3 year Runiversary

Runniversary:

Totals logged so far:

2011: 546 miles (logged maybe a few hundred more before that but didn't have a garmin)

2012: 2136 miles

2013: 2013 miles (no coincidence there)

2014: 743 so far....gonna be a big year

My life has changed so drastically in the last 3 years. I have so much more focus and passion for everything I do. I am not one to half-a$$ anything so this running thing has really taken off.  It gives me an escape from my life full of teaching children to play violin and from all the playing gigs. Running also has given me the ability to handle my nerves when I perform and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that.  I struggled for a long time to play in performance like I do in rehearsal or in the practice room....now I perform even better. All I do is make sure and go for a long run the day of a performance and then I'm so exhausted that all I can do is focus on the music and play.  I have no energy for nerves and no adrenaline in my body. I'm calm and can portray the music in the way I planned. Sorry...that was a little off-topic but definitely a benefit of running in my life.

The last 3 years has been full of many great races:

1-mile: I have never raced one but in my last 5k I went out in 6:18.  I want to break 6:00...thinking of setting up an old-fashioned foot race with some friends and some students to give me the chance.

5k: numerous of these....haven't managed to break 20:00 yet but I want to so bad!!  Since it seems I'm always training for a marathon I don't quite have the "speed" to do it.  Maybe this year.... for now, I'm stuck at 20:32.

10k: I've run 4.  Best is 43:24 but the course was .1 short so probably more like 44 and change. 

Half Marathon: I've only done 3....best time was actually the first half of my last marathon 1:39:17.  Almost broke this a few weeks ago on a MP run.  I am signed up for the Albuquerque Half on April 18 and hope to PR with an official Half time.

Marathon:  FIVE.  I have run FIVE marathons in three years of being a runner. 3 years ago I had not run more than 4-5 miles at a time and that only happened when my whole family decided to sign up for the BolderBoulder 10k so I needed to "train" by going out and jogging a few times before race day.  Ya. I was one of "those" people. After reading Born to Run and really decided to be a "runner", the goal was on the marathon and we immediately started a training program.  7 months later I ran my first full at Rimrock Marathon in Grand Junction, CO.  I managed a 3rd place finish in the women (it's a small race) and wanted to break 4 hours. I know....everyone says not have a time goal on your first marathon (especially one with over 2000 feet of climb in the first half and that much drop in the second half) but I'm a competitor. I'm hard on myself. I have to have a goal. I have difficulty functioning without structure. I embrace the pain. And I love training hard. So I had a time goal....and I broke it by 20 minutes. I managed a 3:40 and made Boston....funny thing is I didn't even know what the Boston time was until later that evening when it finally settled in how fast I'd gone in my first race and that maybe I should look up the qualification time.  I had made it by 16 seconds (these were the old times where anything under 3:40:59 made it in).  Marathon #2 was Colfax Marathon in Denver 7 months later.  3:30.  Marathon #3 was PFChangs Phoenix Rock n Roll 3:28.  Marathon #4 was Shiprock New Mexico 3:26.  Marathon #5 was Santa Clarita, CA 3:26.  #6 is right around the corner...6 1/2 weeks to go. Heading back to Denver for Colfax again.  Looking forward to running the same course for a second time and feel like I might benefit from knowing what's ahead.

Running is something that Ryan and I discovered together. We both read Born to Run and we both fell in love with the sport together. It's "our" thing and I love it.

Thank you Loopsters for everything.  The support and kindness I feel here is overwhelming. I love talking running with people who understand. I love having a place to come with questions and for advice. I love sharing in your victories and losses.  Thank you for 3 wonderful years....and many more to come.

Tennille