Julie Proctor

I hated every day of training but I said "Don't quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life a champion" 

She's running the: Women's Quarter Marathon
Who she runs for: I run for myself, my health, my family and for those that can't.

I was never really a runner, growing up I was a competitive swimmer so running was not in my vocabulary. After I graduated from college I moved to Houston for a job opportunity. Moving to a new town not knowing anyone was very tough on me. I wanted to start losing some of the weight I had gained from college and moving and become active again but didn't know where to start. I started running/walking at the office gym, at the time I was lucky to run for 10 mins without stopping or feeling like I was going to die, then someone in my office mentioned to me once that Houston has a very large running community and there were many clubs around town that I should join. I thought you have got to be kidding me, I am not a runner and the people that are in these clubs will leave me in the dust!! So I started "liking" running clubs in the Houston area to "feel" out the people. About that time I received a message from one of the club presidents at City Centre Run Club encouraging me to come out run with them, he told me that there were different levels of runners and that I would not be the slowest. It took me sometime to work up enough courage to go and once I went I was hooked. I went ever week and whether I walked the course or ran it there was always people there to encourage me. 

I have made some life long friends by joining the running community and love seeing everyone out at the races encouraging not only me but others and actually met my husband through the run club. 

My first "race" if you could call that was the Hot Undies Run, a 2 mile run in my underwear (way outside of my comfort zone but I did it) From there I started to sign up for 5Ks and completed by first 10K within about 6 months of joining the City Centre Run Club. Since then I have completed numerous 5Ks and 10Ks and completed 4 half marathons and will be doing the Aramco Half in January along with the Woman's Quarter Marathon. 

I might not be the fastest runner but at the end of the day I have completed what I set my mind to do and have enjoyed the journey so far.