The Running Game

I've been at this for a couple of months now, 3 to be exact, and I think I'm finally finding my stride.  After passing my test I've lost six pounds and I finally feel like I have time to workout and just be myself.  And to add to this new found exhilaration, a couple of coworkers have convinced me to run in marathons with them.

Okay, so not exactly marathons because those are 26.2 miles.  No I think that the half-marathon (only 13.1 miles) is as far as I can fathom venturing, at least at this point.  So to get involved and run the 5K's or the 15K's or the half-marathons, I really have to start running and working out and getting to the point where I can go running for miles.

This new motivation has been an enormous help to getting me off my lazy butt.  Its another thing that is holding me accountable...besides this blog.  To hear my coworkers talk of the latest run makes me want to be out there experiencing the same thing.  There are some runs that they talk about with excitement and talk about getting teams together for, and honestly, some of those sound absolutely fantastic.  (I mean a mud run...a team of friends running through the mud, that sounds amazing!)

I used to be totally against running.  I dreaded it when it came to sports in high school and college.  Coach said line up or this is your conditioning workout for the day, my legs would gain about 10 lbs each.  I dreaded this at practices.  You know that saying that cross country teams have all over their team shirts..."Our sport is your sports punishment"...totally my frame of mind back in the day.

Now, I do go running for fun.  Maybe because its at my own pace, and maybe because its distance instead of sprinting, but I actually enjoy going outside and running.  Believe it or not its very calming and I feel amazing after I run.  I have this new energy that usually carries me through my day.  It helps curb cravings (I mean after running all that way why eat sugar and put on what I just ran off) and it helps with fatigue.  It no longer feels like "punishment" or something that I have to do to get through practice.

So what does all this babbling boil down to?  I have found a new passion and motivation to get out and exercise.  I read articles and hear friends talking about all the events they enter because of running, and I want to give this a shot.  I want to become a 'runner.'  I'm realistic about this, I'm not going to be a world class, Olympic qualifying runner.  At this point, I'd be happy with getting through a half-marathon.