Hello there! I’m Tricia and I blog about running at Run and Defy Gravity. I will start off by saying I am not the average runner you read about in most magazines – I wasn’t a runner as a kid or in high school, and have never been an athlete in any real sense. I came to running through a family connection – specifically Multiple Sclerosis and Cancer. For years, my husband and I talked about participating in the Walk MS and Race for the Cure events, but never did. Two years ago that changed when we said “this year we’re doing it, no matter what!” And so began my running journey – my new addiction.
You don’t see “runner” when you look at me. I’m a wife and mom, with a day job of running my two Etsy shops. I was easily busy all day without throwing in running, which I had never done before a
nyway. But after the exhilaration of completing several 5ks in 2013 I decided to challenge myself to longer distances.
In spring 2014 I signed up for my first two 10ks and also my first half marathon, the Seattle Rock ‘n' Roll Half. To date, I have completed five half marathons and many shorter distances. But training has been my weakness, and running the whole distance just did not seem possible. So what did I do? I found a new, fun challenge.
I was able to run in the inaugural Avengers Half Marathon last November, which gave me my first taste of a runDisney event, and I was addicted!
Though inundated with high winds it was so much fun and I immediately wanted to sign up for my next one! I was fortunate enough to register for the Glass Slipper Challenge for the Disney Princess Half Marathon weekend in February 2016. I will be running a 10k and a half marathon on back-to-back days. While this is truly a huge challenge, it is of course made bigger by exploring Walt Disney World with my family when not racing!
I had tried several half marathon-training plans on websites and in magazines from famed trainers, but they just didn’t work for me. So I was talking with my husband and he suggested training for time, not distance, and then to slowly increase my training time. I decided that on day one (and it was really hot out) I could run for 10 minutes. I know that’s not long for many runners, but I still have 6 months, and I needed to stay manageable to build a solid base. Each day after I add another minute, taking weekends off unless I have a race scheduled. 
Through all of this I have been using my iPhone, as many do, when running to track data. I have been using my Sensoria Fitness Socks since I received them in March, and occasionally the heart rate monitor. I was an earliest backer when the Sensoria campaign launched and was very excited about the product. My husband heard an interview on our local NPR station and told me about it, as I had recently signed up for several 5ks, and he thought the wearable technology and instant feedback would be beneficial to my training. For the past three weeks I have been training by time and using my Sensoria Fitness System to track time, pace, and distance. The activity stats also track your speed, foot landing, cadence and more.
Some days are still rough, but it’s really starting to work for me. I am not getting faster yet, but each day I run consistently farther and longer. I am looking forward to sharing my running journey and challenges with you.
