On race day, the announcer told us the course was about 4.4 miles, which earned a quiet groan from me. I struggled on the course that day, big time. The casual 10-minute mile pace training I had done was not enough—not to keep up with my partner, and certainly not enough to handle all the obstacles how I’d imagined I would (like a ninja, of course). At the finish line, in my head, I vowed I would do more, and I would do better.
I found my running groove. I learned about the magic of podcasts and how to let my mind wander enough during a run to completely forget that my legs are there—it’s wonderful.
Now, eight races later, I’m signed up for a half marathon in a week.
When I began my training I automatically passed on any kind of intense schedule with track workouts and sprints. I decided to slowly build up mileage, luckily convinced a few friends (I can’t thank them enough) to train with me and somewhere around mile eight, I realized I seriously loved seeing how far I could run. I didn’t think I would ever do a 10-mile training run, let alone do it more than once—and enjoy it. I felt like a superhero.
I’ve genuinely found my love for running this year. I quit my gym in favor of the streets and trails of Dallas and even in the winter months I thought I’d dread, I’m still in love.
I know that keeping our relationship up during the holidays is going to be tough. I ran a family turkey trot but for the other four days I was with family, I neglected my running—and I felt guilty.
I don’t want to let running fall off my priority list in December. That’s why I’m doing the ACTIVE Last Chance Challenge to see how much I can move before the end of the year. I’ve had a pretty strong year, and running and I have gotten really tight, so if you want to join us (and win some cool swag), post an Instagram with #LastChanceChallenge2017 and you’ll be automatically entered to win!
READ THIS NEXT: I Failed My Marathon and Hit a Running Rock Bottom
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