Avoid Being Digitally Pic Pocketed!


Okay people!  This may not have much to do with running, but definitely something worth knowing. Did you know that people now have the technology to walk past you in the process swipe your credit card information that is tucked neatly away in your purse or wallet? They don’t even have to take your card anymore.  It’s ridiculous that it’s even come to this.   I didn’t even know this was even possible until a few weeks ago.  I’m sure there are several different ways you can protect yourself, but when I learned about the Blockit sleeves I was excited, because they’re simple to use.

20150915_135636I’m excited to have received two Blockits that I can put my cards in to keep me safe from digital pic pocketing.  All I have to do is put my credit card in the protective sleeve and it fits perfectly in my wallet and I don’t have to worry. I have two of them in my wallet and purse now, and when I go shopping, or anywhere in public, I know that my info isn’t going to get stolen.  It was super easy to slide my cards into the sleeves.  I’ll have to get more for my extra cards!   Plus, I LOVE the peacock design!   Find out more at their WEBSITE!

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Every Mile Matters

EVERY MILE MATTERS….
by Harmony Drogosz

We all want to achieve our goals with those who mean the most to us. There are many milestones, hardships and victories with each goal completion. Every story encourages another to do their best, to have fun and to be inspired. Running was all of this to me. Why? Because you can push the limits!

My achievements have been successful because I was inspired by my best friend who got me to be passionate about running, to start small and to finish with your best. We signed up for our first race almost 3 years ago after training to reach our 3 mile marker. And to our surprise we gathered a great support group that included our significant others, my kids, and my bestie’s boyfriend’s father. They all watched us from the start line, walked throughout the course to watch our progress and headed over to the finish line to watch us complete the race. The whole race, the vibe, the cheering from the people we love most was exhilarating.

11998481_10153303455614340_303854740_nThat winter my husband got a better job and we were separated by a 13 hour drive. Our will to continue to run and to find races didn’t end. We traveled together so we can race, make faster times, run longer distances as a team. My family didn’t travel with me as often as I wanted but I still had their support and thanks to my best friend she always had her family (husband and father-in-law) to cheer us on. Distance was nothing to us considering everything we trained for, keeping the same pace, her wedding, and more races. Everything that we were a part of had her father-in-law right there to support us. Our 30k race was her father-in-law’s last one with us. Even though he was ill he was there at the finish line for us cheering us on. Still the loving, caring man he always was. This was a rough time for us since he couldn’t be there for her first wedding anniversary.

11995559_10153303456224340_38224592_nNeedless to say our next race was the full on marathon, when we arrived to check in our bags, the details he kept away from us was all there, right in front of us. The UPS truck, the last name, and the day he died was on that truck. We knew he was with us, still giving us all his support. Throughout the course when we thought about giving up, a UPS truck was there and we were inspired to keep running and we made it to the finish line knowing he was our encouragement through the hard times, the reason our milestones were so amazing and why our victories were honorable! In the upcoming months we will continue to run his last race on a yearly basis as a monument of a man who loved us, inspired us, believed in us and who taught of the true meanings of life. Even though the miles were never counted by us, to him every mile mattered!

Posted in Connecting, every mile matters, Finding the Positive, Guest Post, having fun running, Jogging, Lessons learned from running, Marathon Runner, Moon Joggers, online running group, Running | Comments closed

I Will Be THAT Girl

I Will Be THAT Girl
By Linda Hodges

linda   I know I’m late writing my article but I’ll explain why in a bit. First let me apologize in advance for misspelled words, very poor grammar and well my horrific writing skills (I was that C-D grammar student). Now with that said here we go.

I’m not sure if you know anything about me, so let me introduce myself! My name is Linda, I’m a 43 year old married, mother of 4, grandmother of 5 (#6 due anytime). I’m a disabled registered nurse, former bookstore owner, electronic geek and many more titles. The thing is most people who see me these days see me as the unconventional uncontrolled diabetic, past CVA chick (brain attacks, stroke) in 2011 & 2013, past MI (heart attack)  with stent placement January 2015, severe neuropathy girl, and now the super depressed obese lady.

