Hello, I believe the official term is "newb"

Hi, all!

I'm a "newb" and just wanted to give everybody a howdy!

About me? Well, I'm a 27 yo married woman in the middle of Cheesehead country. I've a dog and a HUGE garden.

Oh, and I'm training for a half marathon.

You see, I have never been a thin adult. I remember being skinny as a rail as a child, then puberty struck and <booooosch> I exploded. And the funny thing is I've always been happy with myself. No negativity issues when looking in a mirror, I was happy and healthy and feeling good, hovering just under 200 lbs.

Then this April, I met with my doctor. Wonderful woman, who checked my cholesterol and eeep! whoopsie daisy! just a leeeetle elevated. We also talked about the possibility of my husband and me starting our family and how I really should drop at least 10% of my weight beforehand to keep and stay healthy during a pregnancy. I expressed some frustration at every time I've attempted to lose weight, it kills round 170 and I'm so-effing-hungry-all-the-time. She said I should stop looking at weight loss goals and start looking at fitness goals and suggested I run a half marathon.

I'll be honest. I laughed in her face. Wha-what? 200 pound people don't often get to 200 pounds by loving to run 13.1 miles! How ridiculous, I thought. Then, I went home. And as I usually do when someone who's smarter than me tells me something true that I don't want to hear, I processed her advice; and, much like the stages of grief, I ran through a myriad of emotions before I finally came to the final stage of acceptance. Heck, she was right.

I started to do some research, started to talk to some friends who were runners, and started--gently--to run. And, holy mackerel! I liked it! How had I not discovered, in my 27 years of living, that I actually enjoyed running?

Well, that's because of a few factors, actually. Number One, I have to go S-L-O-W. As a friend said, I'm pushing around almost half again the weight she's pushing around, so if I try to match her seven minute miles, I'm only going to max out my heart rated, get uncomfortable fast and quit. Number Two, I like running outside, not indoors on a treadmill. I see birds defending their territory from squirrels, smell the lilacs and roses that are blooming now, and watch little kids run around a sprinkler in their swim suits. Every day is different and every day I discover something new. Number Three, I have to have pounding rock or dance music cued up to my mp3 player with a beat I can move my feet to. Number Four, I really like beating the goals I have set for myself. I'll tell ya, the first time I ran 3 miles, I went into the run thinking I wasn't going to get all the way through it without stopping. But I was so energized towards the end of it, I sprinted the last quarter mile.

So, anyway, I'm working my way up to four miles this week and I have three and a half months left before the half marathon. I've started a Facebook group and all my friends and family are on it cheering me on (my sister even paid my registration fee). I've also lost six pounds total, but gained a TON of muscle (I can't believe how strong I am!).

So, this is me: working toward a fitness goal of running a half-marathon. And, I'll tell ya, it feels really good!

Thanks, all, for hearing me blather! I hope to chat with you all as I grow and develop!

jasminesylphs