I am a Penguin

A while back I wrote the post Embrace your Pace. I received a comment on it about the penguin runners but had no idea what they were and didn't bother to look it up at the time. Part of me wishes I had but then another part is glad I didn't because I think finding them now was the best thing.

Back in September, I reposted a post I had written last year when I decided to do the 2011 Princess. In the post I talked about how a picture of a shirt with a quote was what really gave me the kick to make the decision. The quote was,

The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start. -John J. Bingham.

I think I may have passingly noticed that it had a little picture of a penguin by his name but I didn't really pay much attention to it.

Then, last month, I was scouring the internet looking for a shirt that a girl posted to an online group. I was using the expo vendors list for the wine and dine to check each website to see if I could figure out who had the shirt for her. One of the websites I looked at was One More Mile Running. While I was checking their site I noticed on the right side bar a picture of a penguin and the words penguin gear beneath it. I was intrigued so I opened it in a new tab and continued searching with intentions to go back and check it out later. Once I had given up on my search, I clicked the tab to check out what Penguin Gear was. As I read the little blurb at the top I was even more interested:

One More Mile partners with John "The Penguin" Bingham!
One More Mile and John Bingham have the same philosophy: that running is more about having fun and less about putting a lot of pressure on yourself. Now you can get Penguin gear from One More Mile! 

And then, when I clicked on the shirts, there it was, the shirt and quote that started it all. I had to know more so I clicked on the link for John Bingham's website.  As I read What is a Penguin? I knew I had found my place. As I read through "You might be a Penguin if... " I had to laugh because I knew the feeling all too well with the police car, the truck with the cones and the award ceremony. It felt good to find all of this. It reminded me that I am not alone in my fight. There are lots of people out there that aren't the best runners but still run. Just because I am slow, doesn't mean I am not a runner.

With all of this, I have wholeheartedly embraced that I AM A PENGUIN!! Mac and I visited Sea World recently and they had these awesome car decals of all the animals, one of course being a penguin. I plan to cut off the Sea World Logo and just put the penguin on the car with my turtle sticker. I'm sure at some point I will get a shirt or magnet from Penguin Gear. I've always loved penguins, so it almost feels fitting.

This of course leads me to something I alluded to in the last post. I have decided on my running costume for both races. Hehehe. I already have things in the works to transform this everyday runner into a real penguin runner.  You'll have to wait until after the Tinkerbell to see a pic of the fairy penguin but I am certain it will be well worth the wait. Then with a few small changes she will turn into a princes penguin for the Princess Half. I'm so incredibly EXCITED!!!

(It feels so good to be excited again.)

If anyone here is a member of Fitocracy and you feel you are a Penguin, feel free to join the Penguin Runners group I started.  If you are not a member of Fitocracy but would like to be, Click Here to use my invite code or give me your email address and I will send you an invite. Fitocracy is a fun way to track all of your activities and connect with others.