The Story of a Girl Who Hated Running

I feel confident in proclaiming that I have hated running ever since I knew what running was. 

Even as a kid - running was just not my thing. Remember those elementary school field days or whatever they were called where you basically went outside all afternoon, ran around and got graded on it? Well that was pretty much everyone's favorite school day of the year but mine. I hated it! I dreaded it! The last thing I wanted was my first grade crush to see how slow and girly I ran!

In middle school and high school, I was FAMOUS for coming up with reasons why I couldn't run the mile. I was sick, I had a dance competition and didn't want to risk injury, I even went so far as to fake fall down some stairs and fake hurt my ankle one year. 

My favorite "Kristin hates running" story, however, is from the year when my gym teacher just would.not.give.it.up. I think it was my freshman year of high school. No matter how hard I tried, no matter how many excuses I had, this man was going to make me run the damn mile. So, I did what any intelligent mile-hating teenage girl would do and I went down to the track to make up my test with some friends, walked around the track once, multiplied my time by four and then sat in the grass for a while. Unfortunately, another gym teacher saw me and ratted me out. That day, my mom got a phone call from the school explaining I had "cheated on a test". As she tells it, it took everything in her power not to burst out laughing in to the phone when she found out said test was THE MILE. 

Over the past few years as I have tried to get healthier and more fit, I have tried to get better at running. And I really can't believe I am going to say this but I am at a point now where I LIKE it. I do. I like running. I am still not the best at it. It's still pretty hard and I'm still pretty slow. 

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But, I'm trying. 

I've completed the Couch to 5K Program which I really give a lot of credit to. This program starts you out so slow and easy and before I knew it I was running 3 miles without stopping - something I never, ever, ever, ever, imagined I'd be able to do. I have participated in six 5k races and actually have fun during them - go figure. Not to mention I have set a new personal best at each of the six races.

Additionally, my little brother has become a super star runner over the last year and a half. It's so fun seeing his passion for it and he has been a huge inspiration and motivation for me to continue to work at it. I like to call him my running coach because he is full of running knowledge and is so good at sharing his wisdom and pushing me to be a better runner. 

And then, the two of us had an idea....

Yup, I'm still not entirely sure how this happened but as of this past Monday, I am signed up to run 13.1 miles in a Half Marathon and my brother will be running 26.2 in his first Marathon on Sunday, May 31st. 

I'm excited. I'm terrified. I don't really know who I am and what happened to the real Kristin. 

But, I'm going to try. 

Why the hell not, right?