A guest post by newbie runner, Trina Flint
Let’s get one thing straight. I hate running. It’s exhausting, the summer runs are torture (especially with that humidity) the winter ones are frigid, and it’s hard on the body. But it’s like an addiction, and I can’t stop doing it.
If you would have asked me 10, even 5 years ago if I would ever run in a race, I’d just laugh at you. I have run here and there since high school. But I never thought of myself as a runner
About six months after I had my third child, I was over at a friends house picking up some toys she was giving away and out of the blue she asked if I wanted a treadmill. She said it wasn’t anything fancy, and it really wasn’t. It basically had a lever you had to pull up in order to start it, but other than that, it was fine. I was a proud owner of a treadmill. Too bad I didn’t step on the thing for another six months. Yup, I am one of those people who buy exercise equipment and let it gather dust. But for some odd reason in January, I just decided I was going to start running. I’d hop on for a five to ten minute walk and run for about ten minutes.
Each week, I’d lower the amount of walking and up the amount of running. Soon I was running 5 days a week for 30 minutes. With my son taking his one nap a day, this was working out great. After a few months, I would dread having to hop on that treadmill, but the feeling afterwards was worth it. So as much as I hated it, I kept doing it. I would even find myself running at night if I didn’t get a run in during the day. I was obsessed! I had heard some of my friends around springtime that were doing a 5K. Okay, confession, I thought a 5K was 5 miles. (Don’t know why, since there is clearly a K at the end of it, not M for miles, but whatever).
When I heard it was 3.1 miles, I told myself, hey, I run that everyday! But I still felt I wasn’t ready. I had never run a long distance race before and had the same thought most of you have that have never raced, “What if I come in last?” So I kept putting it off. When the end of the summer rolled around, so did my sons naps. What do I do now? Maybe I could have him play with some toys while I run? Nope. Perhaps entice him with his bouncy seat? Doesn’t like sitting in one spot for that long. I was going to have to suck it up and start running outdoors. Needed to anyways if I wanted to race, right? So I bought a jogging stroller and I was ready to go. I wish someone had told me ahead of time how different it is running outdoors versus running on a treadmill. Boy was that a wake up call.
I think I ran about a mile the first time if that, but each week got a little easier. By fall, I finally signed up for my 1st 5K, and I’ve never looked back. Since 2010 I’ve ran a handful of 5K’s, and ran my 1st 10K this past December. I’m currently training for a half marathon. I still ask myself these questions: Do I consider myself a runner? Yes. I think anyone who just gets out there is. Am I still learning the ropes? Absolutely! I still have to look up when to get new shoes, just purchased a belt to hang who knows what, and finally figured out what those sleeves were that everyone is wearing.
Will I ever win a race? Probably not, and I’m okay with that. I am out there only for myself and my goal is to keep doing what I love, run a marathon someday, and to beat my PR. Oh fine you caught me, I do love running. It feels exhilarating, the summer runs aren’t so bad in the morning/evening, running on snow is fun, and it makes you have some rockin’ legs. It’s like an addiction, and I can’t stop doing it.
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