Why I Run

I started running in May. Actually, that's not quite right, I started walking in May, it was June before I was able to start running. Between life, stress, and the four kids, I found myself a whopping 55 pounds overweight after the birth of Christian in December. I hated being that overweight. I felt like the real me was trapped inside a fat suit and the zipper was stuck. But, I was so tired that I felt helpless.

It was at this point that a good friend recommended I take some vitamins from a company called USANA. I remembered them from the Olympics and so I started taking their vitamins. After about 2 months, I found my energy starting to return. I decided I would start walking and asked my dear friend Amy if I could join her twice a week for a walk in her hilly countryside. She agreed and that's how it all started. I would push the boys in the double stroller while the girls walked along side us. Up and down these big hills (we live in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains) for two miles.

Overtime I got stronger. I started tackling my sugar addition by removing refined sugars and replacing wheat flour instead of white. The weight started coming off. I got a treadmill from my neighbor and started walking on the days I didn't meet Amy. Being impatient, I started running so I could burn more calories faster. The weight started coming off faster - and better then that - I started FEELING healthy.

I started tracking the miles I've run in October, and since Oct. 1 I've run 86 miles. I've also lost 45 pounds since my first walk in May and the weight is still coming off. I completed my first 5K on Thanksgiving and had fun in the process. My legs are developing strong, firm muscles and the rest of my body is toning nicely. I LOVE it! It's hard, it hurts, but I feel so GOOD after each run, so strong, so proud of being able to call myself a runner, that it's worth every ache and pain.

So why do I run? During a recent run, I came up with a short list:

1. I feel closer to my Heavenly Father when I run outdoors.
2. I like the sense of accomplishment I get after each run.
3. I love early (well, OK, 7am - it's not that early!) mornings outside, the fresh air, and taking in this amazing world Heavenly Father created for us (and saying hi to the Andover cows).
4. It's my time. 30-45 minutes away from everyone, computers, cell phones, everything. It's pure alone time.
5. The fact that it's changed me in such a fundamental way - from what I eat, to how I look, to the kind of mother, wife, and teacher that I am. In short, I'm a better person because I run.