Run Fat Girl Run

I am not a runner. My family runs -- but I -- being a rebel -- do not. I do lots of other things, but I do not run. Now, this gets complicated because occasionally I agree to do some sort of running event. It's not typically a 5K or a 10K or even a one mile fun run. No, really the only running events I seem to think merit paying good money for are half marathons.

In mid-October 2009, I was having a lovely day with some friends and somewhere between beer, wine and dinner we all agreed to run the PF Chang half marathon in January. Seemed a long way away. I had to ride the 109 version of El Tour de Tucson before 2010 would be even close.

Well, October passed, El Tour passed and I had to train -- running miles and miles and miles. One training run in Sahaurita -- I stopped running (about mile 9.5) when I saw elephants in the park across the street. That became a rule -- you see elephants, you stop running. I have other rules and gimics and tricks to get me to run.

Shortly after we set this goal, I did a long bike ride and then, for some reason, watched the New York Marathon on television. Weird to watch a marathon on TV. They were following the leaders including Paula Radcliffe who, apparently was not having a good day. The announcer almost gleefully noted that Paula was running a "pedestrian" 5:51 pace. Holy cow, I thought. If that is pedestrian, I am apparently sleeping when I run.

Regardless, I try to keep my commitments so after El Tour I started training. And running and training. And last weekend, I completed the half marathon amongst a group of real runners, several of whom ran the full marathon. When I crossed the finish line very far behind where I wanted to be and not very happy, I decided to just put a smile on my face, but to let people know I wasn't going to run any more. Ever.

Amazingly, or perhaps not so amazingly, the people who I knew who also ran -- people who completed the marathon in around 4 hours or quicker -- and others completed the half marathon a good 45 minutes before me -- were quick to see something in me I have never seen. A runner. A slow runner. Who sometimes limps because her funky toe doesn't bend right. But, a runner nevertheless.

I am not quite there in my head. Not ready to say I am a runner. But, with the encouragement of friends, I am signing up for more races and foot adventures. Run Fat Girl Run.....