And so it begins...

I started a journey in March that several people have been telling me I should blog about. So, here goes with a little background...

In 2006, I decided to run a 5K to prove I could do it. I was turning 45 and I felt that I needed to try it before I got any older. The problem was, I weighed about 225 pounds, and had not done any physical exercise in many years. I was pretty sedentary, and I thought that running would be the miracle cure. Besides, I had seen other "stocky" women running and seemingly doing a good job. So, I started training, but ran into problems almost immediately. I had shin splints, my feet hurt, I developed plantar fasciitis, and my knees swelled. I trained sporadically starting in January of 2007 with three neighbors, using the Couch to 5K program online. That was before cellphones had downloadable apps you could use. :)

When race day came, I felt woefully unprepared, but I had signed up. I felt I had to do it because my friends were doing it. I went to the race, completed the event in 37 minutes, and thought I was gonna die!! I never ran after that again. I was done. I was tired of the pain and was ready to put it behind me.

So, what made 2013 different?

Two years ago, I realized that my life had to change. I had been diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Not enough of a problem to be life-threatening, but enough to catch me off-guard and make me choose to make a lifestyle change. I read a book by Dr. Mark Hyman called "Ultrametabolism," and it was just what I needed to change my life! I cut out the four whites: white flour, white sugar, white rice, and white potatoes. I stopped drinking soda and juices. I added lots of vegetables to my diet and cut way back on breads and pastas. We did a Mark Hyman detox for two weeks that jump-started a 25-pound weight loss, without a fad diet or pills to help us. I felt so much better!

By last Fall, however, I realized that my weight loss would not continue unless I added regular exercise to it. So I found a small gym where I entered a fitness challenge, and then another in early 2013. Although I didn't lose any weight, I took it seriously and could tell that I was firming up in many places. :)  When the instructors started talking about a 5K in the spring, I decided to try it again. I was terrified that it would be the same as before -- painful and exhausting. But, I wanted to give it another try, since I don't have the funds to afford tons of bootcamp classes or personal training sessions. I figured running might be the least expensive way to lose the rest of my weight. I signed up, told my running coach that I had to start running before everyone else because I was so out of shape that it would take me twice as long to get ready for a 5K, and took a deep breath...