I'm a regular girl

I have been married for 13 1/2 years, I have 3 children, I have a job, a couple a sisters, a brother, some great friends, a normal productive life. One thing I've never been is active. My parents weren't so I wasn't, just kinda how it goes. My weight has went up and down my entire adult life. I never really cared, b/c well, I have a fabulous guy who never cared. After I had our last(I say last he say 2nd to last) child, I lost a lot of weight, only to gain about 45 lbs back. Bleech. In an effort to combat the weight and find passion in something I began the Couch to 5k program. It takes you from not ever being a runner to running a 5k in 9 weeks. No way you say? I am living breathing proof that ANYONE, to included someone who is 60 lbs overweight can go from zero to 5k in 9 weeks. I started my journey on the treadmill. Partially b/c I was scared of the pavement and partially b/c it was January! Around week 6 I began running outside and I have never looked back.

On April 10, 2010 I completed my first 5k. I had 4 goals for that race:

1. Finish the race
2. Run the entire race
3.NOT be the last
4.Do it in less than 45 minutes

I'm proud to say I did all of those! Since then I have become slightly addicted to running. I run 10-12 miles per week, and have completed 2 more 5k's. One was just today! During all of my training, a little birdie kept putting a bug in my ear about doing a marathon. At first I thought she was crazy. I'm not a runner! I can't do a marathon! And WHY would I WANT to?? My birdie was persistent(but not pushy) and this week I finally said yes! I mean WHY NOT? What do I have to lose? Even if I ended walking the entire way I will have completed a marathon!! Do you know that less than 1% of the population have completed a marathon? That's a pretty elite group that I'm looking to join.

So, this blog. I don't want to bore the readers of my family blog with only running stuff. That's pretty much all I've blogged about lately. Running, running, running. Now that I've decided to push beyond the 5k race and compete in a marathon, I want a place to document my journey. I forgot to mention, not only am I doing a marathon. I'm doing it for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I'm so blessed to never have had this disease touch my life personally, but many have. I want to to run for a difference, for a cure, for something bigger than me. Bigger than 26.2 miles is long. I want to run and say that it meant something, not just another marathon, but a marathon with a purpose!! So here it is, a blog about a regular non-running girl transforming into a marathon runner.