Running

I never considered myself a runner and for the majority of my life I thought I could never be a runner.  I always thought runners were a rare breed of people with a perfect biological/physiological composition. Nope, it turns out their lungs are the same as anyone else's and even if their stature is long and lean, that doesn't make them any better at running.  Okay, maybe it helps, but you get the point.

Throughout my life I've been physically active with periods of weight fluctuation and sedentary behaviors.  Running was my absolute least favorite type of exercise.  I thought that the people running for fun were crazy!  Running for fun?  Hahahahahaha!  Maybe it was those dreaded 1 mile running tests in gym class that molded my negative outlook on running, although I always did well at those tests and even set a PR in high school for my fastest mile ever - around 8 minutes.  I wish I could remember the exact number of seconds, then I could officially post the unofficial time ;)

My outlook on running changed when I began an intense exercise regimen to loose weight to fit into my wedding dress.  I was the heaviest I had been in a long time.  The stress of going through a health crisis with my then boyfriend, moving, starting a new job, and adjusting to living in a different location contributed to my gradual weight gain.  I was inconsistent with exercise with no fluidity or regimen at all.  So when it came time to say "I do,"  I wanted to not only feel great, I wanted to look great.  I used my wedding dress as motivation to succeed at the goal I set - to loose weight.  I was determined to succeed.  There was no stopping me.  I was crunching numbers left and right - calories related to intake and exertion.  Mindful eating, diligent food planning and preparation, exercising daily, and vigilant and tedious calorie tracking took over my life.  And I loved it because it worked.

I lost 30 lbs. overall.  I gained so much as a result: self confidence, a sense of accomplishment, great health, and so much more!  I created a new lifestyle and loved it.  The exercise activities that helped me accomplish my goal were primarily HIIT - high intensity interval training, calisthenics, and weight training.  I was running in intervals but not long distances yet. I started with walking 3 minutes, running 2 minutes, and eventually increased my running to 6-8 minutes and walking 2 minutes.

I knew I wanted to maintain my weight loss and healthy living behaviors after the wedding so I continued to workout but I knew I needed a new goal because wearing my wedding dress wasn't going to happen again :(  So I decided to make running my goal.  I didn't sign up for any races right away, but  I continued to train.  Through a colleague, I sort of signed up to run a 10 mile race through a bib transfer.  I wasn't prepared to run 10 miles, mentally or physically.  From a training standpoint, I was at 4 miles max.  I had to cover a lot of ground to make up the difference.  I did not end up running the 10 mile race, which at the time felt like a small failure, but it was actually a great decision.  I learned the hard way that the best approach to training is consistency with small adjustments for continuous growth.

I eventually signed up and completed my first race longer than a 5K.  I completed the Phoenixville Citizen's Advocacy 10K Race in October of 2013 in 1:08, averaging an 11:00 ppm.  The high of completing this race was profound.  I wanted to jump into another race immediately as a result of the runner's high.  I have yet to sign up for another race, but I'm searching for one that will give me enough time to train through the process of moving and feel confident in my running to perform the race.  In the meantime, I'm enjoying running outside whenever I have the chance despite this snow-filled winter, and started tracking my runs in my blog posts.  Stay tuned for updates...