RUN: 3.1 / 6.2 / 13.1 / 26.2

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 4^th through the 8^th Grade. Even though I also did track & field for a couple of years (6^th & 7^th 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 16^th, 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 1^st Half-Marathon on March 29^th 2014, the Livermore Half-Marathon. Followed by my 2^nd Disney Half-Marathon on Sunday August 31^st, 2014, and my 3^rd Half-Marathon the GIANT Race on Saturday, September 6^th, 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