Disclaimer: It’s the Friday before race weekend and running is on my brain. Be prepared for some random thoughts 🙂
This coming Sunday I’m running my 4th distance race and my 3rd half marathon of 2013. I’m pretty pumped. I don’t have a set time goal. {But let’s be honest, as always, I want it to be under 2 hours.} I haven’t been training super hard. {Thanks to these stupid allergies that have knocked me out of running the last week and a half.} I don’t have pressure to PR. {I’m saving that for later.} I’m just going to run, have fun, cross the finish line and be proud of myself for yet another accomplishment. Why? Because it’s fun.
Those of you that have been around here for a while know how much I love running. It’s my stress reliever, a calming force and my way to feel free. I’m good at it. When it comes to running, as long as you feel like you’re good at it, then you are. It’s as simple as that. You don’t have to always be “the best.” When running races, most normal people are not running to win or to beat all of the random people. Most people run distance races to challenge themselves, beat their previous PR or just have fun. That’s the beauty of running.
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| I ran this race on a whim. I didn’t sign up until the Monday before. |
I’m still beyond happy that I decided to randomly pick up this sport 4 years ago. For those of you thinking about starting to run. Just do it. Honestly, what do you have to lose? Worst thing that can happen is that you absolutely hate it. You know what? That’s okay. I’ll be the first to admit that running isn’t for everyone. But if you’re thinking about it or you want to go for it, why not just give it a try? In the summer of 2009, Julie, Andrea and I decided to run a half marathon just because we wanted to give it a go. Andrea’s mom is a runner, we’re all athletic women, so we did it. To top it off, we’re all still running today! That one little decision to train with two of my closest friends changed my life.
Yes, I just said changed my life. I’m not being over-dramatic though that would not be surprising. Running truly has changed my life. I have made some of the greatest friends, met some amazing people and accomplished things I didn’t know my body could do. I have the best coaches and motivators that have helped me reach my goals. Running makes me feel good about myself. I workout and stay fit. I eat healthier to fuel my body. I get more sleep. {Except for those pesky 5:00am long runs.} I push myself to be the best version of myself that I can be.
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| My awesome 3:45 training group for the Houston Marathon |
Now that Spring is here, Houston will quickly find its way to warmer temperatures. Temps that as an asthmatic, I can’t run outside in. Boo. This may be my last distance race of the season. I’m not positive because if something awesome comes up that I cannot refuse then of course I’ll run. This is however, the last race I have already registered for. I’m a little sad, but at the same time, I don’t want to get burnt out. I’ve been in training mode since last August. 7 months is a long time. I’m looking forward to more cross training and changing up my workout schedule in the coming months. Summer in Houston is quite the doozie, so I’ll be joining a gym for sure!
Until then, I’m going to enjoy this race, soak it all up and start thinking about which races I’ll do this fall 🙂
Until next time…
With love and God bless,
