I Run.

When I was younger I was very active. I ran around playing horse, playing soccer, tag and Frisbee. I went to P.E. where I did the 'President's Challenge', and passed with (mostly) flying colors. I was quite fit. And flexible. I was determined to become an Olympic skater.  Over the years I became less active. I still loved sports but had few opportunities to play. As my activity level decreased, my weight increased. Nothing drastic, just enough for me to think, "This needs to change".

July of 2012 marks the start of my fitness journey.

It started with me deciding I wanted to go jogging. So, one night in July, at about 8:00 in the evening, after little ones were put to bed, I went running.

I didn't have any fancy clothes. I didn't even have any tennis shoes! I wore, (it's okay if you laugh), a denim skirt, my red flag t-shirt, and (here's the killer), my Croc styled Sketchers. The ones that Velcro closed. Yeah. I know. Professional.
I decided I liked to run.

Almost every night at the same time, I did this. Run up the hill, down the hill. Up and down. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Meg poked fun at me for what I wore, but I figured I could make do with what I had. Besides, maybe there were people out there who didn't run because they didn't have the "proper" clothing, and maybe I would inspire someone else. Maybe.

After awhile, dad marked out a half mile, and I would puff and pant my way there and back. I still can't run that thing straight, but its gotten better.

I soon found that I pretty much have to have music while I run. I need something to keep me going. :)
At first I would borrow mom's iPod shuffle while running, but it got a little old trying to find that one song that I liked to listen to. So, I moved on to dad's iPod touch, but I didn't like the way it bounced around in my pocket. I went back and forth between the two until Katie mentioned she had an old iPod Nano I could have. She brought it over and I instantly loved it. It was small and compact, (but not too small), had a good bit of storage room, and was a very good price. :) She wouldn't let me pay her for it at first but I said I wanted to. It would make me feel more like it was mine. She let me pay her a dollar. :)

Finally, I decided to buy some better running clothes. I hit Goodwill and found a pair of exercise capris that I liked. Or, that I liked until I worked out in them. The pockets drove me crazy the way the would stick out, and, as Megan kindly put it, they resembled Russian Czar pants. Very attractive. At least it was a step above a denim skirt. Hehe. I found that my shoes worked pretty well for me but I was still on the lookout for some new ones. I started working out more, and tried to alternate running, and strength training, along with stuff to work out my abs and such. Let me tell you now, I HIGHLY DISLIKE CRUNCHES!!!! Whew, that felt good.

Over the summer I somehow managed to save up for a pair of the Sketcher 'Hot Ticket' shoes. Man, I loved those shoes! (I still do, don't get me wrong, and I wear them all the time), But after a while my shins started hurting from them. I'm guessing because of the lack of cushioning??? I used them for about seven months, but then started looking for a new pair of real running shoes. I couldn't afford to buy brand new shoes, especially since most of the ones I looked at were around $70. Ouch! Then, one day at 'New To You' I stumbled across a almost brand new pair of running shoes. And they were only twenty five dollars. Score! Wait, it gets better.Turns out, they were 75% off!  I think I had a mini heart attack when I saw that. When I got home I looked them up to see how much they usually cost. For a brand new pair of 'Saucony TR 3 Trail Shoes' I would have paid $80. I'm slightly pleased with my purchase.  :)

I didn't run as much in the winter since I often had a hard time dragging myself out the door, but I still tried to go regularly. I ended up buying a pair of exercise pants to wear so I wouldn't freeze while running. Again, I found them at Goodwill, but they don't balloon out. Lol.
Just so you know, I'm not skinny. I'm not one of those people you look at and go, "Wow! She's fit!"  I can't even run a straight mile, but I'm making progress. And that's what counts.

My goal for this year is to run at least one 5K. At least. It may not happen, but that's my goal, and it's good to set goals. The thought of running a marathon makes me want to die. If any of you have run a marathon, a half marathon, or even a 5K, you have earned my respect. :) Running isn't easy. But that's why I like it. It makes me push myself and test my limits. I have my bad days (like yesterday), where I got an awful cramp, and ran out of breath and felt like I was about to pass out. But, that's what makes it fun... right?

When people ask me what I like to do, I tell them: "I run."

Give it a shot. Maybe you'll love to run.