2016: The year my running reached the legal drinking age...
As I was walking my pup the usual 2.5 mile trek today, my brain was tirelessly thinking of ideas for my first blog post. As usual, my mind went off on its many tangents and I started thinking back to when I began running competitively. I was 14 years old when I ran my first track race. At the ripe age of 35, I realize I’ve been racing for 21 years! That is more than half my life. And to top it off, I completed my 21st marathon in my 21st year of running. It is amazing how much I’ve changed in these past 21 years; but throughout these years, the love of running has always stayed constant. Running has impacted my life drastically. What started out as a way to keep involved in high school has paved the path to a seemingly amazing life thus far.
My relationship with my father... When I was 17 years old, going into my senior year of high school, my father challenged me to the local Labor Day 5k in our town. My dad was not a runner (at least not during my lifetime), but he was determined to beat me in this 5k. He trained all summer, while I slacked off. Race day came and my dad put up a good fight, but he did not beat me. What he did do was set a foundation for a priceless father/daughter relationship. My father developed a love for running and racing. Soon after, I went to college where I continued my running journey, but I ran with him on breaks. I continued to run and race with him after I graduated college. We developed such a strong relationship mile after mile together. He even encouraged me to run my first marathon, which we ran together.
My romantic relationships... I’ve had 3 official boyfriends in my 35 years. Every single one of them was met through running. The current (and only relationship worth mentioning) started as a friendship. We met at a team long run 4 years ago on Labor Day weekend (what is it about Labor Day weekend??!!) Through the next year we became friends and ran together occasionally and socialized through team events. During one particular run, we encountered a bear and so many thoughts ran through my head. Aside from the initial “survival” instinct, something clicked in my head and I realized that I was falling for Dave. We now own a house and a dog together and look forward to continuing our future together.
My career... I spent many years in a career I did not love. I was looking for a change. It was through a running connection (and a summer shandy) that I was introduced to a company that had a job opening in the pharma technology field in which I wanted to pursue. It has been 3 years and I haven’t looked back on this decision.
There is so much more that running has brought me through the years and will continue to bring me. This crazy life has taken me through twists and turns, ups and downs, but I am far from the finish line. I welcome you on this journey and hope you will continue to lace up with me.