The more I run the more
I love my body. Not because it’s perfect (far from it), but because with every
mile I prove to myself that I am capable of more than I ever thought possible!
<3
Growing up, I
never imagined that I’d be able to call myself a runner. In terms of
athleticism and physical activity, I’ve always loved dancing, and I played
volleyball and basketball from the 4th through the 8th
Grade. Even though I also did track & field for a couple of years (6th
& 7th grade), I always preferred the High Jump to any actual
running. Running was just never my forte. I’d much rather be spending hours in
front of a mirror perfecting my dance techniques.
On a whim, I
signed up for the GIANT Race in the summer of 2012. On a quest to live a
healthier lifestyle, I decided that a race would be something fun to
participate in, and even if I didn’t like it in the end, I’d have a fancy medal
to show people. I have several friends and family members who participated in
races before, so they all encouraged me, despite my initial hesitation. For
those of you who do not know, a 5K is approximately 3.1 miles. Considering that
I hadn’t done much running since high school, I was extremely apprehensive. But I found that
once I got out there, my stamina and endurance quickly improved. One easy mile
turned into two. Two easy miles turned into three. And without fear, I ran my
first successful 5K on September 16th, 2012.
Since then,
I’ve successfully ran in 6 more races including: The Neon Run 5K, The GIANT
Race 10K, Color Me Rad Run 5K, Dirty Girl Mud Run 5K, Awesome 80s Run 5K, and
the Tinker Bell 10K.
I plan on
running my 1st Half-Marathon on March 29th 2014, the
Livermore Half-Marathon. Followed by my 2nd Disney Half-Marathon on Sunday
August 31st, 2014, and my 3rd Half-Marathon the GIANT
Race on Saturday, September 6th, 2014. Ultimately, I hope to one day
go to Greece, where I’ll run my very first Marathon from Athens to Marathon,
like Pheidippides. (Minus
collapsing and dying of course! LOL)
My current
mantra: “RUN. Sweat. Smile. Repeat.” <3
Are you a
runner? What is the furthest distance you’ve ever ran? Do you have any fun
races in California that you’d recommend? Please leave me a comment, because I’d
love to know!
xoxo,
Denise Joyce
