Within the past eight months I have began my journey to becoming a runner. Growing up I was a gymnast, with a cup of cheerleader on the side. As a high schooler I became a golfer. I was never really into group sports such as volleyball or soccer, partially due to my hand-eye coordination deficiency, but partially a result of my lifelong aspiration of being different. Let's just say that when everyone in my southern school was taking Spanish (because that made more sense), I was taking French.
Last August I started training for my first 5K race in the Cowtown. Health and fitness have always been a significant part of my life, but last summer I got the urge to push my endurance in a new way. Three miles doesn’t sound like much, unless you are someone who has never ran more than a consecutive mile.
Well race day came and brought with it a monsoon. It poured down rain the entire race, we ran through miniature ponds and some even ran while carrying umbrellas. But I finished, and that was my goal. Yes, I looked like I had gone swimming in my running clothes and shoes, but I was delighted with my accomplishment!
Then in November I ran my second 5K race in Fort Worth’s annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot. There were tons more people and tons more inclines, but I finished and I beat my previous time. Accomplishment number two, mastered.
Next month I plan to run in my first 10K race, the 14th Annual Zoo Run. I’ve kept up my training and can see my improvements. The thing I love most after a good run is the way my heart feels, pumping and alive, glad it got the opportunity to challenge itself. Running, like most things in life, is predominately psychological. Believing I can and wanting it bad enough are my two central thoughts when my head starts entertaining the idea of quitting.
I’m working my way up to a half marathon, and then I think I’ll be satisfied. While two consecutive hours of running sounds a bit torturous now, I’m convinced that when my time comes I’ll step up to the plate. But until then, I will continue my well-rounded fitness plans of pursuing a healthy diet, weekly weight training and yoga, and of course some heart-enthralling long distance running.