Back in October I ran my very first Half Marathon. I trained for about six months and I can tell you that after I race I was so happy that I decided to challenge myself. It was something I didn’t think I would ever be able to accomplish and I never saw myself becoming a runner. I especially didn’t see me sticking with it for as long as I have. What drives me though is seeing the results. I used to run a thirteen minute mile and I now can run somewhere from an 8 minute mile to a 9 minute mile. To me that is crazy and seeing myself grow is wonderful to witness. 

For me the ultimate goal is to be able to run without looking at the watch all the time. After the Half I discovered that I no longer really care about the time. It’s weird, I used to be really obsessed with it and there were times when looking at the watch would change my mood while I ran. It determined where I would go, if I would stop completely or kick it up. It was all on the watch and what the watch said. 

The other day I finally experienced what it was like to just naturally let my body decide how far to go and what pace to be at. The only time I looked at the watch was to see what it would say when the watch would beep or to see how far I had ran. The time didn’t really matter to me and I just let myself glide through the run. It was almost like I had been doing it my whole life. 

I think after I had accomplished something so big and just seeing the time I made that it boosted my confidence and made me realize how much I really do love the sport. It’s strange how things chance and how our futures can be changed by one decision. I love running and I love being able to run. Not many people love it and there are some who can’t run because of a disorder, an accident, or have difficulty with the process. 

I am very fortunate that I can run and that I enjoy it. It’s an exercise that I will continue to do and challenge myself in.