Confessions of an Unlikely Runner: A Guide to Racing and Obstacle Courses for the Averagely Fit and Halfway Dedicated

by Dana L. Ayers

I still struggle to call myself “a runner,” because I don’t look the part, I’m not consistent, and I’m definitely not fast.

Side note: Can we just talk about why birth has been deemed the thing to do without drugs? No one says, “Get a root canal without Novocain–it’s empowering,” yet women have latched on (no breastfeeding pun intended) to this idea of natural births and now we all have to keep up, amiright ladies? Or it might just be me who feels like I now need to keep up. But then again, if she can do

I misplaced my sense of self-preservation and decided to attempt a half marathon.

Pro tip: Race successes build on top of each other and bolster your confidence. If you’re not careful, you begin consistently doing things you said you’d never do.

Being in motion distracts me enough to make me lift my mental gaze off whatever I’m obsessing about, and gives me just enough of a break to let some calmness seep in.

I get anxious about running with others because I sometimes still feel like an imposter waiting to be uncovered.