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Introduction Text October 2010- How I started running: I "ran" track in high school and hated every minute of it! My shins hurt, my knees hurt, my feet hurt... it was a miserable experience but thats what my friends did, so I did it too. (One example of when peer pressure can be a good thing!) My first year in college I joined the crew team, and one of our "dry" practices one day was running 5 miles (or something like that). I ran for a few minutes and walked the rest of it, pretty nearly afterwards quit the team and swore off running. Fast forward 7 years later, I got wind of a funny training program where you start by running for 30 seconds, walk 2 minutes, 30 seconds, 2 minutes etc, and it stuck in my head that I could probably run for 30 measly seconds, and if I couldn't then I could (again) swear never to run again. I didn't want anyone to know what I was doing in case I failed, so I waited until I walking home from the pool one night and even with my giant backpack full of books, in the dark of the night in a parking lot between the pool and my house at probably 10*F, I ran for 30 seconds. then I walked for 2 minutes, ran 30 seconds, etc until I got home (1 mile total). Holy cow did I HURT the next day!!! BUT, again, all of my friends were running- best friend put herself through college on a full-ride scholarship running, my sister ran a marathon with one month's worth of actual training, my boyfriend went form overweight smoker to ultramarathon (50 mile) runner in 3 years... my life was full of people who ran . So I gave it a try. I ran for 1 minute at a time, then 2 then 5.... It took 2 years before I had stayed with it consistently enough that I could on any given day leave my front door and run a whole mile without stopping. These are not fast miles, 12-16 minutes each, not much faster than I can walk, but they are still miles. I have only run 3 miles without stopping twice. Maybe I could do it more often if I tried, but I have a pretty happy routine of walk/jog (aka: wog) worked out, and I know I can hold my 15 minute average pace for 9 miles, so what difference would it make if I could run the first 3 miles straight through? I'll give it another shot sometime, but for now, I'm working on consistency. Run at least once a week, preferably twice. Distances don't matter. My goal for now is to be comfortable with double-digit mile runs by May/June of 2011, and from there focus on training (slowly) to comfortably do the Seattle Marathon in November 2011. If you're someone who "can't" run, you only can't run YET. Start with 30 seconds, and who knows where you'll be years from now.... NOVEMBER 2009 Since I've been on SP for about 2 years, I figured maybe an update was finally in order! I think I'm a happier, healthier person than I was in the beginning even though I currently (gasp!) weigh more than ever. Here's why I finally threw out my scale and why I think "losing weight" is a dead end: My cholesterol is down 50 points (and was never bad to start with). I can actually jog now. Not sure how far I can go, but I haven't found a "wall" yet. Used to be 2 minutes was too many.... I've made peace with my 12-14 minute miles. Faster doesn't do any good if you can't keep going. I understand how food works, and if I make a bad choice, its a conscious decision. I might eat cookies, but I accept their consequences. I can eat beans on a regular basis (used to be a total bean-o-phobe). I WANT good food now, no more force-feeding of vegetables. I'm much more aware of how my body works and what it takes to keep me going. I see food as something for my body rather than for my mouth. Sure, food can still taste good, but it should FEEL good too. I'm (a little) more confident than I used to be, and I'm more realistic of what I can and cannot do/be. I'm healthier now than before even though I weigh more, so you tell me, whats more important overall? To get that perfect number on the scale, or to feel good about the choices you make on a daily basis? I know which one I choose.... : ) THE ORIGINAL INTRO--- Biggest food set back: Peanut butter! On anything! Apples, crackers, rice cakes, waffles, chocolate, ice cream.... I even tried to make peanut butter hot chocolate once, but it didn't work well at all. It was a disappointing experience and I don't recommend it. ****New peanutbutter rationing plan as of October2008: I get one jar (24-32 servings) on the 1st of each month to eat whenever/however I want. When jar is empty, too bad so sad! ****Rationing plan is still a good idea, but I think I need a "guest" jar of pb for other people to eat of so I don't have to lie and say I don't have any just so I don't have to share.... ****Death of the rationing plan, time to be less organized and ruled by rules. If I want peanut butter, I'm going to eat peanut butter and if I eat too much I can deal with the consequences. Best habit going for me already: I'm totally a water drinker. Lame laziness excuse: I don't even have an excuse, I just choose to be lazy sometimes. I might walk to the grocery store instead of driving there, and I might sometimes go for a little run around some blocks, but I'm never going to force myself against my will to go get some needed exercise. Potentially biggest set-back: I like me just the way I am. And so why fix something that isn't broken? Maybe because I can't get some of my small pants closed anymore... but then again maybe I'm helping to support the economy by having to buy more clothes? Yeah, probably not.

Goal #1: Enjoy what I'm doing. Goal #2: Eat a vegetable everyday. EVERYDAY. EVERYDAY EVERYDAY EVERYDAY!!!!

Food: see above note about vegetables Exercise: 29 month marathon training plan (see "Harebrained" blog for details) Pool once a week Gym once a week 100 pushups program

I have a gold fish; I love sleeping bags, peanut butter and nectarines. I can eat beans now; I hate peach fuzz (the kind that actually grows on peaches). I like the color blue.



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