Oh, how things have changed

In high school, I played field hockey. Practice was every day and lasted over two hours – it was a lot of running. Since it was a fall sport, I began running on my own during the spring and summer. I would run from my house to Country Corners, a total of three miles every couple days after school. This was my sole source of exercise, outside of dance.

When I went to college, I became obsessed with the gym and come junior/senior year, I was spending 2+ hours, 6 days a week in there. I was running no shorter than 6 miles every time I went. On days where I ran less than that I would feel unaccomplished, in a way. After my run I would either do the elliptical or bike followed by core exercises. I ran my first half marathon the year I graduated in 2006.

After college, I moved to Boston and started doing triathlons, yet my daily runs still only lasted about an hour, 6 days a week. Since I started training for the Ironman, my runs have slowly increased to 2.5 hrs long. Last night, finishing up my run I thought about my running past. It’s so crazy how things change, how I am now running 16 miles every Wednesday after work. I’m extremely happy with my progress, and it’s still mind blowing to me how things have changed. I ran my first marathon under 4 hours, and I couldn't have asked for much more than that. Each run gets easier and easier. It always helps having someone there with you, too, even though I don’t talk (I hate talking while exercising). On long runs like last night, the end is always fun. Once Jus and I hit the final stretch of a quarter mile, it’s always a sprint to the end… it’s hard not to sprint… plus it’s fun to see who beats with beat up, tired legs ; )

Keep on running…