My Healthyish Life

Finding balance in food, fitness and life

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My Running Story

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I unintentionally discovered running. I was starting high school and I needed a new after-school activity and cross-country was one of the only no-cut sports. I had just started running with my parents a few months earlier so it wasn’t an out-of-the-blue decision to join, but running was still new to me. Plus, I wasn’t so gung-ho about the six-days-a-week time commitment either.

As I was not only a freshman but also a new runner, I slowly built up my mileage. Most days I stayed around 3-4 miles, but I discovered that I really enjoyed running. It was a great stress relief after school and it kept me sane during a stressful time in my life. However, I did not enjoy being told to run or actually racing…which happens to be the point of cross-country. I actually dreaded meets. (I would be on the course running by my parents yelling, “I’m going to die. This sucks.” Just a bit dramatic. Apparently I made really ugly faces when I ran past them, too).

Cross country during my sophomore year of high school (2009).

While I did run cross-country for three years, my best and happiest running memories occurred during the off-seasons. I ran my first half-marathon in 2010 as a sophomore in high school. My mom and I ran the Princess Half Marathon at Disney World. I’ve never been so nervous for a race as I was for that half-marathon. I couldn’t eat dinner the night before because I was so queasy. However, it turned out to be an amazing race and I finished strong at 1:45, way surpassing my goal time.

That was the start of my racing “career” (not like I get paid for it…more like I shell out hundreds of dollars to race). Since then I have run four more half-marathons and one full marathon. I ran the Disney Marathon in January 2014 and it is my proudest accomplishment to date. (Note: I don’t run all my races at Disney. But I live an hour a way so it’s pretty convenient!).

After the 2014 Disney Marathon!

My first marathon (Disney Marathon 2014)

Right now  I’m in the midst of my running hiatus, partly due to the Florida heat. But really, I ran a lot (for me) from October-March, had some minor injuries and needed to give my body a break. However, I will be cutting the hiatus short to start training for my second marathon in mid-July. I’m running the NYC Marathon this November! You better believe I screamed in the middle of my religion class when I got the acceptance email. So until training starts I’ll continue to run when I feel like it (without a schedule), usually 3x a week.

I love that I can set short-term and long-term running goals. I love that I don’t have to set running goals. I love listening to music when running. I love running technology free. I love running even when I hate it. It’s not always easy or fun, but it’s the post-run high that keeps me coming back.

IMG_5761Run Happy

 

Hi, I’m Emily!

A twenty-something lover of long runs, home cooked meals and my dogs. Join me on my journey to find a mostly healthy balance in food, fitness and life.

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