How it all got started

I will never forget the day I was at my girlfriend, Sara's house when she told me that she just signed up for a "Mud Run" the weekend before our birthday.  (Sara and I share the same birthday on April 13th.)  It sounded like so much fun but I didn't think I would be ready or that I could justify spending the money to "run".

About two or three days later Sara had posted to my Facebook page several runs she was looking at doing including the "mud run".  As I looked at what she had sent me the only run that was affordable and not right around the corner (seeing how I had to train for a 5k) was a color run called "Color me Rad".  So I signed up.

Right after that I downloaded an app for my phone called "Couch to 5K" by RunDouble, so that I could get ready.  I hadn't ever been in a race that the furthest I had ever ran was the mile that we have to run in high school for gym. 

I started running at the gym Week 1 of the app was so exhausting with a 5 minute warm up followed by 8 repetitions of 60 seconds of running, and 90 seconds of a brisk walk, and finish with a 5 minute gentle cool  down.  I wasn't sure I was gonna be ready for any run let alone a 5k.  Every week got a little harder and every week I thought, "What did I get myself into"?

I was really dreading week 5 run 3, as it was 5 minute warm up, followed by 20 minutes of straight running then a 5 minute cool down.  TWENTY minutes of running......was this app crazy.  There was no way I was going to be ready for this in just 5 weeks.

So as the weeks went on I was checking out other runs that were coming up, when I found someone selling their tickets for the same mud run that Sara was in.  So I "had" to get them.  It sounded like fun and I was looking forward to running with Sara.

So I continued training and made it week after week, even passed week 5.  When another friend of mine told me about the "Biggest Loser 5k Run/Walk" that was happening in Sacramento March 16th.  I figured it would be a great way to see where I was on my training.  So the Wednesday before the event I drove down to Sacramento with my two little kids to get registered.  I told everyone about the event I was so excited.  I even talked some of my friends to join me.

The day of the run I told myself I was going to run the entire race, hoping to finish around the 45min range.  To my surprise I actually did run the entire race and finished with a time of 33:25.4.  Out of 1022 registered runners I finished 309 and 28th in my age group.  I was so proud of myself and at that point I was officially "BITTEN BY THE RUNNING BUG"!

I have 4 more runs (including the mud run) all within the next 2 months.  I'll keep you all posted with my blog.