10 Things You Might Not Know About Honest Mother Runner

Fellow runner, Marcie, challenged others to come up with a "10 Things..." list about running...so here is my attempt!

 

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Honest Mother Runner's 10 Things You Might Not Know:

 

1. I started running in the summer of 1996. Next year will be my 20 year RUNiversary! That sounds like a reason to celebrate!

   

   High School Cross Country Team

   
   
2. I ran cross country my sophomore year for Arkansas State University. I was not awesome. They were desperate for an extra team member and I was desperate to compete. It was fun and, despite me not shattering any records, I would do it all over again.
3. I raced a full marathon before I ever raced a half marathon. I broke up with a d-bag the summer after my first senior year of college (could y'all follow that one?!). I had to do something with my extra time! So, with the guidance of one of my professors who is a triathlete, I trained for my first full....The Little Rock Marathon, 2005.

   

   Just before my first marathon.

   
   
4. I didn't get a GPS watch until this past January. You would think that someone with this many years of running under her belt would have a dang Garmin. Not this girl! I always ran by time and feel unless I was familiar with the path and knew the approximate distance. I wore a simple Timex stopwatch and just ran!
5. I was able to run through my entire pregnancy. Praise The Lord. He blessed me with the ability to continue to workout and inspire others through my pregnancy. I will say, at the beginning of my pregnancy, I was only up to 6 miles on my training program. I never ran more than that amount, BUT I was able to tolerate run/walk intervals with my last run being a couple of days before James arrived. If I hadn't been in labor that Saturday morning, I would have gone out for my regular Saturday run!

   

   I think I was 36 weeks here. Getting ready to workout!!

   
   
6. I trained for my first post-baby half marathon solely with a stroller (except 4-5 workouts). I had no choice. It was run with stroller or don't run. I LOVED every minute of it...minus the time James threw his bottle in the middle of a busy intersection in Nashville when I was doing a 12 miler!

   

   One of many joyful runs with my boy!

   
   
7. I was a solo runner until last year. How did I run by myself for all of those years?! Don't get me wrong, I still love my solo runs nowadays, but I definitely see the value in running with others. My best friends are my fellow runners. They make me see my potential and push me in ways I could never push myself.
8. I've only had two major injuries. The first was my knee. It never bothered me until I ran my first marathon. I was out 6 weeks post-race before it healed. The second was my hip almost three years ago. I was training for the Columbus Full in 2012 and was injured pretty much the entire training season but I was too stupid to do anything about it (hence, the 5:02 finishing time).
9. Peer pressure and insecurity made me a runner. I had a friend named Amanda S. (she was an amazing runner) who peer pressured me into running cross country in high school. My insecurities led me to believe that running would get me a boyfriend because I'd be an "athlete." Oh, to be young and dumb. Well, I did find love in high school...but it wasn't with a boy. It was with running.
10. Donuts are the reason I run. SIKE! You guys already know my obsession with donuts. Seriously, though, I run because I like it. Do I need any other reason?! In many ways, it makes me a better person because it decreases my amount of crazy.

    

    Donuts!!!

    
    

 

O.k. That's my list. Questions and comments accepted ;)