My favorite sports include: running swimming

I started running on somewhat of a whim when some friends were talking about running a half marathon. Many moons ago, many more than I care to admit to, I swam competitively and running was something we did for conditioning and I never really felt like I was good at it. Fast forward *cough cough* years, I wanted to get back to some form of exercise so I decided that I would give it a try, it would be a challenge and working towards the goal of running a half marathon would help me get back in shape (which I was so very sadly out of). I quickly discovered running’s incredible stress-busting qualities (which is just what I needed), and I could fit it into my schedule which as a single parent is a feat in itself. An injury sidelined me and I never did run that half marathon, or at all for a while, but it made me want to set some goals for what I’d like to achieve in 2008.  I made the commitment to work towards them, began working with a trainer and ended up meeting a great group of people who have helped to inspire and challenge me since. I finished my first half marathon at the end of August 2008 at the Virginia Beach Rock'n'Roll Half. It was such an amazing experience and the best part of it was the feeling at the end that it was all worth it - the miles, the blisters, the sore muscles... I felt awesome. At some point during the year I thought it would be fun to do the Ragnar Relay, literally running 193.9 miles across Florida with 5 of the best crazy people you could know! It's was a challenge getting ready for it since we did it as an ultra team (6 instead of 12 runners) and my total legs would be about 36 miles - the last leg alone was 16.  It definitely was an experience of a lifetime, and even now I look at a map of Florida and see just how far we ran and am amazed that we did it. So now I'm getting ready for my first marathon and plotting out my goals for 2009, where would I like to be at the end of my second year.  The year is already starting off with a set of new challenges, but with them come new opportunities to see what I can do.