I could never do that...

"I could never do that." This saying is one of the greatest annoyances in my life. People say this all the time. It drives me up a wall. I go crazy. I'm pretty sure my eyes go all beady, and I get ready to pounce and attack whoever may have said it. I get this saying a lot when I mention, or my lovely fiance mentions, that I run marathons and half marathons. People always say "Oh wow, I could never do that!" Well guess what!?! You can stupid!

This makes me so annoyed because I feel like anything is possible. I mean, there are people out there without legs running marathons with their prosthetics. I think if someone missing legs can run a marathon or half marathon, then by all means, you can too, you two legger. Suck it up and get on with it.

It's not as though I expect you to just get one morning and go for a 26.2 mile run. Nobody in their right mind does that without training. The key word here is training! I did not start running by jumping out of bed and going for 10 mile runs. I could barely run a half a mile when I started running in high school. I would say to my parents "I'm going for a run," and then I would drag myself a half a mile and then march my sorry butt back into the house. My mom would ask "Are you back already?" "Yes, yes mom, I am." It was quite frankly embarrassing, but I kept at it because I knew I could become better. My dad was a runner, and he ran marathons in times that I can really only dream of, and mom was used to him being gone for hours on end, and here comes Stephanie five minutes after she left saying she is done running. I was so proud of myself when I ran my first mile without stopping! I was even more proud when I did my first three mile run. It seemed to me that was an actual distance. I didn't realize how good running made me feel until I didn't do it one day! That is when I think I may have thought of myself as a runner.

Nothing makes me more excited than when I here about someone who has just started running. We are all part of a community no matter what level we may be at, and the camaraderie is amazing. The more the merrier! There's something special about being able to run up to a complete stranger and having a conversation with them, and they are perfectly okay with it! There was a time when someone who was running just a little faster than me, passed me on a run, and I decided to try and keep up with him. I tailed him right on his heels for about 10 minutes before we each turned in different directions, but before we split ways, we both gave each other a nod and a wave. No conversation necessary. Running races is great too, because everyone seems like they want to talk to people at those. You hear some great stories. So when new people start running, you can't help but want to encourage them. You get to hear their story, and watch it evolve into something new.

So, when you say you could never do that, whether it be running a block, a 5K, or a longer distance race, I am going to pounce on you, and maybe smack you upside the head, and tell you to put your grown-up shoes on (the ones without the velcro) and give it a try. Your body is capable of amazing things. Your mind is the only thing holding you back.