My First Steps

My First Steps

The first time I decided to run I had to pry myself off the couch.  Similarly, I had to force myself to pick up the computer and begin typing.  I have been contemplating blogging my journey for months but for some reason I am very hesitant.  I have never been very public with my writing.  I know, I know, I am an English major!  I teach Language Arts for crying out loud.  Regardless, I tense up at the thought of someone reading my writing.  The under confidence could be do to the negative feedback I received from college professors or the consistent inferiority I felt beside my English major cohort.  Anyway, here I am taking the plunge.

Probably not the best way to start off my fist blog ever right?  Warning: this might suck. Either way, I want to document the success, challenges, and stories that accompany my mileage.

I have always enjoyed running.  I loved running in the fair day races in elementary school.  I also enjoyed running during basketball conditioning.  I didn't start to run regularly until college though.  My freshman year I followed a similar path of many before me.  My friends and I ordered pizza at 2 AM, ate ice cream after every meal (it was free!), and drank soda (and other beverages) that were not benefiting our health. The weight crept on quickly.  At home none of the above fatty foods and beverages were at my disposal.  I did not no how to react to so many choices, make healthy decisions for myself, nor did my body know how to respond to the drastic change in diet.  Not only did I gain the freshman 15, but I doubled it.  I gained 30 pounds my first semester at college! My confidence plummeted and I just continued to be out of control for a few months.  Then I decided I wanted to play college volleyball my sophomore year.  Don't get me wrong, I wanted to get in shape to play but also I was afraid of what 180 pounds of me would look like squished and squeezed into volleyball spandex.  I didn't want to find out, so for the first time in my I began running regularly.

The first run was random.  I walked into the weight room unsure of myself.  There were all these hot bulky dudes lifting weights and here I am in my basketball shorts and XL shirt mortified of my lumps, bumps, and double chin.  I didn't even know where to begin with weights so I hopped on the treadmill.  I ran a mile, then two, I remember still how hard it was.  I made a deal with myself and ran 3 whole miles.  I know it took 34 minutes or so but I was proud and I felt great.   I ran 3 miles almost everyday on that same treadmill.  I shaved a whole 10 minutes off my time.  I watched the hotties in the weight room and learned from observation.  Eventually I started lifting weights and other various training activities.  I lost 40 pounds over the course of a year.

After my year of intense training I ran off and on during undergrad.  During student teaching I ran my first 5K at the Berea Spoonbread Festival.  Then I graduated and life happened.  I moved to Georgia and started teaching high school full time.  I commuted an hour to work.  I had papers to grade and lessons to plan.  Once again, over the course of a semester, I gained a lot of weight.  After Christmas 2011, I jumped on the scale and to my horror I saw the largest number ever. 194 pounds. 6 pounds away from weighing 200 pounds.  This shocked me, but it wasn't the number that triggered me to start moving.  One day I was laying on the couch watching television after work, when I needed to get up I had to grab the sides of the couch and pull myself up.  I felt my weight in my stomach shift and my legs ache a little when I stood up.  I was breathing heavy and a little dizzy, all from getting off the couch.  I was 23 years old.  I knew I had to change.  I was getting married in 6 months and I didn't want all eyes on me like that.  So I joined a gym.

I had some issues with my feet in the beginning so I started on the arc trainer.  I lost a little weight before the wedding but during the summer of 2012 I really stepped my game up.  I randomly decided I wanted to run a half marathon.  I began training on the treadmill.  I vividly remember the fist time I ran 6 miles on the treadmill.  I called Chris because I thought I was not going to be able to drive home I was so out of it.  I followed a training schedule that I found online and I completed my first half marathon on Thanksgiving Day (you will be able to read more about that soon).

The confidence that comes from running and believing in yourself is intoxicating.  I am happier and healthier than ever.  I want to make running a permanent part of my life and not just a phase.  I love running in races and I can't wait for the day when I can take an epic photo with tons of marathon and half marathon medals around my neck.