Cori's comment

I love Cori's comment from my last blog.  Thought I'd add a quick follow-up from that as a new post.  I love physical exercise.  In the last year I was lifting weights and doing strength training 2 days a week.  It was a great time to connect with a friend too.  Said friend began training for a half marathon and we stopped working out.  I mostly continued lifting some weights out of my living room.  It wasn't the same: I wasn't lifting as much and I missed my friend.  About the time Michelle was ready to lift again I hurt my back and wasn't lifting much of anything.  More time passed and when I was ready to start lifting weights for strength training again, Michelle was moving to Ames. 
 
I know that I love and need exercise.  Even the 2 days a week I was doing wasn't enough but it was all that I would make time for.  I kept saying that I was going to get on the treadmill the mornings that Ryan worked out but that never happened either. 
 
When I was reading the June issue of Prevention Magazine, I was encouraged and motivated to start running.  After all, I didn't have a lifting partner and I certainly wasn't motivated to do it myself.  The "Yes, You Can Run" article had a simple work out schedule.  I didn't even try to follow it exactly, but I remembered one thing it said: "run the given distance, taking walking breaks as needed.  If you can only run 15-30 seconds at a time to start, that's okay".  Well, that was the push I needed.  I began running on our driveway.  Up and back on our driveway is 1 mile.  The first few times, I did a lot of walking, especially on the hill.  Over time, I have quickly improved.  I don't get to run daily (I am a busy working mom after all), but I make a point to run regularly and take breaks from running when life is crazy or my legs are super sore. 
 
I found that running not only was a source of exercise, but it has also been a source of "me" time.  I don't normally give myself that time because there's always something to do around the house, kids that need atttention and love, etc.  The quiet run has been great. I put on some running clothes, grab my ipod and get moving.  My mind doesn't know how to stop, it's in constant motion.  This new running adventure has also been a lesson in being quiet, without all the mind business, and focusing on listening to a podcast or something like that.
 
As I've run, I've improved.  Just the other night when I was dead tired after a full day at work, and a full and hot night of bible school, I was ready for bed.  But our bible school shirts had to be laundered.  Rather than start laundry, climb two stories of stairs (not a big deal, but I'm lazy at 10pm) to lay in bed and then get up to change laundry, I decided to stay in the basement and run on the dreaded treadmill.  (I'd so rather run outside where I can enjoy a breeze and some sunshine on my pale skin).  I popped in the earbuds and began listening to a book.  As the washer finished it's cycle, I was too busy running and listening to care.  It was a slow run because it had been a long break.  I only ran a mile but I didn't even get winded.  I was so excited.  That is, until I clicked over to see how many calories I'd burned.  88.  Seriously, that's half a snack!  I may enjoy running but I need to burn more calories than that!
 
Enter Jen, my physical therapist friend.
 
The next day Jen approached me about working out.  We'd chatted about it in the early summer but we both have busy schedules.  Jen wanted to start next week.  Woo-hoo!  I'm super excited about that - the working out, not the getting up early.  Maybe a few of the other girls will join us.  Now that I'm hooked on running, I'm planning to continue that and incorporate the other stuff back in.  After bible school, I'll be eager to go back to core strengthening exercises too!  And let's not forget that hubby likes to join me for specific exercise too :)