My Love/Hate Relationship With Running

Fall is approaching, and I, like many of my friends, know what that means.....marathon season! My relationship with running started about 27 years ago. It was 1984, I was moving out of the dorms at SJSU, into an apartment, and trying to figure out what to take for P.E. My thought process went something like this: "Running? Hmm. Never been a runner. I'm just the chubby girl from Castro Valley (So I thought. Never realized I was "average" until later in life. The curse of being female). I can throw a mean softball. And I'm a pretty decent water skier. Let's give it a try." And that was how it all started. 

The class was fun and I quickly caught on.  I enjoyed the freedom it gave me, not to mention the help of losing the "freshman 10" (although for me, it was the "freshman/sophomore 10"). And so it began. Like many runners, I was an on-again, off-again runner. But kept running, nevertheless, for many years. Not too far, usually 6 miles was the farthest. 

Fast forward many years, grad school, marriage, birthing two awesome boys and getting close to turning 40. I wanted to do SOMETHING SPECIAL. So, the year is now 2001 and my friend Cathy and I came up with this hair-brained idea to run a half marathon! WHAT?!?! We decided we wanted to be "40 & Fabulous" (even though we weren't quite 40 yet). We started running with the Pleasanton Fleet Feet "Huffers & Puffers" (the name is NOT an accident). We found a training regimen on the Hal Higdon website, and off we went. 

We ran the Primos Half Marathon in Danville! I will never ever forget turning the corner for the last quarter mile, seeing the finish line, and seeing Dan and my parents cheering me on. I still get teary thinking about it. It meant everything.

Seattle Rock N Roll Finish, 2010

Primos Finish 2001

The Primos Half Marathon was the first of what is now 8 half's under my belt. Yes, I am proud. I've run Primos twice, Nike SF, SJ Rock N Roll, See Jane Run, Big Sur twice, and Seattle Rock N Roll. Over the last several years, I've also completed three Cinderella 100K rides and four sprint triathlons (Tri-For-Fun), but lost interest in both because I never totally got comfortable on my bike in traffic and I really REALLY hate to swim! 

I know what you're thinking (or, maybe I don't). But with all this training, I should be a tiny little thing! Well, it's no secret I enjoy wine, the occasional cheeseburger (sometimes more than occasionally), french fries, etc. If it's a carb with salt on it, or cheese on it, bring it. Preferably with a glass of wine (did ya SEE the sub-title of my blog??). Perhaps that is why I'm still not a size 6. But hey, I enjoy life to its fullest. Work hard, play hard, right?  Right. I always ask Dan, "would you like me skinny and bitchy, or a little chubby and happy?" Let's just say, he knows the right answer. (and I'd like to throw in here that my cholesterol numbers are stellar, so why fix it if it isn't broken?) :)

This last year I took some time off and ran a lot less. Less times per week and less miles each time out. Boy, at 47, it is extremely hard to get back to where I was, mileage wise AND pace wise. Therefore, I am paying for my training again, with some (read: little) hope of getting my ass kicked. Um, yeah, just a little ass-kicking....not too much, please. I'm also doing this because I decided (after many conversations with myself) that I like Janeen-the-half-marathon-runner much more than Janeen-the-5k-runner. Not that there's ANYTHING wrong with running 5k's!! But you read above how I like to imbibe and enjoy my fave foods, so I need the mileage to balance things out. 


This October, 10 years after running my first half marathon, #9 will be The Wine Country Half Marathon in Healdsburg. If you see me out there jogging along any of the many beautiful Pleasanton routes, give me a little shout out, or even a "Woo Hoo!" to make me feel like the fast skinny bitchy girl, just for a second. Then I'll happily go back to the happy kinda-chubby jogger, and finish my run with a smile. Thanks for the support. And I'd appreciate it if you'd please refill my wine glass - I'm gonna go put my feet up and rest from this morning's run.


jrb