Couch to ATHLETE!

When I first started running seriously a year and a half ago, I did so with the intention of getting myself triathlon ready.  I enjoy running so much because it has enhanced my life and will forever be a five day a week activity for me not only because of the health benefits but also because it keeps me sane. I do have to  admit that I also think I love running simply because I have semi-irrational fears and I am lazy. OK, so I know how ridiculous this sounds considering I ran a marathon but stick with me here... Running is simple; buy some running shoes that work, put them on and put one foot in front of the other. Cycling and swimming? Not quite as simple, in my mind at least. If I want to go out for a ride there are so many steps involved (this is where lazy comes into play). First of all I have to have a functioning bike and if you know me, I like to fix my bike myself which often involves duct tape and butter knives, rather than multi-tools and ...

I had many people send me comments regarding my post last week. Thank you for your thoughts and comments!!! I want to let you all know that although I talked about failure last week I was not saying that I am a failure; I was simply acknowledging that I am not going to achieve a goal I set for myself. Although I find the positive in everything I can tell you that failing to achieve my mileage goal for November and December is a huge bummer! On the other hand I actually am happy that I recognized my limitations due to a nagging injury that seems to be pretty close to healed; I am also happy because I feel like I have been brought back to the basics regarding why I fell in love with running in the first place. Running provides me an outlet to relax and unwind. It reminds me to live my life in a carefree, youthful way. Some people have told me that I have become obsessed with running and I prefer to call it a passion (thank you Chris for that one). The reality is that if somet...

I have been focusing on running for about a year and a half. Pre-running days I was a 'triathlete' who didn't ever really run except for the few weeks leading up to the triathlon and I always somehow managed to finish. I always knew, as a triathlete, that at some point I would get a flat tire on the course, hurt myself on the run or get in over my head during a difficult swim. I did triathlons for years with no incident until 2010. I was participating in the south shore sprint triathlon in Chicago with my sister and a couple of other friends. I was on track for having quite possibly the best event of my life and I blew a flat tire. I did not have the equipment on the course to change my tire so had to helplessly wait for the SAG vehicle to pick me up and then stand at the finish line watching my friends successfully complete the race. Since I have been running (which you all know is my favorite sport) I have set many goals for myself and have achieved them all. My firs...

I had the good fortune of seeing many wonderful people this past weekend. It was amazing to hear all of the good will people offered me as it was the first time many of these folks had seen me since I ran the marathon. I was also blessed with a few emails from friends who have decided to pick up running and have told me they are inspired by me and my persistence. Here is what I have to say regarding all of the amazing thoughts that people have shared with me over the last weekend. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! In all honesty I do not feel like an inspiration I do what I do because I want to improve my quality of life; I want to live. What do I mean you may ask? Well, I want to have a long life of many hikes, camping trips, music festivals, road trips, visits with my friends/family, and the list goes on... I realize that I have very little control over when I am going to die but as long as I am alive I am going to live my life to the very fullest, which includes logging an hou...

I was supposed to run tonight after babysitting the cutest little man in Columbus, but due to timing I have been forced to relax instead. Getting back into running after a marathon varies from person to person. Some folks jump in immediately and are able to heal quickly, while others may take a few weeks or even a few months to fully recover from a marathon. Over the last week I have been trying to build my mileage back up to pre-marathon weekly mileage. I have not been fully successful but I am getting there! I have started writing a training plan but have become more inspired by running for the sake of running rather than having a true plan. Don't get me wrong, I am trying to achieve 250 miles for November and December (I am likely to fail as I will probably only hit 110 miles in November) and that is a plan, however I like to just go out and see where my feet take me. Tonight as I sit in my 'grampa' chair, listening to music, reading and writing I have discovered th...

I realized today that there are a number of words I use on a semi-daily basis that I don't even know the true meaning of (wow ending sentences in prepositions, today is not a good writing day). Because I am a word of the dayer I feel like I have a somewhat adequate and intelligent vocabulary but when I realize I don't know the literal definition of, say, the word humble I need to educate myself so I don't sound ridiculous! Dictionary.com solved this problem and provided me with a definition of humble (I should mention that I might still sound ridiculous even though I looked up the definition, but I'm OK with that.). Here is what I learned: Humbled means: adjective 1. not   proud   or   arrogant;   modest:   to   be   humble   although successful. 2. having   a   feeling   of   insignificance,   inferiority,   subservience, etc.:   In   the   presence   of   so ...

Experiencing a marathon from the sidelines is very different than running one yourself. I had the pleasure of spectating my second marathon ever yesterday in Elyria, Ohio. Because I am a very reflective person I stood on the sidelines of my favorite person's marathon reflecting on his success and how I can learn from his success. For starters, nothing in life is easy; neither is crossing the finish line of a marathon. The result we get when we cross the finish line is very reflective of the work we put in to getting there. Sound dramatic? Perhaps, but the reality is  that statement is so very true. Think about it, if your goal is learning to play puff the magic dragon on your guitar by Christmas but you only pick up your guitar to tune it from time to time, you should not expect to play puff the magic dragon any time soon! So as I was watching this incredible individual achieve his goal all I could think is we all need to try harder, play harder, practice harder and believe in...