“You must do things you think you cannot do.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Most of my life I have had confidence, sometimes too much.  I was raised an only child with two very loving parents, who must have always told me how wonderful I was, at EVERYTHING.   For that I am grateful, because I have NEVER really thought I couldn’t do something.  I never put up barriers and I always have done what I wanted.  One exception comes to mind however, running! 

Through my childhood, I was always athletic….I played sports, loved being outside and was fairly fit.  But the one thing that was always the albatross around my neck was my ability to run.  I downright HATED IT!    In soccer, I remember rounding the 1 mile mark, looking at the back of my fellow teammate’s heads and tossing my cookies.  My most regrettable time in basketball was as soon as the coach called us to the line to do suicides.  (If you like them, you must have something wrong with you.)  Then there was softball, one of my favorite sports, probably because it’s a sport that requires some of the least amount of running.   I remember my coach telling me to “pick the plow” from behind me, when I rounded the bases.  And of course my nickname was “SPEEDY.”  So as you can appreciate, all the confidence in the world wouldn’t make me think I should be a runner.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You must do things you think you cannot do.”  So, hear I go.  I am signing myself up for my first 5K and I’m terrified.  It’s a rugged version of a 5K.  I figured if I have to run, I might as well make it interesting. 

There is no time like the present to get started.   I was so inspired while writing this post that I got off the couch and starting my training.    I just got back from my first official run of training.  I wasn’t earth shattering and I didn’t break any records, but I got up and got going.  Another wise person, Walt Disney once said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”  So, as of today I’m considering myself a runner.  I run like a mob of sloths charging through molasses.  But I do, in fact, RUN!