Run, Chris, Run

Well, I did it! And I surprised myself. I was toying with the idea of at least walking on the treadmill tonight, but not necessarily running. I figured I'd mix a little burst of speed into my walk here and there, but otherwise just do a brisk walk.

All that changed once I got on the treadmill, however. For some reason I just had the urge to run, maybe because I wasn't able to on Sunday, and because I've been absolutely itching to do so for a while now. And I kept up a pretty good pace for a long time, until the last five minutes or so, when I started to get really tired. I'd say I did almost 30 minutes of straight running, which was about two miles at my pace. Not too shabby for someone who hasn't run at all since late July, and who has been eating cheeseburgers and fries and candy and cookies for the last few months. That kind of eating is something I used to rarely do, but for some reason I gave myself the green light one I was back from my honeymoon to go crazy on the snarfing.

Anyhow, I wanted to share my news with you all, and I've been very touched by your words of encouragement and kindness. And to those of you out there who are thinking of doing the same thing, or struggling with your current exercise or diet program, don't despair. Give me a shout and we can chat about it if you want. I've been there and back so many times my head spins when I think about it. I used to be over 50 pounds overweight back when I was 18, and I dropped all that weight and have kept (most of) it off since then, which hasn't been too hard. So struggling for the last few years with my weight has been difficult and discouraging, but every so often I get motivated, and I try to run with that (ha ha). So seriously, if I can help you the way you've helped me, just let me know.

And now that I've showered and I'm all clean, I'm getting sleepy, so I'd best be bloggin' before I conk out!

Photo of the Week: "It's Time"

I was at the doctor yesterday and found out that not only is my blood pressure really high, but I've gained a total of 20 pounds over the last four years. Not good, not good at all. That actually has scared me into changing my ways, especially having high blood pressure, which I don't normally have.

So I'm reuniting with these old friends of mine, my New Balance 805 running shoes. Well-loved and well-worn, they have carried me through many a run, whether outside in the forest preserve or in my basement on our old treadmill. They helped me get in shape for my wedding this summer, and now they're ready to help me do it again. They've been patiently waiting for me to wear them again, and now I'm back. Yay!

It's time to get back on the treadmill, sidewalks, paths, and get back into shape. Time to get healthy and watch what I eat, take care of myself, and rediscover my formerly healthy body. I miss it so much, too. I miss feeling healthy and good every day, I miss feeling energetic, I miss being shapely and fitting in all my clothes, and I miss the good feeling I get from taking care of myself. I just miss feeling at the top of my game and feeling good about my body, and I've let things get to this point, so it's my fault. So I'm going to be the one to make it right and make the change. And that change starts with these shoes. My first run is scheduled for Sunday morning, but I'll definitely be doing some walking before then.

And in the spirit of being healthier, I'm going to take a breather tonight (Thursday) and hit the hay early. I've been up since 3:10 a.m. because I had to drive to Pete to work early, and I'm tired and achy and just plain run down. So I'm going to abstain from blogging tonight (including reading all my favorite blogs, boo hoo!) and get some rest.

I'll see you all tomorrow!