Sexy Mother Runner - Featured Runner Friday - Meet Katie

Sexy Mother Runner is going to be featuring a different runner every Friday! Every runner has a story and we believe that sharing those stories is a great way to share the gift of running while helping to motivate others. Today's featured runner is our friend Katie. Anyone who knows Katie knows that their life was enhanced the moment she came into it. Katie is one of the most uplifting, honest, genuine people I know. I am proud to call her my friend. Read Katie's inspiring story...

So....running...

I have never been a runner. I always played sports, but if I didn't have a ball and no one was chasing me I saw no reason to run just to run. With having children I have tried many ways to stay fit. I first tried the local gym. I loved going to the gym, but the kids did not. My mommy guilt got the best of me and I stopped going. So I tried to workout at home. p90x here I come! It is just a little difficult to exercise that hard with your children jumping on the couch behind you and asking you questions. Then I tried to include them, but they needed assistance so much my heartbeat could not stay elevated (except my patience and blood pressure!). When my husband comes home I don't really like to be at the gym. Not because of guilt, but because I selfishly don't want to miss watching him with the kids. I love seeing our family together as a family. We moved to an amazing neighborhood where the kids play outside all day/night and the neighbors are out with us too. This would be perfect...the kids and husband will play outside with our neighbors and I can go for a run. I thought running would be the fastest way to burn calories, and secretly the majority of my friends had picked up running and I didn't want to be left out. Facebook was swamped with grade school and high school friends now running after having children. Even my mommy-groups were starting to become running groups. I went around the block and got shin splints! Booooo! May 3, 2011, I bought my first pair of running shoes. Mizunos! Wow, I was amazed. This is why I never liked running, I didn't have the right shoes!

My shoes

Running was still intimidating to me. I started with the couch to 5K running program and some great advice from my awesome friend Danyelle Barlow to "slow down". I really needed a goal, because I was losing focus and not making much stride in my running. So I agreed to do the Beach Palooza Run in July of 2011 in Chicago, IL. My great friends Jess McMullin, Dave McMullin, Samantha Black, John Alvarado, and my patient husband Jason Gama all took this adventure with me. This would be my very first run. I was very nervous, but excited to be with these fun loving friends. It was awesome! I had so much fun. I want to sign up for it again. My dear husband even let me beat him across the finish line, chivalry is not dead!

Beach Palooza Run!

My next running adventure was a phone call from my Pastor. He asked me to help lead our women-to-women ministry, and in so doing join our church running group. I told him I was not a "runner", but he quickly answered with "well you do have the shoes!". He had a point. I am so happy he called and nudged me in this direction. It is great to relate to women during our runs while studying the Bible and helping each other walk through everyday struggles and grow in Christ. I had so often felt running was an individual sport and therefore was afraid it would be boring. I now see what running truly can be. It can be challenging, encouraging, frustrating, strengthening, spiritual, and soulful. I still run Saturday morning with my church women's group, even in freezing temps...now that is accountability!

I have only run one other race. Jess McMullin was having a birthday celebration, a cupcake run! I was astonished as to how she put this run together. She didn't miss a single detail. More than the race structure was the support of all the women runners showing up to support a fellow runner. This made me really want to step up my running and become a part of this community. It was such a fun run! I kept pace with a couple of sexy-mother-runners, Bekah Dirkse and Danyelle Barlow. My family watched on the sidelines as I playfully gave them my best princess wave, I was after all wearing a tiara! I enjoyed having my children watch me be healthy and sociable. Running once again was giving me more than just calorie burn, it was supporting the growth of my family and children as well.

Cupcake Run

I was hooked and started running more. So exciting news.... I BOUGHT A NEW PAIR OF MIZUNOS! Even when I bought my shoes I still did not find myself to be a "runner". Perhaps because I had a skewed perspective that I have to be great to have this title. After sharing my story, I now see I really am a runner. I run for health and I run for fun and I run for friendship and I run for God. I guess once again running has one-upped me and taught me yet another lesson."If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run."~John Bingham

It's quite simple really... I wanted to be able to say I can do what others can do. I wanted to still be an athlete. Then I learned more than just running (which I am still learning). Running really has a way of knocking me back down to peanut size and then building me up again.

I am going to test out these new shoes and do the IL Half! Scared yet again.....

~ Katie

Want to be one of our SMR Friday Featured Runners? Have comments? Questions? Email us @ sexymotherrunner@yahoo.com. We would love to hear from you!