I am not a “natural runner.” You know the type: long legs, lean body, gliding along the ground effortlessly while holding a conversation and barely breaking a sweat. That ain’t me. I’m the short, curvy, determined one who can’t run without music and generally looks as though she’s on the verge of passing out. For all of these reasons, I avoided running like the plague growing up, choosing instead to swim, a sport in which you can’t feel your sweat and, most of the time, feel graceful and powerful, even if you’re the clumsiest person in the world.
So, if when I cross the finish line tomorrow at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in Nashville, pardon me if I’m pretty damn proud.