For most my life I’ve allowed my diagnosis dictate who or what I was. I allowed all the doctors to use medical terms to describe me, and I sat quietly while others determined what my life would look like. There has been days I’m tired of being sick and tired. I have suffered from depression so badly that I have stayed in bed, binged ate till my glucose wouldn’t measure on home machines and cried thru out my showers. Depression paralyzed me and stole all my joy. It prevented me from completing anything including this story. I also gained a whopping 85 lbs in a year, this year to be on point. I tell you this to say….I’m over this, I don’t want to be THAT girl anymore.

As a teen I ran track, long distance was my favorite. I loved getting into that perfect pace and letting every care I had slip under my feet. I looked forward to that shakey adrenaline filled person I became after a good run. Then as I became older with kids I looked forward to long walks pushing my rug rats in strollers. Now…..well now life is different I have days I can barely feel my feet thanks to neuropathy, my right side is weak from the strokes, and my heart thinks I’m in a marathon every time I check the mail. There is days I need to use an aide to walk, I have canes, standard walker, rolling walker, a wheel chair and an electric wheel chair. And again I don’t want to be THAT girl anymore.

The one thing I didn’t mention I am a Moonjogger! I joined on the maiden trip to the moon.   Thanks to my most popular very pretty cousin Carolyn Guhman. I was introduced to some wild and crazy folks. I instantly fell back in love with a life that I could no longer have, but was accepted anyway. As some ran marathons, I struggled to get in my 5k after an entire week but I was still accepted. I have NEVER met any of my goals and that is OK. I set more and moved on.  Even with your acceptance I was too embarrassed to mention how deeply the darkness had become…I didn’t want to be THAT girl.

So here I sat feeling all kinds of blue all in my emotions. It was the one of the constants in my life. Wake up take meds, check my blood sugar, adjust my insulin pump watch TV, let the darkness control me, go to sleep…repeat. Till I became tired of THAT girl. This hasn’t been months ago but rather last week. So I have no wonderful results to share but I want to throw this out there into the universe for all to read. I’m done with THAT girl!!!

I can’t give you that exact ah ha moment, maybe it was several tiny moments. I literally woke up last week, looked in the mirror and was in shock at what I saw…in front of me was a broken person. Darkened eyes, hair was a nappy mess, and the weight I had gained so quickly has left me wearing very unflattering clothing from my mothers closet. Yes a loving woman she is but never known for her stylish qualities. I defiantly don’t want to be THAT girl in the mirror any more.

Thank goodness for strong relationships I have in my life. As a nurse we were taught depression can destroy everything a person holds dear. My husband is a rock, he has taken everything with the strength unlike I’ve ever seen. His love has been proven over and over because it had to be love and faith that has kept him from running. From the reflection in the mirror anyone else would have ran for the hills.  I told him a few nights ago that I was tired and ready to be happy. You know what he said, I kid you not he said “that’s my girl”. Now I must say I wanna be THAT girl!

Everyone of you are so very dear to me, I read your struggles, I celebrate your successes and I pray for you daily. I wait to hear of your results from races, your last doctor appointment from an injury and I’m so excited when you get the all clear to hit the road. When Perry ran across the US I became so fixated that I felt as though I was with him as he ran…THANK YOU PERRY! So know your post are being enjoyed. (Keep posting)

So in the past week I’ve joined a gym, been swimming once, and started a Tai Chi class. Tomorrow is a huge day because I’ll start on a treadmill. I’m going to take this “every mile matters” slogan to a new level. I might even measure the distance should I fall, that should count just unsure on the equation I should use. I’m excited again.

Tonight while I stood in line (unassisted) at the drug store, I received a message from our fearless leader, Angie. She was letting me know how well the phone home ET themed virtual run had turned out. I had been so depressed that I barely even acknowledged that y’all had a virtual race in my honor. THANK YOU!! I promise to fight the dark clouds, to lose the weight and be the best possible me regardless of my health. I will be THAT girl!

