K-Dubs... Why I Run

I have never been a runner. In high school, I played tennis and rowed crew, for which I occasionally stumbled through a few painful training miles. They only served to deepen my dislike of running. Throughout college and my 20's, I would briefly flirt with running, the pinnacle being a 10K in 1999 at the urging of an in-shape friend and colleague who did not take no for an answer.

The early 30's brought my beautiful little boys, a career shift to at-home mom, and an additional 40 pounds that had accrued over the years and were going nowhere fast. Again, a motivating and fit friend served as my inspiration. In September 2008, she presented me with the "opportunity" to join a boot-camp workout group which met 2 mornings a week at 5:30 AM (!) for an hour of serious exercise. She also did not take no for an answer and 2 years later, I continue to get my butt kicked at boot-camp twice a week with my wonderful, supportive neighbors and friends.

Boot-camp was, and is, hard; made more difficult by being overweight and out-of-shape. Yet another highly motivated (and very persistent!) friend invited me to start running with her as a way to increase my fitness level, while simultaneously visiting with a fellow mom uninterrupted by our little ones. We ran together all spring, then she joined Team in Training to honor her father who lost his battle with leukemia in 2006, while I continued running on my own. I am proud to say we both completed half-marathons in October 2009.

Running those 13.1 miles brought me to my knees. I cried at mile 10, certain that I would fall short of my goal. The unwavering emotional and physical support of my friends and family pulled me across that finish line, actually smiling. I was exhilarated by the accomplishment, humbled by the amazing people in my life, and certain that I'd never try a marathon!

And yet here I am, 6 months later, writing to you about my running journey and asking for your support as I train for the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco on October 17, 2010 as a member of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team in Training (TNT).