Find Your Spark!

Well well well, what do we have here? A blog post????

Six months ago I started working at a fantastic place......a running store! My co-workers are athletes, I help people find just the right shoe for their feet, work on securing race sponsorships, and write for our newsletter.  

I'd like to post regularly here again, but I thought I would start by sharing some of the pieces that I've written for the store.  So I'll start with the story of how I found my running spark.......

Every once in a while, due to my footwear, someone will ask me if I'm a runner. Last week it was when I was in the dentist chair getting a cleaning - a time when it's particularly hard to answer due to the suction thing stuck under your tongue. I most often hear the runner question while I'm fitting someone for new shoes, which was the case yesterday. As I helped a woman who had recovered from foot surgery, she asked "Do you run? I can't run, I could never run. I would like to run, but I can't run." My answer? "You'd like to run; you've got new shoes, so you must think you can run."  

There are so many reasons why it's hard to try something new, but when you find that motivation, you never know what can come of it. I used to be a gym rat, when the number of calories burned was my focus. I wasn't on a journey to a goal. That is, until after I had my children.  

I had a different sense of motivation after they were born, partly because I wanted to be a good example. However, I also felt a sense of empowerment (making it through 36 hours of labor will do that to you I guess.) I thought, "What else can I do?" So when my daughter was six months old, I started to train for the Boilermaker 15k. That went well, so I figured "Why not try a half marathon?" Which turned into a marathon, then the Iron Girl. Before I knew it I had gear, clothing and accessories for every season and every activity.  

Since I started, I haven't stopped.

 If you can find your spark, light it up, and keep it burning.