Running...with friends

This past Thursday I hit a personal mile stone, albeit a weird one. I ran long enough that I actually felt I was going to be sick afterwards. I turned to two of my best friends and said, "I've heard about people running so much they made themselves sick but I never thought that would happen to me". They laughed and helped me walk to the car so I could SLOWLY sip water. Then we stretched and headed home.

Although its weird, I am extremely proud of this moment. I have tried to become a runner several times in my life. I have failed miserably and had pretty much given up altogether until last week when I discovered my two best friends from college (Dany and Tell) were going to start running together twice a week at a local park. Dany recently got on a running kick and has been completing 5k races for a few months. Tell and I have been doing nothing to get ourselves in shape, unless you count complaining (which personally, I do). Thus, our band of runners was formed.

Two weeks ago was my first week running with them and it was hard. Really hard. I could barely breath, my legs wanted to give up somewhere around the one mile mark, and my head ached. The only reason I was able to finish both runs that week was because I was with two people that I knew loved me and were not judging me for my performance. I have always had an issue running with others for fear of looking weaker and less capable than them. The beauty of this arrangement is that both of these women are amazingly kind and encouraging to me and I never feel this way when I am with them. During our run yesterday words came out of my mouth after finishing the first mile that I never though I would say. I said, "Wow! That was really easy!" If it hadn't been for my friends' love and support I never would have made it long enough to have this be something I ever considered possible for myself.

There is a classic fable from the collection of Aesop's Fables called, "The Tortoise and the Hare". In this story the Hare is taunting the Tortoise so the Tortoise challenges him to a race. The Hare agrees and quickly takes a big lead. The Hare decides to nap and when he wakes up he sees that the Tortoise has won the race. Throughout my life I have tried to be like the Hare and lose weight very quickly over a short period of time and then become lazy after I feel progress has been made. What I have learned is that this kind of weight loss is not sustainable. It's possible to lose but almost impossible (for me anyway) to maintain that weight afterwards. One analysis of the fable stated that  "many people have good natural abilities which are ruined by idleness; on the other hand, sobriety, zeal and perseverance can prevail over indolence". I plan on becoming like the Tortoise this time and losing weight slowly, but steadily. 

I want this blog to be several things for me throughout this journey. I would like it to be a record of how I have progressed, and although a personal journal would suit that purpose, what I also need is accountability from several sources. I have a hard time following through with certain things and exercise has always been one of them. I'm not asking that you read my entries every single time I post, but just knowing it's available to others and that if I slack off there might be some hell to pay, that might be just the motivation I need to accomplish this goal. I also plan on using this blog to record tidbits of good advice I get about running specifically, but eating healthier and exercising in general. I will also be sharing more about how my issues with my weight has caused me to try some pretty strict diets and my honest opinion about some of the things I have tried. I am not a doctor, but I think that by sharing my personal experiences about fad diets I have tried might help someone see a different perspective of something they are considering trying.

To end, I would like to list my short term goals.

1. To run two times a week, for 1 month. (I am two weeks in to this goal)
2. To exercise, for at least 30 minutes, on the days I do not run. (One rest day a week)
3. To lose 5-10 pounds by the end of the year.

Thank you for reading this inaugural post of Slow and Steady!

  <----- This guy might be slow, but he's a winner!