I never thought of myself as a runner. I had always been active in sports since I was a teen. In my mid-twenties, I started to go to the gym and was a total gym rat for many years. For all those years, many of my workout friends also dabbled in running and tried to get me interested. I always thought “how boring… no, thank you.” Two years ago, a group of girls in my office started the Nike run/walk every Thursday; I went with them one time and walked three miles. Up to that point, distance and mileage is such a foreign concept for a gym rat like me. Three mile walk was incredible long and far to me, even though I was in good shape, mentally I had trouble with the three mile walk.
The competitiveness in me had been woken up as I saw running pass me by during my 3 mile walk.
I thought to myself ” I work out everyday, I have good muscle tones, low body fat, and I am strong. What’s going on here, what do these people do that I can’t?” That was the beginning of the end.
I started the running program first with the Nike, first few weeks was hard and painful, then I found out that you shouldn’t be running with cross-training/gym shoes… Hello!!! I went to specialty running stores and next thing I know, I was flying. I started to add days during the week and add mileage gradually.
I love road running by the beach, early in the morning, the city is still asleep and I am out there on my own. The beautiful landscape is a little piece of heaven I get to have all to myself. When I run, I feel a connection with earth, letting go negative thoughts as I run. Feeling like I am on top of the world when I finish a long run, like I can do anything. Here I am two years later, I can’t imagine not running, it’s my savior.
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