Why am I running and why are you reading this?

Distance: 4.04mi
Pace: 9:10 min/mi
Location: My neighborhood

I'd like to start my first post by telling you a little about myself. Well, back up. Let me start by telling you what I am NOT. I am not a runner. You will never see me wearing the No. 1 bib; I won't ever place in my age group let alone stand on the podium for overall best; Boston marathon? only in my wildest dreams. My legs are short, my feet are flat. I am not a runner, but I love to run.

I am a golfer, a tech geek, I love to cook, I love to eat. I spend my 8-5 drumming up new marketing campaigns for businesses and IT decision makers, and flying to different cities to talk about data centers and cloud computing. But I LOVE to run. I love to race.

I started off my race season this year by running the Shamrock 'N Half Marathon in Sacramento. This is not the first half I've done. In fact, I did the same race last year, too. I also participated in a couple of 10Ks and my very first sprint triathlon last year. I had a much better season last year. Shamrock 'N Half 2011 was not pretty by any means. I remember approaching mile 12 and seeing that Mile 12 sign come closer. As I ran towards it I started to cry a little. Then I stopped and I cried a little more. I remember saying to myself, "I can't take another mile of this sh*t!" It is at this point I have to thank the baby blue jerseys of the Running For Rhett running team or I might have quit right then and there. The inspirational messages on the backs of this running team were what picked me up to finish the race. One fabulous lady and I wish I had caught her name even clapped as she jogged past me and yelled "C'mon you got this! Almost there! You can do this!" Thank Grilled Cheesus for the energy that is always present at these race events and the encouraging words of complete strangers.

I've never had such a hard time with running. By no means am I a running pro, but I used to run better. Which brings me to why I'm here and why you're reading this. A friend suggested that I write about running. If I write about it, I might be more thoughtful about it, and if I'm more thoughtful about it, I might get better at it.

As I go through the season, I will jot down my thoughts about running. I'll review any race events I participate in and if I learn any great tips for novices who are not runners but love to run, I'll be sure to share it here. And on occassion, you may find amusing babble that has absolutely nothing to do with running but is fun to read anyway.

Ready, set, start...