Its a (half) marathon, not a sprint.

So, I've never really been a runner...well, unless you count 7th grade track and field but I had to quit because I couldn't run track AND be on the Science Olympiad team. I know, a little nerdy, but it was fun and if you knew how well I ran at the time, you would have pushed me towards Science Olympiad too. I played a lot of sports growing up, mainly tennis, but none of them required long distance running. Starting around the age of 6 through high school and some college, I spent summers practicing forehands, backhands, and volleys. I spent many summer mornings sprinting to the net and running drill after drill, learning how to react quickly and move fast. I learned how to follow the opponents body language and move towards the ball before it even hit their racket. I was trained that quickness was key and still thought so until recently, when I decided to put on some running shoes.

About a year and a half ago, Erik and I started writing bucket lists or a 'carpe diem' list (a little more positive spin on it!) and one of the first things I wrote down was the I wanted to run a half marathon. My cousin planted the idea of the Rock 'n Roll half marathon in my head around Christmas and I've been slowly training ever since. The training has been much different than the sprints and drills I was used to. When I started running earlier this year, I had to keep telling myself to pace myself and start slow otherwise I would run fast but not very far. When I first started, my mind would even be racing...I would actually try to think of new things to think about so I didn't get bored and quit mid-run. I've learned to slow my pace and my mind and its becoming more of a stress reliever than a chore. I took tonight off and I have to say, I missed it!

The big race is June 23rd and my goal is just to finish the 13.1 miles, cross the finish line and cross the half marathon off my list of goals. I've enjoyed it quite a bit though and I haven't felt this in shape for a long time. Who knows...maybe this will be the first of many. My race results and photos soon to come!