Running

I need to give a little background regarding me and running. . .

I hate to run. I have never liked to run and have always been amazed that anyone could like it at all. When people would have a goal to run a marathon I would wonder why. I have just never been able to figure out the appeal of paying to put yourself in that kind of pain for a little trophy or medal.

I have ran races before. . . in Jr. High. I was on the track team and ran the mile and the 800 and didn't do too bad, but I never liked it. I did it to go to the track meets with my friends and get out of school early. Jr. High track was completely a social thing for me.

On my mission I had a companion that loved to run, Sister Smith. She would always try to get me to wake up early to run with her. She learned that those were 2 things that just didn't work for me - running and getting up earlier than I had to. I finally relented a bit and would follow her on my bike while she ran. I couldn't understand why she wanted to run when we were out biking or walking all day. Wasn't that enough exercise already?

Then my little sister, Tera, came to live with Bump and I early in our marriage when she was just home from her mission. She lived back in Washington DC for awhile and had started running and got in really great shape. So, when she came to live with me, she tried to get me into shape too. We can both admit that it was a terrible experience. I could hardly catch my breath and felt like I was going to die the entire time we were running. It didn't last too long, although she did try. I just wasn't ready to love running and hated every second of it.

Fast forward to 2010. For the last year I have had the desire to start running. I have often said that I want to run until I love it. I want to feel good after a long run and know that my body is healthy. That in itself is a huge step for me, because I have never even had a desire to run before. I have been inspired as I watch other people around me that are older or heavier than myself begin to run and become better people for it. I think, if they can do it than surely I can, right?

So, earlier this year I took advantage of my treadmill and started walking. Then at the beginning of May there started to be talk about a bunch of my cousins and brothers and sisters getting a team together to do the Las Vegas Ragnar Relay Race in October. I thought that it sounded like so much fun to go with my family and be a driver and support for the runners that were going to participate. I brought it up with Bump (who, you have to understand, hates running as much as I do - we are terrible for each other) and said that wouldn't it be fun to train for the race and go and be a part of things. He loved the idea of working toward something and joined the team right then. I wasn't brave enough and said that I would just be an alternate if somebody else couldn't do it. Anyway, both of us started training to run in October.

I think that the walking that I did before helped and then I have started following the Ragnar training schedule to get me ready gradually. A few weeks ago, my sister, Tracy called and asked if I would go running with her. I was leery because she is a very good runner and goes all the time, but she said that she had been hurt and needed to slowly get going again, so she wouldn't push me too hard. I reluctantly went and ended up being so glad that I did. I actually liked it.

I still can't believe I am saying this as I type the words, but I am starting to like running.

Is it easy? Not on your life! But I am doing it and I feel little bits and pieces of happiness as I accomplish each run that I do.

Do I love it yet? No.

Do I think that I could love it? Eventually. I honestly think that I can.

I actually paid $20 to run my very first ever 5K on the 3rd of July. Who would have thought? My goal was to run the whole time and not walk. And to finish the race. I accomplished both and felt great about it. Here's Bump and I after our first 5K. Yeah!!!

We are going to run another one on July 24th. Yup, 2 in one month! CRAZY!!! Maybe someday I can be like Tracy and Kaylea who both placed in their divisions (and Kaylea took 2nd overall in the women's).
For now, I will just keep trudging along and feel good about each little run that I do, because I still can't believe that I am out there doing it at all!!! Someday I am going to love running. :)