Before I started running in the spring of 2004, I often wondered why people ran? What was so great about it in the first place? I had a hard time running a mile let alone 13.1 or 26.2. So I signed up for my first half marathon in the spring of 2005. For some reason signing up gave me the motivation I needed to keep running. At first, I literally wanted to die. It was awful, not being able to breath and run, sweating uncontrollably, feeling just down right ugly. I often asked myself, "What am I doing"? Until one day...
I was on my "long run" which consisted of 3 miles. At the time I was living in Cloquet and running on the country roads. Up until this point, running was a chore for me. I had to push myself to the end, and sometimes I would end up stopping half way through on even a 2 mile run. Not this day though. 1.5 miles in and all of a sudden I get this burst of energy. It was as if the clouds parted and God said, "Run harder, I will give you strength". So I did, I ran so fast, it felt like an out of body experience. My breathing was in sink with my steps, I wasn't tired, I was full of energy and able to enjoy every step! I finished the run that day and was so excited about what I experienced that two hours later, I went for another run, and I've been running ever since.
I've ran a total of 6 half marathons, one full marathon and I'm in training for another full this summer. I've done numerous 5,10, and 12k's as well. During this time my life has taken turns that I can only attribute to running. I met God while running, I met two of my very best friends while running, I found out who I was and realized that I CAN and WILL do anything that I put my mind to. I also realized that I can eat my husband under the table when training! I built a deep appreciation for the wilderness... but most of all, I've inspired others. This is why I'm starting this blog. My hope is that I would inspire others to start running so they too, can experience an amazing journey as I have.
