Misc. | Beneath My Heart

I just had to share with all of you a very big accomplishment in my life…

I ran in my very first race!

Now this may not seem like a big deal, but for me…it was a VERY big deal!

Why?

Because I hate to run.

(Well, I used to hate to run.)

Growing up, I was in all kinds of sports.

Cheerleading, gymnastics, softball, swimming, dance, baton, track and field…

Track and field was my least favorite. I was in middle school, 4 ft. 9 inches tall, and I ran the hurdles and threw the shot put.

It was a joke. And I hated to run. Did I mention that already?

Running was always painful and boring.

I don’t like painful and boring.

So in my 39 years of life, my words have been, “I’m not a runner. Never have been, never will be. I hate running.”

And then back in January, my husband started running. In our thirteen years of marriage, he’s always been my basketball guy. He played basketball in college. He also ran track and field in high school. He was VERY fast. But he wasn’t a long distance runner.

But he has a great friend, Chip, who challenged him to run in a half marathon, and he accepted it. (Men always love a challenge don’t they?)

He began training and ran in his first half marathon in March, then another one a month later. He is a running fool now! :)

We have a great place to run where we live, so my hubby runs almost everyday. Of course, I was not interested in joining him…I am NOT a runner.

Then one night, something very strange happened in me… I decided to try and run. So I did. And it was painful and boring.

But it did feel good that I at least tried.

So a few days later, I ran again…and I felt really proud of myself for trying.

So I ran again, and again, and again…

And somewhere in between all of those runs…the feeling of accomplishment was greater than the pain and boredom.

I actually began to like to run!

Now our boys have asked to run with us. And they love it.

It’s a family thing. Ya’ll know I love everything FAMILY!

So we signed up for our first 5k run during our vacation in Hilton Head.

Here are me and my hubby before the race…

At this point, I was starting to worry about what I was getting myself into. :)

The boys, however, were ready to go!

(Luke’s belly was hurting him before the race, and unfortunately got sick right before it started. I think he drank to much pool water the day before. :) So he didn’t get to run with us and was so disappointed. But I was SO proud of him for even trying!)

My husband’s family were there with us. His sister, her hubby and son, and his nephew also ran in the race. So Cy’s parents, Pop and Grammaw, were there to support us.

Being the fourth of July, they came ready to have some fun!

Here is the rest of the fam getting ready for the race!

There were around 1500 participants, and it was a little crazy when the race first started.

But like Forrest Gump, I ran and ran and ran.

(Okay, maybe not quite as fast as Forrest…)

But I didn’t give up or throw up!

I finished in 29 minutes. My goal was to finish under 30 minutes, so I met my goal!

Here is the whole crew after the race..

Me and my boys…

My oldest, Jonathan, actually beat his mama! He ran the race in 27 (something) minutes. But I’m okay with that. :)

The hubster finished in 23 (something) minutes. He was flying! I am so proud of him for running and for inspiring the rest of our family to run. Thanks, Honey!

And here I am with Luke…