Reaching goals!

When I was a teenager I wrote out a list of things I wanted to accomplish before I died.

Yeah, I know.

We all did that.

On mine I wrote that I wanted to run a 5k, 10k, 1/2 Marathon and Full Marathon.

I didn't run at all back then.  I was homeschooled and wasn't part of any type of sport.  I took Tennis lessons one summer if you want to count that.

When I was approx. 14 my Uncle Brian died. He was the "cool" uncle and did triathlons.  Or at least I remember him doing ONE triathlon.  I have no idea how many he actually did, but it impacted me as a child.

That year I took up running.

By running, I mean I ran/walked around my neighborhood for approximately a mile a couple of times a week.  If I felt really motivated I would do 3 miles.  I did this off and on through high school.

When I was 21 I found that old list and decided to do something about it.

I signed up for a free 5k my employer was putting on.

I have no idea how I did in it, because I all I cared about was "PLEASE DON'T LET ME BE LAST"...I wasn't. There were at least a couple of people behind me.  It was FREEZING. I still have that awful race shirt.  Goldenrod and Lime Green with Purple.

After that first race I did all those other distances I had written down.  I did them with my dad, and my sister(s) over the course of the year.

Then for some reason I just kind of stopped running.  Sure, I would go out and run a couple of miles every now and then, maybe do a race here and there.

Then in 2010 my friend Elizabeth wanted to lose the baby weight she gained being pregnant.  I suggested we register for a marathon to run together. We chose the Salt Lake City Marathon. This little gem was my recap of the race:) I just have to laugh at how relaxed I sound about "only" needing to speed up by 45 seconds a mile to make a 4:00 marathon.  So young...so naive...

But it was at the end of that race that I decided that it was totally reasonable to make qualifying for Boston a goal!

Three years later...I MADE IT!

3:37:45