Why should you listen to what I have to say about running? First of all—you don't have to really. But should you have at least some interest, hopefully some background info will help convince you.
I have been running for just over 7 years now. Between roads and trails, uphills and downhills, cold and heat, feeling fresh and feeling tired; I've ran about 5000 miles. While not any record by any means, I have to admit, that number does amaze me a little upon reviewing my running logs to write this blog post.
In that period of time a lot about running has increased for me: the distance I run, the goals I have, and the appreciation and respect I have for the sport of running and what other runners are able to accomplish. Other things have decreased: my weight, my resting heart rate, and my PR's ("personal records" for any reader whose not a runner) in most every distance I've tackled so far!
I've entered roughly 85 races since I've started running, ranging in distance from 1 mile to 26.2 miles—the standard marathon distance. 5k is the race distance I've done the most of (28) but I tend to like the longer distance races (10 miles or more.) I've completed 7 half-marathons and 3 marathons.
Through running I've learned a lot about myself, surprised myself and been able to apply new things learned while running to other aspects of my life. And I think there's many others who have either done the same or can do the same.
A funny thing is, I didn't even really set out to be a runner. It wasn't until after my first race (a local 5K) that I realized running meant more to me than I even knew. I started running with a friend who I worked with, and initially it was more about just trying to become more healthy and hanging out to de-stress about work.
I still remember that first workout. We did 2 laps at the track near my house and we were both ready to walk the next lap or two. Neither of us knew much about pacing ourselves. Eventually we were able to increase the time and distance we run without stopping, but looking back it wasn't really much to brag about.
The following spring my friend was considering entering a 5K and asking if I'd be interested. I thought it sounded fun to try but both of us had to train for it. I personally didn't even know how I going to run that far. I couldn't run for much over a mile at any one time, so how was I going to do 3 times that distance? Well we both slowly increased our distance on a weekly basis and by race day we were (mostly) ready.
The 5K was tough but we both finished without collapsing to the ground, so I was happy. It wasn't a large 5K by most standards. A surprise came when the race organizers handed out the awards for the age group winners. Both my friend and I placed in our age group and received a small medal. I was totally shocked!!! As was my friend too! I didn't think we passed that many other runners or finished that well.
After getting home from the race, there just seemed to be a void. I finally ran the 5K, so what do I do now with time I normally would have spent training 2 or 3 days during the week, reading about how to pace yourself, or studying training plans? That's when it hit me, look for another race! And that's just what I did that day—look for another race. It was that moment when I realized how much I liked running and what it meant to me. The medal was nice of course; but it was the camaraderie, goal setting, and sense of accomplishment that seemed missing now that my first race was completed. I wanted those emotions to stay with me, not be something that was just with me for a month or two.
So from there came more miles, faster times, and more races. More roads, steeper hills, and more calories burned. Three miles became 5 miles, 5 miles became 10 miles, and 10 miles eventually became half-marathons and the once unimaginable and crazy thought of 26.2 miles that is known as a marathon. It's hard to describe how I once wondered how anyone even runs for 30 minutes straight, yet alone running 4, 5 or even 6 plus hours that it takes to run a marathon. But it was small steps, both in a literal and figurative sense, that got me there. I learned about preparation, not quitting when you really, really feel like it, and putting in hard work when hard work isn't exactly the first thought on your mind.
I hope that what I share can help others achieve the same. Maybe it's through inspiration, some nugget of advice, or maybe a link to some other resource that gives you the missing puzzle piece that finally completes the perfect picture you have in your mind of the runner you always wanted to be.
