This summer I decided that it was time to train for a half marathon. Never mind the fact that I have always had a love / hate relationship with running. Never mind the fact that I don't know which half marathon I want to run. Honestly, I'd probably settle for running 13.1 miles one day without stopping and calling it good enough. But the weird thing I have discovered through all this? I really love training.

About three-fourths of the way through June, I started to go online looking for half marathon training plans. And they are very simple. So, I took one of them, adapted it to my schedule and have been roughly following it the rest of the summer. It has been simple, easy and very enjoyable. The whole experience almost reminds me of those silly goal-making activities I did in middle school.

Which is probably why I love training. Training gives you a goal and a plan to achieve that goal. Now, my desire to run a half marathon is no longer some theoretical dream I hope to achieve one day. It is within reach. For a few years now, I have been running just to stay healthy without any serious goals in mind, and I must admit, it is not nearly as rewarding as actual training. Probably because I don't push myself as hard as I should. But with a plan to follow, it has become a lot harder to slack off. And every time I run a little bit further, I feel so happy. It's almost like I achieved a goal within itself. Oh, I ran seven miles today. Oh, I ran eight miles today. And so on and so forth. And in a few weeks, I will hopefully accomplish the larger goal of running a half marathon.

I have also realized that I really enjoy longer runs. You get into a better rhythm than when you run a shorter distance, especially if you don't care about your pace (I never care about my pace). You fall into a nice, slow pace and the whole run seems leisurely, despite the fact that you are actually running nine miles (a feat you have never done before). Not to mention the fact that the longer you go, the less you notice all the pain in your legs (because they start to go numb). Yes, long runs truly are amazing.

So there you have it. That's what I have been up to in my free time this summer -- discovering a new love. Admittedly, I just ran about an hour ago, so my runner's high might be influencing this article heavily. Who knows? But, just so you know, if you ever feel so inclined to give a half marathon a try, then hit me up. I would love to train with you. Just give me a time, a place and a plan. I will hopefully be there. And maybe then I'll actually run half marathon race.