Running Family

I started running in March of 2010, and when I started I ran alone! All the time! At the time I was unaware of the running community that was out there. So needless to say I was very attached to my iPod and only knew the routes in and around my house. When I started to run, it was only short miles. Until I said I’m going to run a half marathon, which was going to be in April 2011. I had no idea what training plans were…my thinking was every weekend I will just run 1 more mile then last week, and when I get to 13 I will be ready to run my 1^st half. So the week before the Talladega Half Marathon I ran 12.5 miles! Yes I know now…such the wrong way to train! I did run a few times during the week as well, but looking back I really had no idea what I was doing other then putting 1 foot in front of the other and putting miles in. 

Finished my 1st Half Marathon!

After running that race, I still couldn’t believe I had done it! And afterwards, running became a bit challenging. Maybe because I had just accomplished my goal of running a half marathon, and at that time I said I would Never run a marathon! I was in running limbo! I enjoyed running, but I had no other goals in the near future, and running alone was becoming lonely! But I still stuck with it, just a few runs during the week. But in June I saw a tweet looking to possible start a running group in Helena I responded. And my running love was renewed. It would be different; I would be running with people, which would be somewhat of a change. And so the first weekend in July, I got up earlier then I ever thought I would on a Saturday morning and meet up with the Helena Endurance Running Group.

Coffee after 1st HERG group run

It was the 1^st time I had ever run with a group and looking back I am so happy I got my butt out of bed that Saturday morning! I continued to get my but out of bed every Saturday morning to go and run with the group. They became my Running Family! With them as my family, I was opened to a whole world of running I was unaware of!

I think I can honestly say, with out my running family I would have never said I want to run a marathon, or let’s just randomly sign up for a half marathon!

Donnette & I Prior to Montgomery Half

I am thankful and grateful for so many people, so I am going to do a short thank you list:

Donnette, for starting the HERG’s

Stefanie & I after
finishing my 1st Marathon

Stefanie for giving me the courage to run a marathon

Brooke, Mark, and Jason helping with “speed and hills”

Tom for helping warm up the hands…Tebow style

Liz & I after Wed Night run &
before Pizza time!

Liz for being my 5:30am running buddy and of course Wednesday night pizza eating!

In the few months before I left for Michigan (and before I knew I was moving). I found that my running family extended from Helena out to the Birmingham/Mountain Brook/Homewood area, with the Village Runners.  I had met a bunch of them through races and other social events. They are a group of runners that meet almost every morning for a run, and of course on the weekends.  I had kept saying I am going to come out there one morning during the week, but I never did until one of my last weeks living in Alabama. I was always so concerned with getting up at 4:30am and travel and making sure to get back in time to get to work. But then when it was one of my final weeks in Alabama, I finally made the drive out to Mountain Brook for the Sunrise run! It was great, such a large group of people at 5:15 in the morning to run! Seeing that I went from running alone to running with a group, seeing such a large group that early in the morning was amazing! Especially when most of my weekday AM runs were alone, it was a welcoming change! The only thing was that I wished I had started to get up and drive out there a long time ago! It wasn’t so bad getting up early and driving out there. And with this extension to the family I am thankful for meeting them and keeping the motivation going! I will miss getting to know, Randy, Jill, Michael, Russ, Sara, Julie, Darnell, Niki, Tanya, David, Alex, & Cathy and everyone else...but there is always Facebook and Twitter to keep & stay in touch! And of course destination races!!

Village Runners Post Sunrise Run

As I now have moved back to Michigan, I am trying to find my new running family. I am not sure it will ever be able to fill the 'running' shoes as the family I had in Alabama!

HERG group

~Do you have a running family?
~What do you love most about this family?