SimplyComplexJen

I'll admit it. I let myself get fat in the last 2 years. As in the-only-time-I-weighed-that-much-was-when-I-was-8-months-pregnant type fat. Why? I could go into all the reasons. It started with a funk that lasted about 6 months after a particularly bad year.. then there was work issues, and a broken heart in there, then a stress fracture from running a relay, and sprinkle in life. But after that funk? It's all me refusing to get off my ass. Pure and Simple.

So, since Halloween of 2008 (about 5 months ago) I decided to get off my ass and start running regularly again. That was hard decision simply because I remember running being fun and good and my favorite part of my week. The cadence of falling into a good rhythm, the ability to think out problems, and the sense of accomplishment when I went further and faster than the week before.

Why was it hard to get back into it? It wasn't fun. I was slow and felt fat and it was HARD. No wonder people who have never been runners give up so easily.

So, I battled the bulge and the treadmill. I had a little setback in January with "walking pneumonia." (I'm still trying to figure that out *sigh*) I wish I could say I was sick feeling, but I had just had this horrible hacking cough and tired for weeks on end.

Since Thanksgiving, I've lost 16 pounds. I'd love to lose about 15 more to get back to my pre-funk running weight, but we'll see.

There has been many victories over the last few weeks... it's not the number on the scale, but how I feel. Since Jan, I've (re)learned to swim, and put my ego aside and took swim lessons at the age of 31! I FEEL fit! I feel stronger and leaner. I'm no longer losing 2 pounds a week now (I'd like to think that is because of muscle weight), but I have other victories than the number on the scale. When I swam (swum? swimmed? I hate that verb) 100m in the pool when 6 weeks prior I could barely finish 25? That is a victory. When I tell people my running workouts actually have names like Fartlek and Tempos and Intervals, I feel great. When I have friends attempting a 5k because my overweight ass is trying a sprint tri, I feel a victory! When I pass on Friday night happy hour drinks because I know I have a 7am workout, and people stopped giving me a hard time because they know I'm serious, that is a victory.

My victories to date are so much more than a number on the scale!

(but if that number wants to continue going down just to continue feeding my ego, that is ok too! haha)