How I became a runner

About a year ago, in July 2009, I decided that enough was enough, and that I needed to start exercising again. I was quite the athletic type in high school, but after I went to university...well, let's just say that my priorities were all over the place back then. Priorities being my sorority, go clubbing 5 nights a week, and still managing to pass my exams and getting my mastersdegree (Law). Not to mention the amount of alcohol involved.

Next thing was starting a career and getting my first 'real job'. Getting a job at an international law firm = either no time to exercise or no time to sleep. Easy decision... After changing to another firm I really didn't have an excuse not to exercise anymore, so that was it. And running it was.

Me about a year ago...well it's not really me, but you get the point

Being me, I needed some motivation to keep me going, and I signed up for my first 10K in October 2009. People from the firm were also running, and I didn't want to be the last one to finish, so I trained a bit. Well, actually I didn't. I figured running around the block (4K) once or twice in the weeks leading up to the race would do the trick. I could't even run that 4K loop without stopping several times. 'Training' wasn't enough, obviously, because I was the last one to finish. Embarrassing...Extremely embarrassing.

And then, all of a sudden, I planned on running NYC 2010. Probably because that 10K went so great. :) I still don't know how I figured I could train for a marathon, knowing that I couldn't even run a 10K without vomiting my lungs out.

To start training and running the right way, I joined a running group In january this year (2010) for the speedwork days, and teamed up with a running buddy for the long runs. And that was it. I became totally hooked on running! From not being able to run 30 minutes in October 2009, I was all at once running 18 mile/29K long runs. And got faster. Don't get me wrong; I'm still slowwwwwwwwww...but I'm getting there. :) And most important: I'm loving it!

I'm loving it so much, that I plan on NYC in November 2010 not being my first marathon. Nope...this silly runner signed up for the Swiss Alpine Marathon K42 (it's in two weeks (end of July)), being Europe's hardest trail marathon with an 1900 meter (6230 ft) elevation. The route mostly goes over small mountain trails. And hey, that's just me; why go the easy way, when you have the opportunity to go the hard way?

Well, there you have it. How I became a runner. Some might call me absofreakinglutely out of my mind for not only running a marathon in my first year of running, but making one of them the hardest European trail marathon there is, but hey; what doesn't kill me, makes me stronger, right?

About that kill-part: just to be on the safe side...please keep your fingers crossed for me to not trip and tumble down that mountain, OK?