A few weeks ago, I received a new "Achievement" notification from my Nike Run App, which I use to track my running and racing. The diamond icon surprised me as I did not think I had done anything great in my running endeavors as of late.
I clicked on it and realized it was a One Year Anniversary of my first date of using the app. I know there's plenty of tracking apps out there (and probably a lot that this one does that I do not even know how to use...) but I do enjoy watching the miles add up and having each run's route, pace, duration, and splits in the same spot.
While each individual practice run or race may not seem huge, I felt like the following numbers were worth documenting:
77 Total Runs.
257 Total Miles.
15 Races.
12 5K's.
2 10K's.
1 Spartan Super Race.
6.48 Minutes Lost Between First 5K and Fastest 5K.
1 3rd Place Age Division Win.
1 1st Place Age Division Win.
While over a year these numbers can seem like a lot, each and every practice and race felt very "small picture"... I NEVER felt like running until at least half-way through each run.
And I also would have never had the motivation to get out there without being blessed with some serious support from my best friend (and running buddy!) Colleen, my dear husband Chris (who would come home from work and let me immediately leave him with the kids so I could run... and also spent many a Saturday morning home alone with the children during my races), my special niece Victoria (who would come spend the night on weekends when Chris was gone so I could still race on Saturday mornings) and countless other friends and family who were always so encouraging.
Finishing is better than "never started" and last place beats "didn't finish."
