Running

I have this great sister named Audrey who gets crazy ideas sometimes about running long distances.  

She has this ability to give me the motivation to run and even sometimes agree to signing up for races.  She just has this way of saying, "So I have an idea that I want to run past you..." and before I know it, I'm routing runs and hitting the pavement to try and keep up. 

This all started when we decided back in 2008 to run a half-marathon.  After months of trying to train in the Utah winter months, we crossed the finish line of the Salt Lake Half-Marathon. 

I felt so accomplished afterwards (and my knees hurt so much) that I felt like I deserved a break from running for a little bit.  

My break was only supposed to be for a week or two but then life got crazy.

  

I went on a study abroad to Israel that summer and ate wonderful pita bread for two months straight.

  Then I served a wonderful mission to New York and ate glorious desserts after every wonderful dinner for a year and a half.  Although I ran every day of my mission, the half an hour morning exercise did not quite count for an intense cardiovascular work-out. 

Then I came home, got engaged to the handsome Aaron McKell and had bright dreams of getting into great shape.  However, taking 18 credits and working 20 hours a week on top of trying to plan a wedding and spending time with my fiance meant that running ranked very low on my list.  

So, when Audrey asked me this fall if I wanted to try and run a race with her, I just wanted to laugh.  I felt SO out of shape and SO unprepared.  We committed though to run the Love Your Body 6K Race at Thanksgiving Pointe and we started running (almost) everyday to prepare. 

Well, we did it!  We ran the whole race together and even sprinted across the finish line!  We were proud of our time and satisfied with our effort. 

We came away feeling like, even though we had done well for us, we could do better.  

We are in the process of trying to stay motivated to run (and maybe, even possibly, I could be persuaded into doing a half marathon one day soon).

With winter coming again and student teaching looming in my future, I will have to fight the urge to hibernate until the weather gets warmer and my schedule gets freer.  I know if I keep talking to Audrey though, I will have more races in my future.  She's just so dang good at getting me to commit.