November 17th, 2012 I ran my very first 5k. I didn't do it quickly but I finished. It was then I realized my love for racing.
December 9th, 2012, on a whim, I ran my first half marathon, without any training. I finish in 2 hours and 39 minutes.
It wasn't easy but I knew I wanted to get better. I decided I wanted to run more half marathons, simply for the challenge and accountability to myself.
After speaking with a friend who wanted to run 30 half marathons before she turned 30, I decided that THAT was the challenge I was looking for. With my birthday right around the corner in November 2014, I am running 26 half marathons just this year!
"30 before 30" is a goal I set for myself to show how important setting goals and striving for them helps us to be healthy, confident, and strong – "the journey is as important as the destination".
This is why I chose to run for more than just personal gain and decided to run for Girls on the Run. Girls on the Run gives girls the community and support to achieve a healthy lifestyle at a young age. As parents, we sometimes don't fully understand how much being healthy can impact EVERY area of our lives. Unfortunately, girls deal with self-esteem issues at very young ages. We need to empower them with a "can-do" mentality, and equip them with the right information. We need to emphasize the importance of setting respectable goals and showing admirable effort, and the best way to do that is to lead by example. I want to show them how to be STRONG inside and out by showing them how much their community cares!
As I pursue my "30 Before 30" goal, I want to earn enough money for at least one team of girls, so they can learn that a stronger version of themselves is just a few steps away!
Thanks!
Dawn Rushing
