Hello and thanks for checking out my very first blog post! I plan to cover some different topics, but running has been so firmly in my thoughts and schedules lately that I wanted to start with that. Recently, I discovered just how much I enjoy running. Finishing college and looking for a job has left me a good bit of down time and a feeling that I need to be spending every minute more productively; so I decided to get into better shape. I have run on and off in the past, starting really with my decision to run a 5 mile mountain race - kind of on a whim - back in 2008. Since then, I have trained sporadically with no clear goals. This past July, though, I set three goals for myself. These goals drastically changed the way I approach my training and have put my running into an entirely new level. 1. I wanted to run a 5k in under 30 minutes. 2. I want to run a half marathon before the end of 2015. 3. I want to run a full marathon by the end of 2017. When I started running again this summer, my 5k time was in the high 30s at best. I started working on 5k training plans and quickly passed my 30 minute goal so I amended it to 28 minutes and I passed that one shortly after. Right now, I'm working on getting my 5k time under 25 minutes and have almost made it a couple times. It's always encouraging to see results! The long runs in my 5k training plan were in the 5 and 6 mile range so when I felt comfortable with these distances, I started pushing my distance a bit more. Mainly, I wanted to see what I could make my body do at somewhat of a baseline. So far I have had a couple 10 mile runs and several in the 8 range so I feel confident I'll be able to kick my weekly mileage in training for a half marathon and be able to get a couple under my belt within the next 12 months. My 10 milers have given me confidence that, with proper preparation, I will also be able to handle a full marathon within the next three years. They have also given me a small glimpse into how grueling a marathon might be both mentally and physically. That challenge gets me pretty jazzed though because it's such an extreme push on my limits. The path to these goals gave me the idea to start this blog. It gives me a way to track my progress and share that with others who may be doing something similar or thinking about doing something similar - which I highly encourage! It also gives me a level of accountability to follow through with these goals so that I don't cop out of them. Already, working towards distance running like this has had a great impact on me, both mentally and physically, so I look forward to sharing more of this trek with you here! Next week I am going to post some of the things that I have used to help me with my newfound love for the sport of running.

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