I can remember being at some of Dad’s races, feeling so proud of him. I also had this envy. I wanted to do it. But for some reason, try as I might, I couldn’t ever get the mojo to go. I joined the high school track team and excelled as a shot and discus thrower. However, when running with the team for a 5 mile run, I’d find the short cut. Or walk. Or hang out at McDonalds. I tried running again in college and later adult years, but never really made it past 2 miles.
I turned 29 that April when I started what I called my “potential mid life crisis.” I was 29, exceptionally heavy, and miserable. I knew at that rate I’d be dead by 30. Something snapped and I began my change. By removing flour and most dairy from my diet I lost about 20 pounds with in two months. I started to do some light running, .5 to 1 mile at a time. I was able to take off another 10. By July I was ready for some more extreme weight loss and delved into the Atkins Diet. This diet worked wonderfully for me. By the time my daughter started her first day of Kindergarten, I was ready to become a runner.
On Quinn’s first day of Kindergarten I took my first real, serious run. I used the Couch to 5K program, thought slightly modified since I could go longer than it started you at. I remember the day I was able to run 3 miles without stopping. It was so exciting! I also, discovered, however, that I could no longer do the Atkins Diet. I needed carbs. So while my weight loss slowed, my body continued to change and I was becoming truly HEALTHY. I was happy and felt great, too. Finishing my first, second, and third 5Ks that year resulted in tears…tears of pride. I’d wanted to do that for years, and finally had!
By that January (5 months after I started) I finished my first 10K. That race was such a challenge because of the course (over a hilly bridge 4 times!) but I finished it and felt very proud. It made me want to do more. So I buckled down over the next 10 months and trained hard. By October of the following year I my first 8.1 miler at Disney. And in December I did my first half marathon. I remember finishing White Rock Half Marathon with this feeling: “I hated that. I am never doing that EVER again, and I’ll certainly never run a FULL marathon! That’s stupid.” Two months later I completed the Inagural Disney Princess Half Marathon.
Just five months after that, I was signed up for my first Marathon- Walt Disney World Marathon. Running has a funny way of sucking you in. It’s more than addiction. It’s a lifestyle. The last year has been so much fun running. I did my first marathon, at 13 weeks pregnant. I did a marathon relay on the beach, and I set my ½ marathon personal record at 24 weeks pregnant.
I now find myself 9 weeks post baby struggling to get back in to my lifestyle. Writing this has reminded me of where I came from, why I started, and where drive and desire can take you. Running changed my life. Running makes me happy. Running keeps me healthy. So many women, especially moms, need something in their life. I hope to share my love and joy of running with more women who are like me.
