Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Day 8: Running

I don't really like "new year's resolutions", so I never make any. This year I happened to decide to start running right around New Years, but this wasn't a "resolution". It was more of a goal. People keep telling me that some day my metabolism will slow down, and I won't be able to eat whatever I want. What?! No more candy and pizza whenever I want. I don't think I'll be able to give that up. So to combat the effects of aging, I've started running. I want to get in the habit now, so that when the time comes that my metabolism can't keep up with my oh so healthy eating habits I'll have some other way to burn calories. Pretty much, I just want to be able to eat anything the rest of my life. And I know that in order to accomplish this lofty goal, exercise has to be part of the equation. Now that I've been smacked right upside the head with a dose of the real world (this occurred when I left the bubble of Provo), going to work, finishing pre-reqs, and sleeping have become MAJOR priorities in my life. This is not to say that I exercised by any means at BYU, but I did at least walk to class everyday and wasn't nearly as stressed out. Now I sit in the car for hours each day, sit in class for hours, and come home and lay for hours because I simply can't muster the strength to do anything else. Oh, and I occasionally walk up and down the stairs outside to take Killer potty. 

Well, we live in a great place to go running. Our apartment complex is full of trees and paved loops that could make running enjoyable. I've never been a runner. Ever. The only time I've ever run, really run, in my whole life was in middle school when we had to run at least an 8-minute mile to get the Presidential Fitness Award. That was the last time I ran and the furthest also. I was, however, in the best shape of my life in high school when I swam and dove. But those two sports are much, much different than running. I don't have a pool I can swim in around here since I don't want to pay for a gym membership. So since they say running is good for you, I figured maybe I should try it.

I don't have the most time in the world, but I try to go running three times a week (Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays) because those are literally the only days I can spare an hour. Some weeks I can only run once or twice, and some weeks I just don't make it at all, despite my efforts (or my need to watch the Biggest Loser, which you can read about HERE). But I have been working hard. I am nowhere near where I thought I'd be after 3 months, but I am happy with the progress I've made seeing as how I've never done anything like this and it's quite the time sacrifice.

Killer loves to run. That's all she does when she goes outside. Even when we put her on a leash, she chokes herself trying to pull us behind her because she needs to run and we're only walking. Now that she's getting older (she'll be 10 months on the 20th), she's starting to need a little more exercise than the occasional ball chasing in the field beside our house. So I meet all her needs by taking her running with me. She loves it! She would be really ecstatic if I could run as fast as she could, but I don't think it's humanly possible (especially from this very slow human). She's seriously the fastest small dog we've ever seen (minus two Italian greyhounds that we recently met at the dog park), and can outrun anything.

On day 8 (a Tuesday no less) Killer and I went to the Chattahoochee River Walk and went running. I usually have class on Tuesdays, which was why this day wasn't included in the 3 days I can run, but it's spring break (woo-hoo...now if only I didn't have to go to work...). And I usually run in our apartment complex, but the River trail has mile markers, and I wanted to see how far I could go. No, I'm not telling, so don't ask. It's an embarrassingly low mileage.

Here we are after we got home to a worried Brad. He somehow missed the note I left him saying where we had gone and why we wouldn't be around when he got home from work. Oops! Please ignore the creepy green glowing eyes.

Love, Courtney & Killer

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