April 30, 2013

The Race I Became a *Real* Runner Part I

Yes, I know if you run you are a real runner. I do not deny this, in fact I tell people this all the time. This is simply my own experience and a change in the way I perceived myself.
 
940905_455367187876130_768149186_n
 
The Disney Princess Half Marathon 2011 was my first half marathon and first race ever.  I pre-trained and trained for it for a little over a year. I took it very slow and just focused on getting the mileage in. I was simply trying to see if I could in fact do it. I had a secret goal of finishing in under 3 and I came in at 2:57 using Jeff Galloway’s run/walk/run method.

185609_10150104942613392_7922924_n
185720_10150421888845307_7761825_n
I finished my first Half Marathon! !
Me, Alicia, Patty and Allison all first time half finishers!!

With my first half marathon behind me I felt confident in the distance and tried to focus and getting faster. My second Half was the inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon in January 2012. My sister and I ran it together and even though we struggled with our training toward the end we PRd at 2:36. This is actually my current PR so it should be when I became a real runner, but for some reason it wasn’t. I was still just playing around and trying to be a runner. My training between Tinker Bell and Princess was lacking to say the least. I got through the PHM just fine, but honestly the course has never been that good to me. I was just there to get my Coast to Coast medal and meet up with some awesome April 05 moms again!

407138_10150542700628492_1126310991_n
416895_10151331453795307_206849504_n
My sister and me after Tinker Bell
Kim, Alicia, Patty and me after PHM

I had high hopes for this year’s Tinker Bell, but given some big changes in my life my training did not go as planned, and a blown PR put me in a bad mood. My next race brought me back where it all started, the PHM. The run itself did not go great (race recap coming soon), but being able to say I completed 5 half marathons caused something inside of me to click and just like that I saw myself as a *real* runner. I mean a fake runner would never do 5 half marathons, right? 


What was your “clicking” moment? When did you first see yourself as a runner? 

2 comments:

  1. LOL... you are NOT a fake runner! So funny!

    I think it was when I competed the RnR Dallas just this year. It wasn't fast by most measures, but a PR for me. More importantly it was the first one I didn't have extended walk breaks or playing around for pictures. I ran that sucker the whole time.

    And it was my 6th half! Guess it took a while to sink in for me too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was so proud of you!! You did great!! I can't wait until we get to run together!

      Delete