Whatever name it is given, I have been doing it. For just over a year now.
I am still painfully slow. It is not fun while in the midst, but I am learning to enjoy the feeling when I am done with a workout.
It started with training for a 5k. I ran that last August. And thought I was going to die.
Then I set my sights on the Gold Nugget Triathlon. An huge women’s only event. And I finished. 500 yards swimming, 13 miles on the bike, finishing out with a 3.1 mile run. It was a huge stretch both physically and mentally. It was terrifying. And exhilarating. And inspiring.
Then I did a run called the Skinny Mini 6k. I finished that with a slightly faster time than I finished my initial 5 k last year. And that felt great.
A little while later (9 days) I finished the Run for Women. 5 miles and 5000+ women walking and running to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research. It was an amazing day. Each survivor, or current cancer fighter, that I saw out there on the course inspired me to go harder.
Throughout the rest of the summer I just ran. For “fun”.
I planned to run the same race I ran last year in August.
But things change, and since I am so susceptible to peer pressure, all of a sudden I found myself a member of a marathon relay team.
Committed to a 6.9 mile run. Timed. With people watching. And a finish line.
And last Sunday, I did it. Ran 6.9 miles. My friends on the relay team are good people, and far better runners than I can ever hope to be. I was the slowest runner, with the 2nd longest leg of the race. Which pretty much guaranteed we would be at the back of the pack.
And we were. But we finished and it was great fun. And my friends were gracious. And wonderful.
And it was inspiring. There was a group of young women running the relay. No one of them over the age of 25. Each one of them running with a picture of their husband or brother or boyfriend pinned to the back of their shirt.
Each one of these men, represented by their picture, had been killed while serving in our nation’s military. And their wives, sisters, girlfriends were running to honor their memory and sacrifice.
I teared up each time one of these women passed me. I cannot fathom their pain.
So now, the summer runs are done and fall brings new activities.
In just 2 weeks the kids, Dave and I will begin to participate in Anchorage’s Tuesday night runs. These take place on trails all over anchorage, and are a lot different than the road races we have been running. We will get to dodge tree roots and keep our eyes peeled for moose. These runs are fun, slow and low pressure.
And great training for the 1/2 marathon I have committed to in mid-October.
Entropy: blather from my disorderly mind. 