Run, Cheryl, Run

Crossing the Finish Line - 2008 Marine Corps Marathon

I’ve been a runner off and on most of my life. Over the years I’ve run a few local races; mostly 5Ks (3.1 miles). A few years ago my daily mileage was averaging 5-6 miles, so I thought it would be easy to do a half-marathon. The first one I did in training made me feel invincible. Then I started training for a real half-marathon – a race – and found out how hard it can be! But I completed it and, as is usually the result for people who do this said, “Never again!” Two days later I said, “I wonder if I could run a marathon?” 😉

Two years ago I trained for, and finished, the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC. Training was hard, but I really enjoyed it. I find running can be like meditation and the more I do it, the more I crave it. Turns out the actual marathon was a very difficult race for me, as I had injured myself within a few weeks of the race. And as I did after my half-marathon I said, “Never again!” And just like before, two days after that, I said, “I wonder if I could run another one faster and better if I wasn’t injured.”

After taking a very long year-and-a-half off to recuperate from my race (and just being lazy), running is now something I’m doing once again. And I’m training for another marathon. On October 3rd I’ll be running the First Annual Crazy Horse Marathon in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Now I’ll include in my blog a little about my training, my general thoughts, and anything interesting I find on running.