Okay ladies, grab your coffee because you won’t believe this one! Remember that dusty pair of running shoes in your closet? Well, mine went from collecting cobwebs to crossing THREE half-marathon finish lines this year! Can we just take a moment to process that?!
When I started training on March 1st, I thought ONE half marathon would be pushing it. But apparently, your girl got a little carried away… Because here we are, TEN races later, including 3 half marathons, 2 15Ks, and 5 fun-filled 5Ks with the fam! (Who even am I?!)
Mission: Holiday Runner Status – ACCOMPLISHED! Want to hear something crazy? I decided to challenge myself to run a long-distance race on every summer holiday (because apparently, I lost my mind in the best possible way):
- Memorial Day: Bayshore Half Marathon (First one – eek!)
- Fourth of July: Hungry Duck Half Marathon (Back for more!)
- Labor Day: Summer Sizzler 15K (Still going strong!)
Michigan Weather: 0, NiMi: 1 Let’s talk about running in Michigan, shall we? Rain? Ran through it. Snow? Conquered it. Humidity that makes your hair look like Monica’s from Friends in Barbados? OWNED IT! The secret? A waterproof spray, a trusty poncho, and the stubbornness of a toddler who won’t eat their vegetables!
From Family Support to Family Sport Those 5Ks with my family? Pure magic! Nothing beats crossing the finish line and seeing your loved ones cheering you on (or running right beside you, trying not to wheeze – we’ve all been there!).
The “I Hate Running” Girl’s Plot Twist Picture this: Three years ago, I owned an “I Hate Running” shirt and wore it with PRIDE. Fast forward to today, and that shirt is probably somewhere under all my race medals! How did it happen? One tiny step at a time:
- Three years ago: 45 minutes of daily walking (Netflix marathons totally count as training, right?)
- Three months later: Attempted running… and didn’t hate it?!
- 2022: First 10K (Who am I becoming?!)
- 2024: THREE half marathons (Someone check if pigs are flying!)
The Thank You Corner Major shoutout to:
- My family (for pretending to be interested in my running stories)
- My body (for not giving up on me despite all the “just one more mile” promises)
- My gym fam (for the endless high fives and pep talks)
As 2024 wraps up, there’s definitely one more 5K calling my name. And 2025? Well… let’s just say my running shoes aren’t ready for retirement yet!
Ladies, if I can go from hating running to this, just imagine what YOU could do! Remember, every marathon runner started with a single step (probably while cursing under their breath!).
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