One Year and Three Days

   March 1st was my one year anniversary of when I started running. I may have only ran one 5K and have had shin splints and am currently battling plantar fasciitis, but I love running. I didn't always like it. Heck, there are still days I don't like it. But there is nothing I have found that gives me that sense of accomplishment like a run. Just being able to say my body did that is the best feeling ever. But it has taken a lot of tears and tries to get to where I am today.

   One year ago, I was doing walking workouts with Leslie Sansone  (go to her website for awesome workouts and inspiration to start your own fitness journey) and all of our friends were talking about the Salt Lake City Marathon they were training for. I told my friend Josh that I hated running and that I would never run a race. He said that he had once hated running, but if you keep trying, you will fall in love with it. Then our other friend, Ryan, told me "You know you are a runner, even if you only run one step." Something about that gave me the courage to try. I decided to run in place during the marching parts of Leslie's videos. Watching me do that inspired Mark to start a few days later. Then we started going to the running path at the Orem Hospital and trying to run even longer. At first we couldn't even run 1/4 a mile, but we kept trying. Our goal was to run a whole mile by April 1. We reached our goal just in time for me to get shin splints and Mark to hurt his knees. After a week off and new shoes for Mark, we started again hoping to reach 2 miles by May 1. We ran our first 2 whole miles a few days after the deadline, but then I was able to run a 5K distance a week after that! All of these gains were made amid us relocating AGAIN to Ogden. We moved where their wasn't any running paths, but we still headed across the street to Ogden Weber Tech. to run their  campus. 

   Then it happened. I got plantar fasciitis and I quit running for 5 months.I also gained 15 pounds. My foot never really improved and I was convinced that I would never get to run again. But then I eased back into Leslie and found my foot actually felt so much better if I actually did work out. A month later, and some awesome new running shoes, I was back to running. I ran my first 5K race a week later. Crazy? Yes! Awesome YES! That race really changed how I see my body. Despite any problems I might have, I still have the ability to run. I that is what I am going to do.

   I am now training, again, for a half marathon. We are 11 weeks out and I am FREAKING. I haven't ran over 4 miles since we started running again and what if I can't get myself up to 13.1? What if I come in dead last?  I am really nervous today, so I have turned to Pinterest to help motivate me. So here is some of the wonderful things I have found...

Trust me!

And of course...

   I hope that these were as motivating to you as they were to me.