From Side Line to Starting Line

This post is not about me, it is about my mom, but a quick background on myself: I never thought I would be a runner. In high school I hated running; I played volleyball and basketball, so I did have to run a little, but when it came to track and field, I threw discus and shotput to avoid it. The summer of 2011, before I went to college, however, I decided I needed something to stay active, so running it was. Fast forward to today I have completed countless 5k and 10ks, 8 half marathons, and currently training for my first marathon, but that’s enough about me.

When I started to do races I really didn’t like to go by myself so I would ask my mom to come with me. It was nice to have someone there for support as well to hold my bags. I guess she got tired of holding my bags because in the spring of 2013 she started walking every morning on the treadmill and started weight watchers.  That summer she did her first 5k and although she didn’t run that whole thing, she was motivated to do so, and that fall she ran her first full 5k. She did not stop there, in the spring of 2014, just one year after starting her running journey, she ran her first 10k and not to mention dropping 60+ pounds. Since then she has gone on to run many more 5k events in the past two years and five more 10k’s just in 2015!

My mom still supports me in my races, but she no longer is holding my bag because most of the time she is also running either the same race or one of her own. She told me when she started that I was her motivation, but for me it is the other way around. She has inspired me and taught me with time and dedication anyone can do anything, at any age. We decided this year we are going to do a race every month with each other. I am so happy that we get to share this life changing hobby that neither one of us thought we would be doing, while being each other’s number one supporters.

Happy Running,
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Kristin Pistorius