In the Beginning...

   Well, like any good blog, I shall start mine with my story. I am training for my first half marathon. I haven't decided whether it will be the Strip at Night race in December or the SLC Marathon in April, but I am starting the training now. And my loving husband and 1-year-old daughter are also training with me.
   Why do I run? Because I have another daughter named Isabel. Isabel is very special. Isabel is my first daughter and she was stillborn because of a fatal birth defect called Anencephaly. If you don't know what that is, please visit http://www.anencephalie-info.org/e/index.php for info and stories from other parents that have shared out journey. When Isabel was diagnosed at our 18 week ultrasound, we were sent to a "specialist" that informed me that it was all my fault (even though I took folic acid to prevent it and Anencepahly is no one's fault, it just happens). After leaving the office in a giant huff, I allowed his words to affect the image I have of myself and allowed myself to gain weight and be even more unhealthy than I was already.
     You see, throughout my life, I have gained and lost the same 50 pounds and this doctor gave me one more excuse not to care about it anymore. But then something happened. I had Isabel's healthy little sister, Addison, and then I did care. I cared very much that I was being unhealthy and teaching Addison the same bad habits I have had my whole life. So on her first birthday, I decided that I had to have a goal in life. That goal was to walk the equivalent distance from my house to my favorite place in the world, Las Vegas by my wedding anniversary this Saturday. I have more or less accomplished that (I forgot to keep track for a while, but if my figures are correct, I will be there Sunday or so). During my walking, I started thinking about running. I have always wanted to be a runner, but I never was very good at it. Then my friend pointed out that you are a runner no matter how much you run and that prospective changed my outlook on running. Sure, I could only run for a fourth of a mile at a time, but if I walked a little, I could run again and in the last three months, I have worked my way up to three miles non stop. My husband joined me and now he runs while I walk Addison around the running path and then we switch.
   Has it been easy? No. Worth it? Yes. I see myself in a better light. And I have lost 20 pounds. But I am always looking for a race that we should sign up for and thanks to a running friend of mine, we might has decided to go for it and sign up for a half marathon in Las Vegas. That gives me 6 months to go from 3 miles to 13.1. Wish me luck!