Monday Mix-Up – Running

I’ve been on an extreme weight loss program for the last five months. Doctor supervised, of course, and with the benefit of an exercise specialist and nutritionist. It’s been a long, hard road and I’m not quite done yet, but I’ve reached a point where my weight loss has hit the dreaded plateau. As my doctor informed me, the body adapts to its 800 calorie daily diet in an effort to reserve calories. The exercise specialist also informed me that my body has adapted to just walking and is no longer burning as many calories. Their answer? Up the ante.

Now, five months ago I was completely sedentary. I spent all my time behind a desk or in my comfy cozy club chair with my laptop working on my latest WIP. Walking five miles a day is a huge improvement and yet I’ve been informed that it’s no longer enough. Seriously?

Because I’m serious about this endeavor, I took their advice to heart. After a lot of soul searching, I decided the answer was to run. Prior to this I always pledged that I would never run unless someone was chasing me and I’ve been able to stick to it. Back in high school, I would do ANYTHING to escape running. I stayed after school and did extra credit on my lunch or study hall. Once, I slipped up and actually ran a mile during gym class and my time was extremely fast. After that I got a C in the class because my teacher knew that I’d been holding out on her. But I digress…

I got a couple of running apps on my phone, made up a “running” playlist and hit the pavement. The first week was miserable. I thought I would die. Everything jiggled, bounced, and flapped when I ran. I could only go about twenty feet. But I kept at it. Three weeks later, I’m hooked. I even went running in the rain a few days ago, which I had always considered crazy. And today I went a mile and a half. It felt great!

I hope I can continue on this road to self-improvement. My mind is clearer. My stress level is decreasing, and I’m much more productive. Whenever I feel writer’s block approaching, I grab my running shoes and head out the door. I only wish I’d started sooner.