Meri, you are living my dream!!! I always wanted to do an ultra.....I humbly bow to your awesomeness.....<img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><br><br>
Today was my first attempt at running in about 2 1/2 years. My last race was in early 2003, followed by stress fractures, non running-related surgery, a hip injury and some other health complications. I got tired of "starting over" again and again and finally gave up in 2004. I was never what anyone other than a turtle would consider fast, but I could put in the miles when I was in top form. My ego just couldn't handle that "re-newbie" status. I never did it for ME though, I stupidly always did it to keep up with the gang (some of y'all old Kick timers can attest to that) and always fell short, at least in my own eyes. Most of my runs were spent beating on myself for being slow, fat and the last one in the group to finish a race. Wah, wah, yeah I know.....I was still faster than the guy on the couch with his nose in a bag of Cheetos. I used that line to support a lot of other newbies in my day but never bought into it for myself. <img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif"><br><br>
I've always missed running but had this nagging resistance (read: fear of failure) every time I thought about going out for a run, even just a for the heck of it run. Coming back here was like coming home, to all the people who were so supportive in the "fat newbie" days, and that's why I signed up for the VRAA. I still couldn't stomach the thought of doing the Cto5K again so today I kinda made up my own hybrid version of a newbie workout. I was out for 30 minutes and it didn't go as bad as I expected. My yoga training has paid off, at least in the "accept things in the moment" sense, which is something I never could before as a runner. I won't break any sound barries for any time to come, but it was so nice to be out there again and not worry about how bad I was doing. I'm just grateful I can still slog along. Maybe this time it'll stick!<br><br>
Sorry to be so long winded, but today wasn't just a training shuffle, I am hoping it was a new start. This time, I'm running for me. I wasn't even going to post here but I thought, why not?