The first reaction I get from people when they discover I’m an avid runner is, “You’re crazy! I couldn’t run 100 feet!” I always laugh at the reaction, push it aside and continue to run just the same. I am a firm believer that any person can run. It may not be easy, but it’s possible…it just takes time, perseverance, and willingness to change.
When I first started track as a freshman in high school, I had never actually gone for a run. Like every kid trying to be cool in high school sports, I instantly gravitated to sprints; be it the 100m, 200m, or 400m dash. After all, it was what my brother was doing! I even partook in long jump because that was pretty cool too. That first season of running was very interesting because it started to extract the competitive nature that I’m sure I always had in me, being the last child of eight. I didn’t letter that first season of track and I remember being extremely upset about it, so I knew I was going to work hard to letter the next year.
The following fall my brother was doing football, and I decided to try the sport that was the least expensive so my parents wouldn’t have a lot of reasons to say no; cross-country it was! I remember, it was the day before our first cross-country practice, and my brother said to me “maybe you should go for a run?” I thought he was probably right, considering I hadn’t run since the last track meet, so I laced up my Payless Shoe Source shoes and ran to the house from the barn (50m) and back maybe three times; I was ready for cross-country!
Those next three years of high school completely changed my life, not just in terms of my running performance, but in terms of how I developed into the person I am today. Before I started running, I really had no idea who I was or where I was going. I think part of it stems from being a child of eight and not having the opportunity to develop my own personality because I was so easily absorbing the personalities of my siblings. Running changed that for me. It helped me think more for myself, challenged me, and gave me goals; things I had never had or done before. Running has also brought out my sense of humor, vulnerabilities, and made me more confident.
Many years ago, I had just gotten back from a 16-miler and I remember over-hearing my aunt talk to mom about my running. My cousin had joined cross-country and wasn’t really into it, and my mom was saying that she didn’t really understand running and why I was doing it so much. My aunt’s response was one I will never forget: “It’s a lifestyle for some people, and once you start, you can’t stop.” At the time, I didn’t really know if it was true for me; was I going to continue running after high school and college? What happens when I’m not required to run to keep my scholarship?
After graduating from college, I met the man who would become my husband and we started training together for my first marathon. At the same time, I discovered my coworker was a runner, which led to many runs with two of my favorite people in the world. We were inseparable, training early in the mornings and going for long runs on Sauvie Island and in Forest Park on the weekends. A year later I started my job at Boeing and again, found a group of people to run at lunch with me almost every single day. Four years later and we are still going strong :)
Every milestone in my life starts and ends with a run. When I think back to what my aunt said, I completely agree that it is a lifestyle, and I am certain I will forever define myself as a runner. I don’t consider it an obsession, but rather, a way of life. I see it as a part of me…like a soul mate. If I didn’t have the freedom to run, I am certain I would not be the person I am today.