Motivation Monday - Continue

In 2012 my best, best buddy Jennie said she was signing up for a 5k race - where you get chocolate at the end. At the time it was even promoted with have Ghirardelli chocolate to boot! How cool was that?!  It was the Hot Chocolate 15k/5k. Wanting to join in on the fun and wanting to get more active (and not to mention chocolate!) I signed up too.

I remember being a little freaked out concerned after I hit the submit registration button. What was I thinking?!? How am I suppose to run a 5k race? How many miles was it? 3.1 miles? And I had to have a pace of 15min per mile or better?! And I only have one month to get ready for it? What?! Plus, it was going to be cold. I mean, the below-freezing-to-the-point-of-snot-freezing-and-toes-turning-purple-falling-off cold that day! What. Was. I. Thinking???

But, I trained for it, and I did it. It took some time, but I crossed the finish line. It. Was. Amazing! My first ever experienced with runner's high was that day. Wow! Having never experienced anything as awesome (I know what's better than runner's high, now, though. Long story.), I was hooked. When's the next race?

But I didn't run another race (not to mention any major running - it's hard without motivation) until the following year - when a coworker was wanting to join me in the next 5k. It just so happened Jennie and I were laying plans for the the 2013 Hot Chocolate Run. Soon enough more coworkers and my family were joining in and we practically created a training team in the winter of 2012!

Since that first year the Hot Chocolate Run as been the traditional, must-do race with Jennie and my family. And because of peer pressure coworkers I kept up the running and ran more races in the coming years before advancing onto half marathons just this past year. Now I'm looking into running a full marathon this year. That's nuts!

It may be hard to start.

It is easy to stop.

It may be difficult to continue.

But as long as you continue you never know what will happen and where it will take you. (Here's a secret, it generally is to an awesome place!).

Just go for it!

P.S. - For those running the 2015 Hot Chocolate - Dallas Run... see you there!

Image found here,