This morning I was reminiscing on why I didn’t run at all for 20 + years… I have exercise induced asthma….. And I’m also now a half marathon runner!
I let the excuse that I developed exercise induced asthma in high school hold me back for years. Every time I would try jogging or a fast dance class or even the jump rope, after any sign that I was getting out of breath I gave up and told myself that it wasn’t meant to be.
Until July 2019….I attended a women’s motivational conference where we were asked to set some audacious goals. I had stumbled into running short distances on a treadmill at the gym a few months before when I was late to a Pilates class and didn’t want to head straight home. I surprised myself that I could actually do some interval running (run a little, walk a little) and not get completely out of breath. Still not even slightly interested in running outdoors despite my husband’s prodding to have a partner, I shocked myself when one of my 10 dreams identified at this conference was to run a 5k. The seed was planted.
Want to know how I ended up running a half marathon just over 14 months later? One step at a time.
I signed up for a Halloween themed 5k fun run with my husband (who is a regular runner) for mid-October. Nothing like a deadline and a financial commitment to seal the deal! Then I started running on a treadmill 2-3 times a week largely because I needed their childcare and lets face it, Texas summers are HOOOOTTT. I also feel like turning on my favorite Netflix binge on the treadmill’s personal TV helps pass the time quickly so I’m not dwelling on how much farther I have to run. I slowly added miles to my routine until I had hit the 3.1 mile mark (5k).
Treadmill vs. Outdoor Running
As the race approached, I decided I should try my feet outdoors in preparation for the race. My husband pushed our toddler in a jogging stroller and I trailed behind them. What a disappointment….it was so much harder and I didn’t even make it close to 3 miles. Those in the know will of course recommend you try using a 0.5% or 1% incline to better mimic the conditions of outdoor running but I hadn’t incorporated this at the time.
Luckily I didn’t quit that day. I just added some outdoor runs to my schedule, even if it meant pushing my little one in the jogging stroller (which is tough pushing that added weight!). I celebrated every accomplishment and shared it on social media for the extra encouragement from my friends and family.
“Farthest I’ve ever run outside! Ever! Getting closer! #48daystil5k (2.42miles, 11.31 pace)”
The morning of the 5k I was nervous. The temperatures were in the 50s…not great for my exercise-induced asthma. I took my inhaler 30 minutes before the race began and tried to pump myself up by taking in all the energy from the other runners and their costumes. (By the way, I pieced together our Mario & Luigi costumes myself but I loved browsing sites for other running costumes like goneforarun.com.
Monster Dash 5k was a success! Thank you everyone for your encouragement as I checked this off my goals list! My wish today was to run the whole thing and beat my best time of 33 minutes. I came in at 30:50.6!“
While it may not seem a big deal to some, it was an achievement for me. I’ve never considered myself a runner. Fast forward 3 months from setting a goal and I crossed this one off and moved onto the next goal! At 36, I started claiming the label “I am a runner” and encouraging others that you are never too old to start something new. We can all be dream catchers!
What’s Next?
I took a little break over the winter holidays and didn’t get much running in. In February, at Happy Hour my friend, Corrie, threw out the idea of running a half marathon together in December. I actually laughed out loud at the idea. Even though I left it open, I had no intention of actually doing it when I left that evening. But after thinking on it for a week or so, decided that maybe with 40-plus weeks to train I could do it. I set a weekly training plan starting March 1st with a goal of finishing the 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 20 minutes. Yep, talk about audacious! But once you get that high from achieving a dream you didn’t think was possible, the sky is the limit, so capitalize on it.
Shortly after, the Covid pandemic struck and we came back from a Spring Break camping trip to lockdown. The gym closed. Races were cancelled. My running journey could have stopped there. But with all the media talk about underlying health conditions having such a huge impact on Covid outcomes, it sparked something strong in me – I was going to be as healthy as I could be if my family was exposed to this virus, especially my lungs. I started running outdoors regularly. It became my me-time (after being stuck in my home with my now-remote husband and my virtually-schooling kiddos), my stress relief, something I could actually control, and my exercise routine.
I started educating myself on how to push myself farther: allergy pills in Spring (lol!), path choice, breathing patterns, stretches, posture, audiobooks, music –and I share some of my top tips my blog post “My Top Tips for Beginning Runners.”
I started signing up for virtual races…
I celebrated every new personal best…
New personal record by over a mile! 5.5! Whoo hoo! #10kbound #virtualrace
March 28, 2020
Completed my 10k virtual race in exactly my goal time 1:05!! And 3 weeks earlier than I was originally planning on doing a live race. This goal has kept me motivated to keep running and strength training during all the current life changes going on and has been great therapy! I’ve logged 56.5 miles in the last 6 weeks! #virtualrace #10krun #goalgetter #strongerthanyouthink
April 10, 2020
My 5 mile run today put me over another milestone…101.7 miles since March 1st when I made my training plan for a half marathon. I’ve pushed myself farther and faster than I ever thought was possible! Just because you’re a certain age or stage or have 0 experience doesn’t mean you can’t set audacious goals! #iamarunner #100mileclub #mondaymotivation #monslay
May 11, 2020
Well my virtual race medal is running late but I still knocked out my 15k today! #feelingstrong #rainydayrun #gotwet #9point3miles
May 16, 2020
By early Fall, I felt pumped. I moved my Fitbit cardio fitness score based on VO2max in the “very good” range and lowered my resting heart rate to 59bpm from the mid-60s.
I added extra runs in just for fun like a virtual 5k supporting literacy for Dyslexia Awareness Month.
Success!
Then on October 3rd, 2020 just over 14 months from my initial 5k dream, at 37, I completed a half-marathon. Yes, my feet ran all 13.1 miles. Alone. No mass of runners to feed off their energy. No side-line cheerleaders. No big finish line balloons and party. Me, myself, and I completed my virtual race (confirmed by my fitness tracker – so no cheating!) I beat my goal and finished in 1 hour and 55 minutes….8 weeks early from the original 40 week plan.
I’m continuing running, but at a slower pace, and have already completed an in-person 5k in 2021 and about to run in a quarter marathon. I’m enjoying running alongside friends at in-person races again and feeling the energy of a crowd. Do I have plans to go for a full marathon? No, not for now. For now, I’m enjoying the confidence, strength and energy I gained from it all.
So I hope that my running journey inspires you to try something bold, something that makes you laugh out loud today, and helps motivate you to push yourself far beyond anything you thought you could do. Just because we may be getting older or in a certain life stage, doesn’t mean we can’t still be learning, growing, and pushing our physical limits!
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