To run

I have a t-shirt from high school that I still like to wear. It is bright green and on the front it says, "What's the difference between a runner and a thrower?" On the back it says in giant bold letters, "Bigger, Stronger, Sexier." Can you guess what event I had this shirt for? Track and Field. I have never been a runner. Just like my shirt says, I'm bigger, stronger, and sexier lifting and throwing things than running my booty down the track. In the past several years though I have been strongly influenced by an extreme endurance runner and have added running to my lifestyle. I have two speeds in the Amanda world, 1st speed and slow.

Most recently I decided that I needed a reason to up my miles and a goal in mind to make running a routine in my life. Up until now it has been an activity I choose when convenient or I'm feeling extra ambitious. This past weekend I decided to buy new running shoes and told myself that it is official, I'm training for a half-marathon. In my excursions around town I noticed a sign for a marathon and half marathon in Salina on September 25th. That gives me about three months to train. That is ample time for this beginning runner. I was thinking that a 10K might be the next race to conquer but I'm feeling confident I can do a half. I ran 5 miles this morning in a large loop around Abilene and felt pretty good. Only the last mile did my right toes go numb and the final 1/2 mile did my side start hurting.

The major plus of increasing my mileage is the additional boost to my metabolism. Now if only I can control the urge to eat all day long!