What Started It All....

In the fall of 2008, I spent the semester studying in Paris.  This is really where all of my love for travelling and running began.  I had never left the United States before, nor had I had any interest in running.

Before leaving my college roommate suggested that we both start running in hopes that we could run a half marathon together upon my return to the states.  I agreed without much serious thought.  When I arrived in Paris, however, the student activities coordinator at my school mentioned something that was far too coincidental for me to overlook.  She was listing activities that students could possibly participate in over the course of the semester.  The group was taking a trip to Versaille one weekend and it just so happened that the same day there was a race starting at the Eiffel Tower and concluding at Versaille.  I took this as a sign and started training immediately.

A picture, with my classmate Elizabeth, taken immediately
following my initiation into the world of running. 

The race took place on Sunday, September 28, 2008.  The course was absolutely gorgeous, taking us through forests and small French towns.  I ran almost effortlessly.  It was the most fun  I had had abroad up to that point.  From that race on, I was hooked.

Upon my return to the United States, my roommate and I decided that a half marathon wasn't going to cut it.  So we took the plunge and decided that we would run the Philadelphia Marathon in 2009.  Training for this endeavor was one of the best experiences I can remember.  We would save our long runs for Saturday mornings.  We had many stories to tell, like getting lost and running so far we had to take the train back to school, among others.


The crew after finishing the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon.

 Since then I have run numerous races, but that was just a brief history of how I became addicted to such a rewarding activity.  This weekend I am taking a trip to visit a friend in Florida.  While there I will be doing a 20 mile training run in preparation for this year's Philadelphia Marathon.

I will be sure to post about the beauty of Florida.  So make sure to check back after the weekend.

Thanks

Reasoning...

Well, there has to be a reason behind everything we in life.  So for my first post I guess I will try to justify to you (and myself) why I'm deciding to enter the world of blogging.  The short answer is I enjoy sharing what is important to me.  The next answer is that I think this blog could be an excuse or an inspiration to do what I like.

So far in my life, I've realized that there are two things that I truly enjoy doing: travelling and running.  This blog is designed to share both.  I've found running races in different locations is a convenient excuse to travel.  So this blog will feature a little bit of both and whatever else I feel is relevant to put out into cyberspace.

I hope you enjoy the adventure as I anticipate I will.

Thanks.