The Clarks: I swore I would never!...

Seriously! If you would have asked me a year ago, I would have laughed in your face! Whenever someone would say anything about running, I would answer "I ONLY run when a child is in danger!" I lived by that motto! (Did anyone notice I said "Did"?) I hated running! Then someone said "You can't hate something you have never tried." So, I took them up on that. Cauley bought me my first pair of running shoes, I read a few things I found online, sought out advice from friends who run, and then I did it. I ~~ran~~ jogged. I literally felt like an elephant tripping down the street, but I made it 1 whole minute before I let myself walk for a minute. Then I repeated this process. I am sure people kept muttering how stupid and awkward I looked, but I did it. 8 times! And then, I did it the next day! And then I gave myself a break, because, lets get real here people- I couldn't move my legs even to get up and down the stairs! But the next day I passed the same houses, and then the next. By the end of the week I found myself still hating to run. So, the next week, even though my body didn't want to, I went again, only longer. I have kept this up for a few months now, and honestly, I am finally at the point where I can truly say that I LOVE to run! Since then I have added to my runs so that each time I go a little farther or a little faster. For now I am only up to 5 miles, but I am still increasing every week. Um, did I mention I get up at 4:30 just to do this? Yep. I have to because Cauley leaves for school ("A" hour) no later than 5:30 every morning, so I have to be back before then. Otherwise I have to wait until the kids are in school and then push the stroller with Halli in it. After getting stuck in a field with thick dirt and rocks with the stroller, I just get my lazy bones out of bed and go by myself. It is definitely worth the sacrifice!
I have had a hard time staying motivated so I did what my friends encouraged me to do- I signed up for a few races! The first one was just a fun run. (FUN being the big key-word!) It was on October 20th. It was called the Neon Splash Dash and it was the first one in the Phoenix valley. We had a team of 13 of us, all in the same ward. Our team name was "Run Like A Mother" which was on the back of our shirts. The race started at night (7pm) and it was only a 5K. We all started out together but maneuvering through that many people in the dark, not seeing your footing, nor the person next to you very well, made it impossible to stick together in a big group. At each K(kilometer), they shot at us with glow water/paint. There were black lights in various places that we could see the paint glow, but otherwise it was completely dark! My friend Kim and I stayed together. My first race, first finish (it wasn't timed), but definitely NOT my last! Yikes- I feel like now I have to do well as I have made my running public, but maybe that will motivate me better to get out of bed more often! I have 2 more races to finish by the end of this year- the first is a 10K on Nov. 10th, and the 2nd is on December 15 called the 12K's of Christmas. Excited and nervous for both, BUT those are just stepping stones before my first big test- my half marathon on March 2!