Boston Bound

For those of you who don't know, I am currently training for my second marathon in December. I just finished up my second week of training. Before I get into this years training, I will give a little background info on how I got into running in the first place.

I came from two running parents. My father has run more marathons than I can count. He runs almost everyday and is considered by some to be a running legend in Diamond Springs. Everyone knows who he is. How can they not. One minute you'll see him and then an hour later you'll see him 15 miles away and he's still running. My mom, also a runner, is a bit of a legend herself. Although she does not run as much as my dad, people know her too. She is know as "that lady who runs a bit funny and is always smiling" My mom tells me she isn't really smiling, it just looks that way because she breathes through her teeth when she runs.

As a child my father encourged me to run. I would often participate in fun runs, and the occasional 5K but I really didn't like it all that much. As I got older, I kept trying to make myself like it, but I was never successful until a few years ago. My sister, Holly, started what we now call Team Slim. It was a group of family members, and later on, friends, who banded together to lose weight. Initially I lost about 25 pounds but soon found that I had reached a plateau. After talking to my sister, she informed me that she had begun running as a way to combat the calories. In attempts to be just like her, I too took up the habit. I started out slow, just running a mile or two a day and eventually worked my way up to three. My sister then told me she was going to attepmt to run a marathon. Once again, I hold to do everything she did, so I started training. In December of 2006, I successfully ran the California International Marathon in four hours and thirty minutes. It was one of the greatest days of my life! The day after, however, was not as glorious. So that is how my running came to be.

I am the type of person who needs goals to stay motivated. Marathon training, not only motivates me to continue my running, but it also reminds me that I can do anything. Last year my goal was just to finish the 26.2 miles. This year I have a different goal. I want to qualify for the Boston marathon. I am well aware of the fact that I have my work cut out for me! To qualifiy, I need to run this year's California International Marathon in three hours and forty minutes. That's fifty minutes faster than I ran it last year. A challenge, yes, but not impossible. If anyone can do it I can. I have been reading running magazines for the past year and have been working on ways to get faster. After completing my second week of training, I can already see and feel the difference compared to last year. I feel stronger, and I am running faster than I ever have. Once I lose my last fifteen pounds, I will be at my optimal running weight which I hope will allow me to run even faster. As I get further into my training, I will begin running with my dad. If anyone can get me to Boston, it's him. So hopefully I will be Boston bound!