once upon a time

in the seventh grade, i ran approximately one-quarter mile to the end of my road and back.

i remember the contemplation leading up to the run. i mulled the run over in my mind like a shiny penny; the thought of running, simply because i could, was enticing, something new and exciting. i also didn't know if i could actually do it - so i decided there was only one way to find out.

i laced up a pair of raggedy old sneakers i'd found in my closet and ran. after less than two minutes, my lungs ached, my legs protested, and i ran over the hill down to the Badacook Pond landing. i remember breathlessly thinking, well, i did it.

and i realized i could probably do it again, if i really wanted.

and again. and again.

whenever i run by the Badacook Pond landing down the road from the house i grew up in, i always return to that day in the seventh grade, the day i succumbed to that inexplicable inner urge to run, to see what it is like, to do something to see if it could actually be done.

& now, at age 24, after trials and tribulations and a collection of years of hills and miles, i will be running a half marathon on May 29th, 2011, and if all goes according to plan (& i remain injury free), a full in the fall.

i feel like i've been waiting for this my entire life, and finally, i am no longer standing in my own way.

my intention with this blog is to not only keep track of my training and to learn more about myself as a runner, but to also offer inspiration and motivation to others who wish to learn more about running, or want to start! (please note that while i research and read a great deal about running and training, i am no expert, & most of this will be based solely on personal experience).

i also decided i need an outlet to share music and songs i find moving and energetic - music that keeps me going. i become so excited about music that i tend to bombard people (& my facebook account) with songs and artists, & while i'll probably continue to do so, i'll at least have a place to log it & see what moved me at what time over the course of my training.

about the title of this blog - i moved to boston this past summer & live half a mile from the beautiful Chestnut Hill reservoir that has become my running sanctuary. i always find a way to incorporate the reservoir into my runs - in the midst of a city, it's a little piece of nature that is utterly breathtaking at every season, any time of day.





again, now in 2011 and no longer in any grade, i sit and contemplate 13.2 miles. it's again time to see if i can do it.