DCFemella

The Army Ten-Miler is this Sunday, and I am excited. I don’t have that dread that I had the entire time after signing up for it. My mental block against this race is gone, and I feel that by pacing myself, I can run the majority (or even all) of the ten miles. Last Sunday, I ran seven miles and walked one, so I am more than prepared.

I remember in March, when I went to Panama with my family, I couldn’t run half a mile. My sister, who is in the Air Force and can run 26 miles without thinking about it, would take me running with her in the mornings. It was over 90 degrees already, and I struggled to keep up with her. She literally ran circles around me while I gasped for air. The entire time I wondered why the hell I signed up for the Army Ten-Miler.

She told me not to worry. She said that she hated running, but she had to learn to love it because she was in the military.

“If you keep practicing, you will be able to do it in no time,” she said.

On top of that, I got some good running shoes that helped tremendously.

I would run in Burke Lake Park, which is almost five miles, and I couldn’t even do half. During my walks, I would see people running with no issues, and I wondered how in the world they were doing it. I knew half of it was my mental block.

When I was a kid, I had Scoliosis and walked like a duck. I could barely run due to this, and always had people make fun of me. It got worse when I had to wear braces. This caused me to never want to run anything.

In July, I told my parents that I was doing the Army Ten-Miler. My dad laughed and said, “You won’t be able to do it.”

“Why?”

“You’re not a runner,” he replied.

“I did a century ride, so why can’t I?”

“Running and biking are not the same thing.”

This is the motivation that I needed. I am a very competitive person, and I don’t like when someone says I can’t do something.

I kept trying, but I still had problems with breathing, mental block, and getting this painful side cramps whenever I ran. I finally started asking for advice and reading as many articles as I could. I also got some great running shoes that lessened the pounding on the trails.

Last month, I ran the entire Burke Lark Park without stopping. I slowly started to add more and more. I realized two weeks ago that the run was coming up. I panicked. I texted message my friend, who is doing it with me.”

“Girl, I don’t think I can do it.”

She responded, “Yes, you can. Come on. You’ll be ok.”

She gave me an awesome pep talk, and I got my confidence back. This evening I am going to a runner’s store, so I can get the perfect running shoes. I don’t know what it is but I always have my feet cave outwards. Therefore, I want shoes that can help me with that.

My sister has been a great support, and I love her for that. When doing something new, you should always have people who encourage you to continue forward. My dad has finally come around and is supporting me now. He is even going to go with me to cheer me on. I am ready to take on the Army Ten-Miler and no one is going to stop me.