Release the Runner: My Story

So things are weird right now, yeah? Most places are on Lock-down or Stay at Home orders that allow us to only leave home for a few situations - essential workers (thank to those!!) and exercising are pretty much it. 

For both physical and mental well being, it is important to stay active and get some movement into your day. While some situations have made this harder, gyms closing, group activities and classes being cancelled, there's one major, popular option this is open and accessible to almost everyone: Running!

Maybe you are already a runner, AWESOME, go get those miles. 

Or maybe you are someone who has stopped running, well, there is no better time to get back out there and go get you some miles, the road is just waiting for you. 

BUT, maybe you've never run before. Now is the perfect time to get started. Think you need fancy gear or that it is hard to get started? Nope, all you need is the desire to go out and do it. To prove it, let me share with you my story, and how just over 6 years ago I had never even run a single step in my life outside of PE Class. 

My Running Story:

I had struggled with being healthy for most of my adult life, never really happy with how I looked or how I felt, but not really unhappy enough to do much more about it than sporadic dieting and/or exercise. I wasn't really obese, but I wasn't thin by any stretch of the imagination. Just in that zone where you get comfortable.

For reference, me on the left, photo from that 2014 Disney Trip
Me on the right, same shirt, 6 years later

In Feb. 2014, we decided to take my little one on a birthday trip to Disney World. When we got home, I started the daunting task of going through the over 1,000 photos we (and others in our group of 9) took during the week long trip. Looking at photo after photo after photo, there was no denying it, I looked FAT. I felt awful and right there, right then I decided that was it. I was going to get into shape. I didn't have a whole lot of disposable income due to just dropping $5,000 on a week long Disney trip, so I figured, hey, it's free to run, I should do that. 

I used a gift card left over from Christmas to Kohls to buy a pair of Nike running shoes and downloaded a free Couch to 5K app on my phone and hit the road. Just over 6 years later, I have learned so much more about being a successful runner and I'm still at it. I've lost around 60 pounds, become so much healthier, accomplished a number of huge goals (see some of my other blog posts) and made life-long friendships. Running has literally changed my life in every way imaginable.

  

  

Just a few of the friends I've made along the way

So for me, ultimately it started as a free/cheap way to lose weight, but running has become a bit addictive to me now. I start to get antsy if I go to long without a run now. It has become a part of who I am. It brought me to other activities such cross training at Burn Boot Camp and becoming so much stronger and meeting even more incredible people. This is a warm, fun and welcoming world, and we'd love for you to join us. 

What about you? If you are a runner, why did you get started? Or, if you are not, why not? Is there something that is holding you back? Let me know if the comments below. In my next Release the Runner Blog Post, I will talk about overcoming some of the barriers to getting started running. 

And you can read more about the BibRave Release the Runner Movement here: https://blog.bibrave.com/2020/03/27/bibrave-release-the-runner/