A Road Worth Running: A Bunch of Stuff I Have Learned Since I Became a Runner

As you know by now I am still pretty new to this whole running scene, before I was a runner I was a shopper and an eater. I could tell you all the best places to shop and where to eat while you were out blowing your whole paycheck. My favorite thing to do when the kids napped was to sit my butt in front of the TV and eat. I despised any form of exercise! Sure there were little spurts of "let's get fit and skinny" along the way but they all fizzled out. But when I finally made it past those first 3 weeks of the C25K program, what do you know, I kind of liked it. I have to give some credit to my VBFF for getting me through that program, she had recently done the same one and turned herself into a runner and she was my greatest inspiration. My husband was so supportive and excited, it seemed, that I was finally getting some motivation to get healthy. It never started out as an "I want to be skinny" thing, that was just a bonus. It started as a "I need to be able to chase my kids without having a heart attack" thing. And I have learned a lot in this first year, let me tell you!

I have learned...

Not to drink too much water before you go for a run but don't not drink any
Do not skip stretching!!
That I am a lot stronger than I ever gave myself credit for
It hurts
That it's very important to me to set a good example for my Bratlings
That shoes need to be comfortable and fit right more than they need to be pretty
That my husband is an excellent cheerleader
To wear pants that come up, way up over my hips
That races are so much fun
Where all the bathrooms within a 10 mile radius from my house are
That there is a huge running community and it's a great thing to be a part of
All the routes that have fabulous views
That a torn hamstrings sucks big time
Not to run a race with a torn hamstring
That I would actually love to run and look forward to it as my "me time"
That running in a group with a bunch of mom and our strollers is super fun
It's very hard
Running is a very expensive hobby
That running can be a hobby
That competing against myself is the greatest challenge
Core strength is very important
That my pretty jewelry holder would make a perfect hanger/charging spot for my headphones
To not run through pain
That early race registration is key
Good socks make a big difference
That I could inspire someone else to make a change in their life
That I could be inspired by someone else to make a change in my life

(working on that core strength!)

(headphone hanger)

I have certainly learned a lot about myself and this sport, hobby, exercise, whatever you want to call it in this first year. I can only imagine what else I will learn as my mileage increases. My first 10k is in 52 days!!

Do you run? If not you should give it a try, you never know you might like it.

Random Kid Cuteness