Here’s the great thing about having lived a life in fear of physical activity- I was afraid of so much that I have lots of celebrations and milestones that are all kind of piling up now! My body is chock full of opportunities to show me how efficiently it really can work! Add losing weight to that and I feel like I’m crowing about some new accomplishment or milestone every other day! It feels good, though.
Today I have another milestone. I ran 1.75 miles WITHOUT STOPPING! My average mph was a bit over ten (I’m terrible with the math for some reason) per mile and my total run time was 17:03 minutes. A bit over 10 minute mile? Amazeballs! So taking long strides made a huge difference! I remember not so long ago when I ran for 12 straight minutes and made it about half a mile. That was barely a month ago! I still look at that as such a ginormous accomplishment. Running 17 minutes straight and making 1.75 miles is unfathomable. But, I just did it, so I guess not.
(If you read this an hour or two ago, I had all kinds of wrong numbers in here. I tried doing the math for what my mph was WHILE running up the hill trying to distract myself. I got two steps into my equations, couldn’t process and just thought oh! I guess I ran this much this fast BUT I LEFT OFF A QUARTER MILE! Silly ole me.)
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Motivation
When Gigi was a baby I had this horrible dream one night. I was at the Bellingham Bellis Fair Mall over by the Red Robin (for those not in the know, it is a huge parking area that is rarely occupied, so there is lots of free space) and my car wouldn’t start. Of course, it’s the middle of the night in the dream, the mall is closed and no one is around. Gigi was just a baby in the dream too and all of the sudden this guy rides up in a motorcycle with a milk crate tied on the back with bungee cords. He grabs Gigi and I manage to barely get up as he’s stepping away from me with her. He’s mocking me as he backs slowly up to his motorcycle, drops Gigi in the crate and tries to start the cycle. I know that if I run I can catch him, I start running awkwardly, my knees hurt, my muscles burn, I’m almost there. His bike fails and I keep running, but I get so exhausted and I’m so out of practice with any kind of physical activity that my muscles are just apathetic. Tired, failing, I lose my balance and barely brush the edge of her sweater with my fingertips as he rides away, her little dark eyes staring back at me through the darkness. I try to run, but know it’s pointless. And there I am, completely helpless to save her, crying, wondering if I will ever see her again, what will happen to her, to our family, how I will explain this to everyone, and how I am going to live with this for the rest of my life? In the dream I knew that if I had been more physically fit that I wouldn’t have watched her ride away. I could have saved her. If only I could run. Even a little.
Determination
Today I joke that if the movie Zombieland were accurate, while I wouldn’t be the fastest of the runners to get away, I wouldn’t be the slowest either. I would have a chance, however small, because I do cardio and I can run a mile, now a mile and a half, without stopping. While a mile isn’t very far if zombies are coming, I also know that over time my endurance would pick up, that I would get faster, that my body is capable. It’s showing me that right now. I don’t need to succumb to the zombies, to give up. And while I’m being kind of silly about the zombies, I’m dead serious about being so happy to have yet one more tool that can help to take care of my kids. No man is gonna throw my baby into a milk crate! And if he tries, he will feel the wrath of Tam-RAH!
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I have to humbly acknowledge that I am amassing a small readership (small because how can that many people be this awesome, amiright?!). I want to say welcome and thank you for coming. I welcome your presence, your feedback, your questions and comments!