Baby's first 10k

Ok, so this is intimidating. I'm a fairly outgoing and personable gal, but something about putting my thoughts in writing for all to see (read: judge mercilessly) makes me want to crawl under a rock. This fear is compounded by the fact that I'm doing something I never thought I would actually do: run a half marathon. I thought I'd write it on my bucket list and give it about as much thought as I've given the other items on that list: exactly 0 minutes. I'm thankful this bucket list item has come to life and hope it pushes me to check off a few more, though!

Any runner out there knows the odd mix of camaraderie and competition in the running world is enough to make Regina George seem genuine (for those that don't get the reference, you can't sit with us). BUT, it's real. In a race, you mark your competitor, try to keep pace, and ultimately push yourself to cross the finish line before her, all while rooting her on and hoping like heck that she finishes well too. At least I do, I'll admit it. It's messed up, but it's fun! 

Before the OrthoCarolina 10k Classic with my high school sweetheart/training partner, Skylar.

This is a no BS sport and your success or failure ultimately rests on you alone. No one drops your perfect pass or lets a defender get to you, it's just you, your two feet, and the ground. Having people around to tell you that voice in your head saying "You've maxed out, let's just walk a little" is a big fat liar makes all the difference in the world. My training partner and I give each other grief (she knows my Nike+ activity better than I do myself), but we also give each other goals and guidance. We just raced our first 10k together and finished with 1 second between us. At one point she turned to me and said, "One more mile. You know I'm about to make you cry, right?" Now that's a friend.

Mom, dad, and Ali, my cheering section.

2 injuries, 91% humidity, 6.4 miles, 0 breaks, and 64 minutes... Then 5,867,465 crab legs at brunch.

Army captain bars from my godfather. My family calls me Captain- I'm a tad OCD when it comes to organization.

In February I will be running my first half marathon and will blog my training journey here. I will also raise money along the way for a fabulous organization, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a nonprofit that raises money for suicide prevention. Donate here.

Finally, I recently lost my baby brother and will dedicate my training to his memory. He was one of the fittest, most positive people I have ever known, and I like to think he keeps the big fat liars away while I'm running. Thanks, bro.