June Goal: Accomplished!

This may be the goal I am the very most proud of! In June, I decided I wanted to be a runner. I always hated running (I thought), but after an awesome run up the canyon, I think I just hated running on the treadmill. So, I set a goal to run in The Freedom Run on July 4. It's a 15k (just over 9 miles) through Blacksmith Fork Canyon, ending in Hyrum City Park.

A couple of things from the month:

• Running is addicting. Start, and you'll want to keep it up!
• Of course, some days it wasn't appealing, but I "rewarded" myself with new running pants, etc. on those days!
• For me, having someone to cheer me on/kick my trash kept me going...BIG shout out to my sister in law, Amy, for the daily texts. Hugely kept me going! 
• I feel like I don't really have a lot of hobbies/talents that I keep up on. So, making a goal...working on it nearly every day...then MEETING that goal was SO huge for me! Especially because it was a running goal...and I never thought I was a runner! Just the other day, RJ said, "Remember how you always wanted to be a runner?" YES! And now I am! And I LOVE it!
• During the race, I had my iPhone with me. I had trained using it because I have a running app that I love and a playlist, too. I know a lot of runners don't like to hold anything, let alone something so bulky, but I loved it. It gave me a distraction when I needed it- picking out the next song, checking my running app, etc. Plus, so many awesome friends and family cheered me on via text during the race and that was super motivating for me. It was like someone was there with me keeping me going! There were a couple funny parts...when I got to the big hill, the song "I Hate This Part"  came on...when I was about a mile from the finish line, "Feel So Close" came on! Then as I got closer, "Glad You Came" and "Good Feeling" came on...thought those titles were pretty fitting to the moment! I finished to "The Fighter", which was motivating.

Anyway....it felt really good to do something just for me, that I wanted to do, that I had to continually work for....and then actually accomplish it! What a great feeling! I know you all out there have experienced that in some way in your life, and have had the same accomplishment feeling.

Now for all the pictures!

The three runners...Amy (my sister-in-law) and Greg (my father-in-law)

 

 

At right about the 7th mile, there is a hill...whew! I had in my head that I'd run as far as I could up the hill, then walk when I needed to. But...I was able to run it! When I was about half way up the hill, I got a text from RJ with this sweet picture of Will cheering me on! Definitely helped me finish that nasty hill!

The three of us runners! Amy and I fulfilled our craftiness quota for like years by making our own shirts!
We wanted to be festive...so to Pinterest we went!

Greg got 6th place in his division!

Will was sooo tired being up that early...

This race, and the feeling of accomplishing something I had never remotely done before, was among the coolest things I've done. I enjoyed it so much and plan to continue. I'm so grateful to Amy for pushing me and keeping me going! We're set to do the Boise City of Trees half marathon in October!