Don't Believe Me; Just Watch

Today, I watched a movie that made me ugly cry. I knew I'd tear up, but I had no clue it would hit home with me on so many levels. I watched Brittany Runs A Marathon.  I am going to try not to ruin it for you.  If you haven't seen it you need to. It's got bad language,  but so do I sometimes  :)

Spoiler alert: Brittany runs the marathon. ..

I cried with her through her journey to get there. Through her struggle to make a life change and the resistance she met along the way. I knew how she felt going from the one who looked at the runners like they were insane to being the insane runner. 

I knew exactly how she felt as the 'fat funny friend'. I am the one who has been one of the guys because I was not shaped right. I am not a size 2. Heck, I'm not even a 12. I felt her pain on a soul deep level.  I have been skinny and I was absolutely treated differently than when I put my weight back on. The reality of that sucks. The good news is, true friends dont care. The good ones love you no matter what . But! That is a rant for another day. 

I have experienced her stress of others not taking my running seriously.  Her heartbreak at set backs. Her need to prove to the world that I ,and I alone ,am able to do this. The feeling of swallowing your pride and allowing others to help, in case you dont have all the answers. 

I cried like a child in time out when she ran New York. I cheered every mile they showed. I cried at her support system showing up and screaming her to the end. I cried when they showed her foot going over that finish line. I cried knowing this wasn't just a fun movie, this Brittany person is real. She runs. 

I want to, and I will, check 26.2 off my list. I want it checked in New York. I want it checked in Chicago. I want it checked in Boston.  Spoiler alert #2: I will cry then too.

I am overweight, but that does NOT count me out. I am not on a weightloss journey.  I am on an "Amanda is a runner" journey. 

Tomorrow I plan to run 3 miles. In February I will run 9.3. In April I plan to run 13.1. By this time next year, I plan to be well on my way to 26.2. 

Goal: 2021 NYC is mine. 

"It's not about winning. It's about finishing" - Brittany Runs A Marathon 

Just Keep Running...walking.....moving

OK. #1 sorry it has been so long since my last entry.  #2 I will do better.  
Why the long gap?? Well, I have been putting off typing the next couple of sentences.  Ready? 

I DID NOT FINISH MY HALF MARATHON IN OCTOBER AND I DIDN'T EVEN GO TO THE ONE 3 WEEKS LATER IN NOVEMBER . I ONLY FINISHED 10 OF THE 13.1 MILES. 

There I  said it. In my defense, I had been sick for about 3 weeks and had completed 0 training.  I just wanted to complete the distance and set a bar.  I couldn't even do that.  My feet were blistered. I was dead last. I couldn't go anymore. I rode in a cop car from mile 10 to mile 13.1, got in my mom's car, and went home.  I have been mad at myself since 10/12/19. 

I am now training and working my way to that 13.1 ( eventually 26.2). I have my first official, trained for, half marathon in April.  I completed a 4 mile run on 11/26/19. I averaged 15 min/mile and finished in 1:05:00.  I completed the Turkey Trot ( 5K ) on Thanksgiving.  I averaged 14:37 min/mile and finished in 45:57. 

I have found a TRULY  amazing running coach! Maria has been extremely helpful and encouraging! She met me where I was and has been/is helping me be a better me.  I am currently training for The Hot Chocolate 15K, in Charlotte, on 2/22/20. 
My mom has taken me to ALL my races over the last year. She has kept my kiddo while I train and while I race.  Recently she has started doing some of my races with me. She has cheered me on since I started this journey. She even refrained from laughing out loud when I announced I wanted to run Boston. 
My Hubby has been behind me since I decided to give this running thing a try. He has always made sure if I wanted to work out I can. He has helped me out in the gym and has even logged a few miles with me. 
I am LOVING that my cousin, Katy, has joined me on my running journey. She is faster than me but never once has she made me feel like she is better than me.  She has encouraged me, checked on me, and held me accountable. She talks to me about her struggles and asks for my advice. She helps me through my struggles and helps me find solutions . Even though we are in different states she is always there to cheer me on ( via text and/or in person) at the start. She is one of the first to check in and cheer for me when I cross the finish.  She has reminded me of one of the main things I love about running, the runners.  
(Those are just a few of my cheerleaders :) There are a few more who will come up later )

Katherine Switzer summed it up when she said, " “If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon.”  
From the people in the front of the pack with the elite bibs, to the people in the back who know they will be some of the last to cross.  From the people who are running their first race to the ones who have been doing it for years.  There is a feeling of family, a feeling of " we are in this together until we all cross!"  5K, 10K, 15K, 13.1, 26.2; the farther you are going the more encouragement you get! 


I am done being mad at me for not completing 13.1 in October. I was not defeated, I completed 10 Miles that day. Will I ever forget that feeling? Hell no.  I just have to keep remembering that even professionals have to drop out of races sometimes. 
I wish I was jumping on here to say I was already down to my 12:00/mile pace that I am aiming for.  I wish I was setting up my next goal for 10:00/mile, however, that is not this post.  That one will come a little later ;)  

“IF YOU’RE like me, you appreciate how running improves your life. You like how you feel while you’re running and after a run. You like being healthier and more in control of your destiny. You like the camaraderie and the time alone. You like being outside enjoying nature. You like pushing yourself and the satisfaction that comes from working toward a goal. You like how clear-cut it is, how you get out of it what you put into it. You like that you get to do it on your terms, as casually or seriously as you want. You simply like telling yourself, “I’m a runner.”
― Meb Keflezighi, Meb For Mortals: Harness the Training Methods of a Champion Marathoner to Achieve Peak Running Performance



Happy Running!!!