Exercise...and the lack thereof

Two years ago I did a fun run/walk thing with my family. And I enjoyed it. Right then I decided that I would start running.

My family has always been very exercise conscious. Not to the point that we are fitness freaks but rather just that family holidays and days out together usually involve some form of exercise...mostly cycling. My dad started cycling years ago when he made a bet with a few friends that they would do the Argus together. The Argus is a 109km cycle race around Cape Town, it is a very beautiful race and one of my favourites. Since then we have all been roped into it at some point or another. I have done three Arguses and a couple (maybe four or five - I can't remember) 94.7's. I stopped cycling when I went to University, I did my last Argus in 2005 and then just...got over it.

But I have never been a runner.

The closest I ever got to running was doing the 3000m race in school just so that I could be part of the athletics team and not have to sing on the stands all day. So when I decided to start running it was all new, but because I've been involved in big sporting events for so many years doing something big - sporting wise - isn't too much of a big deal. I decided to do a half marathon, no half measures here (actually it is a half measure but 21.1km's isn't really a quick stroll around the block). So I entered a race, trained and ran it.

And loved it.

I loved running and once I was fit I wanted to do it everyday, except maybe after those REALLY long work days. I didn't win the 21km or anything, but I finished and I was proud. It was also so much harder than any of the cycle races or mini-triathlons I had done before. Now...two years later, I haven't run anything impressive since. Then about 2 months ago a friend sent me a link for this race, Run Jozi, and said we should enter.

You see the thing that happens once you do something like run a half marathon is that everybody starts to think of you as a runner. Which is cool, I like to think of myself as a runner too, but to be honest I haven't run in two years so I can't really claim that I am. But I entered, because I thought that it would get me back into training and help me get fit again. Needless to say I didn't train a step. Roll on Run Jozi and the 10km's awaiting me, so yesterday we (my sister and best friend had also entered) kitted up - in our lumo yellow shirts, yellow laces, UV face paint and timing chips and off we went.

This post isn't about the actual race, which you can read/see more about here or here, that was epic in itself.

It's about me...running.

I managed to run for 90% of the race and only walk a little. I finished happily and realised how much I have missed my running. The point of this whole long spiel is that I should be running more. And I might just try it again. Maybe another half marathon before the end of the year...we'll see.