Run Now. Wine Later.: Lets get the Boring stuff over with!

Hey there!!
Here's a little insight to my background in running and the struggle that has gotten me to where I am today! Hope it is not too lengthy and snore worthy!! :)

For many that know me...I was not a "born" runner. "Run" was something that you only did if someone/something big and scary was chasing you!

In fact I don't even think that running was in my vocabulary before I got to college. Don't get me wrong I was an active kid/teenager. I was involved in dance, gymnastics and cheerleading until I graduated high school. It wasn't until I joined the dance team at my college during my sophomore year that I even knew that I could run (without someone chasing me) :)
As a member of the dance team we alternated working out at 0600 at the campus wellness center or doing an 0600 run through campus. It was then that I sort of became "addicted" to working out and kept with the workouts (sometimes 2 a days) even after I chose to leave the dance team to focus more on my nursing degree.
Following graduation in May 2008 ...

I moved to Northern Virginia with my fiance' because his job is here in the DC area. And I took a job in the PICU in N.VA. The east coast is a very exercise oriented/health conscious city. So I joined a gym nearby where we live with a close girlfriend of mine. We quickly became gym buddies trying out everything from weight lifting to spin class to Body Works class. It was just a routine for us and something that both of us really got into. She then got me into running. She was a born runner and in fact I think she has been running since before she was born. :) She was on teams all through school and college. She even completed the Boston Marathon with her Dad! HUGE Accomplishment for them! :)
I thought she would give me good motivation to just get out there and do it!!
My first race was in 2009 to benefit the Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery program at the hospital that I work at. It was an 8K and I thought "Eh, I can do that" Oh holy cow... that was miserable.
I was totally not dressed appropriately and clearly looked like an amateur wannabe runner. But I finished in just under an hour and thought to myself... "Why does anyone do this?'
I literally took a year off after that thinking "There is no way that I can do this! It is just not for me!" Then my dear, lovely friend of mine (Bre) who introduced me to running before got me back into it and pushed me and told me that "It doesn't matter how slow you go... you're still out there doing it and you'll finish and feel a sense of accomplishment!" And those words stick with me every time I get out there!!
So I then signed up for another 8K in DC with (Bre) just about a year later in March 2010. And wouldnt ya know I finished almost 6 mins faster than my first race a year before. :) I was so proud and so I gave it another shot. I ran a 5K in April and did better than I expected. I then had surgery later that month and the hustle and bustle of the last minute planning of the wedding got in the way and so I just stuck with a few workouts a week at the gym but nothing too strenuous and no running.
I got married July 2010... Aren't we cute?!! I could relive that day over and over!! :)

And after that it would be another year before I would get myself back out there to run again! I know I know... It was a super flakey start to my running career... Then in May 2011 I started my journey to my first half marathon.... and I stuck to it. Leading up to the faithful day (March 17 2012) I followed a Half Marathon for Beginners Training Plan...

And I signed myself up for races that corresponded to those long runs towards the end. It was the most exhilarating time of my life and yet I thought I'd never get to that Half Marathon. But I had Bre there pushing me all the way even running with me (on her slow days haha) and lots of support from my mom and dad though they were in Ohio and lots of love and support from the hubs... who isn't much for running more than 3miles. :) But it got me to where I wanted to be. Here are a few photos from the journey to that big day!