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I am not a runner.
That is what I spent my life telling myself. In school, I did everything I could to get out of running the 12 minute assessment run every year. I hated running and convinced myself I wasn’t good at sports and definitely NOT a runner.
I am not a runner!
Fast forward about 20 years, I am still convinced I am not a runner. My kids are in a new school and they need to raise money for a playground. The big fundraiser is a 5k race (5k run/walk.) I decide to sign up for the run so I would count for the numbers for our school, but I had no plans for running a 5k….
I am not a runner!
My brother-in-law offered to run with me, but that meant I would have to run. Now what? I figure I’m in good shape. I workout 5 times/week and I can keep up with the Turbo Jam workouts. I decide I will run this one 5k race and that’s it.
I am not a runner!
Race day arrives and I’m scared to death. How am I going to do this? The race starts and I’m running. Yep, me, I’m running a 5k. The first 1/2 mile is a breeze, then I freeze up. I realize I have to run 3.1 miles. How am I going to do this? Fortunately, my brother-in-law is not going to let me quit. He talks me through the times I want to quit. I am running a 5k. But remember,
I am not a runner!
I am at the 3 mile mark and I can see the end in sight. I see the finish line. I get this huge burst of energy (from where? I have no idea!) and I bust through that finish line. I just finished running a 5k race in 37 minutes (without any 5k training.) Someone hands me a medal. For me? It can’t be!
I am not a runner!
It is so easy to go through life always doing what is comfortable. Never taking risks and breaking out of our comfort zone. Running a 5k taught me that trying something new is scary, but is so worth it. If I can run a 5k race, think of all the other things I can do. All those things I’ve told myself I can’t do. Like speaking in front of an audience. I can’t do that. No wait, I can (and I have.)
That one 5k race has changed me. It should me that I can. The following year, I did 5k training and my 2 older kids ran with me. I wanted to show my kids that they can too. I am now training to run a half marathon this year because….
I AM A RUNNER!
Let’s Talk!
Tell me about a time you broke out of your comfort zone. How did that change your life? Any plans for running a 5k?
Glad to know you turned out a runner. Running is a good physical activity and reading such posts makes me feel inspired. Those who cannot run much due to lack of stamina should first of all work on the stamina and ways to increase it.
Sometimes when we step out of our comfort zones, incredible stuff can be achieved.
A lot of guys who are not runners, me included, will take heart from this inspirational post. 🙂
Sometimes when we step out of our comfort zones, incredible stuff can be achieved.
A lot of guys who are not runners, me included, will take heart from this inspirational post. 🙂
Omg! I was totally cheering for you as I read this post. LOL I’m not a runner either (not since I got out of the Army 14 years ago) but I signed up for my first 5K last year but couldn’t run due to a medical problem. This year I signed up for another 5K and I fully intend to run it. Thank you for writing this post. I so needed to read it. You rock!
Like you in the beginning, I am not a runner…however, the last several months have been a testament to the importance of keeping one foot in front of the other. Long-story-short: from having so-so energy and allowing my size to determine what I can and cannot do, I am now gearing up for a triathlon…!…it’s both exciting and scary…but something that I’m so looking forward to finishing 🙂
I’ll surely detail it more on http://methodandmoxie.wordpress.com/ soon after I’ve completed it. But until then, here’s a *big* high five to you for being a runner!
Narciso Tovar
Big Noise Communications
@Narciso17
Awesome! Triathlon is a tough one. I’ll follow your blog so I can see how you do. Good Luck!
Omg! I was totally cheering for you as I read this post. LOL I'm not a runner either (not since I got out of the Army 14 years ago) but I signed up for my first 5K last year but couldn't run due to a medical problem. This year I signed up for another 5K and I fully intend to run it. Thank you for writing this post. I so needed to read it. You rock!
Like you in the beginning, I am not a runner…however, the last several months have been a testament to the importance of keeping one foot in front of the other. Long-story-short: from having so-so energy and allowing my size to determine what I can and cannot do, I am now gearing up for a triathlon…!…it's both exciting and scary…but something that I'm so looking forward to finishing 🙂
I'll surely detail it more on http://methodandmoxie.wordpress.com/ soon after I've completed it. But until then, here's a *big* high five to you for being a runner!
Narciso Tovar
Big Noise Communications
@Narciso17
Awesome! Triathlon is a tough one. I'll follow your blog so I can see how you do. Good Luck!