All of my life I have HATED running. I was that kid in elementary who couldn’t run the mile in under 12 minutes so I had to run it again the next day. Don’t get me wrong, I love to work out. Hiking, kickboxing, sculpting, and weight lifting are serious stress relievers for me. But whenever an aerobics instructor mentioned that running would be involved, I got that same sick-to-my-stomach feeling that I used to get in elementary school when our PE teacher made the same announcement. Needless to say, when I read in the physical fitness section of World Race training (you have to be able to run 3 miles in 33 minutes), the ever so familiar feeling returned.
I decided that I would make myself like running. Just like I had made myself like eggs (it is possible!). I called my friend Katina, runner extraordinaire, and asked for tips. She gave me a few pointers, tips and strategies, and I was off on my next big challenge. When I first started running, I couldn’t even run straight for 1 minute. Seriously. Please don’t laugh! But now, after significant hours on the treadmill, I can confidently say that I can run a full 2 miles without stopping! This is saying a LOT for me! And I am still going. I want to run a 5K. So I am currently training to run a 5K in March or April. All I have to do is run a solid 3 miles without stopping, and decrease my time by about 8 minutes. Totally doable! AND, bonus, I kind of like it now. Once I realized that my body will be in constant pain for the duration of my run, and that that is standard and necessary for a good run, I can cope with it.
