I Want a Medal Dangit

I started running last summer.  This statement by itself is amazing.  I am a couch potato by nature.  I despised running.  People who ran for the fun of it were idiots...  I was happy keeping the couch warm. 

For some reason, now in my mid 30's, it seemed like everyone I knew was running.   I couldn't be left out...I wouldn't be be ignored...I needed to get rid of a certain blueberry muffin top! 

So, my brilliant brain decided I needed to run - not just run, but I needed to run in an event (at the time I was thinking marathon...obviously I had NO idea how long that was).  Now...I understand myself very well.  I have been a couch potato long enough to know that if I was going to succeed I had to have a plan to keep me on track.  So, I told Lover my thoughts on the matter...knowing his reaction would spur the competitive side in me forward...you see now I HAD to follow through or I would never hear the end of it. 

So I did some research and talked to some friends and came up with a running plan where I started with three reps of walking for 6 minutes and running for 1 minute (this is not a typo...I mean minutes not miles - Lover thought this was redicoulous but I ignored him!).  With the idea each week I would reduce the walking and increase the running.  I was skeptical, however a friend told me anyone could do anything for 60 seconds.  After the first day I thought she might be crazy.  AND I told her so...NO, not everyone can do anything for 60 seconds you crazy loon!

My next strategy was to enlist the help of a running partner.  I searched high and low and found a person who would like my style of running (more walking than running) and it worked until the running got to be more than the walking and she left me...

But I was determined, I was going to do this...and I found a New & Improved running partner - one who wanted to run with me come hell or high water (and there is lots of high water where I live)!  We ran in our first 5k in September 2010.  We continued to run through the winter months, getting up on many Cold, Dark, WET mornings.  We ran and we ran and we ran....  We also entered more events, including a couple more 5k's and two 10k's.

What I began to notice at these races is that the people finishing in the longer running segments (1/2 marathons and 15k's) were getting medals.  I WANT A MEDAL DANGIT!!!  Don't they know who I am?  I am a couch potato turned runner...I Want a Medal!!!

So when I signed up for the most recent 10k I saw an opportunity to get my medal...I had to pay $10 to get it but here it is....

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MY MEDAL!

I think I will wear it around all month...maybe even all year.  There is no living with me now...watch out!