Always running behind...

A few weeks ago I participated in an all women sprint triathlon.  This was my second year participating in this particulagr race.  I really, really enjoy being a part of this event.  I love the feeling that comes with accomplishing something surrounded by a group of amazing women who have all gone through similar, yet amazingly different struggles, yet have come out on top.

(Pre race)

I finished in just about the same time as I did last year.  I was a little bummed about that, but still felt ok about it all.

(Finish Line)

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) KC got there just after I had crossed the line so I didn't get any pictures of me during the race. 

I had a few thoughts that circled in my mind throughout the race.

*In the 5 1/2 years KC and I have been married I have been pregnant or with a new born baby for basically 3 of those years.  I have been able to do this race 2 times.  I feel a good sense of accomplishment for that.

*I can't wait to see my cute husband and kids at the end of this race.  During a race you pass so many amazing family and friends who are there cheering on their loved ones, but also cheer for you.  That always makes me a little nostalgic and so excited to see them.

*Towards the end I began to think about how one of the only things that kept me running was the fact that I had to use the bathroom SO BAD that I knew I had to keep running cause if I didn't get to the finish line quick I was going to have an accident.

*Another one of the participants was wearing a shirt that said:

2 Slow

2 Win

2 Dumb

2 Care

This made me laugh.  It made me think of the high school.

I was on the track team in high school.  For those of you who met me post high school this is probably pretty funny to you.  Actually those of you who knew me in high school also probably found this pretty funny!  I was/am NOT a good runner.

I got into track because of soccer. I moved the beginning of my sophmore year.  Knowing that we were moving and that I wanted to try out for the soccer team at my new school I started doing conditioning with my new school.  (GO WILDCATS!)  The soccer team at that time was doing conditioning with the track team over the summer so I began running with them.  Once school started I signed up for soccer conditioning, which just so happened to be combined with track conditioning.

I wasn't going to do track.  I am really bad at running.  Like, I'm not fast and I can't run long distances well.  Yet when the spring came a combination of a crush, the most amazing coach ever, and an amazing group of people won me over and I signed up to run track.

I have some amazing memories of that first year of track.  

*As I said I am not fast so I ran a lot of different races in order to find the one I could run the best.  

*The first time I tried to run the mile I wet my pants.  That's right, I literally wet my pants, well shorts.  I finished the race and hid under the bleachers until my mom came and found me and brought me new ones.  I was mortified.  

*I also tried pole vaulting that year.  I didn't do well, but I loved trying.   Plus that is where I started dating someone who is still a dear friend and one of the sweetest people I know.  

*Our long runs may have taken us past a delicious bakery.  I may or may not have slipped into the bakery on an occasion or two, gotten myself a cookie, and waited til I saw some of the last runners come by and then headed back.  Opps!

*I met some of the sweetest friends.  We made up weird nick names and grew really close.

I seriously loved track!  I really didn't like running, yet I seriously LOVED track!

I have been trying to run more as of late.  In part because I love eating.  Like I literally am in love with eating.  Unfortunately my metabolism doesn't love my eating as much as it used to.  In fact, this is something I wonder about daily: should I have taught myself to not eat so much and to eat better earlier in life, or should I more fully taken advantage of that great metabolism I used to have and eaten non-stop?  

 I digress.  

So anyway, I love to eat so in turn I decided I really need to work off a bit of that food, so I have started to run more.  Also, rumor has it it's good for you.

I think often of my track time during that.  I will always be 2 slow 2 win.  Yet that's ok.  I have started to enjoy my run.  Do I love to run.  Oh heavens no.  I do however love how I feel when I am done.  I love that I get that time to myself to think and to better myself and my health.  I am nicer to my husband and kids, I am better to myself.  I enjoy that feeling. 

Each day on my run I think about my old track coach.  My fastest mile in high school was around 6 1/2 minutes.  That is by no means going to win you a race in high school track.  Yet when I finished that race my coach greeted me with the biggest smile and gave me such a giant congrats.  I felt like I had won that day.  She made me feel like that often.  I still feel inspired by her 10 years later.

So though I will never be the fastest runner, or a runner of the longest distance, or the most graceful runner (do I do anything graceful?) I will continue to run.  I look forward to those times with my head phones in listening to everything from Nelly to Whitney Houston.  Nothing is better than good music, good thoughts, and a good workout.  

And nothing is better than ending your workout each day with a little Hansen.  Cause let's be honest, even if it was an awful workout before hand, if it is ended with a little Mmm Bop it's a great run!!