So I've been running now for just over 2 years. I started running in 2008 slowly but steadily. Mostly indoors on a treadmill for overall fitness. I'm not fast and never have been. But I burn a lot of calories when I run and it feels like a good way to maintain a level of cardiovascular health.
I ran two 10k races in late 2008 and early 2009. Since then lots has happened in my life. I moved from Portland to Washington, DC. Got a new job. And yet have generally kept with my running. Probably because I work with folks that run I've continued to push to do more and more.
I didn't run any more races until recently - January 2011 - when I ran the Walt Disney World Marathon. And I think I have to admit that I'm now a running. I'm still not fast, but I continue to try and find new challenges to overcome. The marathon was distance - I really wasn't sure if I could run that far. And now, I'm sure there are other new goals I can set and meet. Faster, maybe. Lower heart rate. Feeling better when I run fast & long. They're all on the table for me to aspire to achieve.
One thing that keeps me going is the gadgets. The shoes. The clothes. The hats. The watches. It's all something new to try out on the run. Different weather. Different conditions. Something new to track, monitor, geek-out on the data.
Right now I run with a Garmin 405 and a heart-rate monitor. I upload my runs religiously and track my speed, mileage and heart-rate. I run on shoes I've been fitted for and probably cost too much. But how much is running without injury worth - for me it's been golden. I have lots of winter hats. Some summer hats. All kinds of shirts and shorts. Socks and underwear. I've decided if I'm going to think about it this much I ought to at least blog about it so that others can benefit from (or be tortured by) how much I think about these things.
Icy rain on the forecast for tomorrow morning, so I may end up on the dreaded treadmill. We'll see.