Welcome to my blog! 

Running 101: Students May Unexpectedly Learn Life Lessons!

Thank you for visiting my page and taking the time to read my posts. I hope you find it enjoyable-it certainly has been an enjoyable process getting to this point.

I suppose I should start with the question: ‘Is this blog just for runners?’ No, not necessarily, mainly because I am not just a runner.  I have a million interests (ok…about a million) and have found over many years that my passions lay in many areas.  Nevertheless, I spread myself way too thin among all of my hobbies and activities and I love every single minute of it.

Technically, I have only been a (serious) runner for a little over five years (to determine when exactly I became a runner, I basically thought back to the moment when I ceased to hate running with a violent furor).

I don’t want to give the impression that I am a running guru, because I am not. I may know some stuff, but it’s mainly because I have learned it through my own experience and a lot of trial and error. I really cannot say that what is right/has worked for me will produce the same outcome for another. As we all know, each one of us is different, we are all capable of doing different things and have different needs when it comes to running and life in general. (See where I’m going with this?!)  But as far as an endurance athlete goes, am I above average? Sure, I guess so…but of course, that is dependent upon the race, the day, the weather, the stress of having a real job (no offense to professional athletes-I’m kind of joking, your jobs are actually pretty awesome and I’m jeal) how well I’ve trained, if I have any injuries, or even if I’ve eaten too much ice cream in the days preceding (since I am an endurance athlete, I’m allowed to eat as much crap food as I want without gaining weight)…

That last statement could not possibly be more false-it’s the falsest of false things that ever falsely existed.  Contrary to popular belief, 15 miles of running, 41 miles of cycling, or 3 miles of swimming are actually NOT ok excuses to eat an entire chocolate cake AND an entire bag of Reese’s OR 4 slices of pizza (REAL pizza, like from Jersey or NY <3) and 3 Blue Moons.  It’s really just kind of disgusting (but SO GOOD at the same time); no matter how many calories you burned in one workout. I am a huge proponent for taking care of your body and what you put into it, making the bad stuff an exception, not the rule. Although I will openly admit to having fallen into the trap, more times than I can count (ie: five years’ worth- even now as I preach of healthy living) of thinking I should be allowed to eat those things on a regular basis. “Hi, my name is Katie and I have a problem.” I digress…

This blog started when I experienced a very special moment in my running life that occurred on my five-year “anniversary” of having signed up for my very first marathon in 2006.  (I will be incorporating what I previously wrote about that experience into a new post shortly.)  When I finished my 8-mile unintentional “anniversary run”, I felt compelled to share my story, to reflect on the past five years and all that I had accomplished through running: what I had learned about myself, about life, about fear and courage, character and integrity, faith and hope, and most importantly, the power of positive thinking. Through these reflections came a series of “life lessons” I learned (mainly) from running, that had been silently steering my life, my thoughts, and my actions over the course of the last five years.  It was one of the most beautiful moments in my memory (in all my 25-robust-with-life-experience years): piecing together a puzzle and taking a step back to look at the bigger picture and what this journey has done for me, where it has led me, and where I have the ability to go in the future thanks to what it has indirectly (and rather unexpectedly) taught me.

More than anything, running has given me strength - physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual strength.  I have developed a powerful confidence in my ability to endure, and it has significantly influenced my views of obstacles in life, in society, at work, and in relationships. Since I crossed the finish line of my very first 26.2 in Disney World, January 2008, any difficulty I have since come across has been compared (in my head and heart) to completing a marathon: “There is an end in sight.” Something I tell myself often.  Any struggle, pain, or seemingly endless road…it all has a finish line, even if you can’t see it at present.  Believing that you will reach the other side at some point (even if it’s painfully slow-going) is all that matters.  I have yet to have someone prove that belief untrue.  Just like a marathon, the feelings you will get when you cross under the giant “FINISH!”, no matter how difficult the battle, will give you a strength and happiness you never thought was possible.

So, folks, here goes nothing! My blogging has officially begun. That was just an introduction of what’s to come.  Let the public organizing of my thoughts commence! :)

…If only I was able to write 1,000 words so quickly and so easily in college (painful memories of staring at a blank word document with a 10-page assignment due come to mind.)