the one i thought about while out for my run.

my dad bought me a book for mother's day.

the book was titled: Born to Run.

see here for book info.

i haven't read it yet. 

i will though, it sounds pretty fascinating.

i was excited to get this book.

i thought it was funny that i was excited.

it was a book about running.

but i hate running...

when i was a kid i hated running unless it was a race with a friend for fun.

unless it was in another sport, like soccer, baseball, football, rugby, frisbee...

i did track.

in grade school.

i ran the 100m, 200m, 400m, 1500m.

the 1500 nearly killed me!

i never did it well.

i never did it because i enjoyed it.

i enjoyed hurdles.

i enjoyed long jump and triple jump (i know it's not a real event).

i HATED running.

when i first got married to a man who enjoys running, i tried it out.

it's supposed to be good for the body.

gave up.

so not worth it.  let me go for a nice long walk.

i had a kid.

i hated the baby belly.

hubby recommended running as one form of exercise.

tried it.

hated it.

gave up.

i had a second kid.

i hated the baby belly on top of previous baby belly.

hubby recommended running as one form of exercise.

tried it.

knew it was a good idea.

The Terry Fox run is something i had always wanted to do.

but i hated running.

i read, watched, heard somewhere that Terry Fox didn't like running.

i don't know if it's completely true, but if he could run it there was no reason why i couldn't.

i began running..

hating it.

dreading it.

i ran/walked the 5km terry fox run.

didn't run again until the next summer.

ran the 5km (a couple very short walks within it) terry fox run.

didn't run again until the next summer.

i ran the 5km!

it hurt.

i did feel good after a run..

when i wasn't gasping for breath.

i liked the sore muscles - - yes, that's strange, but i really do.

we decided to do Tough Mudder this Sept.

i have no endurance.

i also wanted to do the 10km Terry Fox in Sept.

then i decided i wanted to do our town's 10km run (www.huntsvillehalf.com) 

what?

was i crazy?

training began in January.

outside.

in the snow.

in the cold.

i have worked up from dying at a 2km run to dying at a 8.5km run.

my minimum run is now a 5km.  

i find myself enjoying my run - most days.

finding that i can push myself that little bit further.

sometimes even picking up my speed and trying to sprint at the last 100m or so.

sometimes i look at other people out there running and think 

"oh, i hope i don't look like that."

sometimes i look at other people out there running and think

"oh, i wish i looked like that when i run."

when i run i sometimes try not to trip over my own feet.

my arms and shoulders are not always relaxed.

my strides are short, then long, then short.

my breathing isn't steady, and i'm trying to catch my breath.

sometimes i started out feeling great and ran faster than my body wants to do for the whole distance.

my face, neck and sometimes arms go a blotchy red... even when i feel i've had a great run.

but i'm running.

and i'm enjoying it.

i feel great.

i love the muscle pain because i know i've earned it.

i am running for my own health.

i'm running for my kids, as an example of staying active and having energy to play with them.

i'm running for my dad.  who runs the terry fox run with me.

i'm running to be able to have the endurance to make it from event to event at Tough Mudder.

i realized when i picked up that book on Mother's day, 

and was excited about it, 

that i don't hate running anymore.

i enjoy running.

there.

public confession.

(i have the right to withdraw my confession while on my 9km run this weekend)