being my favorite new distance.  I can't wait to do more trail and ultra runs this year and hopefully get my first 50 mile buckle! Including the races I hope to do the rest of the year, I will have done 15 five Ks, 13 ten Ks, 22 half marathons, 4 twenty five Ks, 4 full marathons, 3 50Ks and then 1five miler, 1 two miler, and one 6 miler.  That's 64 races since I started in 2013!!!!  Kind of fun to look back!

Always remember it never gets easy but it does get easier so keep plugging at it and make it fun!!!