So I have really gotten into running lately, which is weird, seeing as how for the first 32 years of my life I absolutely despised running. Oh I ran when I had to, say if I was cashing down a pop fly, or running on the football field to make a play, or if wild animals were chasing me and my favorite as some form of punishment or conditioning (who are we kidding, conditioning is just a coaches word for punishment). Running has always been something I had to do, either for sports or weight loss recently, but now I find myself actually enjoying it. I have begun to understand what people mean by a "runners high", and I like it. What I like most about running is I can do it whenever I feel like. I don't have to wait for a specific class time, I can go for as long as I want or as little. I have a treadmill in my basement that I can use on rainy/cold days if I want or if I want to feel the elements I can go outside. I ran the Bix last July and that is where I think I first found the enjoyment of running. I set a goal that I never thought would be achievable (running the Bix) and I did it. Not only that but I did better than I had hoped and it felt great. Now my goal is to run a half marathon 13.1 miles, that would be officially 6.1 miles farther than I have ever run in my life. Prior to the Bix I had never run more than 5 miles and less than a year ago its safe to say I had never done more than 2 miles at any one given time. Eventually I would like to do a full marathon and then maybe a tri-athalon and someday maybe an Iron Man.
The thing I like most about running is there is always something more you can get out of it, distance, time, whatever. Running has become almost a spiritual event for me, I think a lot about my life and what is going on and sometimes I just let my mind go completely quiet and just let my headphones drown me in whatever music is the flavor of the day. I have been inspired by Dean Karnazes and his book "The UltraMarathon Man, confessions of an all night runner" he runs these 100+ mile races in extreme conditions, he has run 250+ miles on more than one occasion and I'm now starting his book 50/50 about his quest to run 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days in 50 states. The guy is absolutely amazing and yet he thinks of himself as just a regular guy. I want to follow his lead and just keep pushing myself to new extremes, and be an example to my 2 boys that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I know if I set the example for my kids of a healthy active lifestyle than maybe they won't have some of the same struggles that I have had with my weight and health. They need a role model, everyone needs a role model to help keep them pushing new limits and I want to be my kids role model.
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