Why I Started Running:
I signed up for my first 5K in October 2013. I was at a low place and decided to walk just one 5K to prove to myself that I could, and I wanted to finish in under an hour. My best friend did the race with me and kept me from quitting halfway through. She pushed me to run at various places on the course, and when the finish line was in sight, she told me to go ahead and run through it. I did, and I was hooked (and I finished in just under 47 minutes). I ran my next race, a 2-miler, two month later, and the rest is history.
My Favorite Moments / Biggest Accomplishments:
In fall of 2018, I decided to start training for a half (still never having done more than a 5K), probably in 2020. I signed up to do a 10K in February 2019, with longer distances to follow. In January 2019, I was in the ER with an uncontrolled heart rate/rhythm/blood pressure, and went through 3 weeks of tests, wondering if I’d ever run again (among more serious concerns). I was cleared on a Thursday and ran a 5K on that Sunday, though adjusting to beta blockers took a while. In February, I did my first 10K. In April, I did my first 15K (which I was unprepared for, thought I’d signed up for a shorter race but did it anyway). I just completed my second 15K two days ago.
Future Goals:
I’ll be doing my first half-marathon on November 10, 2019–Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Half-Marathon. In March 2020, I’ll be doing the Holy Grail Challenge at the Excalibur Distance Festival–5K on Saturday night, 10-miler plus 2-miler on Sunday morning. I plan to complete both the Space Coast Runners Series (minus the marathon, 12 races total) and the Running Zone Series (7 races) this year.