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!!!