And So It Begins

I used to say that you will never find me at midnight on a treadmill in the gym. I used to say that people are crazy for waking up at 5 to run a marathon. I used to say that I will always sleep in and enjoy my slice after slice of pizza. I used to hate running. Then it all changed.

In December of 2010 I realized I didn't want to continue in the self-harming lifestyle that I led which included a sedentary life full of pizza, ice cream, and any type of junk food (obviously no exercise). Not only did my body feel exhausted from all the toxic food, but I felt exhausted from all the guilt & all the binge eating; and most of all, all the judgments that my own mind conjured up. I didn't want to be my own worst enemy. I wanted to make myself proud; push my body to its limits, and let go of the past that was toxic. 

And then January's inevitable resolutions rolled around. But for some reason, something clicked. I had a thirst for fitness, a thirst for healthy delicious food! I had a thirst to push myself at the gym; to actually get to the gym 3 days a week! What I thought was another mindless resolution turned out to truly be a desire that I wanted to achieve, not just this year, but every year following this one.

Needless to say, I signed up to a gym and I started running on the treadmill. I used to despise (and I mean despise with a capital D) running. I hated feeling winded and overall exhausted. But that's because I didn't know HOW to run. My body didn't understand what was going on. So I went slowly and surely. I could barely run for more than 5 minutes. 

Weeks passed, and by the end of February I tested my abilities, my body, and my mind to run 5K (3.1M) on the treadmill. I had 3 or 4 walk breaks (consisting of 1-2 minutes) but managed to run for 35 solid minutes. I couldn't believe it! All this time, I was capable of this! My body could actually do it without hating the sport (or myself).

And as they say, I was officially bitten! I am, what you call, 'addicted' to running (I'll use that term loosely and let you define it yourself). I began to 'see the light' and nowadays it's one of the only things that keeps me sane. I feel powerful, energetic, and amazing afterward. The abilities of the human body amaze me. I feel like I can take on the world. I finally feel good about myself and my body. Not to mention, there's nothing that beats the runner's high.

I know I have a long way to go (I've got all kinds of running expectations and goals which I will share soon), but I am so excited to see what the future holds for me; so excited to see the possibilities! So come along on this journey with me, you may be surprised at where we'll end up.

Happy Running! See you out there on the pavement ;-)

- K