Get ready for a long , but awesome story! At least I think it's neat.

If anyone would have told me in May of this year that in August I would be running in a 10 K, I would have laughed in their face! However, I would have taken it as a compliment because running is something that I have always wanted to do but have been way too afraid to try! Anyways, I guess this all started about 2 years ago when my dad and my brother and brother-in-law were in a triathlon. I went to go and cheer them on and it was so much fun. At the time I remember thinking of how cool it would be to actually be in the race with them instead of on the sidelines. This thought was coming from a person who has never intentionally broke a sweat in her life. I told my dad that day that I thought I would like to try to swim, or bike, or something. So, my dad always the teacher, decided to jump on that and had me going to the gym every morning at 5am with him to teach me to swim and he even rode next to me on the stationary bikes. He, not even sweating and me with a heart rate of 190. To say the least, my body was not used to any kind of strenuous exercise. It was pretty fun and I got to where I could swim a half mile, my form was probably not the best, but hey a half mile - Cool! So then, what a surprise, I found out I was pregnant about a month and a half into all this exercise stuff, so I did the obvious -for me anyway- and stopped! Then I had our gorgeous daughter Whitney and thought, well now what? So I started going to the gym again to do the weight classes and spin classes which were great workouts, and I found myself feeling a lot better a lot faster after having Whitney than I did after having any of my other babies. I guess there is something to be said about exercise after all. My dad had hurt his hip and hasn't been able to go back to swimming (yet) so I still, for some reason, haven't been back to the pool. Anyway to the main reason of my whole story here, I have been blessed with new neighbors last September-the Bonners-some might not call that a blessing, ha!ha! Mandy actually taught one of the weight classes at the Fit Stop and one of the spin classes, how perfect! So it was so nice to have a neighbor that was inspiring and likes the same things I do. Again, anyways, to my point, in July my family went to St. George. I decided that I would try out the hotel equipment, something that I have never done in my life, and I got on my very first treadmill. Of course, there had to be somebody right next to mine and I was, for some reason, so embarrassed that I had no idea how to start the thing or even if I could run when it turned on. So that was a big step for me. Well, low and behold, I got it to a pace where I could run and I told myself to not stop until thirty minutes were over. And guess what, I made it for thirty minutes! Running! That was just crazy to me! And I could breathe! I forgot to mention the reason that running has always seemed an impossibility was because I have had asthma pretty much since I was born. I have never even ran a mile before, just for the fact that I tried in high school and couldn't even get around one lap without having to use my inhaler (plus who wants to sweat while your at school with no working showers, ewe!) So yeah, I was pretty impressed with this treadmill thing and it said I had ran almost 3 miles. I did that for the three nights that we stayed there and then when we got home I had to run tell my great neighbor that among other things, I now run!!! So Mandy and I decided to start doing a little running at night and sometimes in the morning together. Mandy being the pusher and believer that she is, told me that we were going to run the 5 K on the 24th of July in Charleston. This is only 2 weeks after discovering that I could run holy cow, I was nervous, but it was three miles and that's about what we've worked up to. So wa la, I pinned a number on me and was running in my very first race. Every step that I took I was thanking my Heavenly Father for this wonderful opportunity he has blessed me with, for me to be doing something that I have never dreamed possible. I was also thanking Him for my inspiring friend, Mandy, and for my dad for getting me started into all of this. I have to give a shout out to my mom, too, because recently she told me that she used to be a track star in High School, who knew? So maybe I have some random gene of hers, called the "don't stop even if you want to" gene. Anyways, I am addicted to running now, partly because I feel like if I stop I will forget how. Then it turns out Mandy, once again, makes me register for the Swiss Days 10 K. Now the 5 K was something, but we both have never ran 6 miles yet, and so I was pretty nervous. Sure, I knew I could stop and walk if I had to, but the point was, up till then, I always told myself to just keep running until I got home. Stopping was never an option (except when Mandy made me run to the Fit Stop in 85 degree weather two days after I told her I could run). The night before the 10K, Mandy called with her bad news that she had twisted her ankle and could barley walk on it. So, wow, was I relieved! However, at the same time I was a little bummed because I wanted to try it, I just didn't want to do it by myself. Anyway, I woke up the next morning and decide to run anyway, not in the Swiss Days 10K, but just my own personal race to see how far I could really go. I don't think I even got into running my first mile that my breathing was totally controlled, and my legs felt like they could go on for ever. I have not felt a feeling like this before and I knew once again that My Heavenly Father really cares about me and that He wants me to succeed in the things that I work hard for. I knew that He was by my side cheering me on. What an amazing feeling it was for me to run like that! Anyway, I got home and hopped into my car to drive the route that I had ran, and when I got to 6 miles and I still wasn't home yet I think I was crying and laughing at the same time. I ended up running 6.7 miles, so I think that I really do deserve my 10K Swiss Days shirt, right? Anyways, I still think that it was pretty amazing and I thank my Heavenly Father for this with all my heart! Well that is my story and I think I am pretty excited still that running is something that I can do now. I know that with Mandy and my dad, they probably won't let me stop now anyway. By the way, the picture is Mandy and I after we got home from running our first 5K!!