I used to be jealous of runners. I would see men and women running at the side of the road and think to myself: “I wish I could do that.”

For some reason I had it in my mind that I could not be a runner.

It used to take me around 14 minutes to run the mile every year in middle school and high school. Every year I absolutely dreaded the day where our whole gym class would venture outside to the track and be instructed to run our laps equivalent to a mile. I would begin by running and then end up walking about half-way through. Even though I wasn’t the only one walking, I couldn’t help but feel embarassed. I wanted something more. I wanted to do better. I wanted to be able to run.

In April of 2011 I started the Couch 2 5K training plan. I decided to stop wondering what it must be like to be a runner and give it a go. It was difficult at first, but slowly I started feeling myself make progress. I felt proud when I was able to run just a minute longer without stopping to walk. I felt stronger. I felt fit. I felt more confident. For someone who never played a sport in her life, I actually started to feel athletic.

Since starting to run I have completed two 5K races (one in November of 2011 and the other in April of 2012). I cannot even describe to you the feelings that I felt as I completed my first race. Now, I’m looking forward to running more races and building up to running longer distances. I’ve joined a gym and work-out a few times a week (either with my close friend or by myself).

(I’m on the right)

I have always been naturally thin so running and working out has never been about losing weight for me. It’s about feeling better about myself. I would never call myself the most confident person, but getting into fitness-related activities has done wonders for my self-esteem.

I cannot wait to continue my journey with running and other activities. Who knows where it will take me, but I’m excited to find out!