I've finally got doctor clearance to begin exercising again (I burst a blood vessel in my eye during the summer and I couldn't do anything that would raise the blood pressure in the eye - not even yoga). My hubby and I went hiking yesterday at a local conservation area; it was cold but I layered up in my new winter running gear and was fine. It was a hilly 3.6k but easily achievable. My daughter and I are doing the Resolution Run 5k tonight at our local Running Room (we're walking it) and I've signed up for the Learn to Run 10 week session that starts on Monday. I haven't run for about 5 years, but I used to do 5-7k most days. I know how to get myself from walking to running over a couple of months, but I thought it would be more fun to do it in a group and that it would help hold me accountable in the frigid winter when it's more tempting to just curl up in front of the fire.
I expect to register for the Frosty 5k at the beginning of March and am considering registering for a local 10k at the end of May. I've never run that far before, but since I've done 8k on my own plenty of times, I'm pretty confident that I could do it. I'm not interested in any distances beyond that, though. I have asthma so I always do a run 10, walk 1 pattern.
I'm down 18 pounds since starting WW in mid-October. I gave myself permission to just maintain for the last three weeks of December (one business trip, a two day conference where I had no ability to influence what food I was served, Christmas itself plus a couple of parties), but I lost a little over 2 pounds over the last 3 weeks. I'm happy with that. My birthday is Friday and we're going out for dinner, so we'll see what Saturdays weigh-in looks like. As of now I'm down a pound or so since last Saturday.
I reached out to a couple of friends that I never seem to find time to keep up with, and we're going to start a Saturday afternoon brisk walk together this week. I'm trying to do better at seeing friends than I have been (work and my family seem to consume almost all my waking hours), so this will help on that front too. Plus, we can all use the exercise!
I knew I was out of shape, but last summer's family trip really highlighted just how much to me. When we were walking hills in Scotland, I kept having to stop and let the family go on without me so I could catch my breath. I hated that; I was always the one at the front. I can't stop aging, but I can and will improve my fitness again. My goal is to be down another 35 pounds by next summer (we're going to Australia in August) and be in reasonable shape. Both are achievable. I was wearing a size 16 when I started in October and I'm in a 12 now. At what used to be my 'normal', fit but not skinny, weight I'm a 6. I have an athletic build (muscular thighs and calves, broad shoulders) so I'm never a twig.
