I loved being in my twenties. You know the days when you can eat whatever you want, whenever you wanted to, and still be a single digit size. Yeah, that was me until I hit 28. Then the bottom fell out. Quite literally in my case. I had ordered a new pair of navy blue cords from Old Navy. I was way excited about them. Pulled them right out of the UPS package, tried them on, and bent over. RRRRIIIIIPPPPPPP.
Yep, I had just split the back seam of my new cords out. What the heck? They are my normal size right? Well, they were, but I wasn't! You see, my habit of getting a large regular non-diet Coke and Snickers bar at every gas station and grocery store stop had caught up with me. Yeah, in a bad way.
But it didn't stop there! Then I went to my Mom's house to visit. She has more clothes than most department stores, most still with tags on them, and she is always willing to share the love. But this time was different. She handed me some capri pants and said, "I thought of you on these, they are too big for me now". What the heck? Are you kidding me? You are giving me your FAT pants?!? Sad thing is, they fit!
Well, I was depressed, couldn't sleep, and watching TV. Probably with a baked good in my mouth, but I don't remember. I was watching the late night infomercials and came across one for Slim in 6 work out DVDs. It seemed pretty easy. No hard choreography or anything that I couldn't keep up with or something that would make me feel like one of the dancing hippos from the Fantasia. So, I ordered it on a complete impulse purchase. They arrived in the mail a week later.
I decided if I was going to do this, I was going to give it 100%. I stuck the calender up on my closet door and stuck with it. I didn't miss a single day. For the next six weeks I got up every morning before work and did the assigned work out. I lost 18 pounds, and tons of inches. I was thrilled! I had never really worked out too regularly, at least not in awhile. I also changed my eating habits and started tracking calories.
I decided after that I needed something else to stay motivated. I started running on Saturday mornings with my lab, Maggie. We went 2 miles at first, then I worked my way up to five. That was fall, five years ago. The holidays were upon us and I decided I needed something else. I decided to train for a half marathon. I Googled "Half Marathon training plans beginner" and found one that would require me to run 4 days a week, and it was a 16 week plan. I then picked a race, so I knew I would stick with it. I found the Bear Lake Half marathon and immediately registered.
That is how my life changed for the better. I found that with every Saturday morning a new distance came on those long runs I had previously never accomplished before. First five miles, then 7, then 8 then, 10, till I completed an 11 mile run 3 weeks prior to the half. Every week was a new milestone. I LOVED it! I found I could do hard things, and enjoy it! I ran that half, and felt like I was on top of the world. I had never been athletic before. I was the kid ALWAYS picked last in gym class. And I had just run a half! From there I have done a dozen more races, and I am better for it.
So get out there, and do it!