*We still have a few medals left from our Phone Home 5K – Linda’s Run virtual race if you’d like to order. This race is in honor of Linda.  Sign up using promo code LINDA and save 15%.  Sign up HERE.

Posted in Don't Give Up, every mile matters, Guest Post, having fun running, Jogging, Lessons learned from running, Moon Joggers, motivation, online running group, Run for Life, Running, running for health, Walking, Weekly Results, Weight Loss Running, Wellness Journey | Comments closed

Why I Keep Movin’

Why I Keep Movin’
Every Mile Matters
by Val

VALThis isn’t one of those heart-string-tugging stories. Nor is it a bittersweet journey of learning about running or who I am. It is just a simple story of two girls who got me moving, a family that believes I am strong and a lost son. And maybe why I keep movin’.

The two ladies on either side of me are my two younger sisters – they are runners !!! They were going with a group to Florida for the 20th Anniversary WDW Marathon in 2013. So why couldn’t I go? Because I am 50 lbs. over weight, I smoke, I walk, I don’t run ! Top 3 reasons to not even think about doing something as silly as trying to attempt a marathon. Those girls trained and trained…and so did I for the next 8 months. I lost 20 lbs., quit smoking in public (yes, I would “sneak” a couple every couple of days if I’m going to be honest) and I walked, then slowly jogged, then walked some more. My feet hurt, my legs hurt and my back hurt, no matter how much I walked. But I pressed on. They all live in Michigan, I live in Northern California. Can you already guess what the temperature difference is going to be for all of us?

VAL2As I said above these two girls are runners so they could have started in one of the earlier starting corrals. They opted to stay with me in the middle of the last corral. I felt special and Blessed to have these ladies sticking with me. We were together until the start line then they took off at their own pace. I didn’t see them again till we all gathered around the finish. They both finished and I was (still am) very proud of them, it was their first marathon. I made it to 14 miles when the heat finally caught up with me and I threw in the towel and took the bus to the finish line. I said that day that I would never do another race.

Those girls have kept me inspired. I have since done 5 half marathons. I did the Humboldt Bay Inaugural Marathon/Half Marathon a couple of weeks ago and although I finished it wasn’t pretty. I had some terrible personal issues slam me to the ground 4 months ago…my son died very unexpectedly at the age of 42 in April of this year. I did a half in May in honor of him and I have to admit it was good therapy and a decent time (3:25). I kept moving and finished in my best time ever with loads of encouragement from friends along the way. But from that day to the day of the Humboldt Bay Run I haven’t put my shoes on except for one attempt. Everything seems to bring me down, the river I walk beside, the birds in the trees, the cows in the pasture. Why should the world go on? That run took me just shy of 4 hours, my feet hurt, my legs hurt and I got dehydrated. I tried every way I could think of to talk myself into just sitting down and waiting for the wagon to pick me up. But you see, as everyone who knows me will tell you, I am not a quitter. I am strong. My brother calls me the Rock of the family (they are all my biggest supporters and strength). And I don’t give up easily. So I straightened my backbone, dug for a little more determination, thought of my son and happy times, and cried my way to the finish line. With only half a dozen people behind me it was finished. And I smiled. I know he would be proud of me for finishing.

I am now signed up for another half in October and am determined to get back to my 3:15 (3:30) walking speed. Thanks to my sisters for all your encouragement. Thanks to local friends for their support. And thanks to Moon Joggers who daily inspire me.

–VAL-   8/16/2015

Posted in Guest Post, having fun running, Jogging, Lessons learned from running, Marathon Runner, Moon Joggers, online running group, Running, running for health | Comments closed

Fat Girls Can Run Too

Fat Girls Can Run, Too
By Christina Leeper

 

Before and AfterOn August 11, 2014, my life changed FOREVER.  The emergency room doctor looked me in the eye and said, “Mrs. Leeper, you are going to be dead by Christmas if you don’t do something NOW.  I don’t want to upset you, but that is the reality that we are facing.”  For once in my life, I was speechless.

