Born to Run

So I mentioned at the start of the New Year that I was up for a new challenge.  I'm still trying to figure out the direction for this blog. Guess you can say it's a work in progress. While I continue to blog and do my best to keep it informative and interesting, I find myself yearning to get back to something I've always loved....running.

 

It has been years since I ran; not since I fell ill in 2008. It also has been over a year since I went gluten-free and my body seems to have completely healed. I no longer have any neurological symptoms in my legs, digestive issues, hyper-inflammatory response or a poor immune system. So basically, I feel great!  

 

I've always enjoyed running. I know some people absolutely despise it, but I have always felt so much more centered after a good run. Lately I've noticed this incredibly strong urge to put foot to pavement. Maybe it has something to do with the unseasonably warm weather we've been experiencing here in Los Angeles. Either way, the instinct to run has been primal. Last time I felt this way was the summer of 1996, when I witnessed the Olympic torch make it's way through Dearborn, MI, on route to Atlanta, GA. It was a surreal and motivating moment in my young life, that made me make a promise to myself that one day I would complete a marathon. In 2004 I kept that promise by completing the inaugural Nike Women's Marathon.

 

After I completed my first, second, third, fourth, etc....marathon, I couldn't just stop there. I gave myself another lofty athletic goal, another promise, that I would complete an Ironman before I turned 40. I know...I'm crazy. Just call me the "running fool". In all the years when I was marathoning, I never hit the wall.  Which made me wonder what my threshold truly is and where that wall may be hiding. I thought, "If I can run a marathon then I can run a 50k. And if I can do a 50k, then why not a triathlon?" Suffice it to say, I never got the opportunity to do either.

 

Today is a new day. I'm ready to begin retraining myself, but I know from past experiences not to sprint at the start. So I'm going to begin with a few weekly runs. I'm not sure how my body is going to react after years of complacency. Hopefully it won't take me long to bounce back. I won't be ready for an Ironman any time this year, but I think I can handle a 10k in the near future. With that goal in mind, I've decided to train for the Santa Monica Classic on May 20th. I've also registered for Team Gluten Free and will be fundraising (more information on that to come). If you want to follow along with me and my training schedule, just check out my profile on MapMyRun.com.