Tomorrow I will be running in my first race ever. Let's get excited!
Running in a race and running a race are two very different things. I must note that I've had plenty of experience coordinating and volunteering smaller races. One of my favorites, Todd's Trot in Durham, New Hampshire. This was an amazing 5k that I was able to help coordinate for two years.
But now it's time for me to lace up my own sneakers, pin on a bib and get myself to the finish line of the National Half Marathon Team Relay.
I think if you were to ask me even just a year ago, I would have never told you that I might get into running. (And I'm almost positive you've heard this line before). I love to work out and I've always been involved in sports, but I never really caught the running bug. I liked team sports. I liked short sprints to first base not five mile runs.
I did enjoy running occasionally, but I never ran more than a mile or two as a warm up or cool down after a workout. I do attribute these quick jogs as part of the workout routine that helped me lose 15 lbs. my freshmen year of college. Since then, I continued to run a few miles but did mostly sprints and hill intervals to mix things up. I never tried to run more than 1-2 miles, but I was pretty sure that I couldn't do it. I convinced myself that my body just wasn't made from running.
Don't let me fool you. I'm still a beginner and I don't own a Garmin or even an arm strap for my iPod. I run in sneakers that I bought from Kohls a few years ago. I hate running shorts and will only run in these leggings I bought at Target. But guess what? I can run five miles!
I think I've convinced myself that anyone can run. I luckily had a little buddy to help me maintain steady paces and increase my mileage, his name is Reddick. When we got a dog, I knew I wanted him to be a running dog and a motivator to get me out on the streets. It totally worked! (Dogs are great motivators for those of you who are just looking to walk, too.)
If you can walk a mile, you can run a mile.
If you can run one mile, I know you can run a 5k.
If you can run a 5k, why not go for 5 miles?
(and what I'm crossing my fingers for) If you can run 5 miles, shoot for a half marathon!
Easier said than done, right? It isn't easy, but it's not awful. Running is fun. I can't believe I'm even saying it, but I really do think it's not only fun, but therapeutic and obviously, an amazing workout. I even have fun running on the treadmill (thanks to Top Chef and Pandora on my Droid).
Are you questioning yourself already? Do you think I'm nuts?
After stepping into the blog world last fall I learned that a lot of other girls were in my same shoes, and they weren't always running shoes. Some girls battled weight issues, some were bored of their normal routine, others just caught the running itch. (It is contagious.) So, if you think I'm crazy, you'll probably think the rest of them are crazy, too, but I promise you, we aren't. And you can run a mile.
Do you need some motivation?
- Come over and borrow Reddick. Your mile will be over before you know it.
- Buy yourself some new sneakers or workout clothes. New gear makes me feel awesome and I always want to workout and show it off. (You'll look pretty cute, believe me.)
- Sign up for a 5k. Just do it. And start the Couch to 5K program. Tina started the program and signed up for her first 5K. So far, I think she's really happy with the program. Check out her blog to read more about her progress.
- Find a running buddy.
- Sign up on DailyMile.com. If you don't have anyone immediately around you to motivate you, just sign in and there is a whole community waiting for you and ready to kick your butt.
- Load your iPod with new music, or go back to your basics. Listening to different music always gets me motivated. I love stumbling across songs on my iPod that I worked out to back in college.
I don't think you really have any excuses not to get started if this is something you want to do. I still have my feelings about marathons and triathlons (that basically they scare the crap out of me and I'm not sure that our bodies are made for that kind of work). But again, I have plenty of bloggers in my reader that can prove us all wrong.
So let's see how I do tomorrow and see what my running future holds. It's going to be cold, but something I shouldn't be complaining about because I grew up in the Adirondacks. I am going to go stock up on some gloves and handwarmers though...
Wish me luck!
Wish me luck!