 

I was 44 years old at the time….obese….smoking over a pack a day….diabetes out of control….let’s face it, folks:  I was a hot mess.  I was that person that NEVER went to the doctor.  I rationalized that I didn’t “have time” to exercise and I definitely “couldn’t afford” to eat healthy.  I was plagued with “not feeling well” just about all the time – so much so that I actually didn’t notice that it was becoming nearly a constant thing.   Then, on August 11, 2014, I was at work and I REALLY felt bad.  I told my manager I was going to drive myself to the Emergency Room.  When I got there, they took me to the little triage room to check my vital signs.  The automated blood pressure machine started beeping, and the sweet girl who was typing in the numbers looked up.  I watched all the color drain from her face as she tried to control her voice.  “Mrs. Leeper,” she said, “I am going to be right back.”  Then, she bolted from the room.  Confused, I looked up to see what my blood pressure was.  The screen said it was 242/212. 

 

My Very First 5K Folly Beach SC November 2014Two days later I went to my new partner in wellness, Martha Fletcher (she’s awesome, by the way, as is everyone at my doctor’s office).  Not only was my blood pressure was out of control….my A1C (long-term measurement of blood sugar) was 11 (it’s supposed to be under 7).  I should weigh around 135-165 – my weight that day was 280 pounds.  I couldn’t walk one flight of stairs without wheezing.  Martha said I needed to get it together.  I cried a lot.  But we made a plan, and I got it together.

 

I started walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes a day, three days a week.  I was really surprised at how fast my body got used to the exercise….I moved it to 4 days a week.  Then I started increasing the speed of the treadmill, and then the incline.  And then one day, I realized that I could not progress any more just walking.  IT WAS TIME TO RUN.

 

I have been obese just about my entire adult life.  I could spend a lot of time talking about why – let’s just say I am someone who enjoys eating my feelings, which makes me feel bad about myself, so I just eat more.  But I had a secret dream, one that I hadn’t told anyone, not even my family:  I wanted to run.  It looked like so much fun!  But Fat Girls Can’t Run, right?  That is what I believed for over 20 years.  Fat. Girls. Can’t. Run.  So here I am, walking on the treadmill, and I realize I was about to run.  First lesson that I learned about running.  I HATE RUNNING ON THE TREADMILL.

My Second 5K Mt Pleasant SC December 2015

 

I made a daring decision.  I was going to run outside.  Where people could see me.  I had heart palpitations just considering it.  So, I started running REALLY early in the morning.  It was still dark, and the only other people out were other runners.  Nobody would see me.  BONUS:  Sunrise is a beautiful time of day to be outside.  I started using a Couch-to-5K app and did jog/walk intervals.  30 minutes, three days a week.  I was hooked.  I got my first pair of Brooks.  I got my first knee brace.  I got my first armband to hold my phone.  Lesson learned:  SHOPPING FOR RUNNING STUFF IS FUN.

 

Then, I discovered Moon Joggers.  What an amazing community!  I learned many lessons very quickly – such as “If you are going faster than a walk, then you are a RUNNER.”  Whoo-hoo!  I was a runner!  I started running in the daylight.  Other runners would smile at me and say hi, or give me a high-five as we passed each other on the trail.  Holy cow, this is FUN!!!

 

Race BlingI ran my first 5K.  I discovered virtual races.  Lesson learned:  YOU GET COOL MEDALS IF YOU RUN VIRTUAL RACES.  Medals are FUN.  I love my bling!

 

Oh, by the way, I lost 59 pounds, and did my first 10K in March.  Then life happened, and I had to quit running for a while.  I’ve gained back 20 pounds.  But I haven’t given up.  Because #FatGirlsCanRunToo – and I will always be a runner.  I may have to start my C25K over again.  I may have to haul out the knee brace.  But, dammit, I am going to be back in my skinny jeans by the time cold weather hits, because I know how good it feels, and I want that feeling back.  The moral of the story:  Nike had it right….you have to Just Do It.  Don’t think about it, don’t make excuses.  Get off the couch and walk for 30 minutes.  Keep doing that until you know it is time to take it to the next level.  Then pick up the pace and run.  It’s amazing.  It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.  Let it be the best thing that happens to you, too.

