If she can, I can!

I always hated running growing up. I can remember being in elementary school taking the fitness test and having to run what seemed like a million laps around the gym to equal one mile. I would get horrible stomach pains and would have to walk. During this test you had a partner who would cross the laps off as you passed by; I would always pick a friend to cross my laps off so every time I went by she could cross off two. Even with two a lap being crossed off I was still so slow!! Running was not for me!

Not too long ago a friend from my neighborhood would invite me to go on walks with her. She just had a baby and wanted to loose the extra baby weight. I didn't mind going for walks with her, I could walk all day. However, pretty soon she wanted to go on "jogs" with her. Oh man! All I could think about was back in PE and how bad I am at running. I didn't want to say no because I enjoyed time with her. But, I didn't want to say yes because I knew after 30 seconds I would be walking again.

I started jogging with my friend and just as I remember, I was horrible. She always said she didn't mind but I felt like I was holding her back. She is a stay at home mom and I work 12hr night shift so it was hard to meet up to jog and she would go without me. Pretty soon she was telling me that she went 2 miles, 3 miles and more! I wanted to be able to do that as well. I thought to myself if she can do it, so can I!! And this is how my running started.

I'm still very slow and find running to be so hard for me. I'm not even sure that I love it. Well, most of the time I don't. However, I'm hoping with time it will get easier and I will enjoy it more.

I completed the Tacoma City Marathon’s 5k with a bunch of friends from work and I did a lot better then I thought I would 28:49 so I signed up for the Sound to Narrows 12k. Before I completed the Sound I thought well I should sign up for the You Go Girl half to keep myself motivated and I wanted the cheaper price since it is so spendy. OH MY GOD! I thought the Sound to Narrows was going to kill me. I knew there would be some hills but I was not ready for that at all. I remember just wanted to give up so many times but then I thought crap I would still have to walk all the way back to where I started. I finished 1:26 which I was bummed about but better then not finishing at all! I was so sore the next day and after that run I haven’t really been running like I should. So here I am, a little late, starting to train for the half. We’ll see how it goes!