To introduce myself, I am going to use a tried-and-true elementary school summary tool: 5 W's and an H. I will tell you who, what, when, where, why and how, as it relates to me and this blog. So, pull up a chair and get comfy, because I can be a bit wordy ;)
WHO...
I am Marcie, an almost-35-year-old teacher. My husband Joe and I have four children together--Joey (8), Charlotte (6), and our twins, Abbie and Aaron (3). I also have a son, Hunter (15), from my first marriage. Joe and I have been together for 9 years now. Here is a picture of my husband and I taken last month, at our son Joey's First Communion.
In addition to being a mom, I am also a teacher. This will be my 13th year of teaching. My current position is teaching 6th grade math and science at an inner-city all-girls' middle school, but prior to teaching middle school I taught elementary (grades 1, 4 and 5) for 10 years.
WHERE...
We live in Westerville, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. I have lived in the same ten-mile radius my entire life, and I don't really have plans to move far away from here. Fortunately my husband feels the same; we both bleed scarlet and gray (GO BUCKS!).
WHAT...
What is the purpose of this blog? Good question! The primary reason I am writing this blog is to keep an accurate journal of my training. You see, in addition to being a wife, mother and teacher, I am a runner. I have no doubt that I will often post about "family stuff" as well, because being a mom defines me in so many ways.
WHEN...
Okay not sure how to answer this one. When did I become a runner, perhaps? Just over a year ago, in June 2012, I saw a few Facebook friends posting about the Couch-to-5K program. I had never been a runner. Heck, I didn't even know what a 5K was! In fact, I had not worked out in many years. I was a very athletic child and teenager, though. I played soccer and swam competitively, and ended up earning a college scholarship for swimming. We had ran for our "dryland" training for swimming, and I had enjoyed it, but that was about the extent of it. The problem was, once I started to have children, swimming and really any sort of physical activity went on the backburner. I was just too busy with my job and my family. However, last year I realized that I was missing something from my life. I needed to do something for myself. For some reason, running spoke to me, and thus began my journey.
WHY...
I suppose I answered this already, in a way... I started running in order to find some time for myself. By following the Couch-to-5K plan, I committed myself to a specific training plan. Those who know me well will tell you that I am all about plans. Thus, once I started, there was no stopping until I ran a 5K! Along the way through my running journey, other reasons for running have come into play. Running has allowed an outlet for my inner competitive spirit. I was only able to swim for one year in college, due to the birth of my first son. I still had such a strong fire burning to race, to better my times, but I knew that my competitive days were over. With running, I am able to once again work towards a goal (a race, a personal best time, etc.). Also, my children have started to see me in a different light. They are young, but they realize what their mommy is doing when I leave for my runs. My 8-year-old son even went running with me once! I love that I am showing them that they can work to stay physically fit their entire lives.
HOW...
This is probably the question I get more than any other: "How on earth do you find time to run?!" I will say, it is not easy, especially during the school year! Right now it is summer time, and it's much easier to find the time to fit in my runs and even do some weights and other cross-training. Come August, though, it will become much trickier. This past winter and spring, I did a lot of my training in the evenings once the kids went to bed (our gym has late hours, so the treadmill and I became close friends). I also subscribe to the "less is more" philosophy in regards to running. I only run three times a week, but I make sure that each of those runs count. I don't just go out for a leisurely run with no real purpose. My runs are designated for speed, tempo work, or distance (depending on the day), and I always have specific goals in mind. Really, though, the answer to the question of how is simply, "Whenever I can!" I will say that I am fortunate to have a husband who is fairly supportive of my newfound
Okay so this was a REALLY log intro post. I promise they won't always be this long! Stay tuned for more entries!
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