I. Am. A. Runner.

Earlier this month I completed my 500th class at the studio where I workout! I’m pretty proud of myself! Here’s the thing, 5 years ago, this month, when I started working out, I wasn’t really sure how long it would last. Let’s be honest, I wasn’t sure I would make it a week. However, I had recently returned from a trip to New Orleans, and from the way my jeans were feeling, I might have eaten one too many beignets. Rather than complain about it, I was taking action!

I would be a runner.

I borrowed an old pair of Nikes, buckled Elliot into his buggy and away we went!

Okay, It Wasn’t Quite That Easy…

Not really grasping what it meant to “go for a run,” I threw on some old sweats, an oversized t-shirt and those borrowed Nikes and headed to the park… 3 MILES from our house! WHAT WAS I THINKING? Now I had to get home, and to say I was out of shape would be an understatement. I stopped multiple times and had to walk/limp the last two miles home. A full week went by before I could use the bathroom without holding onto the wall for support. This was going to be much harder than I thought…

The Proverbial Carrot at the End of the Stick

I didn’t want to quit, but this running thing was hard. I needed something to help keep me on track… I needed… a new running outfit! So I set a goal for myself:

Goal: Run twice a week for one month.

Reward: New running outfit from Lululemon

This might not have been the right goal for everyone, but it worked perfectly for me, and of course once I got the new outfit I had no choice, but to get my money’s worth out of it… Not only that, but within 6 weeks my jeans weren’t snug anymore and I felt noticeably happier and healthier!

Shortly after I achieved my goal, I decided to sign up for my first race, a Half Marathon! Not only did I complete that race, but I immediately signed up for another one…

But That’s Not All…

I was now open to a whole new world, the world of fitness, and when a friend asked me to join her for an indoor cycling class… I thought why not? Guess What? 5 years and 500 classes later we are still spinning together!

I’m still running with the same group of fabulous ladies I started with! I wish I could tell you more, but we have a saying, What’s said on the run, stays on the run…

Anyway…The Rest is History

Since the beginning I’ve run thousands of miles, taken literally hundreds of fitness classes and set many goals, which I then crushed. I even became a certified running coach!

In case you’re thinking, but I’m not a runner, I’m not fast enough, I can’t keep up… Remember, I never thought I would make it past one week!

Here are a few tips that have helped me along the way:

Run Happy. Whatever it takes! Give yourself permission to do what is best for you.
Fight the mental battle. Are you really hurt? Is it really that hard? Are you just tired? You can do this!
Bring a friend or 7. That’s right, while it was me who dragged myself out of bed to train on those cold dark winter mornings and it was also me who went to those cycling classes every week for 5 years another very large part of it was the motivation I got from knowing my friends would be there sweating with me!
Listen to Your body. One of the hardest things for an athlete to do is take a break, but If something doesn’t feel right don’t keep going. Remember if you take good care of yourself you’ll have a lot of miles ahead of you.
Don’t quit on yourself. You. Are. A. Runner. It’s not about how fast or how far, it’s about getting it done and doing something for you!
Make a playlist. For those days when your crew can’t make it, bring along some tunes to help pass the miles.
Look good. Start every workout with fresh stylish gear! Nobody’s motivated when they don’t feel like they look good.