Did I catch your attention with that clever title? Ha! Feel free to breathe a sigh of relief because, no, this post is not about frequent trips to the ladies room, or chasing down a smelly toddler all whilst trying to find the ever-missing wipes case. Today, I want to open the doors and tell you all about my love-hate relationship with running. (And hopefully inspire you to join this wonderful trend lifestyle change!)
I was a sprinter in high school track, never running any race that took longer than 30 seconds. I always felt terrible for those poor kids who got stuck doing the 800’s or the dreaded mile. And heaven forbid I would ever have anything to do with cross-country… those kids CHOSE to run that far. Crazy fools! Well, little did I know, those long distance runs would soon become a part of my everyday routine.
In April of last year, I received an e-mail from a local chiropractic office announcing their upcoming running group. I was on the hunt for a new workout program and I thought I’d give it a shot. We started out with intervals of 30-second jogs and 1-2 minute walks. It was totally doable. After long, we were running 20 minutes straight! I could never have imagined that my body was capable of doing this. And what’s even crazier… I found myself WANTING to go for a run each night – even if we’d already ran that morning. Yep, I’d been bit by the running bug and I had the runs… bad! Ha!
Well, at that running group, I met a fellow beginner runner, Sarah, who was also just starting a new fitness regimen and we quickly bonded. She became my running/work-out buddy and we’ve been inseparable since! (14 months later, we are still going strong) She and her sister-in-law (our other awesome running buddy) have pushed me and strengthened me when I’m at my worst. [insert the “hate” part of my relationship with running]. There are mornings where I am just too tired, my body aches, it’s dark outside, and no sane person is awake at this hour… and I continue to think of every excuse in the world NOT to run. Thankfully, I have to be accountable to these girls, who are also dragging themselves out of bed because they know if we Just Do It (clever Nike, very clever) we will feel so much better afterwards. And so, I carry on and we Git-R-Done! (Just how many catch phrases do you think I can put into one blog paragraph? Hehehe)
I think after a year or so of registering for countless races, I have finally found my running niche. While I appreciate the occasional competitive timed-race, my heart lies in the hype and excitement revolving around the fun ones where we just get to be silly and enjoy the experience – Living History Farms Race, The Color Run, The Glow Run, and The Mud Run. Aside from making hilarious memories, we always see the best costumes and indulge in tons of delicious post-race snacks. I have numerous t-shirts and medals that remind me of all the crazy shenanigans we’ve experienced along the way! Who would have thought… running could be fun!!!
It never gets boring, because we switch it up with new routes or by interchanging sprints or tempo runs throughout the week and the races help keep us motivated. I challenge you to give it a try! If you aren’t sure where to start, every friend that I know (myself included) has had great success using the Couch-to-5k (C25K) running plan. Definitely give it a shot! And Running Wild (in Coralville and now in Iowa City!) has a wonderful variety of running gear/accessories to get you started. Their employees are super knowledgeable and would be more than happy to assist you in finding what’s right for your particular running style and answering any of your questions!
Running has given me so much more energy and endurance! (And the physical changes in my body are a nice perk too.) One of the other fabulous reasons I enjoy this particular form of fitness: your kids can be involved! My munchkins just ran their first race last weekend and had a blast!!! And what better way to get them active by taking a quick jog with Mom or Dad. I am confident you will appreciate all the benefits running has to offer!
If I can help inspire you or motivate you in any way, I’m happy to! Just send me a quick message and I’d love to chat! Or get ahold of one of our other ICMB writers, Brook, who is an expert triathlete and has this whole running thing all figured out! =)
Ahhhhhh I HAVE to get back to this. I started running 2 1/2 years ago and i was obsessed and in the best shape of my life. After surgery and a bout of depression I quit running, even sold my double jogger ( dumbest idea of my life). Just lately I have been craving running. Thanks for the motivator. I HAVE to get back to it!