I was not a high school runner, nor did I do much running in college. I have some memories of every now and again running around the track at the student field house during college, but once or twice. Not with any regularity.
So what made me start? A little competitive team work.
I was working at the Jacksonville Business Journal in Jacksonville, Fla., and my company fielded a team to participate in the AvMed Corporate Run in April 1999. I was in my early 30s and thought I was in pretty good shape, so I signed up for the 5K.
Jacksonville Business Journal team for AvMed Corporate Run 1999
That's me on the bottom row, second from left.I was more than embarrassed that it took me 41:53 to cross the finish line. (Oh wait, that looks like some of my recent times! Oh no!) I really thought I could do better than that. So I started training.
I began by walking a mile from my apartment complex and trying to jog back. After a few weeks, I realized I could run the whole way back and soon I was running the whole way.
Then I did something I never thought I would do. I began signing up for other 5K races, trying to better my finishing times. And I was hooked.
A year later, I ran the Corporate Run again and took a full 11 minutes off my time.
I ran my first Gate River Run 15K in 2000 and my first half marathon later that fall.
How do I know when I ran these races and what my times are? I scrapbook all of my races.
I have kept every runner's bib, every time, every date, and every race name and put them all in two very fat scrapbooks. I'm now working on my third scrapbook.
I will say that now that I am getting slower, I've taken a lot of pressure off of myself to better my times. In some ways, it has made my running that much more enjoyable. When I do have a good finishing time, I celebrate that accomplishment, but mostly I enjoy running with my friends. I take their pictures before and after the races, and save mementoes from the races, because they will all go in the scrapbook.
I get a lot of pleasure in looking back and some races and remembering funny things about them, or who I ran them with.
I haven't run since Sunday. I've walked Monday night and tonight. After all that running Saturday and Sunday my legs have felt like lead.
But slowing down didn't mean my exercise was any less profitable. I found a penny Monday night and a penny tonight.
Still feeding that piggy!
I found a penny today, too! It's incentive to find a new route, though, because I think the chances of finding money every day on the same path is going to get slim.
ReplyDeleteStill think it's so cool that you scrapbook all of your runs. Is it more than one scrapbook after all of this time? (ok, and not fair that you look the same now as in the photo...)
I have two scrapbooks completely filled with running memorabilia and just started on a third one this year.
ReplyDeleteI find money along the same running routes, which you think would be tapped out since I try to keep my eyes out when I run. But I did find each penny on different routes this week. :)