Fell off the running wagon but making a comeback.

On December 2011,  a friend invited me to go for a run with a couple of girls.   Well, actually, I invited myself.  At the time, I was doing a program called Personal Running Trainer and was doing the 5k portion of it.  I was running on a track and got bored but was too intimidated to run in the park with the regular running folk.  I needed a little boost, you see.

In came BGR, Black Girls Run, a running group that encourages African-American women to make fitness and healthy living a priority.  I joined her at the park to meet the girls and off I went and finished the loop in the park for the very first time.  I was elated!  I did it!  With the help of fantastic women running and/or walking in a group.  Fast forward to running a half marathon (which I thought was a 10K) without any "goo" (had no knowledge of what that was or if it was even helpful) and was traumatized.  Although I finished, with a bad cramp in my calves ( I should of worn compression socks) and my soles burning...I made it through the finish line looking like a seven month pregnant lady (I was so swollen).  I accomplished my first half and was glad but was terrified.  I finished a half and it beat me up..now what?  I made excuses and got scared of my own expectations.

I'm now geared with my Nike Running app in hand and is running for 35 min at least twice a week.  I'm a single working mom and not an early riser.  I'm sure I will get to where I'm going but by myself for now with the motivation of the group.  It's something I have to do myself so that I'm not dependent of the group...am I making sense?  I think I am.  Next month I will add 10 min or maybe 5 min to the runs until I'm brave enough to sign up for a race again.