The Journey...

to a Marathon!

(How I ran a marathon...And how you can too!)

(People always assume that I've always been a runner...so I thought I'd tell my story.

But I must warn you...it's a bit long!)

Jes kept asking me this weekend if I was surprised that I had actually run a marathon and if I had ever thought 10 years ago that I would be a "marathoner". And well...I guess the answer is "No."

I mean I've always been athletic, but I've never really been particularly great at any sports. I remember running a 7:34 mile in the 5th grade and being so proud of myself. I was always one of the faster girls in gym class, but when I joined the track team in 9th grade, I was one of the slowest! Okay...I was THE slowest. I honestly don't remember my mile times, and it was the only event I really ever competed it. All I know is that I came in last at every race! (Well, not really every race...there was this one time that I passed a girl who puked and kept running to finish behind me.) After one season, I never joined the team again. (And as I got older, I continued to get slower!)

In 2004, I was in my first year of teaching and I knew that I needed to start working out to get back in shape after college. I met a few friends at the Y on a snow day. I went to join the Y, but somehow my friends convinced me to do a sprint triathlon that the Y was sponsoring. At the time it was the craziest thing I had ever set out to do. But I was committed and learned to swim and bike enough to complete the race. I didn't do an amazing job, but I loved the feeling I got by setting and achieving a goal! When the race was over, I vowed to do it again the next year. But after reality set in I realized that I didn't like to bike or swim. So I stuck to jogging for exercise. That summer I had a student at Governor's School who was training to run a half marathon. She told me all about the Rock n Roll Half Marathon at VA Beach and I was immediately in awe of the idea. (But not exactly on board yet!)

In 2005, Jes convinced me to run a 4 miler in Lynchburg. At the time that was the farthest I'd ever run (and Jes kicked my butt!) That fall I also volunteered at the Army 10-miler in DC. I had a blast and thought that I might one day run the race.

A few months later in the spring of 2006, my roommate convinced me to run a 10K (6.2 miles). I ran/walked 13 minute miles to finish the Monument Ave 10K...and I was officially hooked! I loved it! It was such a friendly race! I decided that if I trained I could complete that half marathon and the 10 miler....so I signed up for both and started training. That fall I ran/walked both races. I did the half in just under 3 hrs (almost 14 min miles) and the 10 miler in just under 2 hours (almost 12 min miles)

But then I went to grad school for 2 years! During that time, I had no time for exercise! But I did "run" 6 5Ks. I didn't really train for them and my pace progressively got worse over the 2 years. ( I started out with a 32:45 and ended with a 38:24) So when I graduated one of the first goals I set was to train for and RUN a half marathon.

And in January of 2009, I did it. I ran the Disney Half Marathon. I kept a slow pace, but I didn't walk. I finished in 2:33 exactly. And this time I was really hooked and immediately signed up for my next half. And somehow...I became a runner.

Yes, I was athletic. Yes, I'd completed a few races. But I didn't really start running until I moved to Florida after grad school. Since then I've competed in 12 races: three 5Ks, one 4.7 miler, one 5 miler, three 10Ks, one 15K, & three half marathons.

I'm not fast. (Though I'm slowly improving.) But I still love to run.

I like to raise money for charities.

I like to have a reason to make me exercise.

I like to set goals.

I like to get free T-Shirts and bags.

I like to see people cheer me on.

I like to achieve goals.

Which brings me to my most recent achievement...a marathon.

In the Spring of 2009, I saw a table for the 26.2 with Donna while picking up my packet for the 15K. I picked up the brochure thinking I might do the half. The girl working the table overheard me say to my friend that I could never do a full and started to tell me how she had just run her first using the Jeff Galloway method (running/walking). I was interested, but cautious.

That May I went to a workshop with Jeff Galloway and learned all about the method and considered joining a group to run a marathon before I turned 30. But when the time came to join the training group, I chickened out!

But last summer I made my 30 Before 30 list and listed "Run a Marathon". From there it was just a matter of follow-through. I looked at races all over the country, but decided to stick with a local race...and chose The Donna. In September, I made a training plan and started training 22 weeks before the race. At that point the farthest I had ever run was 13.1 miles...but during my training I ran a few longer runs: 15, 19, and 21 miles. (I should have done more, but an injury and the holidays messed me up).

And then this past Sunday, I set out to finish a marathon. And I did! (And I wasn't last! In fact, I did it in under 5 hours! I finished 425th out of 929 women!)

I'd be lying if I said I was not considering doing another...but for now I'm content to work on my pace for some shorter races. But even if I never do another, I can always say I did it! I ran a marathon! Not many people can say that. And, "No, I didn't really ever think I would be one of those people!"

It's amazing what you can do with a little goal setting, determination, and commitment.

If I can do it, you can too. One goal at a time.

Jerry Falwell (Sr) used to say, "What's your B-HAG?'" (Big Harry Audacious Goal). Well, mine was a marathon.

What's your B-HAG? And what are you waiting for?