My Running Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to me! It’s the second anniversary of when I started training for my first half marathon. I remember all the “you are crazy” comments. I remember the skepticism, even from my loving, supporting husband, who decided when I was actually ready to run my first 10 mile race that he wasn’t letting me do it without him (that’s not technically what he said, but we’ll leave it at that). Now his original skepticism is a deeper insanity than I am afflicted with. Maybe. And my brother who openly told me I was crazy and questioned why I would do it is now training to run the marathon in October (of course, the doctor told him to lose weight or else. I think he didn’t like being outdone by his younger sister, but unlike my husband, my brother won’t own up to it).
I have so many great memories. The thrill of finishing a hard run or a new distance. Finishing my first race. (And second, third, fourth, etc.) I know my favorite trails. I know how to run against the wind and when to run with it. How to run in rain and how to stay in when it’s lightning. The fun of crossing a finish line doesn’t end with childhood. It’s an awesome feeling.
I like running. But I run better when I’m training for a race with a training plan in front of me. Running just to run? I don’t do it so well. I need a goal. I need a finish line. I need a piece of paper that says on Tuesday run 4, on Wednesday run 10 on Thursday run 8 on Friday REST, on Saturday run 24, on Sunday run 10, Monday REST!!!!
I have learned some things too. You can make any distance as hard as you want. I would rather have a black toenail from running than have pretty feet. You can’t finish if you don’t start. I buy ibuprofen, medical tape, body glide, Vaseline, GU, and S Caps in bulk. Given the choice shopping for new clothes, I like to look at running clothes first. There is this great plaid green running skirt I’ve got my eye on. I’m saving up for it. (Yes, I even run in skirts dresses are my favorite clothes. I’m now branching out into “designer” running skirts. Check out my Snowbella Yella Princess Skirt).

In the last two years I have always had a race I’m training for. I missed some, rescheduled some, recovered some, rehydrated a lot, re-shoed, and you wouldn’t believe the number of running socks I go through. I wear holes in them, and then mourn there passing, as finding great running socks is hard. And then they discontinue them. I have run to baseball games, church, and friends houses. I have seen snakes, deer, turtles, lizards, grasshoppers, fox’, three wheelers, dirt bikers and horses. I have run with colds, allergy attacks, flu, and other unmentionable conditions. I have suffered black toenail, and a subsequent infection from. I have suffered chafing. I sweat till hugging me is an “Along Came Polly” moment. (Fat guy on the outdoor basketball court. Ben Stiller, you tube search, you’ll find it).
It has made a big difference in my life. My self esteem, my health, my body, my stress level, and I don’t worry about my health. My kids, while they still think I’m crazy, act a little proud of it. When their friends say, “was that your mom I saw running? She was a long way from your house”, they just simply say yeah, she does that all the time. I’m going to end with this. My 42 year old self would kick my 21 year old butt! (Thanks Carrie.) Seriously the only thing 21 year old me could do better physically was lay on a beach in a bikini. She couldn’t keep up with me now. And that is a great feeling.
First 10 miler - Turkey Trot

First half marathon - trail. Picture is not of me, it is of the trail, and it was hard!!!

Second half marathon - trail. STILL REALLY HARD!!!

Third half marathon of 2009 (yes, I was hooked) street race, not a trail and I thought I flew through it.

First Marathon - next one in October!

Last race - River Run 10K with my gang.


Thanks for running down memory lane with me.