Thursday, June 9, 2016

Running as life

Running first became a priortiy in my life when I needed stress relief.  Stress was a daily occurence while in college, studying premed classes.  Running allowed me to be in silence, to think through problems or even not to think at all.

Compeitive running came much later.  After having a baby I wanted my body back.  I set a goal - to run a half marathon.  A HALF MARATHON! My mind could not wrap around the magnitude of my endeavor.  I ran 5ks, maybe a 10k here and there, but never anything close to 13 miles.  I researched and talked with anyone that had any knowledge of long distance running.  I joined running groups online and runing teams in person.  I streamlined my diet and became all about running.  Slowly I began to lose weight.  Losing weight was amazing but what happened after was even better.  I found my tribe aka my running family.  Having met so many people along the way with the goal of incorporating running into our daily routine.

My top 4 tips to anyone just starting out would be:

1) Research, research, research - make sure you read about the different running methods, long distance running plans, etc.

2) Join a running team.  I have met my closest friends through the running community.  The encourgagment from my running family has made this running journey the best undertaking in my life.

3) Pick a race that excites you.  My first half marathon was in Disney.  Why? Because I love everything Disney! Disney races enterain in almost every mile.  From characters (Mary Poppins dancing with penguins) to DJs thoughout the course. RunDisney always has a charity attached to every race which makes me feel great supporting them.

4) Make sure to get fitted for your running shoes. Go to a local run store and have an expert check your gait and suggest the perfect shoe for you.  Then buy it there.  Help support our running community!



One of my favorite local races has to be the Fort Lauderdale Public A1A Half Marathon.  The best part, besides being local, the beautiful beach scenery. 



My awesome Publix A1A Half Marathon medal







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