My Running Story

I always hated running. I was that girl in elementary and middle school that always walked the mile and I am pretty sure was told to stop before I finished since I was taking so long. To say I hated running would be an understatement. Then I met my husband who is a runner. I never understood why he would wake up early and run....willingly!!! In 2010 he signed up for the 2011 Walt Disney World Marathon. I decided if he could do 26.2 miles I could surely do 3.2 so I signed up for the 5K and started the couch to 5K program. A few short weeks later and still unable to run a mile straight I gave up. I figured I would be able to walk/jog it under the 16 minute mile required pace. Well, that magical weekend never came to be since my husband was sent out of state on military leave.

Over the course of the next year + I tried a few more times to start the couch to 5K program and would quit out of frustration either due to not being able to breath properly or because my knee hurt so bad. Then I found out about the Princess Half Marathon, a race in which grown women get to run in tutus and it is at DisneyWorld!!! I just knew I had to be a part of it so I signed up. Yep, I signed up for a half marathon when it had been 8 months since I had attempted to run and at that time running 20 minutes straight was my current record! 

I got some new shoes and a couch to 13.1 plan that I thought would work for me. I started my training in October of 2012 and everything was playing out perfectly. I was running one mile, then 2 and wow did I just run 6 miles straight?!? I was ecstatic! The the beginning of December I started a long battle with injuries. Shin splints to be exact. I did my first half marathon, which was my first official race ever too, with no shin pain, but had to walk the majority of it due to a really bad head/chest cold I got days before the race. I still managed to finish in 3:04 though. I could barely walk later that day, but I was already planning my next race. 

I had a 3 month long health battle after that race which prevented me from running along with shin pains when I did attempt to. I decided rest was best and took those months to try to heal my body. In May I started to get better and have been running since! I have several races lined up for this upcoming race season and if I didn't have to get someone to watch my kiddos for me while I race I would probably be registered for one every weekend! 

If you made it this far, moral of the story...don't give up! I was thrown curve ball after curve ball the past few years, but I am happy to say I finally stuck with it and I can now call myself a runner! I love running, I love the runners high, I love those moments getting lost in your own thoughts as the miles pass by, and I love the bling!!!