My first confession

My first confession was made "public" on our way to the airport to catch our flight to Chicago for the 2004 Chicago Marathon. In the car was Mark, our friend Matt and fellow marathoner, Rodney. We were packed up, loaded up and headed out. Woo. hoo. I remember sitting there, listening to them talk about how excited they were. I was silent and someone noticed. Rodney asked, "Robin, aren't you excited about running your first marathon?" As I always try to give an honest answer, I told him that quite frankly, "No, not really - you see, I don't enjoy running. In fact, I hate it."

After a moment of stunned silence, someone asked me, "Then why are you doing this?" Good question. I answered, "Because I don't want to quit - I want to finish this."

I am not a quitter. I don't like to leave things undone, although, you would never guess this if you visited my home!

This is the major reason I saw that first training season through to the end - I don't like to quit or to feel like I have been beaten. I think most of us feel that way and if we do quit, we are our harshest critic.

Now you may wonder if I feel the same way. Do I still hate to run? No! I love to run, however, it does not come easily and it was not an overnight change. After I finished my first marathon, I considered it over and done. I had no intention of continuing. Then the friends and family members of those we had taken to Chicago started asking, "You are going to do this again - right?" It seemed to be a no-brainer. We seemed to have stumbled onto something that could change peoples' lives for the better. That was a big step towards what is now Marathon Makeover. We have evolved a lot since then and will continue to improve in the years to come. I have gone on to complete two more marathons and am still running.

The best part of running, for me, are the benefits of running. I feel better about myself, more confident. I am healthier - mentally AND physically. When I run, it is time for me. I have more energy and enjoy life more.

I call myself a reluctant marathoner because I don't "look" like a marathoner and a lot of the time, I don't "act" like a marathoner - but guess what! I AM a marathoner!