2015 Cooper River Bridge Run 10K Charleston SC

Running Selfie

 

 

 

 

 

*If  you have not signed up for our 2016 MERCURY RISING  (one of the paid registration options) do so now and you’ll be able to save 25% on our virtual races in 2016! (Use code RUN2MERCURY to save 20% on MERCURY RISING)

 

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How Far Will You Walk in Your Lifetime?

walkerHave you ever wondered how far you walk in a day? A year? A lifetime?  

The average person (moderately active) takes around 7,500 steps/day.  If this was maintained daily through the age of 80, you will have walked about 216,262,500 steps throughout your life. You would average about 1,300 to 1,500 miles a year, and about 3.7 miles a day. 

Let’s do the math.  The average person, with an average stride, living until 80 years old, will walk the distance of about 110,000 miles.

Walk_Around_The_World_Graphic-279x320To put this in perspective, the circumference of the earth is 24,901 miles at the equator.  This means that you would walk FIVE times around the Earth! WOW!

Now just think about adding extra running, walking and hiking miles you do for exercise.  For instance, if you ran or walked a 5K (3 miles) a day, 5 days a week, that would add 15 miles a week, 78 miles a year and 39,000 miles in 50 years! Those are all extra miles added to your 110,000 lifetime miles! You could travel around the world SIX or SEVEN times! Even more!

Have you ever kept track of how many miles you run and/or walk in a year?  Moon Joggers is an international online group where you can log your miles and see how many you complete throughout the year, as well as seeing how many miles the group travels in a year.  So far we’ve logged more than 3 million miles as a group, and we’re always looking for more people to join the fun! Log your miles, move up the Moon Jogger rankings and connect with fellow Moon Joggers around the world.  It’s free to set up your log! 

SET UP YOUR FREE LOG HERE!

Join our 2018 mission JOURNEY TO JUPITER!

Posted in having fun running, Jogging, Marathon Runner, Moon Joggers, online running group, Running, running for health | Tagged , , , | Comments closed

Every Mile Matters

Every Mile Matters
By Laura Lok

wandermer 2015Hi my name is Laura Lok from Spokane, Washington.   I started my adventure with running like many do late in life and for a reason.  Mine was for a friend that wanted to join Team In Training to raise money in support of her sister in law that was battling leukemia. I said “I will do it with you.” She didn’t even ask but a pair is always better than one and helps motivate each other.  It went well and I walked my first half marathon at the Nike Women’s half in San Francisco.  Everyone thought I was nuts to walk that far and prior to the event the most I had done was 10 miles.  I cried at mile 11.  Received my bling and crashed for a few hours afterwards.

 

I never thought I would do it again.  Just a one time bucket list kind of thing

 

WRONG

 

 

pac crest half 2012Something happened as I crossed that finish line and I picked up my medal, I fell in love with the race.  The people I met along the way.  The fact that I could actually accomplish this after a couple of months of training. The finisher shirt, the medal. All of it.

 

So I continued a few more races walking mostly with an occasional jog usually near the end.

 

After about 2 years I started running a bit more but always became winded.  My legs could go for miles but not my lungs.  The doc says I have reactive airway disease.  Whatever I thought he made that up, yeah I know they don’t make things up.  I started an inhaler and things were better but not great.

 

soul sisters 2015This past year I started running more than walking.  The more I go the better I get. Imagine that TRAINING really is training your body to handle it better and better.  I still only run once or twice a week but the rest of the week I get in lots of walking or hiking. When training for a half I increase my running to 3 times a week with a long run but sometimes walk at a very fast pace on the weekend.  I think that combo has really helped me do better.  At almost 50 and on my 13th official half I finally achieved my goal of a 2:30 half.  Yeah I am no speed demon but if I keep this up I may eventually get to 2:00 someday.  But if not oh well, I’ll keep at it.  The races have taken me all over. Giving me an excuse for a girl’s weekend or mini trip.

