Here we go!

So I used to be a pretty good runner.  As a junior in high school, I was 800m state champ and had a PR of 19:28 in 5K.  But the thing is, I don’t know if I ever really tried.  I could say it was because I was never properly coached, or that I always felt pressured to do well, but mainly I think I was just lazy.  I never went out for a run unless I was forced to, and very rarely enjoyed it.  I ran because I was naturally good at it, which after a while wasn’t good enough.  After turning down a scholarship at App State, I tried out for the Carolina varsity team (mainly to placate my father), secretly hoping to get cut from the team.  For some reason they decided to keep me, and it made my life hell for the next two years.  After a series of nagging injuries and an overall dislike of running, I opted for early retirement.
 

I joined the triathlon club team to satisfy my exercising desires.  It was a nice change of pace from competitive running and an easy way to break up workouts, but a lack of structured (and mandatory) workouts sent me into a downward spiral of under-training and unpreparedness.   Most notably, I completed a half-ironman triathlon without a lick of training.  In fact, I had never run more than 9 consecutive miles or biked more than 30.  It took me about 7 hours to complete my race.

On several occasions, I have tried to start running again.  I will get going for a couple weeks, maybe a month or two if I am lucky, but I always find a reason to stop again.  I have completed 3 1/2 marathons, with a PR of 1:45:12 (about 8:02 pace) and a 5k here and there.  Moving back to Charlotte, in addition to not having a full time job, as well as living in a very running friendly neighborhood, on top of having the Charlotte Running Club‘s support has enabled me to find my stride again.  I have been running consistently, on my own terms since June 22nd.

My running comeback has been pretty difficult.  I am not as naturally gifted as I once was.  I look back to the times I was once able to run, and I cannot imagine ever being able to run that fast again.  After being frustrated that I ran a 22:05 at Greekfest, 2 minutes slower than my time 10 years ago, one of our running friends, Catlin Chrisman (who ran a 2:41 marathon this morning) said that it was a “real world PR”.  I have taken her words to heart and decided to start afresh.  If I never break 20 minutes again in a 5k, who freakin cares.

This is the story of my comeback.  I finally feel like a runner again and I am training with more heart than ever before.  In two weeks, Eric and I are running the Rock n Roll Denver 1/2 Marathon and the Thunder Road Marathon on December 11th… 10 weeks to go.  So far training is going well, although I am unsure if it is physically possible to even run that far.  But for the first time in my life, I am not going to half-ass my training and crash halfway through my race.  I ran 16 miles yesterday, and I am going to finish this marathon, and hopefully many more after that.

I guess we will have to see how this pans out.

JB