What I've learned from running

Be disciplined! I cannot remember the last time I stuck to a schedule like this. I knew that if I skipped even one long weekend run, my chances of finishing the half marathon would be decreased. Endurance- i can run 13.1 miles. Did not see that coming at all!!!! There will be good runs & bad runs. Some runs were easier than others – 7 miles was exhausting, 8 and 9 miles were surprisingly easy. I prayed on my 11 miler, and ultimately my 13.1 would land on a good day! – luckily they did. Don’t Judge a Run by the First Mile.. Well, I should say first 3 because my first couple always suck and are tough(yes even after knowing I can run 13.1, my 3 miles are still "tough"– The first couple miles of most of my runs were honestly miserable – tight legs, cold arms, sore feet, tired eyes, loose pony tail, headphones falling out,etc…. but it always improved. Sharing the experience with others. Running opens up a whole new community and people who run, love to talk about running. People who don’t run usually nod as their eyes glaze over. My family doesn't seem interested in the love I have to running lol. Sorry about that, non-running friends.I’m a pretty competitive person and running alone let’s me find my own pace and listen and respond to my body when it wants to speed up or slow down.  RunWith Others. I get my energy from being around others and pick up the pace when I run in a group. When I registered for my race I deliberately underestimated my pace to ensure I wasn’t starting out with people running significantly faster than me. I knew I needed a good pair of shoes. I never thought I’d consider running shoes among the favorites in my collection – but going to a running store and having a proper fitting was the best thing I’ve done for my running. Running is so much fun! I never EVER thought I would say that. Back in high school I used to look at the track team like they were crazy! I've hit a wall a couple times but I'm beginning to embrace the "pain" and use it to give me the energy I need.