Tracy and I spent 17 of my 20 miles together. We chatted and caught up, shared stories and talked about our plans for our upcoming marathons... While she did not finish out the last 3 miles with me (since she was smart and stuck with her training plan), she was there with me in spirit (AND VIA TEXT)... texting me along the way to keep me encouraged and motivated... texting with me afterwards while I took her advice and tried out my first ice bath... her friendship and support apparent! (By the way... ice baths are no joke and do help out immensely in the right circumstances!)
So due to a scheduling snafu on my part, I was unable to run my normal long run with my friends George, Amanda and the Glen Ellyn Runners. At first I was in a panic... not wanting to run my longest run and my first run with a "2" in the front alone. Not because I didn't think I could do it, but just to be with friends for the accomplishment. Luckily my friend Tracy does her long runs on Saturday! I quickly texted her and she luckily was able to modify her run plan to join me! Training partners have been a key contributor to a lot of my running success. Whether its an experienced runner who provides you feedback and expertise or a friend who keeps you company along the way on a run. They both add value. Tracy and I spent 17 of my 20 miles together. We chatted and caught up, shared stories and talked about our plans for our upcoming marathons... While she did not finish out the last 3 miles with me (since she was smart and stuck with her training plan), she was there with me in spirit (AND VIA TEXT)... texting me along the way to keep me encouraged and motivated... texting with me afterwards while I took her advice and tried out my first ice bath... her friendship and support apparent! (By the way... ice baths are no joke and do help out immensely in the right circumstances!) The running community is like a family. There to support you in the good and the bad... Checking on your progress while nursing an injury, touching base after a training run or on your best day when you achieve a new PR... This is another positive thing I've gained from running, in addition to a new lease on life!
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When someone walks up to you and says something like "Boy, you look great" or "Congrats, keep up the good work!", what do you normally do? A normal person says.... What do I do? I might say thank you... but I will add in all kinds of caveats... Things like "I still have so much more work to do" or "Thanks, but I still have my trouble areas". Why could the response not just be "Thank you!"?
More times than not, thank you would be the last thing out of my mouth. Why? Because even though I knew I had made a major life change and had achieved great things, I couldn't truly see myself through others eyes. I saw the stretch marks, excess skin, tummy that gathers when I sit... etc.. I have had to force myself to just say "Thank you"... And you know what? Through just saying thank you and skipping all the rest, I feel like I truly appreciate the compliments and am starting to see what they are seeing. Now don't get me wrong, I still am my worst critic and nitpick all of those areas still... But... I can appreciate how far I have come and the progress I have made. So when someone gives you a compliement, stop coming up with a million excuses not to accept the compliment... and say... So tonight was the Naperville Road Runner Adventure Run... Usually I do this with friends, but no one was available! This is a free event... http://www.adventurerun.com/naperville/ Initially I thought the event might be canceled due to the weather, but luckily the rain cleared up. The last few times the run headed north, but most of the destinations were south this time. Short and sweet... The run for me was over in about 35 minutes, but then the real fun begins... Organizing your tickets and waiting to see if you win any fabulous prizes! Unfortunately, no prize wins for me tonigh... But I still had a good time! So it's official... I've made it to the top 100! I'm so excited that the judges reviewed my submission and felt it was worthy of moving on to the next stage... So instead of just asking everyone for my votes for the next 25 days, I wanted to let you all be a part of my journey... See my accomplishments, my struggles and everything else in between. Hope you enjoy!
#runningsavedmylife #1047 #rwcoversearchcontest http://coversearch.runnersworld.com/top_100/ |
AuthorTipping the scales at 302lbs was the turning point for me. Running has been a key contributor to my weight loss success and improving my overall health and well being. Starting in August of 2014, I worked through a couch to 5k program. The following spring, I decided I wanted to train for and complete a 10k in 2015. My training went so well, I ran my first half instead in September of 2015 finishing in 2:14:00. In October, I volunteered at the Chicago Marathon which was an amazing experience and made me decide to train for a marathon. I trained through winter and completed my second half marathon April of 2016 improving my time to 1:47:00! With the help of friends, co-workers and most recently a running group, I will actually run 2 marathons this fall. Special thanks to my friend George, the Molex Running Team and Glen Ellyn Running club for your support! By the way, in the process I've lost almost 130 lbs. Running saved my life! Archives |