A lady came up to me and said that I’m probably not afraid of running a race anymore, and called me “experienced”. Sure I’m “experienced,” but I am still afraid. I’m afraid to run with faster people. I still get intimidated. But do you know what? I tackle my fears because it’s a good way to GROW!

My greatest fear was running too fast because I didn’t want to hurt myself. For the longest time, I stuck to the same 11’00” pace. I felt safe there and I knew that I wouldn’t get hurt. Then during one training run, I wanted to see how fast I could go and for how far, and BAM! I ran a 9-minute mile and I was surprised how easy it was. I was no longer afraid, and I made personal record goals and made training schedules with some tough paces for me to conquer. Conquering this fear has been so fun and ADDICTING to crush. I am faster now and have finished at least in the Top 10% overall of every race since then!

My fear of going too fast was a legitimate one. If I got hurt from running too fast, my family would suffer. However, if I had stayed with my safe pace, I’m not quite sure that I would love running as much as I do now. It has become an addiction to run faster and see which races I can qualify for and where I fit in. The fear still is there though. It came during my marathon, and for the first time in a long time, I walked because I thought I was going too fast. Ugh. Now, I’m not happy with my finish. I could have finished stronger! My sights are on the next marathon and a personal record. This feat can only happen if I conquer my fear, and I will.