Feature Blog Fridays: The Journeys of Running: Atta' Girl

By: Summer Duperon (@thewebboutique) "I wonder how people go around this track without passing out?" I asked myself this when I first started to run. I'm a self-proclaimed lazy runner, who really didn't run but walked the majority of a 1.8 mile track and convinced myself 30 seconds straight is good enough. I worked my time up to three minutes and decided to tell my fitness junkie brother thinking I could get an atta' girl. Me: “I ran three minutes straight...” Him: “Oh (a very ho hum oh). You suck.” Ego. Meet Bruise. When he told me I suck, I was a taken aback. My brother laid the smack down on me. The next day I told myself to stick with my three minutes. When I got to 3, I didn't feel tired so I went to 5. I got to 5 and then 7. I did 7 and thought I might as well go for 10. This was the girl parading around three minutes like I deserved a gold medal. At 10 minutes, I was on the curve of the track that led to my car. I finished the mile at 12 minutes. I wanted to high five everyone I saw but they would think I was crazy. I didn't care…I ran one mile. *Take that* These were probably consistent runners I was taunting…in my head...because how rude would it be to say “take that” out loud? I started the next day's run with no expectations. I figured it was a fluke I ran a mile and I didn't want to be disappointed. After some time I noticed a mile had been reached. But I kept going, which led to running the entire 1.8 miles. Thinking THIS was impressive, I text my brother my distance. His response: Good job! I got my atta' girl. We even chuckled about the three minute clown, which I told him I NEEDED to be put down to get me UP to a better distance and time. This strategy may not work for every beginner, but having a little bit of egg-o cracked over my e-go has set a new standard for what I can do. I no longer wonder how others are making it around the track. Maybe their brother told them they sucked too! -------------------------------------------------- Summer Duperon is a member of the BGR! New Orleans running group, and is a "newbie" runner. Her interest in running a 5k is what sparked her to join BGR! two months ago.

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