Getting into Gear

As I said in my last post, I started running a few months ago.  Although, I thought I was crazy at first, I really did start to see some improvement after a while.  I was able to run longer, and clothes were getting a little looser.  I didn't see much difference on the scale, but I think that was because my muscles were becoming more defined again.  They do say muscle weighs more than fat.

My biggest inspiration to start this endeavor was definitely my mom.  She started running about two years ago, and it has totally changed her life.  Not only does she look better than she ever has, she has found something she truly loves to do.  She has done many races now, including a marathon, and already has eight races lined up for the first five months of 2014.  She gives me the motivation I need to keep going.  As she always says, she's twice my age so, if she can do it, I can do it.  She has also bought me most of my running gear.  She bought me several clothes that make running so much easier.  Then for Christmas, she got me some amazing gifts.  One of the biggest problems I had during my first two races was that my feet were KILLING me.  My mom figured out that my shoes were terrible for me.  I've always had incredibly wide feet, and normal shoes can work as long as I'm not doing too much activity in them.  Running is apparently too much activity.  To fix this problem, my mom got me running shoes that really fit!  Aren't they beautiful?

Along with those fabulous shoes, she also got me a running watch!  These watches are very expensive and nice.  Not only will it track your time, it will also track your distance and pace.  I loved it when I ran with my mom's, and I hated running my races not knowing where I was in the race.  It's so much easier to motivate yourself when you know how far you have gone and how fast you are going.  It's also pretty cute too.  

Now I have all of the gear I need to get really into my running.  I have offically made my goal for this year to run a mini-marathon.  There is one in October I want to do.  I know it's ten months away, but the training for it really needs to start now, especially for me.  Wish me luck!

The Start of a Long Journey

In the last several years, (basically, since I left high school) I have become quite inactive and gained a lot of weight.  I was never exactly a twig, nor will I ever be.  My very wide hips definitely make sure of that.  However, I would love to be healthier.  In the last four months, I started running, and I've actually run a couple 5K races so far.  I'm really enjoying the fact that my pants are starting to feel a little looser as well.  Last week, I recieved an email at work about a weight loss challenge that will be starting next week.  I was thrilled when I learned about it because I work best when I have something keeping me accountable.  I decided to not only participate in the challenge, but to document my progress on a blog.  The challenge only runs for eight weeks, but my goal is keep up this lifestyle for even longer.  I'll be posting my progress, as well as running inspiration, race stats, favorite recipes, and probably the many set backs I will come across, and hopefully, by the end, I will be a slimmer, but more importantly, a healthier person.