a new love affair

Okay, so I haven't gotten much better at blogging. It's been nearly two months. The time really does fly! Perhaps now that I have a new computer it will get easier?? Who knows...with 6 kids, spare time is sparse. ;)

So I'm here today to tell you about my new love affair. Yes, that's right. A love affair. I might be addicted to running, and it's only been two weeks! I haven't confessed this to too many people, but I hated running. No big deal, many great and advanced runners hate running. No shocker. But I really, really, truly LOATHED it. I avoided it at all costs. I tried only to do it in emergency situations. You know the ones where your kid is running away from you in a packed parking lot and you catch her just before she crosses paths with an oncoming car? I have truly viewed running as some sort of punishment and that anyone who chose to do it for "fun" must really didn't like themselves that much. I tried in college to make myself love it, but I injured my knee...yes, running...and I never did it again. At least not until one of those aforementioned emergency situations. So a couple of months ago, I started walking with some neighborhood girlfriends. Mostly, I just loved the company and the time away, even if it was at ungodly hours of the morning and in the freezing cold of winter. We would chat about how we could never run like the other group that was out at the same time as us, and how we had no real desire to do so. But then it came up...what if? Surprisingly, it was me who brought it up. What if we started running? That was it...that week, we started running. Since we seemed to be in the same place fitness wise, we started the couch to 5k. We are finishing up week 5 on Saturday. Here's the real issue though...I LOVE IT! I look forward to it. I am no longer trying to make up excuses as to why I can't get up and go. I can't say I don't dread a new workout, like the 20 minute constant run we are doing on Saturday...but I am enjoying pushing myself...and relishing in my success once I have achieved my goal. I never knew before why it was I hated running so much. I do now...it has been my asthma. I have never been able to get my breathing under control enough to push myself through the pain. That just makes the pain worse. It is only by the Lord's hand that I now have a handle on my breathing. Running feels good...even when I am not doing it. I can feel the effects all day long! I have never felt so healthy even though I am far from my time, distance, or weight loss goals! God is so good!