“What Are You Training For?”

The other day I was browsing through my Google Reader. I opened my “Healthy Living Blog” folder and worked through the entries. Lots of bloggers seem to be in a really good mood right now. Maybe it’s because spring has sprung, the weather is beautiful, and fruit is coming back in season. Scrolling down I noticed a trend.

Everyone is running. Everyone. Want proof?

• Carrie over at Tri to Be Funny is all being a triathlete and competing in the Oceanside 70.3.
• Jack of Jack Sh*t, Getting Fit is doing the Couch to 5k program.
• Lori of Fake Food Free just did a half marathon
• Cindy of The Next Hundred Pounds is taking pictures of her trots.
• A fellow bootcamper, Katy, has publicly proclaimed her addiction to running.

I can’t blame them. The weather is beautiful. It’s free (besides entry fees). There are about a bazillion 5 and 10k’s going on a month in March and April. You get to cross a finish line. You get a ribbon (I think, do they still give out ribbons?). You often support great causes just by participating. You are surrounded by people working towards a common goal.  You feel like you’ve accomplished so much before noon.  What isn’t to like?

A year and eight months ago I decided to run a 5k. It was the first fitness goal I publicly made on the blog. I found a running partner in my neighborhood. We were going to time our 3.2 miles. I went through a slump but kept on running. Then, all the sudden, my foot hurt like a mofo.  Really, really hurt. Why? Because I broke it. Stress fractured the crap out of it (I even had to upgrade my boot because it wasn’t healing). And the doctor said running probably shouldn’t be in my future; that I’m predisposed to fracture it again.  And that made me sad because a) I was running to lose weight so the irony was f@*king overwhelming; and b) I think runners are badasses and I wanted to be a bad ass.

So I was all sad (but happy for them blah blah blah) reading all these great bloggers running triumphs because I can’t run. I used to run 5ks. I ran from when I was around 8 years old to 12 or 13 years old. My father ran and I’d often go with him when he went out for jogs. I never really liked running, but at 8 years old I didn’t have much competition and I almost always got a trophy. Sure, I might have been the only 8 year old running the Winter Park 4th of July Watermelon 5K in 98 degree heat and my finishing time might have been abysmal but whatever, I WON trophies (even if just by default).

I kept scrolling though my “Healthy Living” folder in Google Reader and came across a headline that stopped me in my tracks:

What am I training for? Yea I know: health, feeling better, fitting into small clothes, feeling comfortable in my skin, yadda yadda yadda. All REALLY important end goals. But reading the article, I realized I wanted to train for something! I don’t even have to be good or great at whatever I decide to train for; I just want some end goal/event to work towards.

Now to figure out what… anyone have any suggestions?