cute clothes & working on it.

Sooooo, I dislike running.  I just get bored so easily.  But it is slowly getting better.

A couple weeks ago I saw some suuuper cute Nike leggings, but feel that I do not work out hard enough to deserve expensive/good workout clothes, haha (I usually just buy them from forever21 or something instead).  I told myself I couldn't buy them until I could successfully run a 5k without stopping, which would mean I was actually making progress.  So Rick and I went home that night and went to the gym, and surprise!  I made it through my goal of 5k.  What the lure of cute workout clothes will do to a girl......

FAIR ISLE PRINT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.  I knew these were going to come home with me sooner than later.  (I earn some nice Brooks shoes at 10k...that's going to take a bit longer!)

It made me pretty excited as I realized that, yes, my body actually is capable of running longer distances, and it is just my distaste for the amount of time it takes, that is making me want to stop earlier.  Haha.  And for the first time in my life I have started to actually enjoy running, and actually find myself wanting to make time in the day for it.  GASP....I thought it would never happen.

I started running more and trying to run at least 3 miles every time I worked out, but then I started having awful pain in a specific spot on my right knee.  I can barely walk on it for the night after and the next day as well.....I suspect that it is some IT band muscle that I am straining or hurting??  One of the reasons for that pain is upping training too quickly, and I basically started running 3 miles (every day or every other day) out of nowhere.  I am dialing back on my distance for a while and working up slowly now, which is a bummer because I just started actually enjoying running for a change.

My goal is to run the San Francisco Women's Marathon (the HALF for me, thank you) next October :):):)  I have almost a year to get from 3 miles to 13......I am optimistic.  I think it can happen.

Any more seasoned runners out there have some tips?  I am quite new to distance running!!

♥Samantha