It is important for me to acknowledge this day because in some ways I feel like I owe my life to running. I started running 10 months ago after I had been walking and elliptical-ling for a few months. I will never ever forget that first run, it was on a treadmill in our little out dated gym. I thought I was going to DIE. I was out of breath and sweating up a storm! BUT in a weird way it felt good. I felt like maybe it was something I could start doing more.
So the next day I jogged a little more, and then a day or 2 later I jogged again. It became a game really let's see ow far I can go today, and before I knew it I was up to longer stretches of jogging and less walking and feeling good. I started to get more and more fired up about running. I thought about it for awhile and then I signed up for a 5k. I had no idea if I would be able to do it or not but there was a 5K in my home town where I grew up and it was right at the start of fall and I thought hey why not give it a shot?
I will never ever forget that day. Running my first 5K I felt so alive so free, so finally successful at something!
That girl ran her first 5K in 28:10 weighing about 200 pounds. It was 5 months into my journey and it kept me going and helped get me into the precious 'onederland' Running kept me going and I signed up for another 5K in October. By then I was hooked :)
Running makes me happy in ways I never thought possible. It can calm me down when I am stressed out, it can help me prevent a binge and emotional over eating. It makes me happy. When I finish a race I feel strong and capable of achieving anything. It gives me self confidence I never could find on my own. Before running and exercise I had to take medicine to make me feel happy, now all I need is open space and some sneakers.
I have progressed from those first 5Ks and onto half marathons. And I am proud to say i will start training for my first ever full marathon in 2 weeks :) My first marathon will be on November 20th in Philadelphia!!! i cannot wait! It will bring my running to a full circle, it will be just 14 months after that first 5K and after losing over 120 pounds. It will be amazing :)
Today I will be taking peanut out for a jog before heading into work this afternoon. That is how I will celebrate my running day :)
So today on National Running Day I encourage you to get out there and find what makes you happy! Exercise really can be one of the best forms of therapy.
How will you be celebrating today?
1 comment:
i celebrated by mapping out a 2k course for a program we are doing at work tomorrow. i waited until the back parking lot was clear, then jogged around. after i mapped it, i mapped another course in the lot that says 3 laps are half a mile. good to know!
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