Mercedes Pang

Pain is Inevitable. Suffering is optional. 

- Haruki Murakami

She's running the: Women's Quarter Marathon
Who she runs for: I run for myself and for others.

People often ask me how I got into running.  I would like to say I was a born runner, but to be completely honest, I was tricked into becoming one. 

One day in my sophomore year of college at the University of Texas at Austin, my friend signed us both up for a 10K for "funsies." I was terrified. 6.2 miles seemed like such a long feat. I was definitely unprepared and definitely not ready. Her exact words were, "Don't worry, you'll finish it in no time.  It'll be fun!"

And she was right. We met at the start line  and I was taken aback by the amount of people lined up for this one event! It blew my mind that almost 1,000 people were there to run together this one distance at the same time. The energy from the runners was intoxicating. Even if we struggled during some points, we powered through with the help of encouragement from the spectators. Crossing the finish line gave off a quick rush of accomplishment.  I was captivated, and I wanted more.

I laid in bed sore the next day, but I didn't care. I started researching training plans, fundraising teams, running events nearby, and how I could be a better runner. From there, I was hooked. 

Since then, I've completed countless fun runs, a large handful of 10Ks, five half marathons, and two marathons. I'm proud to be a #WQMWarrior and you should be too.