30 Years Ago I Started Running and just Never Stopped!!

30 years ago this week I made one of the best choices of my life – I decided to run track my sophomore year of high school. I signed up for the entire year of athletics and thought I would just hang out or something in the fall since I had plans to be a quarter miler.

My coach suggested that I try cross country. Even though I had no idea what that meant, I decided to go ahead and try it.

The first day we had to run to a nearby park, loop it and run back to the school – about 1 mile. I had to walk 3 times!!!

pretty much the male version of how I looked after that first mile

It was hard but I stuck with it and ended up loving everything about cross country!

And track was even more fun!!!

I went on to run in college on a scholarship.

I road raced my way through grad school and found another love!!! The atmosphere at road races was so much fun!

The past 10-15 years have been less about racing and more about running just because I love it!

The longest time I’ve gone without running in the past 30 years was almost 6 months. In November of 2001 I was near the end of training for a marathon and ended up with a stress fracture in my left hip. My orthopedic surgeon actually threatened me with a hip replacement. Thankfully I healed but it was almost 6 months of no running (actually only minimal walking) – it was brutal for everyone involved!!!

My current goal is to complete 50 miles (or more:) in a race!!!