It's a Lifestyle Change

Who would have ever thought I could get this much out of a simple addition to my everyday routine? Definitely not me. In fact, I thought running would be a complete burden that I would have to squeeze into my never ending to-do list that seems to creep up every single day. It's not another addition to the list...in some ways it's freedom from the list.

After next week I will no longer have a website telling me how far to run everyday. In some ways that offers opportunity for me to be creative and run what I feel like, but in other ways it offers me to be lazy. I don't want to be lazy. I haven't emphasized how much having a partner in this journey has been rewarding. Bethany has been a wonderful blessing to me. Knowing someone was relying on me to get up and run is just the right amount of pressure to do it on days I don't want to. Having her there to talk to has been distracting and also built our friendship even stronger. The encouragement she's given me goes without saying, and I'm very nervous to be finishing our official journey together after the race March 12. I hope she still runs and we can run together, but I know that isn't a guarantee.

This week was 2.75 miles which is a huge accomplishment for both of us. The accomplishment for me really came in realizing that this is no longer me "training for a 5K". This is a lifestyle change that I am so excited to make. I started this program ultimately out of an effort to lose weight. Sadly, I haven't lost a single pound. I'm not discouraged though. In fact, accomplishing this huge step in my life just gives me more courage to take the next big step of making a change with my diet. I know that when I start making better choices with what I eat, I will start to see changes in my weight. I'm ready and willing to tackle that. I love food. I have eaten HUGE portions my whole life because that was a norm. Controlling that will be the biggest challenge, but all I can say is bring it on! Now, I will just need to set an official date to start this part of the equation and go from there. I'm sure I'll whine share on here what I've learned, what I'm struggling with, and, of course, my success with this part of my life.

As for week 8, see you later alligator. For those of you trying this, week 8 is a piece of cake. That's not to say my legs didn't feel like they were made of concrete on a large part of some of the runs, but when you get this far quitting isn't an option. Correction: run everyday as if quitting were never an option. You won't regret the result. Someone wise once told me, "It's like brushing your teeth, you have to do it."