Forgive my absence, it's been a heck of a few months!

So last time you heard from me I had just started back to school.  Still on track, still working out and doing what was needed to stay in shape.  It was a rough school year, folks; I can't lie about it.  I learned a ton about myself over the course of the last nine months and am more than happy to take my life lessons.  There are a few, but the biggest is how I feel about running.  I warned you last year that I probably wasn't done posting about this activity.  Now's your chance to bail. . .

Since I last wrote I've gotten even more serious about running. Last summer I ran a few miles here and there, never anything over three.  Many days I never even hit three.  As the fall became winter, I got a little slack with running and wasn't putting much into it. I let my head get the best of me and was giving up way to early in the run.  In November someone entered my life that I not only respect as a person, but as an athlete.  We ran together once and it changed my entire outlook on running.  As I took off on the beach trying to seem like a "real runner," I realized I had no clue.  My head took over and my self confidence crashed.  I made it barely a mile before throwing in the towel, embarrassed and knowing I needed work. Lucky for me my run partner that day believed in me and started helping me get out of my head and push myself. Together we set a goal to run the Cooper River Bridge Run in April.  For someone that had never run more than 3 miles, this was a pretty exciting (and kind of scary) goal.

I started training.  Actual training with a run schedule and everything.  Because I was running more I had to tweak the diet.  That was actually fun and scary all at once.  I knew I needed more calories to fuel my runs, but I was paranoid of the dreaded weight gain.  What I failed to remember is that I'm armed with all the information I need to keep my diet in check to fuel my body appropriately and not gain weight.  I was successful with maintaining my current weight while upping the calories until I got injured.  I did something to my hip thinking I was Super Runner and increased too much too soon.  Just a little overuse injury that hurt like hell and grounded me from running.  While not running, I forgot to lower the calories and gained 5 pounds.  (I know you're all going, "oooh, a whole 5 pounds."  Well for me, 5 pounds is a lot)  This was an easy enough fix and I was able to drop it pretty quickly.

In April I crossed that bridge with several thousand of my closest friends and my AMAZING run partner, Steve.  My original goal for Bridge Run was to finish happy.  As my training progressed I decided I wanted a time goal and set it for under an hour.  Then injury happened and I had to return to the original goal of finishing happy.  I finished two minutes over that time goal with a smile as big as the moon on my face.  Within seconds of crossing the finish I said, "next year. . . "

Since April my hip has healed thanks to a lot of patience from various trainers, my chiropractor, my run coach, and my own body. My mileage has increased along with my endurance. My training continues as I race a few 5Ks this summer and move towards what's next.  That half marathon is looking pretty enticing right now.  The other day as I headed out for my long run I started to laugh at my own appearance. For someone that once thought running was a cheap way to keep fit I was loaded down with a lot of gear. . .  CamelBak handheld water bottle, Brooks Launch, Garmin, heart rate monitor, sport beans.  While I may look like I know what I'm doing; I really am clueless.  The one thing I know for sure is that I love it and it makes me happy; so I'll keep lacing up those shoes and running out the door.