In May 2014, I am running a half marathon.
Okay, take a minute, close your gaping jaws, and read on when ready.
I am almost 200 lbs. Women who are 5'5 and 200 pounds don't run 1/2 marathons. In fact, they generally don't run at all. My fight with weight over these past 5 years is really frustrating. So, so, so frustrating. I am tired of trying to shed weight. With my sluggish thyroid and non-resistant metabolism if I eat a pound of something I swear it turns into 2lbs the second it hits my stomach.
So weight goals be damned. I am setting a totally different goal. A goal that right now feels COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE.
But that is exactly why I want to do it. With my body the way it is right now there is no way I would be able to run 21kms. That is exactly the point. I want to have a goal this big because even though it feels out of reach, I will get there. I have overcome some nasty crap in my life... stuff I may or may not go into on this blog, and running 21kms won't come anywhere close to being as hard as some of the hills I have climbed personally before.
So why running? Why is this my goal? Because for me walking and running are these beautiful things that are very symbolic of life. One foot in front of the other. Highs, lows. Pains, Endorphins. Always moving forward. Not always pretty. And because I just turned over the big 3-0 this summer and I wanted to make some healthy changes to bring in the new decade.
Today I went out for my first run. The longest I was able to run for was 4 minutes at a time. I went for 55 minutes. Run. Walk. Run. Walk. Repeat. You get the drift. It was hard, and pathetic looking I'm sure... but that didn't matter, I loved every minute of it. And more importantly, I loved myself, and my overweight, achy body for the first time in a long time. The wonderful body that brought two children into the world, and had all the extra skin and pounds to show for it. Look at me go world. I run now.
And I loved the idea of reaching for a lofty goal.
Maybe I will have to walk a bunch of that Marathon... but maybe I won't. Who knows where I will be by next May. But I am excited for the journey that lays ahead of me.
Last night I was reading my cousin Chelsea's blog. She just finished an Ultra Marathon. She lost all her marbles and signed up (and completed) a 100 MILE RUN. Yes, THAT'S ONE HUNDRED! As in one mile more than 99 miles.
ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME.
And you know why she did it? Because she could. Because she decided to. I joke that she lost all her marbles of course, she's brilliant and amazing, with a killer smile and million dollar calves. But honestly Chels, you really inspired me to just decide to DO SOMETHING! (no matter what it was!) Something I think I can't do. And then just go do it!
So here I go. I'm doing something that feel way too big to accomplish at this point in time.
So come along for the ride everyone. I hope you enjoy it!
