Friday, September 30, 2011

How it All Began

I can't believe I absolutely had the biggest dislike for running up until about four years ago.  It hurt to run, so I thought, back in the day.  I solely mountain biked and love it to this day.  Because mountain biking was so amazingly fun, I couldn't understand why people enjoyed running.  Biking doesn't hurt like running, unless of course you have a bad crash.  


Then one day my life changed after reading a brief article.  The article focused on the fact that cyclists are  more at risk of developing osteoporosis than runners.  Oh dear! That scared me out of my socks even though I lift weights.  I thought let's at least incorporate a couple milers in between our mountain bike rides.  Long story short, the two milers eventually stretched out to...oh dear...3 miles...and on and on and so forth.  I'm not fast, but I learned to enjoy the joy of running.  Running doesn't hurt anymore!


I had always said I will never ever run a marathon.  I will just stick to the 5Ks and 10Ks.  However, when you have friends that plant crazy seeds in your mind, the seeds grow.  Last June 5, 2011, at the San Diego Rock 'n Roll Marathon, I accomplished, with God's help, what I vowed to myself I will never do.  Yes, I ran my first full marathon with one of my dear, best friends, Naara.  Of course, she got a faster time, and I was absolutely happy and content to just finish.:)


During most of the marathon, an old....yes, OLD man, was running in front of me. He wore a t-shirt with the verse Philippians 4:13 printed on the back.  The verse says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".  I focused on that verse and its message the entire time of the marathon.  Along with nutrition, hydration, and proper training, it sure was Christ who strengthened me to help me accomplish a dream I eventually wanted.


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How did you get your start in running?