I know that on occasion I have highlighted my running background to include why and when I started running and who inspired me to run (my mother of course!).  I will add that my running in the past has been very sporadic and I almost always focused on a goal, achieved the goal and then stopped running once the goal was met.  I think that happens to a lot of people.  They master that 5K or half-marathon and then feel that they have had enough with the running and move on to something new (or revert back to channel surfing).  It takes passion and dedication in order to continue running because it is not always exciting and pleasant.

I guess you can say that I finally broke through the mold and decided that I hadn’t had enough when it came to running.  A year ago, I had just given birth to my third angel and I was wondering what I was going to do to lose the nasty baby weight hanging off my mid-section.  After each previous pregnancy (well, not right away with the first), I had found that running worked to get me back to a normal size.  I also found out during those times that I couldn’t just go out and run without a goal in mind.  After having my first child, I set my mind on the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon.  That was my first half marathon and I was so proud of myself for finishing it in a decent amount of time.  After that I ran a few smaller races, but I stopped pushing myself when it came to running.  Then, I decided to run a marathon with Team in Training.  Well, that training lasted about two months until I found out I was pregnant with number two.  I felt that I hadn’t yet built enough of a running base to continue safely.  However, four weeks after giving birth I got on that treadmill and started again.  That time I worked towards another half marathon and I finished the San Jose Rock n Roll a few months later. Once again, my running became sporadic and I did the occasional short distance race.  What do you think happened next? Right, I got pregnant again.

I know that was a long story about my uphill and downhill battle with running.  However, I know that I am not the only one that this has happened to.  Yet, I can finally say that I am out of that rut.  I feel like I can finally call myself a runner and I have become a consistent one too.  During this past year, I have not gone longer than a week without running (I rarely go longer than 3 days).  Sure, I had goals, like the marathon I completed as part of Team in Training.  However, there was a stagnant period where I wasn’t really training for anything and I still just kept running for the sheer pleasure of doing it.  Then I became a coach and now I kind of have to run, but I am more than okay with whatever I can do to keep myself running.  Of course I now have new goals that are even crazier than the first ones.  I never imagined that I would keep pushing myself harder to improve my running more and more each day.  Sure, I don’t always want to wake up at 4:00 am to go run 14 long miles or get on the treadmill so I can drag out those 6 miles, but I do it anyway.  Afterwards I feel great and I am thankful that I have a passion that I can pursue.  I can’t picture myself stopping now…