guest blogger - helly on the run!

Hi! I'm Helly and I'm visiting The Sunny Side today :)

I met Emily through one of my affiliations, Swirlgear. Then we "met" again in another local running group, #RunEatTweetAZ.

This whole meeting business is what I'm writing about today.

I've been a lifelong runner having run cross country in middle school and high school. I ran freely and not competitively through college and it was after I had my son, my second child in two years!, that I began to get serious with my running life.

My son was born July 2012 and I ran my first post-partum race September 2nd, exactly 6 weeks after giving birth. I ran it slow; I ran it without a specific goal; I ran for me, for fun.

After that race, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. What goals I wanted to set. After some thinking, I decided to sign up for Rock 'n' Roll Arizona 1/2 marathon with the lofty goal a sub 2 hour finish. I knew it would be hard, but I was up for the challenge.

Then, on vacation with my husband, I received an e-mail about Phoenix Marathon. I had never considered a full marathon. Ever. But for some reason, that day it was calling out to me. (I might've still had crazy post-pregnancy hormones lol!) So at the airport, on my phone waiting for the flight back home, I signed up to run 26.2 miles that March--7 months after having my son.

Up to this point, I had been running alone. As soon as I signed up for Phoenix Marathon, I began searching for running groups. I wanted advice and training help from veteran runners.

I found a few online and joined several of their social media pages. There was one in particular that interested me but like many runners joining a club, I was nervous, scared, and intimidated.

It took several weeks before I finally introduced myself. The welcoming was immediate. The leader of the group e-mailed me encouraging me to come out and join them for a run. I finally did two weeks later.

Best decision ever.

Almost a year later, I've done so much and accomplished so much with them. I ran and got my sub 2 hour 1/2 marathon, I completed my first 26.2, I even crossed the Grand Canyon twice!! (R2R2R)

I can say with great certainty that I would not have been able to do all of these things without them. Getting out of my comfort zone and putting myself out there allowed for me to see what I could accomplish.

It was with this newfound confidence that I began my blog. I wanted to share with others my journey, my life as a working mom and juggling running competitively. I became active in social media and it was then that I began to "meet" other local runners and bloggers.

I first met my blogging buddy Jeremy @Confessions of an Amateur Athlete. He was getting a new running group started called RunEatTweetAZ and I jumped at the chance to be a part of it.

This is how I met Emily :) Through this other, new group, I've been able to meet more fun, energetic people who love to run.

I would encourage anyone to join a running group. Having people who love what you love and don't mind you talking about it all day, is so refreshing! It's difficult at first, there's that beginner feeling, that feeling of insecurity, and it might take a few groups to find one that fits, but it's so worth it when the right one comes along.

You can find me at www.hellyontherun.com and

on Pinterest @hellyontherun

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on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/hellyontherun