Motivation

I'm what one would consider a "late-in-life" mom.  I had our first daughter, Charlie, when I was 32 and our youngest, Irie, when I was 36.  When I was pregnant with Irie, my doctor informed me that the medical term for a pregnancy after 35 was a "geriatric pregnancy."  First, I can assure you that is the first and last time he mentioned this term in my presence.  Second, this term moved something inside of me that I didn't know existed.  I've never been athletic.  Ever.  I've never played sports or ran unless something was chasing me.  I've always liked to walk but largely on a leisurely basis only.  It was during that doctor's visit that I realized I needed to be more proactive in my lifestyle.  I needed to be around long enough to watch my girls grow into amazing women. I also wanted to be a good example for them.

I live in Louisville, Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Derby and the two week flurry of events that lead to those "greatest two minutes in sports."  Anchors of the festivities include the Kentucky Derby Festival half and full marathons.  I have been on the sidelines of these events too many times to count and I've even walked the mini once.  Every year I look at those runners and think how cool it would be to participate (as a legit runner) in something so iconic to my hometown.  This thought, paired with my sudden paralyzing fear of not seeing my kids grow up, led me to decide that running would be my path to fitness.

I had Irie in November of 2013 and in March of 2014 I started a Couch to 5K program.  At first, I didn't think I would make it through the 90 second run intervals.  Like, I thought I would die.  They were the longest 90 seconds of my life. I remember looking ahead on the app and seeing that I should be running in 20 minutes stretches in week six and just wanted to cry.  I DID get to week 6 and I DID survive running for 20 minutes straight.  Since then, I have run two 5K and two 10K races. I've also lost the 40 lbs of baby weight I gained plus another 50 lbs that had crept up on me over the years. Today, a 5K run is just my regular Tuesday run.  Now, I've got my eyes on the prize - the Derby half marathon in April 2015 and then, in September 2015, this sprint triathlon that I have naively agreed to do. But more on that later.

Cheers to the New Year,
JS