After the Half-Marathon

Welcome to my blog. I've always wanted to have a running blog, and here I am, towards the end of my 6-9:30am shift working at the university gym, that I've decided to begin writing about my experiences.

For me, running is a major basis of my identity. It's one of my proudest accomplishments, but it's more than that... running has opened my eyes to the world of fitness and nutrition. It's made me wiser, fitter, and definately happier.

I just finshed another half-marathon. The Edmonton ING Half-Marathon on Sunday, August 17th. I finished it in around 1:45, which was awesome. I was almost at a sub 8 minute mile! I was ranked 39/621 female runners!

I'm not sure how many half-marathons I've done at this point, but probably over 20. I've also completed two full marathons, Edmonton ING and the Queen City Marathon (Regina). It's only recently that I've actually started to feel fit and proud of my body.

I started running when I was 17 and finishing high school. I learned how to run with my Dad, and we still run together quite frequently. What started as two miles per day to get fit for horseback riding (show jumping) and prepare for university turned into a lifestyle that led us both to the marathon.

Over the years, I've changed a lot. I went from an ambitious high school student to a drug addict, and now I'm back to doing really well. I got addicted to drugs after finishing my first marathon, at the start of my second year of university. I really hurt my family and lost many friends, and also ravished my body, gaining about 40 pounds and losing my mental sharpness. When I finally came off the drugs, I was helped by a supportive boyfriend and loving family. I lost the weight my doing my second marathon, and went on to get a 4.0 (A average) on my first drug free semester.

I rushed to finish my BA to get into an Afterdegree program in Accounting (cooperative education program!), which I'm thrilled about. I also got a scholarship from the School of Business that I now attend! I like the idea of starting a career in Accounting, but eventually I'd like to study the Law.

Anways, now that I've given a brief biography, I'm ready to start the real blog. I need to recover, and then train harder. I want my next race to be FAST!