Running Story Part 1

I didn’t realize so many people were curious about my running story.  No matter-I’ll share some parts are on my about me I suppose but who doesn’t enjoy talking about themselves?

I digress.

As most of you know I haven’t been running a really long time.  A year and a half to be exact (and not even the full time of that because I was plagued with a couple injuries.  I’ve run consistently about 8 months of my life). 

I touched upon it here, but I didn’t start really running until the summer of 2010.

In middle school I was overweight, pudgy, awkward and well couldn’t run.  My family was a bunch of runners-but me?  Yeah…no.  I failed the mile test multiple times in both middle and high school.  Not because I didn’t want to pass, I truly did, but because I couldn’t.  I could not physically do it.

It would always come down to the last lap around the track.  I’d be somewhere between 9-10 minutes and I would be dying.   Like oh my god how the hell am I going to make around one more time?

My middle school gym teacher (little did I know how big in the running community he is) would constantly make fun of me.  It didn’t help that I had some of the best middle school runners in my class.   I mean when you have some girl running the mile in 6:30 not really trying  in 7^th grade and you have me going into cardiac arrests at 12:15…such differences are noticed.

When I did pass it was passed with anywhere of 10-15 seconds to spare.  My PR on the mile test was 12:12.

So middle and high school running went something like that until 11^th grade when we didn’t have togo to gym class anymore.

I enjoyed swimming and it was fun.  To summarize, my running consisted of preying to the high heavens that I’d pass gym class and not have to retake the mile test.

For the first year of college-I ran two times.  One was to impress the (male) captains of the swim team because they were hosting an optional practice that consisted of running.

Why the hell I thought that was a good idea was beyond me.

Another was with my roommate, with when all the ellipticals were taken.  We ran exactly 1.46 miles.  New Personal Long Run!

The summer between freshman and sophomore year-a lot of things happened to me physically and emotionally.  (I found out I had a few random health problems and I became depressed and nearly decided to spend the semester at home).

To keep my mind at ease, I ran a bit over the summer because I wanted to do well in a local run swim run race.  So I did a few 5k training runs on the treadmill (yes treadmill) and went with it (I think did it 4 times on my lunch break at work in about 40-45 minutes or so).  I ended up finishing the 1k run on the beach, 1k swim in the ocean and 5k run in 50 minutes.   I even got second in my age group!

I was overjoyed of my success but didn’t run again for a while.  By a while, I laced up my sneakers maybe once from August to March. My next big running event came when my college hosted an annual 5k on St. Patricks day. The infamous 5k I often talk about the set my running into motion.  I ended up running 24 minutes.

The spring of sophomore year my medical issues kept me at edge and I ran maybe 20 miles weekly, maybe.  I didn’t keep track but I just kind of went with it.  I ran when the weather was nice and I didn’t want to stay cooped up in my dorm.  I kept it casual and did this roughly 5k loop around campus when I did run.

Now we are up to May of 2010, upon returning home from sophomore year of college, dad asked if I wanted to run a 10k race (The Elizabeth River Run) and I told him I had other things to do.  (That was a lie-I just didn’t think me running a race was worth the 30 dollars…it was not big deal for me and I distinctly remember wanting to do a core class at the same time as the race) but I would run the following weekend an 8k.

I maintained my 20 mile weeks and did the 8k.  I don’t remember much from the race just that I finished with roughly an 8:15 pace.  I kept my running casual and mainly swam with some random running in the afternoons if I got off of work early.

July 4, 2010 was when the stars aligned for me in regards with running.  I ended up running a 22 minute 5k.  I don’t know where it came from but I was on cloud 9.  I was hooked.  I was delusional. Out of runner’s high emailed our college cross country coach saying I wanted to join.

Stay tuned for part 2 on Sunday which has actually completely been documented by my blog already!  Recaps are fun.

Question for you: Share a personal story about you in regards to working out or fitness, has anyone inspired you?