No place like home

There is no place like home and likewise, something so special about returning to where you first fell in love with running. I went home for my high school class reunion (10 years, holy crap!) and not only was it nice to see everyone but I also gained a serene sense when I went back to where life had so much promise. Before things like disease, and well, life, muck things up in a consequently beautiful way.

My home town’s perimeter measures exactly 2.3 miles- which growing up running sprints and middle distance seemed like a marathon. Nowadays my normal workouts equate to two or three laps or more around those illustrious streets. Life really gets put into perspective when you see where 10 years goes. But no matter what direction people are headed you realize that the journey is your life, you must live every day to its fullest and let go of your conceptions of high school dreams because God knows what he’s doing. Every challenge only makes you stronger, makes your life fuller. Our high school class motto was “Life’s not measured by the breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away.” As I finished my last run in my hometown for the foreseeable future, boy am I breathless.

And so it begins...

Hello all, my incentive for starting this blog is to post workout tidbits, recipes and the like, while in the short term fundraise money for Team Challenge (see link above).

What is Team Challenge you ask? It's a fantastic organization that helps raise money for Crohn's and Colitis research through running half marathons. Working with them is really the perfect fit for me, running and helping the cause!

A little bit of back story for you. I went into the Naval Academy dreaming of becoming a Marine Corps pilot but as soon as Plebe year began I felt constantly tired, suffered stomach pains and other symptoms consistent with Crohn's Disease. To make a long story short my dream of serving my country got sidelined by disease. But it really was a blessing in disguise!

It took a few years to get back into shape, but now working out is verging on an addiction for me ;)

This past weekend I ran the Marine Corps Historic Half! My first legit 13.1 miles since moving and it was awesome!!!! I was only 2 min shy of my PR :) Placed 3rd in my division!

the hubby and I

This is the first of many posts, hope you feel inspired! If you want to help, please click the Team Challenge link above - I have until July to raise $2000!