Back in my Jr. year of high school, I participated in my first triathlon. It was a pool swim, I biked it on my mountain bike (The bike my parents gave me when I turned 8) and the run was a 5k. ( a run that I “trained” for by going on 2 runs prior). I went up with my friend and for the first time after completing the sprint distance triathlon, I was a triathlete.
I couldn’t tell you when my official first 5K race was, but all I know is that I was hooked. I loved the feeling of complete exhaustion and wondering if my legs were going to get me to the finish but somehow making it across that line, getting a medal and looking for my dad to celebrate. That feeling of accomplishment was so addicting I wanted more. My senior year I didn’t swim on the swim team and found myself with more time. That’s when I really started to run. I ran 5K after 5K content with just 3 miles, the thought of doing a 10K was a joke and I settled in my comfort zone.
After a few more races and months of runs, 3 miles wasn’t much of an accomplishment anymore. So thats when I pushed myself to a 10K distance (6 miles). After graduating high school, I ran my first 10K. I ran a loop course which meant I had to run 4 laps to complete my race. I spotted my dad on every lap and spent the final loop convincing myself that “my mind gives up before my body will” ,”if it wasn’t hard everyone would be doing it” and finally “just finish, then you can take a nap”. After completing my first 10K, giving my dad a hug, eating my orange slice, and enduring my first foot cramps, the addiction was back. I spent more time on “run usa” searching for races than I did scrolling on facebook. 10K after 5K, I threw in a Sprint distance tri and lugged my big ol’ mountain bike around to get er done.
After getting married, we obviously had a huge life change. a new routine, new jobs, a whole new life. The running was put on the back burner and I was just trying to figure out this whole “married” thing. Morgan and I worked out here and there for sure but there was no training for races. It was about a year into being married that we moved into our home and were able to find a normal routine. I started to run again and did the good ol’ 5K and 10K distances but just like before… they became normal. I was pushing for times and celebrating PR’s but I still craved that overwhelming sense of accomplishment. That pride that pulses through your overworked veins and exhausted muscles. That’s when I realized it was time to run 13.1 …. I tried so many times to get on a good schedule but could never stick to it enough to get that distance. I kept getting defeated by mental roadblocks (a post for another time). That was until my little Leo love bug came along. He was my running buddy and became so used to us going out for a run that I couldn’t not go take him on a run.
So after a summer of training and hovering over the “register” button… I finally signed up for and completed my first half marathon. 13.1 I did it! Oh man, That pride I was looking for was back again. After sorting out some knee issues from high school that came back to haunt me, I started training again for another half marathon. To get some variety into my training, I got back into triathlons. For those who have followed along this blog or just know me know that I. HATE. FISH. I don’t enjoy being in lakes because I can’t see the bottom and just until recently have had near panic attacks after letting my thoughts get to me while swimming in the ocean. So as you can imagine, I avoided tri’s that included open water swims like they were the plague. I was sure that some undiscovered lake monster is going to become discovered and I would be the one who had been eaten. I really don’t want to be eaten…. Well, Just last year, I decided I was going to do it. There were so many triathlons that I passed up because of the open water. I can swim, I just need to do it.
Guess what… I did it! Man it was tough and took me way too long to finish a short 400 yrd swim but I swam open water and didn’t get eaten! Then we move to the next leg of the race… Bike… don’t you worry, I made myself known as people passed me pedaling my rusty old chain up the hill “clink…clink… clink… clink….clink” It wouldn’t have been so bad had I not gotten so many pity cheers from my fellow triathletes passing me on bikes that weighed less than my one front tire….”oh honey, keep it up you can do it!” the classic, “woah girl you are working harder than all of us! keep it up!” So then my next goal…. get a road bike.
Keep in mind this was last year, I have been saving for about a year and started searching for a few months and finally got my road bike off KSL. Man it was rough, I got this bike the end of May, Its been two months and I am learning to love it.
