The Running Part

So I guess I should explain why I chose to call the blog Running and Wedding Planning, instead of just Wedding Planning (original names, right? Yeah, that's all I got)...Basically, I love running. It keeps me sane, healthy and lets me organize my thoughts. How am I qualified to blog about running? The truth is, I'm not any more qualified than other runner but I thought it would be fun to talk about my experiences running and racing. I ran indoor and outdoor track for my college and then worked at a specialty running store in Miami the year after I graduated. In graduate school, while working on my masters in exercise and sport science, I was a volunteer graduate assistant with the track team. In the past 3 years, I've run 2 full marathons and 4 half-marathons, including the New York City marathon in 2008. Here's a picture from that experience, it was truly amazing!

That's my fiance in the Dolphins jersey, snapping a photo as I run by (isn't he cute?:). I've now got my sights set on the Boston Marathon in April 2010, so I'll definitely be talking about my experiences training for that. I already ran a time that is good enough to qualify for the race, so now it's only a matter of being accepted.

Not only do I love to run but I'm actually pretty good at it. Forgive me if this sounds less-than-modest but when I run a race, I usually place, at least in my age category. In fact, in the first marathon I ran up in Lake Placid, NY, I was the first overall female finisher! It was a pretty cool experience, winning that race but as I get older (and slower), I find myself caring less and less about place and time and more about the experience of racing. I had a minor knee surgery last January and still haven't fully recovered, so I'm now in the process of learning to race without focusing on where I finish and instead, enjoying the race while actually running it.

So there you have it, why I run and why it's a part of my life and this blog. I love weddings. I love running. It's as simple as that.

Do you run?