Am I crazy?!

Two years ago (2010), Aidan, 8 yrs old at the time, issued me a challenge..........run a 5k with him in September.  I laughed.  I told him he should ask his papa since he was the cross country/track star (okay, maybe not but he ran!) in high school.   Aidan was insistent that he wanted me to run with him.  Me, run?  I couldn't even run a block without feeling like I was going to die!  But being the ever supporting mom, I told him okay.

Months went by and I didn't start running.   I thought for sure he would forget about it.  Then in May, the grade school had their annual "Pirate Walk" fundraiser and Aidan ran enough laps to go 5miles!  He was then more excited to run the 5k with me.  Rats!  I couldn't tell him, "mama can't run", I had told him I would and I couldn't go back on my word.  I had to decide what example I was going to set at that very moment. 

So, it began.........I would go over to the track and run the curves, walk the straight, and then do it again.  I WAS VERY CERTAIN THAT I WAS GOING TO DIE!!!  Then a few friends came with me and pushed me into a whole lap which turned into another.  Soon, I was running a mile.  Not a fast mile, mind you, but I was making progress.

September came for the big run and guess what happened?  Aidan decided to do the kids 1 mile instead.  So, with another friend, I ran my first 5k.  It didn't turn out too badly but I swore up and down after that I would never EVER run anything more than that.

Ya, I don't know who got the last laugh, they are probably still laughing but it didn't end with that 5k.

Last summer, I did some 5k's, 10k's, and even 3 half marathons.  I was able to experience the Hood to Coast Relay and ran up a mountain that I thought I would need a grappling hook for.  I reached alot of milestones last summer that I had never imagined in my whole life I would ever do.  And Aidan at 9yrs old, finally ran his first official 5k with me. 

I haven't stopped running.  I am still slow and okay with that.  Last weekend, Aidan, now 10yrs old,  ran his first 10k with me.  He did awesome.  I have come a long way and I credit Aidan for issuing me a challenge that has changed my life.

Well, tomorrow.......I run my first marathon. 

One might ask........Are you crazy? 

Ummm........probably.