on an awesome side note ...

check out erin's blog for an inspirational reason to run this weekend ...
http://www.petersoncamp.blogspot.com/

starting out

give me the top 5 things anyone should do/know/purchase/read/try before they start out and begin as a runner ...

running has changed my life

i didn't quite know how to start the blog until i went and saw the spirit of the marathon tonight with jona in raleigh. this film, directed by jon dunham, chronicled six athletes training for the 2005 chicago marathon. he did a superb job of capturing the spectrum of runners that undertake 26.2 miles. deena kastor was featured as the elite womens marathoner, and while her marathon was astonishing and her training tireless (the woman consumes 5,000 calories per day to keep up with her training regiment), what was more inspiring to me was her humanness, her approachability. she was someone who i believed could make an amazing friend or neighbor. she reminded me that anyone can run, maybe not like she can run, but that anyone can achieve what is their potential personal best when they work hard and are determined.
i run for many reasons. i run for that potential personal best. i run for that feeling of accomplishment. i run because i can. i run because there are people like deena kastor who inspire me. running has taught me to work hard, to play hard, to invest in people, and to dig down deep and challenge myself. the spirit of the marathon reminded me of that. it took me through every single last emotion i have ever felt while training and racing. and to be honest, every single last emotion i have ever felt has been entirely worth it, because it has strengthened my will, forged friendships, and deepened my willingness to say "i can". it may sound trite and unecessarily nostalgic, but it's absolutely true: running has changed me as a person. it has allowed me to grow and discover a part of me that i never knew i had until i tried.

so, to start off this running blog, i want to know how fitness and running has changed you. why do you run? what motivates you? many of you have motivated me and dragged me through many miles. why do it?

a new blog

i wanted to start this specific blog for a few reasons: i love to run, i love to share running with my friends, and i want to share ideas and get ideas from you.

i want this blog to be a place where we can talk about all aspects of running and get each other motivated for whatever race, run, or workout any of us have planned, even if it's your first. whether it's a running rant, a new workout idea, a nutrition discussion, your first mile run, or 100th marathon, i want to talk about it all and have a good time doing it.

we'll see how this little experiment goes.
julia