Back in my Jr. year of high school, I participated in my first triathlon. It was a pool swim, I biked it on my mountain bike (The bike my parents gave me when I turned 8) and the run was a 5k. ( a run that I “trained” for by going on 2 runs prior). I went up with my friend and for the first time after completing the sprint distance triathlon, I was a triathlete.
I couldn’t tell you when my official first 5K race was, but all I know is that I was hooked. I loved the feeling of complete exhaustion and wondering if my legs were going to get me to the finish but somehow making it across that line, getting a medal and looking for my dad to celebrate. That feeling of accomplishment was so addicting I wanted more. My senior year I didn’t swim on the swim team and found myself with more time. That’s when I really started to run. I ran 5K after 5K content with just 3 miles, the thought of doing a 10K was a joke and I settled in my comfort zone.
After a few more races and months of runs, 3 miles wasn’t much of an accomplishment anymore. So thats when I pushed myself to a 10K distance (6 miles). After graduating high school, I ran my first 10K. I ran a loop course which meant I had to run 4 laps to complete my race. I spotted my dad on every lap and spent the final loop convincing myself that “my mind gives up before my body will” ,”if it wasn’t hard everyone would be doing it” and finally “just finish, then you can take a nap”. After completing my first 10K, giving my dad a hug, eating my orange slice, and enduring my first foot cramps, the addiction was back. I spent more time on “run usa” searching for races than I did scrolling on facebook. 10K after 5K, I threw in a Sprint distance tri and lugged my big ol’ mountain bike around to get er done.
After getting married, we obviously had a huge life change. a new routine, new jobs, a whole new life. The running was put on the back burner and I was just trying to figure out this whole “married” thing. Morgan and I worked out here and there for sure but there was no training for races. It was about a year into being married that we moved into our home and were able to find a normal routine. I started to run again and did the good ol’ 5K and 10K distances but just like before… they became normal. I was pushing for times and celebrating PR’s but I still craved that overwhelming sense of accomplishment. That pride that pulses through your overworked veins and exhausted muscles. That’s when I realized it was time to run 13.1 …. I tried so many times to get on a good schedule but could never stick to it enough to get that distance. I kept getting defeated by mental roadblocks (a post for another time). That was until my little Leo love bug came along. He was my running buddy and became so used to us going out for a run that I couldn’t not go take him on a run.
So after a summer of training and hovering over the “register” button… I finally signed up for and completed my first half marathon. 13.1 I did it! Oh man, That pride I was looking for was back again. After sorting out some knee issues from high school that came back to haunt me, I started training again for another half marathon. To get some variety into my training, I got back into triathlons. For those who have followed along this blog or just know me know that I. HATE. FISH. I don’t enjoy being in lakes because I can’t see the bottom and just until recently have had near panic attacks after letting my thoughts get to me while swimming in the ocean. So as you can imagine, I avoided tri’s that included open water swims like they were the plague. I was sure that some undiscovered lake monster is going to become discovered and I would be the one who had been eaten. I really don’t want to be eaten…. Well, Just last year, I decided I was going to do it. There were so many triathlons that I passed up because of the open water. I can swim, I just need to do it.
Guess what… I did it! Man it was tough and took me way too long to finish a short 400 yrd swim but I swam open water and didn’t get eaten! Then we move to the next leg of the race… Bike… don’t you worry, I made myself known as people passed me pedaling my rusty old chain up the hill “clink…clink… clink… clink….clink” It wouldn’t have been so bad had I not gotten so many pity cheers from my fellow triathletes passing me on bikes that weighed less than my one front tire….”oh honey, keep it up you can do it!” the classic, “woah girl you are working harder than all of us! keep it up!” So then my next goal…. get a road bike.
Keep in mind this was last year, I have been saving for about a year and started searching for a few months and finally got my road bike off KSL. Man it was rough, I got this bike the end of May, Its been two months and I am learning to love it.
