Why I Started Running

This was the training regiment our coaches had us follow and I loved it. I felt STRONG and FAST for the first time in my life. But sometimes…our end of lift sprints coincided with the track team practice.

IDK if you’ve ever had to run suicides in front of the world renowned University of Oregon Track and Field Team…but it’s embarrassing no matter how fast you’re going. There’s zero shot of reaching the olympic level speed of those athletes and they’re WATCHING????.

Sprints were fine enough and served their purpose for whipping us into quick-twitch shape for our halftime dances. But DISTANCE RUNNING?? Bye.

I was asked to join in a charity 5K in October of 2021 and I said “helllll no.” I wasn’t in the right head space and was embarrassed that I couldn’t hold a saunter for longer than two minutes before my lungs burned and the voice in my head would chime in with “this is stupid,” “why do people run anyways?,” “We have cars to take us the distance, we’ve evolved past this BS!” (I’ve since signed up for this years HomeBoy 5k and everyone should join, it’s a wonderful cause????).

But my mother, bless her soul, requested the family join her in running the Santa Barbra Wine Half Marathon for Mothers Day. I couldn’t say no to her and knew I needed a fitness goal to strive towards. I had become complacent in my Covid era at home workouts and to be honest…my utter aversion to running that 5k (only three miles) scared me! Where had the up for anything, confident, strong, fast self I built up in college faded away to?

So we trained.

I worked myself up from that two minute limit to running a mile with a break at each quarter. To a break at the half mile. To 2 miles non-stop. To feeling like 2 miles was just the warm-up. Once I sunk into that “runners high” for the first time…it was game over. A feeling far better than what the worlds best spicy marg could ever dream of delivering ????.

What was most surprising and enriching was how quick the body adapts. I saw significant improvement and growth with EVERY run. This is the reason I stuck with it and this is the reason I believe just about anyone is capable of claiming the title “runner” ????????‍♀️.

I tucked myself into bed early on Friday nights with a gross amount of enthusiasm for my long run the next morning and before I knew it I was covering more mileage in two hours than I had ever attempted before. I was bursting with pride and accomplishment by 10 AM every Saturday and it set the tone for my lifestyle.

My inner-dialogue was kinder, my gratitude for my body and its capabilities expanded, my nutrition naturally leaned vegetable heavy and it felt like the stars were aligning????.

I went into training with the goal of just finishing the race. I kept it broad because I knew regardless of my time, I would have accomplished something epic! As I progressed, I got a little more confident in my ability to complete the race in under 2:30h, knowing the course had hills and I had been training in West LA (not particularly known for its summits ????).

Come race day, I got cocky and corralled with the 2:15h group????. But I thought “hey, my real goal is to just finish. What’s the harm in pushing myself for fun and easing up on the pace if it’s too much? Maybe I’ll surprise myself!”

AND I DID!! I did fall behind because I was getting in my own head and feeling the heaviness of my feet. But I also blazed past the 2:15h corral on the big 13 degree grade hill spanning miles 6 & 7 and get this…came in at 1:58:24!!

Sub 2h WITH the hills???? Still feels good.

Now, I know this is not by any stretch an impressive time when we look back at those UO Track and Field champions. But for a first half-marathon, from the girl who was thumbing her nose at a 5k just 6 moths before…c’mon!

I’m now staring down the barrel of the Bulldog Trail Race, the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim and fingers crossed…the LA Marathon.

I owe it to a few (hundred) people for keeping me enthusiastic in between races and to reminding me its not runners high and roses all the time:

• Juju Roberts: My cheer teammate turned dear friend and runner inspo. Highly recommend following her for running tips, tricks and nutrition.
• Brooke Bergeron: My friend who drove me to my first Venice Run Club workout knowing how intimidating it is to walk up to a group of 150 hard 10s.
• Venice Run Club: For bringing the mid-week hype, turning my days from a 6 to a 10 and “keeping it right, keeping it tight.”
• The Anderson and Moran families: For cheerleading on race day and making sure we celebrated our accomplishment BIG TIME in wine country????????
• My Dad: Who is 53, still getting after it and setting the standard of lifelong movement.
• And again, my Mom: Who (also 53) encouraged me to do it with her in the first place, mentored me through the training and told me that pain in my left glute is hereditary and the key is to stretch ????.

I don’t know how long I’ll continue to run. I’ve fallen in love with many forms of exercise in my life and I like keeping things diverse by not committing to one modality for the rest of forever. When it comes to running, my bod functions and feels best when I’m paring it with strength training, mobility exercises and pilates. These things supplement to keep me limber, build in muscular reinforcement where necessary and have, so far, prevented injury.

If you have questions about my training plan or love of the sport, give me a shout! I have gotten past the point of involuntarily blabbing about running to anyone who will listen (barring this blog post) but am happy to speak to someone who cares!????

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