As my twitter profile says, I'm a runner, grad student, avid tv watcher, and fan of underperforming Chicago sports teams. The name of this blog was inspired by one of my new favorite sayings, which, coincidentally, describes what my family and most of my non-runner friends think about my #1 hobby.
I'm fairly new to this whole running thing. I've always been active, playing tennis in high school and hitting the gym regularly through college and my first few years post-grad, but I used to hate, hate, HATE running. I really only started running to impress a boy -- just a few miles a week. Then in April 2010, a friend convinced me to run my first race, a 5K. I crossed the finish line in a little over 32 minutes and promptly threw up all over the asphalt and my nice new running shoes. For some reason, I still wanted to race again. Since then, I've run three more 5Ks, two 10Ks, a 15K, and four half-marathons. Somewhere along the way, I started to love running. I still a big fan of racing (if you can even call it that at my speed) but now average days just feel better when they involve a run.
Around the same time I started entering races, I also started taking on new adventures, doing things I never would have dreamed of as a little kid who was afraid of everything. The highlight would have to be this:
This year, I added another major milestone. On October 9, 2011, I ran my first marathon, back in my hometown of Chicago.
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| Striking a pose after the NYC half |
I'm fairly new to this whole running thing. I've always been active, playing tennis in high school and hitting the gym regularly through college and my first few years post-grad, but I used to hate, hate, HATE running. I really only started running to impress a boy -- just a few miles a week. Then in April 2010, a friend convinced me to run my first race, a 5K. I crossed the finish line in a little over 32 minutes and promptly threw up all over the asphalt and my nice new running shoes. For some reason, I still wanted to race again. Since then, I've run three more 5Ks, two 10Ks, a 15K, and four half-marathons. Somewhere along the way, I started to love running. I still a big fan of racing (if you can even call it that at my speed) but now average days just feel better when they involve a run.
Around the same time I started entering races, I also started taking on new adventures, doing things I never would have dreamed of as a little kid who was afraid of everything. The highlight would have to be this:
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| At the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro, Summer 2010 |
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| Showing off the SWAG after the Chicago Marathon |
This year also saw quite a few PRs:
Mile: 7:58
5K: 27:40
10K: 59:52
Half: 2:06:50
Full: 5:28:01
In 2012, I'd like to get my half-marathon time down to 2 hrs and my full-marathon time under 5 hrs. I'm also planning to change things up by doing a long-distance relay and a Muddy Buddy or Warrior Dash. And maybe climb another mountain (smaller, and in the U.S. this time). Most importantly, I want to have fun, try new things, and surprise myself.
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