This is the beginning of my journey for renewal, but ironically, it's the day AFTER it all started.
For those of you that know me, you know that I'm not the runner in the family, my sister Jenn is. Aerobics, weight training, biking, hiking...those are my sports but I'm not always consistent with them. I've battled weight and have lost and gained several teenage children. LOL The point is, it's too many pounds to count. I'm a smoker and have quit dozens of times but always started back up.
About a month ago I had some pretty scary health issues. My white blood cell count was low as I was diagnosed with Bronchitis (which should of made it high), I was extremely fatigued for like 3 weeks, I found large unaccounted for bruises on my arms, legs, abdomen, and back. My muscles and joints ached terribly requiring hydrocodone and flexiril to manage the pain. Needless to say, I don't remember much about those 3 weeks.
The doctors were testing me for Lymphoma. That was pretty scary. One doctor listened to my lungs and thought maybe I had the beginnings of COPD. At age 42?
That was a wake up call. I knew, I had to quit smoking and quite frankly, I was tired of spending my money on cigarettes. I also knew from quitting many other times that there would be weight gain and I didn't want that.
Last year in May, 4 months after a Hysterectomy, 41 years old and at 218 pounds, I knew I needed to get a handle on this weight. The older you get, the harder it is, and it's even harder after a hysterectomy so I started modifying my diet and was gardening, biking, and just being more active with the Spring/Summer months. I lost 37 pounds between May and December and weighed in at 181. I was jazzed, I felt great and only had 20 more pounds to go before I reached my goal. I'm ok with weighing more than I did when I was in my 20's, because, I'm not 20 anymore. I was shooting for a weight in which I felt healthy and looked good.
Since January this year, I have gained back 21 pounds and am currently sitting at 202 pounds again. I am happy that since last year, I still have 16 of those 37 pounds off but if I want to quit smoking, I don't want to gain any more weight.
Again, I'm not a runner but in the last 2 weeks of May, I had 6 different people talking to me about running. My sister Jenn, who is a Weightwatchers Leader and a Marathoner, my friend Rachelle who also runs and is a Weightwatchers Leader, and my friend Lori who couldn't gush enough about the mental, spiritual, emotional and physical benefits of running. These are people who I'm close to and expect that kind of influence but God brought me a few more people to me that pushed me to this point. Over Memorial Day weekend, I ran into an old friend I hadn't seen in over 9 years or so, Trish and her daughter Lexi at Branched Oak Lake where we were camping. They were running with "Beginner's Luck" shirts on and talked to me about the class and that a new one was getting ready to start, and how they would never have thought of themselves as runners but now love it! I thought to myself, 5 people in 2 weeks? Hmmm..
The push over the edge came at my daughter Casey's graduation ceremony from High School. I have an anxiety based depression that I have struggled with since 2003. I can't just sit and do one thing, so when I went to the ceremony, I took my knitting with me. Seating was limited and I ended up sitting next to this young gentleman who introduced himself as Brendan and we just started chatting. He looked at me as I pulled out my knitting and I told him, I have anxiety, I can't just sit. He told me he had anxiety too but he runs and that helps. Now...this cannot be a coincidence. 6 people in 2 weeks that talked of the emotional, mental, and physical as well as spiritual benefits of running? I said....Ok God...I get the message.
I signed up for the "Beginner's Luck 2011" running class and went down to The Lincoln Running Co. and got fitted for running shoes. I've tried to run before but I would get shin splints that were painful and I'm a busty girl and hated the feeling of the girls bouncing, you know what I mean?
The running shoes felt amazing! Mizuno's I couldn't believe that shoes could feel like this. I've been told that shoes make the difference.....and after last night, I believe it. I also spent $50 on a really good sports bra and I can attest to the fact that it worked, the girls didn't go anywhere. :-)
Last night was the first night of the 8 week class that meets once a week. We had a phenomenal speaker. I follow his blog now: bendoeslife.com Check him out on you tube. His story is amazing. I thought, if he could do it, I can too. Of course I'm in the baby class which suggested run for 30 sec, then walk for 30 sec, and do that for 20 minutes. There were volunteers who ran with us and kept time calling out when to run, and when to walk. Ann, who started the class years ago, told us that if we needed to walk longer to recover, that was ok, the main thing is that we were moving.
My goal was to do the run/walk as the volunteers were calling out the entire way. I did it! The full 20 minutes of 30 seconds of running, 30 seconds of walking! I do confess that there were a few times where I was thinking, "Walk.....SAY WALK!!!"
There were a few times where I got into this rhythm and my mind would go somewhere else and process things and I actually forgot I was exercising at all. I am a little sore today in my thighs, calfs and arms but I feel good and NO shin splints!!
I am definitely looking forward to tomorrow's morning run. Another 20 minutes of 30 sec. of running/30 sec, of walking. Hubby is going to get up at 5:30 am. and bike while I run. I'm looking forward to the endorphins that will help my mood, the stress relief, the spiritual journey that spending that quality time with myself and God brings, and the health benefits. If I lose weight? That'll be a plus. My goal is not to gain anymore pounds. People say the weight will just melt off, but it's the other benefits I'm hoping to experience.
I am starting to believe that there may be a runner inside me trying to get out!
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