jennamfeo
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- Aug 25, 2017
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Hello, I'm Jenna and welcome to my journey.
About me: I am a wife, mom, Navy Veteran, West Coast desert-dweller, certified Sommelier, beer hoarder, pizza connoisseur, and a wannabe triathlete.
I ran my first 5k race exactly five years ago today, so I think that's a good enough reason to start a training journal.
I don’t have any details from that race except: it was a Color Run that a bunch of friends talked myself and my husband into doing, I “trained” for about a month, my pace was probably like 13:00 m/m, and I wanted to die the whole time (I remember that clearly).
And so began my love for running!
Just kidding.
Fast forward a few months to February 2013 when I actually decided to start running regularly. I figured, I have running shoes now, may as well run. I started with a run streak doing at least a mile a day. These are actual one of my favorite things to incorporate into my training plans because I do notice a difference from when I start to when I stop. But I kind of started getting burnt out on running after 3 weeks, so I pulled my rusty old Schwinn bike out of the garage and gave it a ride. I then swapped between running and biking for my daily workouts. I was a stay at home mom, with a work from home husband, and a one year old. I actually had so much time to train it was insane. So sometime in June I decided, “Hey, lemme do a Triathlon!” I signed up for a Triathlon for that year in October and also joined a swim club. I didn’t need help with my swim portion, I grew up a swimmer. I just enjoy it more than the others and wanted some comradery. I met some great people who were also doing the Triathlon I signed up for which was nice. I spent most of my summer doing brick workouts of running and biking, plus swimming twice a week. Come to think of it, this was the most training I had ever done for any race even now. By the time October rolled around I was in the best shape of my adult life. I lost tons of weight. It was awesome. I crushed my Triathlon and had a blast doing it. So much so, that I signed up for another one immediately that was only 3 weeks later. And I did even better at that one! So at that point, I knew that I had what it took in me to do whatever I put my mind to. I may not be the best, but I was a finisher and that was good enough for me!
Then at the end of 2013, one of my photography clients who was following me on Instagram asked how my Triathlons went and then mentioned to me to check out the runDisney events. She told me all about the Dumbo Double Dare, so after her family session I googled it. I told my husband about it and how I was interested in the challenge and he told me to sign up. I remember my client Casey telling me about how you have to sign up the day it comes out because it will sell out, so I did! Boom. I was going to run a Half Marathon!
At this point, I knew I needed a training plan, so I just winged it. Which meant I don’t think I even made a plan and then I didn’t train and then I ran a 10k and Half with no training and didn’t die. (Not recommended.)
During that race weekend I decided that the Disneyland 10k was in fact the happiest race on the planet (I still stand by that) and that I would never do a Half Marathon again in my life (10ks 4eva).
In 2015, I signed up for just the Disneyland 10k with my husband and then regretted not doing the challenge.
In 2016, I signed up for the Disneyland 5k & 10k, in hopes that maybe just running two races that weekend would make me feel better (it didn’t). After that race weekend I said:
“OKAY I AM GETTING MY COAST TO COAST NEXT YEAR.”
In 2017, I did the Pixie Dust Challenge and the Wine & Dine Two Course Challenge. I got all the medals. I did all the races. And because runDisney decided to ruin my life, I did the Avenger’s Super Hero Half Marathon to get one last Disneyland race medal. I went from “never running a Half Marathon again” to running THREE in one year.
With the runDisney bug out of my system (for now, until I convince myself I can do the Dopey, and save the money to prove it), I am ready to focus on races outside of my comfort zone. With people who don’t wear tutus and costumes. With people who are actual runners. On courses I can really break some PRs at!
And that is the end of my long-winded introduction. If you read this far, maybe you should pick up a hobby. Running is kind of fun.
About me: I am a wife, mom, Navy Veteran, West Coast desert-dweller, certified Sommelier, beer hoarder, pizza connoisseur, and a wannabe triathlete.
I ran my first 5k race exactly five years ago today, so I think that's a good enough reason to start a training journal.
I don’t have any details from that race except: it was a Color Run that a bunch of friends talked myself and my husband into doing, I “trained” for about a month, my pace was probably like 13:00 m/m, and I wanted to die the whole time (I remember that clearly).
And so began my love for running!
Just kidding.
Fast forward a few months to February 2013 when I actually decided to start running regularly. I figured, I have running shoes now, may as well run. I started with a run streak doing at least a mile a day. These are actual one of my favorite things to incorporate into my training plans because I do notice a difference from when I start to when I stop. But I kind of started getting burnt out on running after 3 weeks, so I pulled my rusty old Schwinn bike out of the garage and gave it a ride. I then swapped between running and biking for my daily workouts. I was a stay at home mom, with a work from home husband, and a one year old. I actually had so much time to train it was insane. So sometime in June I decided, “Hey, lemme do a Triathlon!” I signed up for a Triathlon for that year in October and also joined a swim club. I didn’t need help with my swim portion, I grew up a swimmer. I just enjoy it more than the others and wanted some comradery. I met some great people who were also doing the Triathlon I signed up for which was nice. I spent most of my summer doing brick workouts of running and biking, plus swimming twice a week. Come to think of it, this was the most training I had ever done for any race even now. By the time October rolled around I was in the best shape of my adult life. I lost tons of weight. It was awesome. I crushed my Triathlon and had a blast doing it. So much so, that I signed up for another one immediately that was only 3 weeks later. And I did even better at that one! So at that point, I knew that I had what it took in me to do whatever I put my mind to. I may not be the best, but I was a finisher and that was good enough for me!
Then at the end of 2013, one of my photography clients who was following me on Instagram asked how my Triathlons went and then mentioned to me to check out the runDisney events. She told me all about the Dumbo Double Dare, so after her family session I googled it. I told my husband about it and how I was interested in the challenge and he told me to sign up. I remember my client Casey telling me about how you have to sign up the day it comes out because it will sell out, so I did! Boom. I was going to run a Half Marathon!
At this point, I knew I needed a training plan, so I just winged it. Which meant I don’t think I even made a plan and then I didn’t train and then I ran a 10k and Half with no training and didn’t die. (Not recommended.)
During that race weekend I decided that the Disneyland 10k was in fact the happiest race on the planet (I still stand by that) and that I would never do a Half Marathon again in my life (10ks 4eva).
In 2015, I signed up for just the Disneyland 10k with my husband and then regretted not doing the challenge.
In 2016, I signed up for the Disneyland 5k & 10k, in hopes that maybe just running two races that weekend would make me feel better (it didn’t). After that race weekend I said:
“OKAY I AM GETTING MY COAST TO COAST NEXT YEAR.”
In 2017, I did the Pixie Dust Challenge and the Wine & Dine Two Course Challenge. I got all the medals. I did all the races. And because runDisney decided to ruin my life, I did the Avenger’s Super Hero Half Marathon to get one last Disneyland race medal. I went from “never running a Half Marathon again” to running THREE in one year.
With the runDisney bug out of my system (for now, until I convince myself I can do the Dopey, and save the money to prove it), I am ready to focus on races outside of my comfort zone. With people who don’t wear tutus and costumes. With people who are actual runners. On courses I can really break some PRs at!
And that is the end of my long-winded introduction. If you read this far, maybe you should pick up a hobby. Running is kind of fun.
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