National Running Day

It's National Running Day . . . and I'm excited!


Today, I will run at the gym. It's Wednesday, our running day and probably my last running day until the Women's Fitness Festival 5K this weekend.

All my life, I've hated running and I mean hated it. Growing up as an athlete I moaned and groaned on days I had to run. Yes, I realize running is necessary in most sports. To me it was a necessary evil. I had to do it to play and enjoy the sport I loved but I hated to run just to run. Coaches always used running as a punishment. I can't tell you how many times we had to take an extra lap for making an error or because we got caught talking. I decided long ago that I would not run unless I absolutely had to and anyone who liked to run was crazy. This was probably one of my choices that led me obesity.

As I've grown older, more obese, and less active my thoughts of crazy runners turned to admiration. I knew I couldn't run if I wanted to. I can barely catch my toddler when she runs away from me and with that I was very winded. I have friends who just love to run and would be able to run miles! Bonus, they looked great!

I'm a curvy girl and my "girls" bounce a lot. I've always felt like I look awkward running. I used to be fairly good runner, not the fastest as I'm only 5'4". At my last race, my mother said she could easily pick me out of the crowd because of my extra top heavy bounce.

Running is best for long lean people, not short stalky curvy girls like me, that was my theory. The only piece of evidence that was proving my theory wrong is my sister law. She was overweight, obese like me and began running. Next thing I knew she was skinny again and had completed a marathon! She had to some sort of anomaly.

When I started on my fitness journey, I knew I would have to run again. Not necessarily right away but I knew my fitness goals weren't just weight loss goals. I wanted to be able to do the things thin people could do. I wanted to be able to RUN. My friends could run, people I looked to for motivation could run. When I started running I could only run maybe 30 seconds then I had to walk. Clare, my friend and running partner could really run. Yet when we were done, I felt really accomplished not because I ran a great distance but because I tried. Ever since, I've continually challenged myself to try harder and run more frequently. I love to run now. Not because I love running but because I can.

ETA: I ran for 40 minutes on the treadmill at the gym today; a personal record for me in time. It was a good running day and if time permitted I probably could have ran longer.

For the Record:
Breakfast Protein and Banana
Lunch: Tuna on Orowheat sandwich thin
Dinner: Chicken Tacos Thin corn tortilla w/ Salsa and Guacamole
Snacks: Pistachios, Skinny Cow, Beef Stick