A Loathe to Love Story

I used to hate running. Loathed it!  I got a kick out of the 0.0 stickers and the meme's saying "How do you know someone's run a marathon? Don't worry, they'll tell you."  I could barely run to my mailbox and back.  And I didn't care one bit.  I had given running a shot, though not much of one. I married a runner, and couldn't believe how anyone could run more than 3 miles! (I had never run more than 2!)  I was perfectly happy in my non-running bubble.

What changed?

Honestly, I can't pin-point anything that got me up and onto the road.  But I just knew I was supposed to run.  In February 2013, I downloaded a "couch to 5k" app, and decided that I would start slow: one minute on, one minute off. Seven weeks later, I ran 3.1 miles without walking.  And guess what? I told everyone I knew!!  This summer, I will have run four races- two 5k's, and two 10k's. 

I am addicted. 

I'm really not a competitive person.  But achieving personal records is an amazing feeling.  Still, that's not why I run.

I run for myself.  When I run, I don't have four little people climbing on me, competing for my attention.  I don't have to think about the pile of dishes in my sink.  When I run, I dream.  I dream about how to become better.  A better mother, wife, and woman!

I have found that it doesn't matter if my neighbor ran 26.2 miles at a 6/min/mile pace.  It doesn't matter if I have to take a week off because my old muscles aren't used to the whole "exercise thang." What matters is how I feel.  I feel inspiration, I feel happiness, and I feel courage. And I know when I get back from my run, it's going to be a better day!