I was a cross country runner for six years throughout high school. I was never super into it. Mostly it was just something to do since I was never very good at team sports like soccer or basketball. When I started college I got lazy stopped running and pretty much all other forms of exercise.
It was several years later when I picked up running again and I decided I needed to set a goal and go for it so I signed up for a half marathon. I set a time goal and found a training program online at trainingpeaks.com. It was HARD. There were countless workouts when I regretted signing up and wanted to quit.
The day of the race, I had to get up very early to get to the starting line (my sweet dad dropped me off – thanks Dad!) I didn’t have anyone running with me so even though I was surrounded by people, I felt all alone. It was still dark out, cold and raining. I questioned my sanity for signing up for this. When the gun went off, the rain had stopped and the sun was coming up over the lake. The sky was pink and there was steam rising from the water. The beauty was breathtaking. I felt strong. When I crossed the finish line I knew I had surpassed my time goal by several minutes and I felt proud. Really proud. And happy.
My husband met met at the finish line with our new baby puppy. Several years later, I ran another and he met me at the finish line with our son. After the birth of my daughter, I felt my body had been through the wringer so I wanted to train for and run another half marathon to prove to myself that I was still strong. The training was more difficult this time. With a baby and a preschooler, I didn’t have as much time to train properly. My finishing time, while respectable, was my slowest yet. I felt sick and drained by the end of the race (although you wouldn’t know it by my finish line photo to the right – I was just so happy to be done!) but I did it.
If there is one thing I have learned from all of this it is that you have to push past the tough stuff to get to the good stuff – to accomplish things, to be proud. I discovered the beauty of nature again in my early morning runs – the quiet, the sun rising, the birds and animals. What a wonderful way to start the day!
I am a firm believer in the saying “if you look good, you feel good.” In my first two races, I wore a skort from Athleta, because why not be a little girly? In the finishing photo above, I’m wearing some adorable running shorts I found on the clearance rack at Athleta in the prettiest shade of coral. I love Athleta so much because of the diversity of its styles. I’m covered for everything from running to hiking to travel to just being lazy. I have a GAP Visa card which I use for a lot of my shopping and earn points which I can use toward future purchases at all the GAP brands, including Athleta and I take full advantage.
I’ve linked my outfits from the photos above and a lot is on sale right now so check it out!
Far left: Responsible Down Vest, Daybreak Sweater (one of my favorite, softest, non-itchy sweaters), Metro High Waisted Legging (with pockets in the back – so cute!)
Middle: Modern Sweatshirt, Restore Jogger(the softest pants you’ll ever own)
Far right: Speedlight Top, Stronger Hoodie (comes in a ton of colors), High Rise Metro Drifter Tight (these have a cute zipper detail on the sides)
This post is not sponsored. I love Athleta. And as usual, the pup had to get in on the action. Did you know Athleta also sells shoes online? This photo is a favorite pair of Asics I bought last fall. My next purchase might just be these rose gold Metallic 2750 Sneakers by Superga!
