Marietta Mardi Gras Race!

When I first moved to Atlanta standing 5'2", I was all of 115 pounds...youthful days long gone. *sigh* LOL Back then people would ask me if I ran track in high school because of my shape. My reply was always, "No," much to their disappointment. Instead, I was a proud band student all four years of high school. So, participation in sports never crossed my mind.

Those conversations took place almost 18 years ago and when I was about 25 pounds lighter. And like every woman in her 30's I felt the need to take on the daunting mission of losing weight. I never saw myself as a runner, but I started about 4 years ago after my doctor told me I had pre-hypertension. She said if I didn't want to be on meds the rest of my life, then I should start eating to live healthier & exercise more.

Of course it didn't happen overnight. Running was a gradual process. But I quickly learned that it was an instant stress reliever, which I needed badly. And now here I am running in races! It is such a fulfilling experience for me. And I LOVE IT! Last week I participated in the Marietta Mardi Gras 5K. My official time was 33:35, which I thought was pretty good after injuring my left fibula on Christmas Day when I fell down some stairs...in platform boots no less.

So here's to many more races to come in 2013!