running love

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

I started thinking today about when I developed a love for running.  It is Valentine's day you know..the day to think about your love.  I'm not really sure when I developed a love for running.  I know that the winter of 2008 we had a crazy workout competition at work.  You got points for every 30 mins of activity.  The person with the most points in April won a bunch of money.  I didn't win..but I tried.  I was working out like crazy.  One of my neighbor was commenting on how much I was walking and giving me the crazy look.  The gym was my second home.  During that time I wasn't running on the treadmill or outside for that matter, but I was working out a lot.  I did a lot of elliptical work too.  One day my friend Kristen asked if I wanted to run a 5K and I thought why not.  So I signed up, Kristen signed up and my friend Becca signed up.  I ran my first 5K with a dad behind me telling his son that he wasn't allowed to stop until he finished.  There is no stopping in a 5K!  So I felt like I couldn't walk and just kept going.  I finished the race and enjoyed it.  Not loved it, but I had fun.

I signed up for another local race with some friends and had a good time too.  Next thing I know I'm running races here and there.  I don't remember if I really trained for much.  I am sure I ran here and there, but not much more than that.  I ran a few 8K's and soon Kristen asked if I wanted to sign up for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler lottery.  There was a good chance we would not get in. Well if the chances are good that we will not make it sign me up! And of course we got in.   I am sure I could actually train for a race.  What? They pick up on the slow bus if you are not going at least 14 min. per mile.  Well here's hoping I don't end up on the slow bus.

We did get into  the Cherry Blossom 10 miler and I trained by running my longest run (4 miles) before running the race.  Needless to say that was a very hard race.  For those wanting my training plan, please do not run 4 miles and then go and run 10..it is not fun!  I felt like throwing up after that race.  I felt dizzy and just horrible.

 So what do I do?  Sign up for it again the next year.  Yeah I think I have a death wish.  We got into the race and I had a different training plan.  I actually trained!  Go figure!  Two days after that race I convinced Kristen we should run our first half marathon.  If we can run 10 miles we can run 13.1.  We signed up for the RnR Philadelphia race in 2010.  We both ended up getting sick and I ended up throwing up the entire ride home form Philly to Virginia.  I do not think I can ever run a race in Philly because of that experience.  I am blaming the hotel for getting us sick.

Well after Philly I wanted to redo my half marathon experience.  There is no way I could judge that race distance since I was sick while I ran it.  So Kristen and I signed up for the Flying Pirate in 2011.  It was a great race!  I loved the support for all of the runners.  I loved the small town feel of the race.  I definitely had the bug!

I doubled my races in 2011 to 11 races including my favorite ten mile race..Army Ten Miler.  There is just something about race day that I love.  The excitement.  Running with a group of strangers and sometimes chatting while you run.  Trying to hit whatever goal you have for that day's race.


 I also started to go to run club.  I think making new running friends really helped my love for running too. Because of run club there are few local races that I run that I do not bump into someone that I know.

So somewhere between my first 5K in 2008 and now I fell in love with running.  It has definitely been a fun journey.