The little engine that could (Austin)

So, naturally I am the last of the three to share my running adventures with you all.  I have accepted the fact that I procrastinate and I will not try to hide it.  With that being said, I am not entirely sure how I developed my love for running.  I have been an avid runner from a young age, however, unlike most children and teenagers who grew up learning to run on a track or cross-country team, I just picked it up as a hobby.  I dabbled in softball, basketball, tennis, and even cheerleading (yikes!), but team sports were never my thing.  Running just....was.  I even attribute my career choice to my love for this healthy activity.  About 3 years ago I finally decided to find a purpose to all of this nonsense cardio.  I never ran more than a 5k when I decided I was going to sign up for a half marathon.  The ING half marathon was in Atlanta in March of 2009 and I jumped on the training bandwagon 3 months before.  I trained without missing a run up until the day of the race (which just so happened to be in the middle of my spring break), and I ended up not competing.  What was I thinking?! So here I was with all these miles under my nike-fanny-pack-water-bottle belt, and no half marathon t-shirt to show for it.  3 months later I was registered for a full marathon.  I put my heart, soul, time-management, knees, 2 pairs of Mizuno renegades, and too many wine-free college weekends, into training for 26.2 miles.  The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Marathon was without question one of the top 5 best experiences I've ever had!  I've never seen a community show more support than the residents of Jacksonville did that day.  I am not sure Austin will hold a candle to Jacksonville, but with two bona-fide training partners, it's about more than the race itself this time.  So I will do my best to suck it up over the hills of Virginia....I will be the little engine that could and focus on the feeling of accomplishment that comes with 26 miles 385 yards.  Bring it on Austin! :)