Running. Yes, running. blood pumping, leg aching, chest burning running. it is glorious.
I have never been a runner, and it's only been
the past two years that I've actually started to regularly work out. I have been out of shape most of my life, it has always been a struggle that I have had to deal with. plus, being short doesn't help in the slightest. I have zero height to hide any fat, and so any weight I gain goes completely horizontal.
Yuck.But I have wonderful sisters who have been my personal trainers these past few years. Holly in weight training, and Heidi in running. I had my ups and downs, I lost 20 lbs when I first started, then I took a break and gained most of it back. But now I am back at it, and doing great! I have lost 10 lbs, and I thank holly and heidi for it. holly gives me workouts to do every day, and i've been going strong with it, working out every day since the middle of april.
it wasn't until three weeks ago that I started running.
weights I could do, but running had always been my challenge. I could do two miles pretty good, but never could do more.
well, let me tell you something that makes a difference: running outside. I had a really bad day, and that's the best time to go running. when you have a bad day, you get full of negative energy that swirls within you, waiting in one form or another to get out. instead of venting to my mom (which I usually do) I made myself put on my gym shoes, and went running.
I always would just run on a treadmill, and holy cow, it was like discovering running a new. since I had a store of negative energy in me, I was able to go farther than I had ever gone before, I bashed my long time two-mile-rut. I never knew I could go farther until I tried. The feeling of accomplishment was astounding, a beautiful burning of joy that could only come from doing something hard.
that's when I really got into running. I told Heidi all about it, and she got so excited and wouldn't you know it? she signed us up for a 10 K. a 10 K!!! I was thinking a 5 k, but Heidi convinced me to go the extra mile, to challenge myself even more. I just gave my all and ran 3 miles, could I even consider doing six?
I had to. I was already signed up, I had to run 6.2 miles, and only had two weeks to train.
Heidi gave me a schedule, and I also went off sugar that day. I wanted to be completely fit and ready for the 10 k, and that meant my eating had to be impeccable.
I put my all into training, eating right, and following Heidi's running schedule. each time I'd run a bit farther, the joy of running getting stronger with each pump of the leg. to go longer each day, to test the boundaries of the impossible. I would run to escape from the world, the stress, the daily oppression. I would let it all out in running. running turned from a drudgery to an unbelievable joy.
The 10 K came, and I conquered it. I never stopped once, never. stopped. once. even running up the Goliath Hill, I kept running. I DID IT! I RAN A 10 K! in 1 hr and 5 min. Heidi was amazing, she did it in like 40 min and won first place in her age!
and now I'm hooked. I love running, I look forward to it in the mornings. I'm still off sugar, and eating really good. and all the work I've been doing is showing! clothes are looser, the veins in my hands are showing, and i am stronger. I have done the impossible goal in my life. I did it.
I am conqueror.
that's heidi running in
After heidi ran in, she came back for me
that's me (in the gray) sprinting for the end
My wonderful cousin Tiare, who cheered me on during the whole race!
My dad (yellow), me (sweaty), and kysnie (sunglasses) together after the race
