If someone were to tell me that at the end of 2011 I would refer to myself as a runner, I would have laughed and told them they were crazy! I wasn't a runner. Heck, I can remember many times I could barely walk around Disney World or the beautiful city of San Francisco without feeling like my feet were going to fall off. One trip to Disney in 2005 is a trip I will never forget. I arrived at Epcot for a day of exploring, after finishing a long day of walking the previous day at Magic Kingdom. I had been in the park for a total of 15 minutes and my legs were killing me. In my mind, cutting them off would have made me feel better. I knew that was not an option, but I also knew there was no way I would be able to walk around this big park all day. That was the day I stooped to the lowest of lows in my life. At the age of 27 years old, without any hesitation, I went and rented a motorized scooter.
This is what I thought about when Amy suggested that we run a race in the 2011 Illinois Marathon events. I thought she was crazy but I was willing to give it a try. Our hearts were bigger than our brains the day we signed up because we chose to do the 10k. I had never participated in a race at all in my life and I was going to "run" 6.2 miles. Unfortunately, training didn't go as planned but the weekend arrived and we set off to do what we said we would. The 5k run was Friday night and we decided to go and support Tish and Rebekah on the side lines as they ran up the streets of Champaign and into the stadium. It was the most amazing thing I had ever experienced. The energy was so great that I had a high I couldn't explain. I could not wait for the next day. I remember it was chilly that morning and my heart was racing a mile a minute. I was about to attempt to run 6.2 miles. The gun went off and down the road we went. I ran as much as I could but mostly walked and I crossed the finish line at 1 hour 35 minutes and 23 seconds. It was an awesome feeling and though I could barely move an hour later, but I was hooked. 
My next race in May was hard. It seemed like it would never end. I kept asking myself "What are you doing?". I wanted to quit. I knew it had to be bad when I realized I was going so slow that the water station had packed up before I got back to them on the second loop. I made myself push forward. I came around what I prayed was the last curve. I could hear someone calling my name. "YOU CAN DO IT COSLET!" I thought I had lost my mind, but when I came up the hill toward the finish line, there were Tish and Rebekah standing on a boulder yelling in to a megaphone. I gave every last thing I had and pushed across the finish line. I was the last one in, but I finished. Seconds later that "high" of accomplishment showed up. I loved it!
I went on to run 3 more races that summer. Each race I was competing against myself. Challenging myself to do the best that I could. Walking a little less and running a little more. Pushing to the end, where I knew my supporters were waiting to cheer me on and the "high" that I longed for. By the beginning of fall, I finally ran a whole race without walking. It wasn't easy, but I remembered it wasn't that bad either. I finished with the my best time yet. I was thrilled!
My next race would be a another 10k. Unlike my first 10k, during this race, I was going to run the whole thing. I also had a team that I would be tethered to that would make sure I would stay strong and finish. It was so hard! I kept asking God to give me strength in my legs and in my brain so I wouldn't quit. We finally came to the last quarter of a mile and I had had it. I had no more to give or at least that's what I thought. My teammate Jackie proved me wrong, yelling "Don't quit....You can do this!" She basically drug me across the finish line. We finished with a time of 1 hour 18 minutes. I had shaved 17 minutes off my time from the first 10k. I was absolutely amazed and proud.
Five more races would come and go. Each with there own challenges and triumphs. One had hills that made my thighs burn like fire. Another, where I would run most of the race against the wind and finish it by running on a trail. Lastly, I ran a race in beautiful Southern Illinois, where I actually took 3rd place in my division. What a day that was!
What a year! In my inaguaral year of running, I completed 12 races. 2-10K's and 10-5K's. I never thought someone like me would have been able to do this. But I did. At times it was excruciating, I won't lie, but it was a blast. It has made me learn a lot about myself and what I could become. I look forward to the 2012 race season and the challenges it will bring. First up, the Illinois Half Marathon, where I will confidently stand at the start line knowing that I am a RUNNER!
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