Where my ladies at?

Bertie is up and running, albiet in the comfort of her own home and sadly her knees are hurting. Our fearless leader finally registered for the race. 2 days ago.

Jen, are you still getting up that hill? Watch out for things burried near the Hollywood sign.

Sarah, are you still walking circles north of us? We hope so!

Jenny, maybe you're the lady that laps me in Lincoln Park? I bet so!

Kelly, welcome on board. Happy walking!

I've fallen off the wagon for a few days, but tomorrow I can be found making my way around Lincoln Park in my newly-fitted running shoes. Still huffing and puffing. Almost to 3 miles.

Huff-Puff

Good morning, ladies. It's been a relatively good morning because I jogged today. Yup, you read that right. After tossing and turning in bed, not able to sleep in on a Saturday morning and unable to think of other excuses not to get out and exercise, I went for it -- just like Jen, I put on the tight clothes, prayed to see no one that I knew, and started jogging.

I took off and decided to try to get to the Supreme Court. (If I tried to go further that would eventually hit a hill and require running back up that hill. I wasn't tempted.) I made it about a total of 18 blocks round trip. Huffing and puffing all the way.

People say good morning. Normally, I love it when random people say good morning. But there was a conspiracy in my neighborhood against me this morning. People were saying good morning just to test my fitness to see if I'll be able to return the kindness. After a while I simply gave them back a nice huff and puff with a smile.

One of my main goals for this training is to not wreck my knees from running like I did back in 1998. What's the point of losing weight if I can't strut my new svelte body because I broke my knees running 10 miles? So I tried my hardest to jog without landing on my heels. It made my calves feel the jogging much more than they would have otherwise.

I made it home in one piece! My face was red, my calves were jelly, my lungs were about to go on strike, all I wanted to do was spit up mucus, and my pants were still tight. I don't know how long I was running for or how far I ran. All I know is that I will attempt to do this again tomorrow morning.

OMG! Even my yoga pants are starting to feel tight!

I spent all morning organizing a closet that is made up of way too many pieces I had to have because I knew they would look great on me if I just lost five...ten...twenty pounds. And, in every case, the original tags are still attached. Finally I realized I couldn't put it off another minute.

I put on an old pair of capri-length workout sweats. Eeks! Those belong in the ten-pound-less pile. So I graduated to my yoga pants. Who knew it was possible to have a muffin top in yoga pants? Well, now I do! In that moment I was even more convinced that today had to be the day. So I said a little prayer: "God - please don't let me run into any cute, available bachelors looking like this" and then walked out my front door.

It was ugly. Lots of huffing and puffing...after the first 1/4 mile. Flushed cheeks and sweat from the 87-degree heat and 387 consecutive days of inactivity. And I'm pretty sure I have hay fever now. But I started, so the hard part is over, right? Ha!

At least God answered my prayer...I didn't have to run from any good-looking boys. Which is good because after my quick jaunt into the glen, running wasn't really an option.

Questions and Answers

I love having a birthday right after New Year's Day. Being born on the 10th of January, I consider my new year, and my new year's resolutions, don't need to start until then. So, by the time most people have given up or completely forgotten their new goals, I haven't failed yet...because I haven't even started.

Which means I still have five more days *not* to start my training regimen without guilt. :)

Then I read my daily devotion in this book I received from a little bird titled, "Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy." Other than referring to God as "Spirit" so as not to offend the masses who don't want to put a name on their "higher power," I am loving the quotes and the questions and the short passages that motivate personal reflection.

I wanted to share Monday's message with the rest of Martha's Bitches, I mean Pansies:

• What if you knew that a year from today you could be living the most creative, joyous, and fulfilling life you could imagine?
• What would it be?
• What changes would you make?
• How and where would you begin?

Which made me think...instead of making excuses for another 10 days, why don't I start now so I can get "there" sooner? The answer to that question is the same answer to the question: Why can't I fit into any of my pants?

But that doesn't matter now. I know how I got here. What is more important is knowing how and where I begin living "the most fulfilling life I can imagine."

Nothing is holding me back more in life than being uncomfortable in my own body and not living a healthier and more active lifestyle. And so it all begins with a 30-minute walk/run up and down the hill to my lake. Just like the schedule recommends. Tomorrow, instead of next Wednesday.

Whoops...

So when Bird first sent the email asking if I was up for this race, I was initially thinking sure I can do a 10K no problem. That's just a bit over 6 miles! So I promptly responded with a big YES. Well then I re-read the email and realized I said yes to a 10 mile run...whoops. In the end, I decided to just go for it anyway. I definitely need to lose those L.B.s and having a goal has always helped me in the past. Why is it that you turn 30 and suddenly losing weight is the hardest thing ever, but gaining weight is easy as pie (literally).

I've always included jogging as part of the way I work out. Though I have never been a long-distance runner - endurance is still definitely a problem. I did a half-marathon in 2003, where I thought I perfected the run-walk combo. The race went well, but I ended up hurting my hip-flexor and was walking funny for a few weeks after. Hoping that won't happen again, but since I'm car-less in DC and walk everywhere I feel like it should be OK this time.

I'm going to try my best to jog the whole thing, but I'm also not going to hold myself to that if I have to do some walking. For those of you that have an iPhone, I just downloaded some apps that I think will be helpful, so far I like the Couch to 10K app. I'm starting at Week 5 - it's a 12 week program and it has these run/walk combo workouts that I think we'll be really helpful. You have someone in your ear telling you when to run and when to walk, and then you slowly run more and more each week, so hopefully I can stick with it.

I'm hoping to get started with the training soon, but have been fighting a cold or worse for the last month. This thing just won't go away! But I'm hoping I'll be better enough to start this weekend. I live in Capitol Hill so I usually hit the mall for my jogs, maybe I'll see some of you out there as well fighting the cold weather!!

Here's a pic from New Years - spent it at a place called Double D's in St. Louis, and Yes it was as classy as it sounds!

Mine should say Keep Calm and Stroll On...

Adri in a nutshell

I'm about to take off for Chicago and time is tight, so I'll quickly tell you all that:

1. I ate a lot of sweets over the holidays. (I can't help it if all I can do in the kitchen is make boring salads and yummy desserts.)
2. I am about to go eat a lot of free wedding food and Chicago pizza. (I can't help it if that's the best that weddings have to offer sometimes, especially when the only person that you know there is busy getting married. And when in Chicago ...)
3. I haven't run more than 3 miles in my entire life and even that was over 10 years ago. (OK ... that I could have helped.)
4. After working next door to Bertie for about 2.2 seconds, I was under her funny spell and way to agreeable when she asked me to run 10 miles with her. (I can't help it if she's just too darn nice to say no to even if I totally disagree with her hatred for mayonnaise.)

When I get back from Chi-town, I'll post a 'before' snapshot of a dashing wedding-goer. Until then, Happy New Year, ya'll!