Run Forrest Run!!

You guys....you guuuuyys....

I truly have the best friends and family around.

No joke.

Thank you so much for your kind words here in the comments and that you have said to me in person. We all have bad weeks and it is so good to know when I need to let it all out (blabber on and on like a baby on my blog) that there are people in my life who get me. Who understand and make me feel better. Isn't that what we are all here for? When we are tired and don't know how we will possibly make it through the week, let alone the next 5 minutes, there are people in our lives cheering us on?

THANK. YOU.

I didn't mean to leave such a Debbie Downer post on the blog for that long.

So lets talk about something much more upbeat and uplifting okay.

How about my awkward junior high years. Mmmkay?

Here we go.

So running. You know the HUGE crazed fad that is sweeping across the nation? I have never had so many friends enrolled in relay races, triathalons, marathons, etc. Seriously. Everyone I know is out there running around and training for their next big race.

Super awesome. Go runners!

Me?

{crickets}


Let's put it this way. In junior high there was a requirement every single year that stated that all students enrolled in P.E. would have to complete a 10 million mile run at the end of the year. Okay, so it wasn't 10 million miles. It was probably only a mile but in my mind, it might as well have been.

7th grade: I was a newbie really to the whole "running because it was required" bit. I ran everywhere as a kid...but when it was required? No. Elementary schools only required seeing how many times you could go around the track. This was the time for socialization. Coordinating outfits with the besties so we would have the same outfits during the week...right down to the ring clips on the sides of our shirts. The important stuff. As long as I got at least 5-7 around the track, teachers were content.

8th grade: I knew what to expect this year and wasn't exactly all that fond of the run through the neighborhood around the jr. high. I am pasty (and currently working on loving that trait I have..it is touch and go still to this day) and when I get sweaty and hot outside I turn a nice shade of lobster. Did I mention my throat does some weird burny thing? It is hard to describe, most people have no clue what I am talking about. Basically huffing and puffing while running makes me feel like my throat is on fire. I wanted to die.

9th grade: I was conveniently "sick" the day of the test but was friends with the gym teacher by then and she let it slide. Thank you Mrs. Benton, wherever you are.

High school: I was the only one out of my parents 4 kids who DID NOT join the track team in high school.
I was okay with it.

Flash forward to this year when I decided that I wasn't going to say I "can't do" this or "I can't do that" anymore.

Still to conquer this year...

...crochet
...canning
...writing personal stories of horror about myself on the blog...go me!
...and you guessed it....RUNNING.
 {there are many others but for the sake of time, lets just cut it to the point.}

I joined the gym and started working out. What does every gym have a million of? Treadmills.
I hopped on and was within buffer distance of another girl who was "about my size" and she was just running away. I thought to myself..."If she can do it...so can I." Positive thoughts. Positive thoughts.

WRONG.

I was embarrassingly horrible at the treadmill. One minute in and I wanted to die. I am totally horrified to admit that here, but it is true.

Several nights of trial and error and I was ready to give up. Running was going to kick me in the pants. Again.

This was going to have to go on my car:

 and it would be parked right next to all the 'fancy' cars that have this:

We had a big family dinner and I was talking to my cousin and she told me she had started the couch to 5k program because she wasn't a "runner" either and she was loving it. There are tons of super cool apps and they work right along side your running music and tell you when to run and when to walk and build you up to your goal of running 5k straight.

I am a little over halfway through and my feelings on running are completely changed. I LOVE it.
I don't get "burny throat" (there has to be a medical term for it somewhere) anymore and I can run WAY more than 1 minute. A miracle I must say.

Am I running out (hahaha....pun!) and signing up for the next "big race"? No. Not yet. If I never do, I won't be disappointed. I have done something I thought I could "never" do.

That in and of itself is good enough for me. I am going to do the 10k program once I finish and go from there.

And maybe...just maybe this bad boy will go on my car: