Anything I can do, you can do better.

Out with the old,

in with the new.

I am celebrating my one year anniversary for running this month. I celebrated by finally getting myself a new pair of running shoes. Up until this time last year they were simply used as a fashion statement. No real running took place in any of my previous "running shoes" except for a brief stint right before I got pregnant with SadieJane. I wanted to document my running accomplishments, not to toot my own horn (toot toot), because I am no (insert runner's name here), so much so as I don't even know a name to insert there other than Amy Dobbs, and she's no runner anymore:(. The title of my post says it all. If I can run then I want to encourage those of you that want to be a runner/jogger that you indeed can. Even from way back in the day when my PE teacher measured distance by popsicle sticks, I was the girl that flirted with the faster boys to run an extra lap for me in Elementary school for goodness sakes. In middle school I joined the track team, again to get a pair of cute teal nike kicks; I don't recall running three steps in those cute nike's. High school, playing tennis I would hide outside of the tennis courts while everyone ran laps until my friend would tell me they were on their last. Lastly in college I would suit up and head out to our awesome track at PC and get to about half a mile and think my lungs might explode and that I couldn't possibly go any further. Alas it didn't seem running would ever be "my thing". Excuse my lack of character mentioned above, those weren't my finest moments but I tell you all of this to show you just how much of a runner I WASN'T. But then I had babies and things moved around and after two babies my time to myself was null and void, and my first incentive was to get to spend time chatting with Amy while running each Monday. I started out running a mile and then got up to two. That seemed miraculous in itself so I was happy to be there. Seriously for the first SIX months that was my max. If I ran with Amy I could go further but unfortunately she hurt herself. So I kept pushing after she quit and got myself up to about 3 miles on a really good day. Then I met some real runners who run marathons and crazy things like that and I really wanted to run with other girls so I worked my booty off and managed to run my all time high of 5 and a half miles with them. Once I realized I could indeed push my body that far I've gotten to five on my own. It is crazy. Five miles to me is like what a marathon is to a real runner. Although my cousin Paul says the real difference between a jogger and a runner is entry fee. But I've yet to get confident enough to actually run in a race, where other people are flying by me, etc. I definitely run for distance not speed. I am not just saying that, I run slow, I run slow.
But all this to say running has been such a refuge to me, it is hard alot of days still but I feel so much better on days that I run. It is a great stress relief and it has helped me talk to God easier. I have gone the whole year only missing the most of 12 consecutive days a few weeks ago when I got so sick. Otherwise I try to only miss 2 at the most. I have actually stayed much healthier, eaten better and had an overall better feel for myself than I had before I had babies. Thanks to my mom who helps me make it happen on most days and to Mick, Taron, Nana and others who've dropped by and gotten roped into watching while I run out the door. At the beginning it was an easy ten minutes and back I came red faced and puffing. Now it can easily be 30-50 minutes so no one is near as eager to watch the kiddos:) But I figure I've made it a year, why not another? I also don't have to worry about someone watching me and calculating a momknapping or anything because I never run at the same time due to the fact I never know when I'll get to run. So I hope to run in a race this year and if anyone is up for random runs with a slow paced chatty kathy, I'm your girl. I bet you'll run faster than me after training for a few weeks:)