I will forever remember how I began my running journey. I had heard my dad talk about running a particular loop in our farming community. He would talk about how many of my siblings would start with him, and how they would quickly fall off and head back home. He would do a 3 mile loop that mostly included farm dirt roads. By the time I remember, my dad didn’t run much anymore, but I always loved the stories. When I was about 13-14 years old I decided that I wanted to show up to track practice able to run a few miles already. So I took off on that same path my dad had so often talked about. I wasn’t very fast and I’m sure I walked more than I ran, but I just never stopped. I got a little better and a little better. I would run even when it wasn’t track or cross country season. I loved running those country roads. I often would see skunks and have to weigh my options…turn around or risk being sprayed. I learned new routes and added more miles to my adventures. Even to this day I am so happy when I get to do that 3 mile loop that makes me think of my dad and how my running began more than 20 years ago!