Run!

I'm not going to pretend that running is for everyone.  Its definitely not, and you need to find what you enjoy.  What feels like play.  Running really doesn't come easy for me, and sometimes its truly a struggle, but I love it. 

Growing up, I was severely asthmatic.  I mean breathing treatments daily severe.  We lived in a house with a moldy basement, mold being my absolute worst allergy, and couldn't afford to move.  Understandably, after rushing me to the emergency room numerous times and seeing me spend at least a week per year in the hospital, my mom was afraid to let me do a lot of things.  Running being somewhere near the top of her list.  She wrote me excuses out of any PE class that was going to involve running, but I always wanted to run.  My sister ran track and my high school boyfriend ran cross country, and I always just wanted to do it too.  Even as an adult, I've driven by runners and thought, "I wish I could do that."  After losing 50 pounds and getting my asthma truly under control, I decided I was going to. 

I started a couch to 5K program which starts you our very gradually. I completed several 5Ks last year, though none of them without having to walk a few minutes.  I'm still struggling a little with the 3 miles, and often have to walk a minute or so of my run.  My biggest problem is pace.  Starting out too fast doesn't allow me to increase my distance the way I'd like, but I can't get that message to sync up with my feet. There are other days that feel so natural and so free that I never want to stop.  Those are the days that keep me going. Sometimes, its really frustrating for me, but I have to stop and look at where I've come from.  A little over a year ago, I was struggling with running 10 minutes without stopping.  Now I'm doing 2 1/2 to 3 miles 3 times a week.  That's progress. I'm grateful for every mile God allows me to put in because there was a time I thought I'd never get to do it at all.

My goals for this year are to run a 10K in September and a 1/2 marathon in either November or January.  Those feel like some pretty lofty goals for the former fat girl who couldn't jog a 5 minute interval, but every day is a new opportunity for progress.  I'll keep you posted on how its going.