Adventures In Running

I have blogged before about how I am somewhat obsessed with exercising. In my post on My Love Of Food, I take you back to my super skinny high school days followed by my freshmen 40. Exercising was something I knew nothing about, until I wanted to lose weight for my wedding. Since that time, I fell completely in love with exercising! My 30 minutes to hour of exercise, I do almost daily, has become my sanctuary time for myself. I have always had a gym to work out in, so imagine my heartbreak when we purchased a house in the country and I found out that the nearest gym (that provides daycare) would be close to a 30 minute drive. NO THANK YOU! I decided to try something that I have always dreaded...running outside.

I am not a runner. I remember running the mile in junior high and seriously finishing in about 18 minutes. (BTW, I walk a 14.5 minute mile now so I must have stopped half way and took a nap or something.) This picture really sums up my view on running:
Don't get me wrong, I have used and abused many treadmills of my gym years, but I find when I have actually tried to run outside I am totally exhausted after a short distance. Maybe it's the fact that I find the treadmill a little threatening (I mean, if you quit running you'll fly off the back!). Or maybe it's the feeling that if I have others around me it will push me to keep running. Whatever it is, I have always dreaded running outside; it's no picnic! There are so many environmental factors that you don't find in a gym. You have hills, wind, heat, cold, uneven terrain, and the smells (more on that later.) I have always envied long distance outside runners. It's tough work to run long distances and I have never understood how some people can just run, for what seems to me, like forever! I have always envied girls like this:
When it actually comes down to running outside, I would actually eat the cookie while thinking about how hard it is to run that mile outside!I am surrounded by runners and each of them in their own way have motivated me to finally get out there and do it! (Oh and the fact I have don't have a gym anymore!)

My husband is a runner. He ran cross country in high school and runs about 20 miles a week and let me tell you, (I am just not saying this because I am his wife) but he has some of the best looking legs I have ever seen! My old roommate and good friend Greta, has always been a runner. I am not exactly sure how far she runs, but I do know that she has some killer six pack abs! It's obvious that running has been great for her. Also, I have an old coworker that I still stay in touch with on facebook, Lea, who's daily 6 mile runs, multiple races, and blog has all been quite inspirational.

And let's not forget the famous inspirational runners:

Lola

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Simon Pegg
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and of course Forest Gump.

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So I decided to become a runner about two months ago, and I have learned a few things about running (which I will go into detail later with my blog on Lessons For New Runners,) but the best thing I have learned is running gets results. I have lost 1 inch around my hips, 1/2 inch around my waist, and I have a little line of ab definition! I made it down to a 10 minute mile and now run about 4.5 miles at a time.

I have somewhat become a big fan of running, which totally surpises me. I love challenging myself each day I go out. I try to run just a little faster or a little farther. I would ideally like to just do a regular 5 mile run a few times a week. The one downside I have found from running is that my calves have gotten bigger :( Oh well, I guess you have tradeoffs with everything.

I hope this post motivates some of you out there to get out there and give running a try. I just want to remind you that if I can run 4.5 miles, you can!

~Beth