I do not do sports. I’m small, a little clumsy, and a lot bookish. Sports, to me, are scary. Some things are unpredictable, you know? Like sports equipment and other people, for instance.

You can imagine what a surprise it was that, when I turned 30 and started a personal blog, one of my goals was to “run a 5K”. I mean, obviously it wasn’t a total surprise because I wrote and decided on it, but whatever. I started with the Couch to 5K program and after that…I was hooked. Three miles was a steep goal and I was kind of scared of at first. But then- THEN! A 5K turned into a 10K. A 10K turned into a half marathon, and then six. Eventually there was a marathon (just one) and a Ragnar Relay with a bunch of strangers (Ninjas for Life).

Running is a lifestyle that I’ve chosen and there’s no turning back. I love the friends I’ve made because of the sport. The running community is one of the most fun and welcoming group of people that I’ve never actually met! Running is one of those amazing things that you can hate it while you’re doing it, but when it’s over you just want to do it again! I love the feeling Iget after a long race knowing that my legs and lungs and body just did something so awesome.

To me, running is definitely about mind over matter. When I’m out there on a course or even just running around my neighborhood, I know that I’m always my biggest competition. I’m not out there to win any races, I’m out there to prove what I can do…but only to myself.

Besides running, I’m also an avid reader, superhero fangirl, second grade teacher, coffee drinker, and cat lady. A native Floridian, I’m a lover of all the beautiful nature the Sunshine State holds: beaches, swamps, state parks…and theme parks, of course. I love the thrill of standing in line with hundreds of strangers to spend a minute and a half on a ride that I’ve already ridden about a hundred times!

I’m looking forward to this new adventure with the Chicks and I can’t wait to share my running adventures with all of you!

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @thisgirlash_ if you like to talk about books and cats. Oh, and running.