0 - 19

A brief history of my life as a runner:

Childhood: Asthma.  Lots of trips to the hospital.  0 miles.

High school: Laziness. "I'm an academic, not an athlete."  0 miles.

College: Surgery on both feet.  100+ lbs. overweight.  0 miles.

Grad school: A few miles...before quickly getting injured.  Twice.

2003: Thanks to the right shoes (and socks!) and the encouragement of a Chicago marathoner, I finally began to run. 

2005: Though not part of an official race, I did my first 10K.

2007: Alternating 3 songs running, 1 song walking, I ran my first half marathon around my neighborhood. 

2008: Broke a toe.  Back to 0 miles.

2009: Surgery on the other foot.  Back to 0 miles.

2010 - 2012: Worked back up to 6-7 miles.  Car accident.  Back to 0 miles.  Again.

 

A year ago, I was finally able to resume running.  I am lucky to have a buddy who is an ultramarathoner, having completed 42- and 50-milers.  Hearing him talk about his own running and those who inspired him, 26.2 no longer seemed impossible.  For years, I had flirted with the idea of a marathon but never committed to the idea.  Yet the more stories I heard and the more miles I ran, the less running a marathon became "someday maybe" and the more it became something I have to do. 

In early May 2012, I wasn't sure I'd be able to finish 3 miles with my friend.  By Memorial Day, I was back up to 10K...though with the 95-degree heat and still being out of shape, it took me forever to finish.  I didn't worry about the time, reasoning that if I could go the distance, speed would come.  I was up to 10 miles by June, 12 by July, and did my first 13.1 training run in August. 

I did my first race, a 5K at the Ballpark in Arlington, on Labor Day weekend and my second, the Tour des Fleurs 10K a few weeks later.  I will never forget that race, not so much because of my performance but because my family was there.  I told Mom I was running a race at the Dallas Arboretum because I figured she would want to come watch and see the flowers.  To my surprise, she signed up!  Then my dad and my brother followed suit.  Everybody went their own pace, but we all finished, and it was a remarkable way to celebrate my birthday!

Sometime during that summer, I realized that if I just added a mile/month to my longest training run, I would be at 26.2 by October 2013--in time for the Marine Corps Marathon.  I did 14 in September but missed October and November due to a quad/knee issue that was treated w/ Airrosti.  I had to sacrifice speed work to get better, but by Veterans Day, I was able to run the American Heroes 10K, which took place about a mile or so from my childhood home.  Due to a poorly marked course, it turned out to be an "ultra 10K" (7.17 miles!), and I was glad I had gone in with the goal of running pain-free as a higher priority than setting a PR. 

In December, I set out to pick up where I left off and do a 15-mile run, but I literally went the extra mile and finished 16, putting me right back on track with my training schedule.  I was back.

In January, I ran 17 miles--even though it was 32 degrees (19F windchill!).  I think the mental toughness and belief in myself I developed that day were far more important than physical endurance from the run itself.

I did 18 in February, book-ended by two 13.1 training runs the week before and after.  Something remarkable happened.  The week after running 18, I shaved 20 minutes off my 13.1 time from the personal best I had turned in just 2 weeks earlier.  20 minutes off a half marathon in 2 weeks?  Who does that?  Me, that's who.  :)  I ran negative splits on all three of those long runs and felt like I still had gas in the tank at the end of them.

That set me up for the Cowtown Half Marathon, my first time running 13.1 in a race.  Trying not to be as conservative as I had in training, I came out too fast and tired over the second half--an important learning experience.  But I still set a PR--and finished ahead of my old running buddy.  :) 

Last month, I ran 19 miles for the first time in my life.  And thanks to fewer walk breaks, actually did so in less time than it had taken me to run 18.  There are 2 things I will remember about that run: 25 mph winds (which due to a laundry miscalculation, short sleeves, and a temp of 51F left quite a lasting impression!) and seeing the Fort Worth skyline in the distance when I reached my turnaround point.  Awesome. 

It has been quite a journey so far, and it's been amazing to see the transformation, of my mind as well as my body, as I keep growing as a runner.  Thanks to Team USO, I have a spot in the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon and continue my training for October. 

Tomorrow, I tackle 20...