My Running Reflection...

Today is my last day as 27, in 13 hours, when the clock strikes Midnight, it will officially be my 28th birthday. Its hard to believe its my birthday yet again, this year has flown and what a year it has been. I feel like each year there is a change in myself, others and milestones I never thought I would encounter. 27 was really a year about myself, a year to find out who I was and how far I wanted to take myself. This year I found my love of running. As a child, I never one to be outside and play and run and be active. I normally would sit home, watch TV, play indoors or read. I am an only child and for most of my younger childhood, I lived in a secluded area, with not a lot of other young children. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't a hermit, but I wasn't a child who had to be called in for dinner, I made sure never to miss a meal. That mentality stayed with me for most of my life. In High School though, I played volleyball for all 4 years and it was the best experience of my life. But after HS, activity resulted in, maybe going to the gym, or signing up for a gym membership and NEVER going. I just didn't feel comfortable, I was lazy, bored and really didn't like working out in an environment where everyone could see my flaw. Then I grew up!! When joining WW, I got into walking. I know doesn't seem like something to get into, walking is just well walking, but I decided to join my WW every Wednesday and walk 3 plus miles downtown and it felt great. Then I started doing it on my own, then I started buying DVDs of in home gym workouts. I would workout 2 times a week, nothing major, but a start. A co-worker of mine was also going through a weight loss transformation and told me about a 5k run, called Iron Girl, April of 2012. I figured, what the heck, so I Google Couch to 5k and started using their methods. Well I could barely make it down the block without stopping, not because I was tired, but because I was embarrassed of what people were seeing when they were driving by. Flash forward a bit, because like I said I can ramble on and on. July 2012, I turned 27, and I vowed I wanted to make this year my running, active year. So I just started running, LITERALLY! And well I feel in love. I was slow and steady and probably walked a whole lot, but I was doing it. I remember September, I ran my first 5 miles. I couldn't believe it! I do intervals, so I run for a song, walk a song, so on and so on. It took we well of an hour, but I didn't stop, I just kept going. And from that Sunday morning, I was hooked, I loved distance running. Flash forward a little more, I met my running partner. Jacke got the half marathon bug in my ear. I mentioned I was planning on running the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Feb of 2013, she also was wanting to do so. So we set up a running plan. She changed my running life. We planned our long runs around our schedule, we were out there after work, long days, with our fuel belts on, GU packets ready and plenty of water avail, we do live in Florida. I couldn't believe I was actually doing it and how great I was feeling. Running helped me clear my mind, it gave me hope, determination and mainly a sense of pride, I never knew I had in me. I ran my first Half Marathon on Feb 9, 2013, and cried at the finish line, when I saw my boyfriend on side lines, videoing me as I made my way across. I cried because my father, up in heaven, was smiling down on me. I cried because I had the courage and the strength to do it. 2 weeks later, I ran my Second half marathon. And 2 months after that I ran my 3rd. Also did a Boston Memorial Run and a Color Me Rad 5k. 2012-2013, 27th year, was my Running year. I put on those running shoes and I never looked back and I plan never too. Running saved my sanity, like WW saved my eating habits and health. When I run, it is just me, my music and my thoughts. Its my chance to release all that is going on in my life. I curse when I run, cry, smile, I run slow, I run fast, I walk at times, I run intervals, I am now up to 10 minutes, walk a minute. But nothing is going to stop me! So for my 28th year, I am not going to change a thing, except well, run a whole lot more!!