Who Said Running Is Fun?!?!

I am 31 years old and have never called myself a runner. Running was only something I did in high school because my coach made me. It was usually a punishment for something--missed serves, a lost game. Therefore, my conditioning the past 15+ years has been to think of running as a punishment. Add to that the fact that I have exercise induced asthma when I run and you can easily see how running has been a completely negative thing for me, right?

Then, about a year ago I started the job I am currently in. Races and Special Events for the City of St. George. It's fun. Stressful, but fun. Though there are things about my job that make me crazy from time to time, there are also lots of perks. One such perk is working with my boss. We are polar opposites, he and I. I am all about order and organization. I like to get things done in a timely and often linear manner. A+B=C for me. Aaron, on the other hand, is totally random. He is all about having fun and has the attention span of a goldfish. But I love working with him. I have learned a lot from him.

One thing in particular-- I have learned that running is not necessarily a punishment. It can be fun, if you do it right. So what does it mean to do it right?? Well, I figured that out this past weekend. A few weeks ago I decided to run the St. George marathon in October. It had a lot to do with Aaron. He is addicted to running (not to mention VERY good at it!) and has been telling me for a year now that I should run the marathon. I told him he was nuts. But recently I have felt like I needed a goal to work toward, and this seemed to make sense. Especially since I spend my days in close quarters with the best runner in the area.

I'm sure you're wondering what this has to do with running being fun? Well, I'm about to tell you. Yesterday, I ran in my first race ever. It was hard. I had no idea what I was doing. I haven't been running enough to really be ready for what I did, but I did it. It was great! If you are familiar with Red Rock Relay, you will know what I am talking about. If not, let me explain.

Red Rock Relay is a race series, kind of like Ragnar. They offer 4 different Red Rock Races. Park City, Moab, Zion (this is the longest and the largest, I believe) and, new this year, Dixie. That's the race we ran. Because we work closely with Red Rock, we trade race entries back and forth on a fairly regular basis. As Dixie approached, I mentioned to Aaron that it would be fun to run it. He could have said no. He could have put together a team of elite runners, like himself, who run 5 minute miles. But he didn't. He let my slow little legs take on a race they weren't prepared for, with a team that couldn't have been better. They were all so fun, so kind and so patient with me. Cheering me on when I was dying and laughing with me as we drove the course while other team members were running much more challenging legs.

The weather wasn't perfect. It was cold and windy. There was snow on the ground in places. But there is something amazing about the camaraderie that develops during a race like this. It was just fun! So a huge thank you to my team from yesterday. Kyle, ConnaDay, Shiloh, Aaron, and Jill--I had a blast and because of your influence there has been a shift in my thinking. Running isn't a punishment. It can be fun!

Am I sore today? Yes. Would I do it again? In an instant. Who said running was fun??? That was me!