My New Hobby...

My new hobby is...... running!  If you know me pretty well you know that running has never been my forte. During my years of playing sports, the running aspect of the sports was my least favorite part. I have been working out at golds gym since the fall and was feeling as though I needed a goal to achieve. Starting in March I have been running both at the gym and outside. I have signed up for two 5ks in June.  At first I truly thought that it would be really difficult to start running but soon I realized that if you push yourself hard enough you can do anything. I am training for my 5ks because I want to work hard so I am ready to earn a good time.
My favorite part of running outside is I run along the beach path and the views are breathtaking. I feel so spoiled that I get to run next to a beautiful ocean full of green and blue hues. My route right now is from our apartment to the bank and back which is 3 miles. The hardest part for me is most of the time I will get a side-ache so I am working on drinking enough fluids and breathing the right way.
My friend and neighbor Anna is a marathon runner and I asked her if we could run together every sunday. She said yes and then said, "It will be good for me to slow down." So it is a great arrangement because she pushes me and I help her slow down.
I can definitely tell I have improved over time because at first I was not able to run that far without stopping and was not able to talk to anyone else. Now I can run farther without stopping and can hold a conversation:) Mentally I used to dread getting ready to go for a run and now I look forward to my time of running. It is my goal that before I leave Saipan  to be able to  run the 3 miles without stopping.
The first 5 k I am doing will be 2 days after I get back to the states and it will be in Duluth. It is called the Boulderdash 5k.

http://www.northlandrunner.com/run?page=Race&raceId=29

The second 5k is called Run 4 Trails and will be in Gretna, NE on June 16th.

http://gretnarunners.com/Running4TrailsGretnaRunners.aspx

I have realized throughout this experience so far is that you can do anything that you put your mind too and with working out having a goal is the best way to stay motivated.

I am planning on running throughout May to get ready for my 5ks and to start training this summer for a 10k.  :) 

I will keep you updated with my running experiences!

-Kara-

My new running shoes I bought in Guam!