i'm an athlete

I RAN A 5K!!! Can you believe it??

 

 the whole crew runnin for romania!

 gah. we got photo bombed

 free swag!!

 CELEBRATION AT MCDONALDS!!!

neither did anyone else. that's why we took so many pictures. 

this whole thing was no bigs for alex, who has run like a billion 5ks/miles in his life. but for me and young bryniffer, this was big shiz. truthfully i've wanted to do something like this for a really long time. i've always wanted to do the komen walk for the cure but i've always thought i probably couldn't. and i was afraid of people's reactions when i told them i wanted to do it. so i haven't. fear keeping me from doing yet another thing!

but this was just the perfect opportunity! i've been running on the treadmill for the past few months at the gym so i felt reasonably trained, and now just seemed like the time when i heard about the run for romania. so i called my brother and told him about it, to which he laughed and said, "you don't run!" and i told him i ran at the gym! and then he started to take me seriously, thought it was great, and said he'd run with me. a supporter! i was really scared to even tell him about it, partly because of his reaction and partly because i figured once he knew i was interested that i would definitely have to run. and that's exactly what happened. for which i was grateful for, but also scared. 

and then i recruited bryn! who at first told me that she definitely did not run. but i don't know, then she changed her mind! and she agreed to run with us!!! even though she was terrified. even though she was really scared. and she cramped up and my asthma made me think i was going to die, BUT WE DID IT!!! AGAINST ALL ODDS!!! and i'm so proud of us.

and everyone was shocked. rightly so, since i'm notorious for hating all physical activity/movement. but i dunno. i guess i'm changing. my sister was like you? you ran a 5k? everyone gave me some sort of variation of "i'm so surprised! good for you!" 

this is what i'm trying to get at!

my whole life i've limited myself, and i've allowed other people to limit me. even though i've wanted to do a 5k for years i've been afraid that people would laugh and think i couldn't do it. and maybe i couldn't. i've been afraid of people telling me how i don't run. and then i'm just like yeah, you're right, i don't run. and then i just keep not running. people don't invite me to do anything athletic because they just think, oh laura hates that. well i do whatever i want these days! i hike! i play soccer! and i even run! and anything else that comes to mind. i want to be better. i want to do more. i have to believe in myself more.