Can You Believe It Was Only A Year?

Can you believe it was only a year ago I began running?

This past Friday I ran in Goshen's First Friday 5k run...the same run I took part in last year. Last year it was the first run I'd ever taken part in. I remember the training I did for that run...as intense as the training I did for my half marathon! (not quite but at the time it was!) Now it's a year later and not only did I run the race with little training, I finished a half marathon there in the middle!

Grass by piece of grass.

That is the first lesson I learned when I began running. People ask me how I started to run and I say "grass by piece of grass" because when I would get on the Mill Race, the trees were sometimes too far apart for me to use as a goal. Now when I get on the Mill Race I just go. I think about my stride, the level of water, which house I would like to live in and smile at the people I pass...and sometimes I look at the grass and thing "grass by piece of grass."

I would have loved to finish on Friday under 30 minutes. But it was not to be. Unlike last year I did not train for this run, in fact I'd been out of my running shoes for 4 weeks due to an injury. So although I didn't finish under 30, I did finish faster, faster than people who lead the kickboxing class I attend and most importantly, knowing that the next one I run will be faster yet.

Now when I run I enjoy the beauty of each piece of grass, rather than cursing how far apart they are.

If I had a picture from the run this year, I'd post a great then and now. Instead, you can re-read the then and I'll work on getting a now picture soon....maybe Sunday when I hit the "less than 20 left" mark?!?!?