Last year I ran my first marathon. Motivating myself to run longer and longer distances was tough. It required some lifestyle changes – no more sleeping in on Saturdays, no more late Friday nights, more nutritious eating habits… but in September it all came together and I completed my first marathon in roughly 4 hours and 30 minutes.

Most runners have some runnerisms – thoughts that cross their mind as the past each mile marker. For me the 20 mile mark is where things start to get even tougher, I really started to wonder why on earth I PAID money to do this??

Just around the next bend – there was my Family. The youngest was my 2 year godson/nephew, then my niece, brother and sister-in-law, my ex-step mother, my sister and my mother. Each with a purple RUNt 26.2 shirt on and of course the classic make you laugh signs.

My brother was lineman sized in high school, I on the other hand struggled to get over 100 pounds. As a pretty small kid to a bigger big brother, I was Runt. A nickname that used to annoy me, I have learned to accept, then appreciate, and even have a fondness for being called Runt. (Most of his college friends did not know my name other than Runt for YEARS!) (and these days I am well over 100 pounds)

The training, the marathon – it was a journey. Tough. Fun. Exciting. And I have been wanting to share my life journeys. From workouts and running to community events to theme parties – this is my journey. #RUNt