I change my mind a lot and I am stubborn. My amazing mother would tell you, I also like to learn everything the hard way. Side note: this is why I don’t have any tattoos and should keep it that way. Some days I want to run 365 days straight. Then some days I want to just focus on increasing my distance. Some days increased speed is more my goal. UGH. Why can’t I just focus on one thing? Running is such a process. It’s hard! But, the feeling I receive when I am finished is absolutely priceless! It’s a high I have never experienced! So, one thing I have learned is to take it day by day. Just always keep running! Keep seeking the high!

Running hasn’t always been a passion of mine. In fact, I have only been running since August 2017. I used to hate it. I used to drive by people running and think to myself, “Wow that looks miserable!” I simply never thought I would run and accepted the fact that it just wasn’t for me. I was wrong.

So, how did I dive into the world of running? Edmund inspired me to run. He is an avid runner and is a Race Director for NeoEndurance, which is a company that organizes races. His passion and drive for running were inspirational. I wanted to feel the pleasure he received from it and I was immediately hooked! Before running, I feel that I lived an active and healthy lifestyle. I thought I was in good shape until running came into my life. It was an incredibly slow process for me to build my endurance. I honestly didn’t think it would ever happen and I was quite often very frustrated. I kept going and I never gave up. Slowly my endurance and distance increased. Now I can run 3.5 miles without stopping. For experienced runners, that’s barely a workout. For me, it feels like I ran an ultramarathon!

My current goals with running are unclear. Do I want to get to the point of running marathons like Edmund? His endurance is downright impressive and his body is more like a machine than human. Alternatively, am I more comfortable with running for exercise and a natural stress reliever, while keeping my distance around 5 to 6 miles max? I am attracted to the competitive feel of races and pushing myself. However, I am just as equally attracted to keeping running as a lifestyle, on my terms. I feel like I will have a clear answer with time. I have no doubt that this journey will be very self-reflective.

What has recently become intriguing to me are running streaks. In order to have successfully completed a running streak, you must run at least 1 mile every day. I follow an Instagram account of a runner who is near the end of doing a 365-day running streak. I love watching his journey. He has inspired me to attempt doing one of my own. Maybe this will be the key to cementing my love for running while slowly continuing to building my endurance.

I created this blog to document my running journey. I am starting out with a running streak goal of 30 days as of the new year. My ultimate goal is to do a full year, but I want to start out a little more realistically to gauge how my body feels. I also hope to inspire people to run. It has changed my life in so many ways. My health, sanity, stress, and overall well-being have drastically improved. I believe if more people considered running as a journey, rather than instantaneous, then running would be more prolific. Start slow and don’t give up!