Crazy little thing called the running bug

Once upon a very long time ago...(almost six years ago to be exact) I met two girls that would in a way change my life.  On Halloween 2006, my very first shift in the ER in Chicago I met Hillary Moon (now Sanders) and Amy Haug.  They invited me to go to Starbucks with them, I knew we were going to be instant friends.  A few weeks later these seemingly uncrazy women asked me if I wanted to run a half marathon with them, I said sure even though I didn't really intend on doing it, heck I had only run 2 miles at once ever in my life.  Out of desperation of wanting friends or a little bit of craziness in my own right, I decided to do it!  I was going to train with these amazing women and I was going to run a half marathon.  I still remember pouring over Marathoning for Mortals by John Bingham like it was gospel.  I learned how to train, how to eat, how to think like a long distance athlete.  I remember the first time I ran 5 miles, 6 miles (Amy and Jon that was the whiny run when I wanted to take a cab), the time I ran 8 miles all like it was yesterday.  I remember my first race, the 2007 Shamrock Shuffle and running it with Amy and Hillary side by side ...in matching outfits no less.  And I remember lining up a the starting line of the Indy Mini, our chosen half marathon wondering, can I really do this??  I did do it, and so did Amy and Hillary!  It was fun and we were so proud of our accomplishment.  

I ran 3 other half marathons over the next few years and trained for the Chicago marathon only to get injured and somehow vowed I would never run a marathon because I knew I could do it because I had run 22 miles in training.  I have fallen in and out of love with running, this amazing and CRAZY sport over the years but right now I am absolutely crazy in love with it again.  I am running the Seattle half marathon the Sunday after Thanksgiving and recently have been getting the bug to run a marathon again.  Luckily there are plenty of crazys right here in Seattle to support me in this dream, including Ryan.  He too is running the Seattle half, his first, and I can't wait to line up at the starting line with him and to be there with him to celebrate at the end.  

Here are a few pictures from that first half marathon that started all this CRAZY love...

Here I am, ready to run 13.1

Me, Hillary, and Amy about mile 11-12, we still look pretty happy

Finishers!!!! With our medals and of course matching outfits head to toe

I am not really sure what I am doing here, but I always have loved this shot of me and Hillary