...It all started with knee socks and corn starch dye

    This is my first real attempt at a blog that isn't just a running monologue of my own thoughts (I have a journal for that, and you're here for useful stuff, right?) or a mishmash of random things.  I suppose it would be best to start with how I even got here-- how my husband and I decided that we wanted to try out running, and how we realized it was something we were smitten with!

   January of this year, I was aimlessly scrolling on your friendly neighborhood social networking site when I came across an event page-- for The Color Run.  Anyone who knows me is well aware of my love for bright colors and any excuse to dress in knee socks and goofy costumes...but they are also aware of my aversion to ANYTHING that involved moving faster than a walk.  

It even says so!  It can't *not* be fun!

        I was immediately interested, watching the promo videos (how can anyone have that much fun while moving around so much?? I was in awe) and researching a little more about the race, and where to even begin if I got brave enough to say anything to my husband about it.  My own mother used to run, bike, and generally do anything that involved spandex and an endorphin rush (she once biked across the state with friends, just because!) so I asked her first.  She immediately said "are you feeling alright?"  Then said that it would be a great thing for us to do together.

      Now I was in for it-- someone else had become involved with my crazy idea, and I wouldn't be able to back my way out of it easily.  I texted my husband at work, and he immediately called me to ask the same question (was I *that* lazy or something?!) that my mother had.  He reluctantly said we could try it out, and we would see.  I signed us both up for the race immediately, and began asking my friends in the hopes that we could "scrape together" a team in time for the July 13th (yes, July...) race.

      (By the way, the team we "scraped together" now includes 10 amazing people!  Most who don't run/ haven't ever run!  If you are at the Jackson MS race July 13th, we are team "Sacre' Bleu!" Find us and say hi!)

      That very weekend we picked up our shoes from Fleet Feet (the only one in our state in fact) and prepared to be giggled at as "newbies" when we walked in.  The staff was wonderful, took the time to fit us and watch us walk and "run", and we left proud owners of shoes, fancy socks, and visions of ourselves gracefully striding along shady park paths, svelte and poised, smiling as we passed our fellow running brethren. 

      The reality for the next several weeks was plenty to smother that cinematic vision-- it was cold (I mentioned January, in the Southeast, was our genius time to start this right??) and wet, our town was FULL of hills, our neighborhood has no street lights (it's scary in the dark!!), and we were both so desperately out of shape we both thought we might just roll into the ditch on the side of the road and give up (ok, that was mostly me, but still...).  For days my muscles and joints screamed at me for my idiotic plans, and my new "signature walk" was more of a waddle.  I cried to my mom "how could you have let me do this?" and she just laughed and said "give it a month, quit then if you are still unhappy".

      I am pleased to say that I gritted my teeth through that month, and the next as well.  In cold, wind, or wet we were out there, plodding along and slowly building up our confidence (and our strength).  By March, we were out there 3-4 days a week, and able to keep a steady 11 minute mile for a 5k distance! (Ok...maybe with a walk break somewhere around mile 2 for a minute)  Neither of us could believe that we had the same bodies from just 2 1/2 months ago, and in truth we didn't.  In our surge of self confidence, we signed up for a local race slated for April 6th-- the Anderson Cup 5k. 

      We came. We ran. We placed!  Our first race EVER, and we made it a flat 31:00!  I placed 3rd in my age group, he placed 2nd.  We were really bitten then-- and our families knew it.  We signed up for another 5k (local), and because we felt *really* certain of ourselves, we bit the bullet and signed up for the Mississippi Blues Half Marathon set for January 2014!

Mom snapped this as we headed out, bright and early for the Anderson Cup!

      That's how it all started.  We are training for the Blues in January, and are considering attempting a local half marathon in November (haven't decided yet if it would jeopardize the Blues).  As we run, try out new things (and some old things tested many times), and head to races (or hear about them!) I plan to get the word out.  Resources for runners (especially in the Southern U.S.) are always in short supply...at least if you are as insatiable about gathering tips, tricks, reviews and experiences as I am!

     So, how did you get bitten by the running bug?  I would love to hear about it (and think it might make a fun section!) in the comments or messages!