I Am A Runner: Intro

(WARNING: before you read this is very lengthy and picture-less)

So I have been looking for the perfect time to officially announce this.

okay there never really is a better time than the present but you see I have this problem with workout routines and commitment.
I always start a new workout type thing but I can never stick to it.

I have been like this for as long as I can remember.

Aside from Swimming in high school I have handled every workout/exercise the same. In elementary school I did volleyball for one season and never picked it back up again, cheerleading another year and never again, I did play basketball from 3rd grade to tryouts Freshman year of High School but I truly loved that sport and once I got to High School it became very political so I didn't want that to ruin my love for the game, but the same thing happened with Track, did it Freshman year and never went back to it. I was a member of the swim team all through High School and absolutely loved it too and still do. However in 2009 when I graduated I realized I was going to need to keep up my working out to maintain my young figure and body so I spent way too much money on Hip Hop Abs. Don't get me wrong Sean T made it so much fun but I only stuck to that one 3 or 4 months and it was nothing consistent either before the dvds started collecting dust. For the next couple years I picked up different spurts of getting workouts in at the local gym that I had and still have a membership to ($10 per month so I have kept in case I decide to go back there or if the winter is too miserable) Last winter I once again splurged on Turbo Fire workout program by Beach Body but after 3 weeks of doing it my knees were killing me. I think it was too much jumping up and down plus I was in the middle of planning the biggest event of my life (My Wedding!) and I just did not make time for it. 

Fast forward to the middle of this year...

-worked my ass of on just eating healthy all through March, April and May to keep in shape to fit in my wedding dress

-Married my Best Friend in June

-Honeymooned to SC (bring on bad eating habits and a whole week of pure relaxation which consisted of no working out. I am not going to count beach walks as a form of exercise)

-Returned home to our new home and was thrown into this whole Wifey Duty trying to cook good meals for my Hubby and I (little did I know or think of the fact that baked mac n cheese, tons of spaghetti, and lasagna was not going to do my figure any good)

-NEWSFLASH! I went to the Dr. mid August for a really bad bug that I had had for 3 weeks along with a UTI, get on the scale and I am weighing in at 157 lbs! "What the hell?! is that thing right?! I was just here in May and I weighed 134 lbs" cue tears and total disbelief! I seriously could not believe it(I know my belly had gotten a little more "fluffier" but I didn't really realize how much I had packed on. After recovering from the flu bug and finally feeling back to my normal self I decided that I could not look at myself in the mirror or stand on the scale without cringing at the number. 

Bring on September/October...

-started running just for the fun of it, no real goal in mind, just to get out and get some fresh air and hopefully take off some of these pounds. September 3rd I ran 4 miles. This was the farthest distance I had ever ran!!! Needless to say I was pumped, there was a screenshot made of the MapMyRun app and an after many comments & encouraging words from people on facebook I realized "Hey I really enjoyed that run and maybe I can stick to this!"

September was full of weird weather here in Ohio so my workouts were kinda sketchy but I did run at least once or twice a week just for the fresh air and not paying much attention to times or anything.

-October finally came and I decided I was going to set some goals for myself  and actually keep track of how many miles I could log during the month and pay more attention to my times with hopes of making them better. I had no guarantees due to my inconsistencies in the past. But I stuck with it and recorded my runs every evening on the calendar I printed out and put on our fridge.

Yes I am just like a little kid and had to put my work up on display.

Being human I crave encouragement and cheering on just like anyone else and by putting that up Anthony was also able to see what I had accomplished and I started to notice him looking at it every day and he would ask me about my run. And when I decided not to run on some nights he would question why which kept me on track with my goals. 

-At the end of last month I realized that I was really starting to love this running thing and the community it has brought to me. There are so many people I see every week at the trail that we are starting to see each other and wave and sometimes even talk in the parking lot in passing. On top of that I started looking for other bloggers and instagrammers that are runners too and there are so many out there that what to share their stories too. Sharing my story is exactly why I blog and now that I have something awesome to share aside from my random life happening posts or crafty projects that I get myself into.

- I put off posting too much about my new lifestyle because I was so unsure as to if I would stick to it but I have and now it is finally time...

I AM A RUNNER!

Along with this announcement I have something else to share that I haven't shared with too many people...

I AM GOING TO RUN A HALF MARATHON IN SIX MONTHS!

There I said it.
I first told my cousin Maddy about this while we were standing in line for a roller coaster at Hershey Park last month.
She was so encouraging and happy for me.
She is only a freshman in high school and also ran Cross Country this year for the first time so she knows all this running lingo and all the hard work that goes into it. In the last couple weeks I finally started sharing with more family members and friends, then last week I announced it for the first time on my facebook page while participating in those number sharing games about stuff that people don't already know about you.

That was on Wednesday and on Saturday at the bachelorette party my friend Kelcey (who moved to Cincinnati this year) was talking to me about my announcement. I had forgotten that Kelcey and her bf ran a half last year. It was so nice to talk to someone in person that has done it. She said it was the most emotional thing she has done yet in her life and that her and her bf just cried when they were done because they were so proud of eachother and themselves. I cannot wait to have these same emotions on my race day. I am sure it will be great, Anthony said he will be there at the finish line with a big sign and I have no doubt that my proud parents will be there along with some other family members. But really if none of these people are there I am still going to kick ass and be so proud of myself!!!

I cannot wait for race day but until then I will be reading other running blogs, researching workouts, and planning my runs! It seriously has taken over my brain and is pretty much all I can think about.
If you are a runner and have any advice for me on preparing to run my first 5K or a blog suggestion for me to read I would love any of the information, just leave me a comment or shoot me an email!