Tomorrow is Global Running Day! I wasn’t planning on posting today, but as a runner, this day means a lot to me. I knew I had to spread the word and plant a seed in at least ONE person’s mind. If I can do at least that, then I’ll feel accomplished. Global Running Day is a day when runners from all over the world can come “together” and run. It doesn’t matter how experienced, fast or long you’ve been running. Tomorrow could be your very first run. In fact, that would be amazing. Talk about the perfect day to start working towards a goal?!
In honor of Global Running Day, I wanted to share with y’all how I got into running…
In high school, I was a cheerleader and we occasionally had to run sprints or a mile for conditioning. I certainly wasn’t the fastest, but I was one of the faster ones and I guess I didn’t hate running as much as I could have. Every once in a while, I would run around my neighborhood to stay in shape, but it wasn’t something I ever did voluntarily.
Fast forward to college. I ran a couple of 5Ks and would occasionally run on the treadmill or the track in our rec center, but nothing serious. I was definitely into fitness because I fell in love with group exercise and became a certified instructor. Running was never really on my radar. Then one day during my senior year, I decided that I wanted to run a half marathon. Someone from one of my classes did it and it made me want to try! I loved fitness and taught group exercise classes, so surely I could run a half marathon right? I talked to two of my best girl friends and we all signed up for the Rock ‘n Roll San Antonio Half Marathon in November 2009.
That summer and fall, I trained for my first half. I found a training plan, stuck to the program and actually enjoyed it. Then I realized that long runs gave me a lot of time to think and decompress, plus I loved running around, exploring and finding new routes to run. I trained during a summer internship and my final (extra) semester of college, so I got to explore Houston for a bit as well as College Station. Who knew that these two cities would be where I continued to run, explore and dive deeper into something I truly loved?!
Come race day, I felt nervous but prepared. My friends and I had planned on starting the race together, but were going to run separately at our own paces. I’ll admit that nearly 10 years later, I don’t remember all of the details of the race, but I remember how I felt. That feeling you get when you’re beat, yet you have such a rush of pride and accomplishment. I’ll never forget the final half mile running towards the Alamodome. It was up hill and the last little bit of the race was actually pretty steep! I was pushing hard, breathing harder and determined to finish strong. I crossed the finish line with my arms in the air feeling like such a champion.
When I finished, I knew that I had to do it again. I caught the running bug and was all wrapped up in the runner’s high! It was another year before I ran my next half marathon, but after that, I didn’t stop. Now I’ve run 26 half marathons, 2 full marathons and countless other distance races. Not only that, I’ve signed up for the Dopey Challenge at Disney World in 2020! That’s a 5K, 10K, half marathon AND full marathon one per day from Thursday to Sunday. I’ll admit, I’m a little crazy, but I’m okay with it.
As a mother, running has become so much more to me! It’s a chance for me to do something just for me. It makes me feel good, accomplished and strong. It gives me time to think, reflect, plan and dream. On top of all that, I feel like I’m also being a good role model for my children. I hope that one day they’ll want to run because their mom does!
Now I’m asking YOU to join me! Tomorrow, join me in running. Any distance, any speed. Just get out and run. You can pledge here to run on Global Running Day! You might as well just click that link for some accountability! Any distance at all! You can be an experienced runner, a beginner or this can even be your first run. Run 10 miles, 3 miles or just half a mile. It’s all about getting out there, hitting the pavement and working towards a goal.
Drop a comment below and let me know how many miles you’re running tomorrow! Then go pledge it with the rest of the runner’s of the world! Accountability is everything y’all!
