for the love of the run

as many of you know running is one of my hobbies and favorite forms of exercise. my love of running began many years ago when i ran started running track in middle school where i ran the 800m and 1600m. after all these years, it's still a passion of mine.

i've never taken running all that seriously. by that i mean, completing a run with a set time in mind. while i do love surprising myself from time to time in being able to complete a run in less time than i anticipated, i mostly focus on distance and ability to complete that distance. within the last few years participating in races have become a fun and motivational tool for me. in my opinion, it is extremely exhilarating running amongst thousands of people with the same goal in mind.signing up for these races helps me to stay motivated and gives me something to works towards. i've contemplated running a half marathon but mentally and physically i'm not prepared for that quite yet but it's a definitely goal!

to date, the longest distance race i have run has been 5 miles which kris and i have done for the past 3 years - the st. patrick's day run in st. louis. this year we ran the race with good friends, steve and liz letsky! i have to admit i was bit nervous about running side by side with liz because i know she's much more of an avid runner than i am. in the end, she turned out to a be a great running partner! it's always nice to run with someone who you are able to keep pace with but who also challenges and motivates you. i think we were able to keep each other motivated during those times when each of us got those surges of energy. we finished in 49:30 min and i was really happy with this result. we had a great time celebrating st. pat's day with steve and liz and hope to do it again next year!

this past weekend. a group of friends particpated in the glow run - a 5k race at night through downtown columbia. it was a first for me, that is running a race a night. it's more of a fun run/walk (it's not timed) where you adorn yourself with a glow gear and run through a course that includes black lights and dj's along the way. all in all the race was fun and we had a good time hanging out with friends during and after!