I am a runner!

Or at least I'm trying to convince myself that I am! So I'm starting this blog as a way to keep track of my running and write down stuff as I go along.

If you had told me 2 years ago that I would be running just for the sake of running and not because it was raining, I was being chased, or because the military required it, I would have laughed in your face. I spent almost 10 years in the Marine Corps and hated every second of every run. I absolutely dreaded the semi-annual Physical Fitness Test (PFT) that required a 3 mile run. I hated every training run with my unit. I was always a slow runner and at the back of the pack. I would fall out of runs and just barely pass my PFT for the running portion. I swore after I got out of the Marine Corps that the only running I would do for the rest of my life would be from my house to the car if it was raining.

So a little over a year after I got out and a year after delivering triplets, what am I doing out there running? I have finally felt like I've reached a point with the babies that I'm no longer up all night and sleep deprieved. I feel like I'm almost human again. I've got a few extra pounds to lose from the pregnancy and afterwards. I took the San Diego Sheriff's Deputy exam (and passed) a few weeks ago and want to get myself back in shape in the off case that I make it through all the screening to the academy. I want something that I can feel good about.

Which is what lead me out there to be running again. However, now the experience is entirely different. I'm not dreading it anymore even though I'm much slower than I used to be (not that I was fast before by any means). But I have found that I have a lot of unbrainwashing to do. The more I read in other runner's blogs and different running sites, the more I find that everything I learned about running in the military is wrong. No wonder I sucked so much at it and hated it so much. I was doing so many things wrong and had so many misconceptions about running. I'm having to relearn so many things and try to have a whole new outlook on things. Not watching the clock and worrying about how fast I am is a totally new concept. I'm learning to just appreciate being out there and doing something good for myself and my body. Plus, it really does help my mental outlook and give me tons of energy that I didn't have before.

This is long enough for now but I look forward to going through this process of turning into a runner.