When did you Fall in Love with Running?
How I Started “Running-Running”
Temecula 15K 2017
If you know me, you know I fell in love with track and field back in middle school.
You know, back in the day, before smartphones, but just after dinosaurs roamed Earth in St. Charles, Missouri. I was one of the top 400-meter runners in the country. That passion led me to a track and field scholarship at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where I went on to become the fourth-ranked 400-meter runner in the Big 12. Ew? Not too shabby.
But before the scholarship, before the championships and the training schedules, there was… a boy. (Isn’t there always?) He was my first real relationship. We dated for a bit, and I later realized he wasn’t “the guy”. So, I decided to break up with him—and when I did, I was frustrated with myself, so much so—I laced up... well, actually, I didn’t. I went on a run. Barefoot. Because nothing says emotional clarity like blisters and bad decisions.
Temecula 15K
I ran two miles that day with no shoes, no music, no plan—just pure frustration powering my stride. But once the steam cleared and I realized what I had done to my poor feet, something shifted.
That run—raw, painful, impulsive—was also healing. And when I returned to school and joined the team for our long-distance training runs, something clicked. Those miles felt different. They weren’t just workouts—they were therapy or, at least, made a girl feel really good about herself! My teammates (mostly sprinters) hated running with me because I would drift off into my own world, bopping and weaving through cars, and neighborhoods without a care in the world. I looked forward to the workouts. They looked forward to them ending.
Fast forward to post-college, real-world adulting, and another chance encounter—this time with a woman who was older, wiser, and well into her running journey. (Fun fact: I’m now older than she was then. Time is hilarious like that.)
She invited me to join her for a 5K—the St. Louis St. Patrick’s Day Run —and I said yes! I wasn’t ready for what I saw. Thousands of people—old and young, fast and not-so-fast, black, brown, white, green (okay, maybe just wearing green)—all running together. No one cared how fast I was. No one asked about my PR. It was joyful, messy, and absolutely amazing to me. I was hooked.
Since then, running has been the thread weaving through all the chapters of my life. It’s helped me stay sane while raising kids, stay strong through life’s curveballs, and stay grounded through a tough divorce, disappointments, and those days when nothing makes sense—until I run.
Every time I lace up my shoes (with actual shoes now, you’ll be glad to know), I’m reminded how blessed I am.
It’s been 39 years of running—thankfully, with little to no injuries—and I don’t see any reason to stop. Okay, maybe my knees are telling me something... but I’m still moving. And I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
So, what made you fall in love with running? (or at least, why did you start running?)