 

I have 3 more halves to do this year, all with friends and mostly hilly or destinations like Las Vegas.  Not expecting to beat that time because these races are about friendship.  I have friends that are faster and some that are slower we each go with what we feel like for the day. One of the reasons races mean so much to me is the people.  My friends and people I met along the way and hear their story.

 

nike womens 2011I have had people say you have been my rat this race thank you for helping me keep a pace and not give up.  The last 3 miles of one race a gal I started talking with said it was her first race and she had never done more than 8 miles she didn’t think she was going to make it. We talked some more and another mile gone and another finally I said “You know you have only half a mile left you got this.”  She thanked me and said she couldn’t have done it without me.  She could have she just needed another reason to keep going and I was there to be that reason.  You never know who you will inspire as a slow runner or a fast runner.  We are all out there making our miles count for a reason, whether we know the reason yet or not.

 

Run or walk for your health or for a cause every step you take takes you someplace you haven’t been before.

Posted in Connecting, Don't Give Up, every mile matters, Finding the Positive, Found Myself Running, Guest Post, Half Marathon Training, having fun running, Jogging, Moon Joggers, motivation, Running, running for health, Walking | Comments closed

Every Mile Matters

Every Mile Matters
By Lisa Ledman

RuntoHeal

I ran for healing.

In 2010, my world, as I knew it, seemed to be falling apart all around me. Five people in my family were fighting Cancer, I lost the job I loved, and my overall health was at an all-time low. Loss was all around me and I felt consumed by it. I started looking for a way out of the darkness. I began this journey by getting up each morning to read my bible, pray and reflect. During this time of reflection I was observing how my friend Veronica had changed her health by taking action and running and so it began. I took baby steps…started out by doing walk/run intervals and slowly worked up to running 3 miles. At this time in my life I ran for healing.

I ran for fitness.

RunforFitness

In 2013, I wanted to improve my fitness level and heal physically – I was now 49 and the milestone of turning 50 was looming. This goal required accountability, consistency, and a plan as I was still carrying a surplus of 50 lbs on my frame. My friends, Stacy and Veronica, pointed me in the right direction. Stacy encouraged me to start a 10-week Challenge at Farrell’s Extreme Body Shaping gym, which focused on nutrition, strength-training, and cardio through kickboxing. During this 10-week period I continued to run and lost 20 lbs and a total of 20.5 inches off my frame. It felt so good and I had learned what I needed to do. Veronica told me about Moon Joggers and I decided to give it a try. Moon Joggers provided the accountability and encouragement to train and run my first races – some 5Ks and 10Ks. This accountability worked and I lost an additional 20 lbs and felt amazing when I turned 50 in May of 2014. At this time in my life I ran for fitness.

I ran for enjoyment.

RunforEnjoymentIn 2014, I wanted to run for fun! I felt amazing and really loved running races. I loved it all, the training, the outfits, the adrenaline rush, the food, the beverages, the comradery and of course the medals! Through encouragement from my Moon Jogger virtual friends (especially Calla and Carolyn) and Veronica I signed up for my first half-marathon, Whistlestop, in Ashland, Wisconsin. My daughter, Kristi and cousin, Andy came with to cheer me on and I had the most amazing time. I had the race bug! I signed up for lots of races which included 5Ks, 10Ks, 15Ks, snow-shoe races, trail runs, and obstacle courses and set out on a new goal to reach Half-Fanatics status. This past Sunday, I reached this goal at the Chicago Rock and Roll Half Marathon and I enjoyed every minute of this trip. At this time in my life I ran for enjoyment.

