Um, I don’t do New Year’s resolutions. I think they are a nice idea, but since something like 90% of them end in failure, I guess I don’t have much faith in them (or more specifically, in myself to keep them). So . . . this isn’t one of those. HA! But it is a new resolve, starting today, that I will take control of my body again. I did it before and I am ready to do it again.
In late 2009 I found myself heavier than ever before (excepting pregnancies, thank heaven!) and more importantly, completely out of shape. I hit my breaking point one day, while in California, noshing on my favorite Greek food at Opa! in Willow Glen (aaaah, soooo gooood). For some reason, something shifted in me. I wanted to be strong and healthy and to live to be an old woman. I came home and started running. It was pathetic. I could barely run 1/2 a mile before I was heaving on the side of the road (You can read about it here) but before long, I was running fast and far. I planned to run a 5K with my family but I quickly upgraded to the 10K and ran it on New Years day in St. Paul in just over an hour. Not too bad. I also lost thirty pounds in four months, which felt amazing.
Fast forward to early spring, 2010. Life got kind of tough; business was challenging us at every turn with decisions, struggles and being-married-to-your-partner woes, thus married life was not all sunshine and roses and parenting was pulling us down in so many ways, with a struggling teenager plus three more who were still adjusting to the move and their mom’s periodic absence. It was a hard 6-9 month stretch, and unfortunately, I let those struggles keep me off the streets and instead, I sat on my tush and watched it grow. It was seven months before I had to give in and buy bigger jeans (doggonit) but then just a month before I was busting out of those. Crap. Months of running and watching my food intake and thirty pounds of success and I was, little by little, throwing it away.
Well, that brings me to today. Today I looked at my “chubby pants” that were stretching uncomfortably under the strain, thenI looked outside and saw the beautiful fresh snow covering the ground and thought, “Yuck, kind of snowy and wet out there, perhaps today’s a good day for a run.” I enlisted my husband (who calls me crazy*) and squished into my running gear (have you noticed how running gear shrinks when unused?) and did the most important first steps: Put on shoes, step on porch. Once you’re there, you don’t really want to pack it in and give up. You might as well go and do it. So, really, all you have to do to find success is to make those first two moves: Put on shoes, step on porch.** And that is exactly what I did.
Just an iPhone snap of the road we ran on today.
*Brian says I am opposite girl, and it really is true. I would MUCH rather run through a snow storm or in 10 degrees F than run on a sunny day in July. So in February you can find me out on Lake Drive between Whitefish Bay and Milwaukee, thinking I am all that and wondering where all those wimpy runners went and in August you can find me in my car, driving by all those sweating fools and wondering why they would want to run in that kind of weather. So, there, I am Opposite Girl, indeed.
**My brother Mike gets credit for this mantra. Thanks, brother!
Yahooooooooooooooo! Good for you, and it is a great mantra! I, too, am a “contrarian” and would rather run in *cold* temps than a beautiful day in August.
When I don’t do my morning walk, I feel as if something is missing from my day. Coming from New England, I agree that a beautiful snowy road is just calling for a run. I could totally see your viewpoint when you wrote that.
Thank you and your brother Mike for the 2-step reminder: put on shoes, step on porch.