Let me go back to the beginning and explain how this all started. This past March, a friend of mine asked if I'd like to run a 5K with her. I had done a few races in my 20's, but nothing since. I do not consider myself an athlete. I didn't play sports as a kid and I don't seem to have a competitive bone in my body. But, when she asked me to join her, I thought, sure...I can run 3 miles...right? In preparation for the race, which was one month away, I ran exactly twice. I ran two miles without stopping and it was hard. Really hard. But I told myself that the energy and excitement on the day of the event would get me through that extra mile and I would be fine. And I was. But it was hard. Too hard.
The evening before the 5K, which was also associated with a half marathon, I went to the expo to pick up my bib. There was so much positive energy and I found myself envying those in line for the half marathon. They got green shirts. We lowly 5K'ers got blue shirts. I found myself wanting a green shirt. I wanted to be a part of that special group of people who run so far that most people say "Oh, I could never do that!"
I also must say, that I turned 40 last year and while I am healthy and in fairly good shape, I certainly haven't been putting my health and well-being at the top of my list for quite some time. I have 3 little kids, I'm a stay-at-home mom, and somehow, things like exercise have so easily been tossed aside. But something about that magic number (40) made me stop and take stock of my situation. Yep, getting older is a given. Nothin I can do about that. But feeling old...well that's something I can do something about. So why not train for and run a half marathon? What an incredible accomplishment that would be.
So the following week, I did a little research and found a half marathon in my area in October and, following the advice of others, I bit the bullet and registered. I think this was great advice. I may not be a competitive person, but once I commit to something (especially if it involves a $70 registration fee) I usually hold myself accountable and stick with it. So far, so good. It's now the end of July and I'm in the middle of week 2 of my official training program. Up to this point, I have been running consistently, gradually building up endurance and discovering in the process that because it is my only chance to be alone and feel completely free, I LOVE RUNNING! I never in a million years thought those words would leave my mouth. I was one of those people who, when I encountered a runner, would to say, "Oh, I wish I could run." What malarkey. I'm embarrassed that I used to actually say that to people. What I found out is that just about anyone can run. I think the mistake people make (which is exactly what I did) was to one day lace up your running shoes and go out and try to be a "runner." But running, like most other sports, is something you have to practice. So, this time I did it right. I started slow (like, S-L-O-W) and am gradually building up.
Well, that's the back story. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the journey! Oh, and I decided to call my blog, "Dodging Roadkill," because I often run on country roads and have been absolutely amazed at how much roadkill there is out there. I literally had to dodge several carcasses during my 4 mile run last Saturday. Perhaps this was an anomaly, but I thought it quite fitting and symbolic of the fact that training for a big event like this is likely to present a person with many obstacles along the way...lovely analogy, I know, but that's what I came up with! Deep thoughts...this is what happens when you run!
Cheers!