The reasons I run have changed with the seasons of my life. More than anything I have realized that “Every Mile Matters” to my mind, body, and soul – I run for me! As of today, I am not sure what will drive me to continue to run in 2015 or beyond; but I know I will continue. I will continue to run for healing, fitness, and pure enjoyment.

Posted in Connecting, Don't Give Up, every mile matters, Guest Post, Half Marathon Training, having fun running, Jogging, Lisa Ledman, Moon Joggers, motivation, online running group, Pictures of Runners, reason to run, Run for Life, Running, running for health | Comments closed

Magazine Title FINAL VOTE!

We are down to our FINAL VOTE in our search for a magazine title!  We are asking runners, walkers and joggers from around the world to cast their vote on what they think would be the best title.  Thanks so much for your help!!

 

Mercury Rising Long

2016  Main Event – use promo code: OCTOBER to save 25% on MERCURY RISING now!
(code expires October 31). 


Posted in every mile matters, Jogging, Moon Joggers, Running, Walking | Comments closed

Every Mile Matters

Every Mile Matters
by V. Kowalewski

I was a competitive 3-sport jock in high school, but I hated running. HATED. IT. Many years and several pounds later I decided I’d take up running as a way to get in shape and lose some weight. My first run was to a small bridge over a creek ½ mile away from my house. I SERIOUSLY thought I was going to die before I got to the end of the block, and I was pretty sure that bridge was getting further away instead of closer.

That experience was humbling to say the least.  It hurt my pride and kinda pissed me off.  So I signed up for the Bellringer 5 mile run in my hometown over 4th of July. They had a 2 mile, but hey where’s the challenge. I did the 5. And peed myself halfway through.  And poured water from the water stations down my front hoping to camouflage the fact that I had just run so hard I’d lost control of my bladder yet was one of the last to finish.

snowshoeIn the 20+ years since that “run” to the bridge things have changed a lot. I’ve done distances from 5K up to Marathon and events ranging from obstacle and snowshoe races to trail runs and Ragnar relay. I’ve raced in a barbarian costume and a tutu. TWICE. When I’m not training for an event I’m still running just because I enjoy it. Running brings a few minutes of peace to a chaotic existence. Problems seem easier to solve when I’m on a run.

These feet have seen a lot of miles in the 20+ years since that first run and I would have to say without a doubt every last one of them served a purpose.  Miles for strength.  Miles to challenge myself.  Miles running away from grief and stress.  Miles to purge despair and emptiness. Miles for peace and harmony.  Miles for new adventures and experience. Miles to celebrate being alive.  Miles to just BE BETTER.

Running’s certainly been an unlimited source of goals to chase. This year I’m coming back from an unexpected setback and the goal is to see if I can run various distances faster than last year, maybe faster than EVER.  So far I’m doing pretty well with that, and it’s been a blast! I’ve also been doing events with other people for fun instead of time. After years of running alone, it’s weird to do something like Ragnar with a team that’s counting on you to perform or Warrior Dash with people who don’t give a care and just want to have fun, or just going to a regular road race with a friend.

for-funAs I’ve grown older the focus definitely has become more about just challenging myself and enjoying the absolute snot out of the journey. These days I treasure every mile I’m able to put in. Time is precious and every mile has meaning. They’re not all glorious and effortless, but they’re not all suffering and toil either.  It is what it is, and right now it’s GOOD.

Why do I run? Because life truly is a gift, and of all the things I do to stay as healthy as possible so that I can ENJOY the gift running is what makes me feel the most….ALIVE.  Thanks, running friends, for all your support and encouragement on this amazing journey!

 —————
V. Kowalewski is an Organizational Knowledge Analyst currently enjoying living, running and crocheting in the great 4-season state of MN and anywhere else she can manage to get to and do the same. She thinks cheese and craft beers are pretty awesome too.
Posted in every mile matters, Guest Post, Half Marathon Training, having fun running, Jogging, Lessons learned from running, Marathon Runner, marathon running, Moon Joggers, motivation, online running group, reason to run, Running, running for health, running weight loss, Winter Running | Comments closed

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