Time-Out Tuesdays- I'm a Runner

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Time-Out Tuesdays

Each Tuesday we will take time out of the classroom to learn about each other.

I wasn’t always a runner.  I wanted to be a runner in high school, but I spent so much time with NJROTC that I didn’t have the time to join the track team (not that I would have made it!).  I always felt a strange desire to run despite my life-long inability to even make the mile run in school without stopping. 

Flash forward to the fall of 2009.  I had recently lost 80 pounds and decided I wanted to try something new.  Then in my mail I received a letter about a charitable organization, Team in Training.  As a participant you raise money for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society and they provide you with a running coach and support while you train for an event.  They will coordinate and pay your way to the event as well. 

When I signed up for TNT I couldn’t make it half a mile without stopping.  I would be completely winded and would have awful cramps in my side.  After months of training I was able to run 20 miles, only stopping for water and to use the bathroom (how is it I can go 5 hours without using the bathroom at work and feel like I could go every 30 minutes during a race?!?).  The amazing coaches provided phenomenal support and I would not have been able to preserve without them. 

I chose the Rock and Roll Marathon Nashville.  After raising $2500 and paying the way for my husband I arrived in Nashville.  The weather report began to look bad as the start time approached.  The storm system moving in had caused several tornadoes and a few deaths in the previous states.  Race officials decided to allow the race to continue.

Race day was gorgeous!  The sun was shining and it was just a little chilly.  As the miles ticked by I felt ah-mazing!  My pace was great, even on the hills.  As I approached mile ten the course began to empty of spectators and the sky grew ominous.  Officials diverted all runners to the finish line and picked those runners up who were too far from the finish to arrive safely.  I entered LP Field as ginormous rain drops and thunderclaps began.  The post-race picture shows the disappointment that comes with being unable to complete what took months to prepare for.

Luckily I did not give up on running.  I still head out several times a week and have completed other half marathons and a full marathon. Running gives me time alone to think and enjoy the world around me.  Other times it gives Scott and I a chance to reconnect without outside intrusion.  No matter how slow I am that day or how many injuries I get I know that I will always be a runner.

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