"I Run to Make the Ground Feel Needed"

"I run to make the ground feel needed" (Thanks Holly!)

The idea to start blogging and tracking my running has been bouncing around in my head for a few weeks. Consequently I usually think about it when I am running (how clique, but true). If I could accomplish writing notes and running at the same time, I would.

My sister, my husband I were sitting around discussing the possibilities of a blog. My sister is actually on a college cross country and track team, even though her sport of choice is actually soccer. She claims she finds no enjoyment in running and tells me I am crazy to have an "addiction" to something as "horrible" as running. In short, the quote above was her "joke" about my running "relationship" with the ground.

Looking back, I can't believe that I love running. All through high school I tried running as a form of cross training for figure skating and could never push myself beyond a mile (okay, usually I was lucky to even make it a mile). After high school I ran on and off, again just huffing and puffing to make one measly mile. It wasn't until I moved to Florida that I really started to run. It started with running a mile every chance I had, then moved on to just trying to run for 15 minutes, then 20, then 2 miles. Finally after hitting the 3 mile mark (and overcoming a horrible winter of multiple sicknesses) I ran my first 5k! Ironically, it was my sister who agreed to run it with me. My only goal was to run the whole race and I did, in 32:03! Not an amazing time, but amazing for me! Two weeks later we ran another one, this time in 29:02 (because I ended up throwing up during the race...needless to say, I learned that drinking energy drinks and no water before a race is a bad idea). 6 months later (currently) I have unofficially run a 5k in 24:20.

For now I am unsure what goals I want to set for myself. I would like to run a half-marathon by the end of the year. But I am also transferring to a state college in the fall that has a cross country team with times that I could actually be competitive with if I train hard for the next 7 months. I also cut back on my running over the last month because of the holidays (and a head cold that moved to my lungs, yuck!), which of course is driving me crazy because I thinking about running all day, every day.

Here it goes, I am going to just start with monthly goals until I figure out where this running thing might (or might not) go.

January (starting the 11th):
-I am going to run everyday in January (that's 20 days).
-I am going to reach a minimum of 50 miles in 20 days.
-I am going to attempt to consume more protein and water daily.

Tomorrow I am going to be crazy busy with classes and work, so I am going to try to run in the morning (don't laugh yet honey...I am not a morning person, but I'll try). Oops, I have to get up in 5:30 hours to run!

Happy running :)