My #ReasonToRun

So, I am totally off my game since I know I haven't posted my review of Mud Factor yet. Bear with me, it's coming...I promise.  This is a personal post about running. I was talking with Scott with the G.O.A.T.z and as we were chatting I realized that I have never shared how I started running.  So, thanks to Scott you guys get to read about how the Dreadmill Drummer started drumming.  That is unless you decide not to read this, then you won't get to read about it.

Last year....wait, maybe I should start with my even more previous history with running.  When I was a kid I remember running the mile in school with one of my classmates.  The way they measured the mile at my elementary was running around the block 3 times since our school grounds took up a block and 12 blocks is roughly a mile.  Now the reason why that is so significant is because when we were running I remember turning around and looking to see who was behind us.  When I turned forward....WAM!!!  When I came to I was sitting on the stairs outside of the gym with an ice pack on my head and all of the students around me waiting for me to come to.  I had ran right into a stop sign.  Can we say irony!?  Needless to say I now have a scar/indention in my forehead that you can still feel from that day.  After that the most running I did was for the mile or other P.E. related activities for the most part.  I didn't like running.  I had the "If nobody is chasing me then why should I run?" attitude.

Last year I started my new job at the very 1st business day of January.  So, I secured my parking facility in the area that was close enough that I could get to/from work in a decent amount of time and for a decent price.  It costs about 1/2 what it would be to get the parking that is attached.  I also figured that it's about a 1/2 mile to/from so I would get about a mile walk everyday.  On my way home one day last early Spring I was walking to my car and the last block & a half is uphill.  I got to the structure and I was out of breath.  I couldn't believe that I was out of breath from simply walking that distance and that I never noticed it before.  That day it clicked that I am not old enough (no not a stab at being older because there are plenty of people older that run farther and faster than I) to be out of breath and I am WAAAAYYYY to out of shape.  (I guess round is a shape, but not necessarily the one that is preferred.)  Within a week I was not only speaking to my doctor about my health, but I was making an appointment with the staff in the fitness center that we have onsite to schedule a physical fitness test and to arrange a workout plan for me.  Needless to say I didn't do so good in anything except flexibility.  They said I did way above average in flexibility.  What!? Me, flexible...who knew!?

So, here I was starting my journey at 252+ lbs.  I realized that if I was going to tell my kids that they need to lead a healthy life that I should be one of the examples for them to try to follow.  I started running for my cardio and then followed the weight program that they planned out for me.  The more I ran the more I realized that I now was liking running.  And I liked it so much that I started to run outside of the gym.  And the more I ran the more I started to talk with other runners.  And the more I ran and talked with other runners the more I begin to fall in love with running.  I was running so much that my kids started asking if they could go on runs with me.  So, I started planning small runs with them in addition to my other runs.

I also had heard of the runs in the area and decided that I would do my 1st organized run.  I did this with my now 11 year old son.  Before this my fiance and I took our kids to run a kids 1/2 mile fun run because they found out that I was doing a run and of course they wanted to do one.  So, they ran an organized run before me.  We were so proud of them.  After that I ran the Glow Run 5k.  Some of my friends, my oldest, and a buddy at work all ran it.  It was a good time.  Since then I have ran 2 - 5k mud obstacle runs, a virtual 1/2 marathon, and lot's of personal runs.  I am also registered to run Tough Mudder in September, the Nebraska Spartan Sprint in mid-October, the G.O.A.T.z Trail Runs (21 mile) at the end of October.  I am also looking to add to the runs if I can, but having 5 kids limits the amount of organized runs I can do.  If anyone wants to sponsor me to do runs I am up for that!  My fiance and I are talking of doing the Glow Run 5k together this year.  Let's see where the year takes us after our wedding next month.

Now that you know how I started running, let's hear about everyone else.  Leave comments below and let me know your #ReasonToRun.  If you tweet your #ReasonToRun make sure you tag it so we can all read and share together.  Now, get your shoes on and go!

Until next time, keep those beats coming!