Yesterday I ran on the treadmill for the first time in a long time. It was also the most miles I have logged at one time since I can't remember when, EIGHT! Crazy, because I used to pound out 8 a day 5 days a week when I didn't know how wonderful being outside was. That was probably a product of being overweight and not being comfortable with how I looked in public.
Someone posted this article entitled 10 Commandments of Sincerely Unapologetic Runners on the Boise Trail Runners page over the weekend and I got to thinking about #6? I have wanted to go without a shirt many times but even after 4 years of weight loss maintenance I still haven't found my comfort zone. Well, I have decided, as pointed out in the article, if it offends someone that is their problemo!
I can't honestly tell you how many inches I lost around the middle but it's somewhere in the range of 20. The fact that I only have as much saggy skin as I do is actually quite amazing. So when I ran outside over the weekend I shed the shirt and was comfortable in my own skin. My kids like to tell me I have a 2 pack with a sag pack, or a flab pack, or a number of other encouraging uplifting names. But for me it is constant reminder of where I was.
As I was running down Cole Road into the wind at around a 7 minute mile I passed another runner. It reminded me of running the same stretch of road back in 2009 and regularly getting passed by a 60 year old woman. The first few times I saw here I thought how cool it was that she was still getting out and running. Until I realized she was faster than me! Then I made it one of my mini-goals to someday be faster than her. It would be fun to see her again and tell her thank you for motivating me when I was still at the, 'this sucks why do people do this' stage of running. I think every runner was at the stage at some point and I was no exception.
Goals are dreams with deadlines. Stop dreaming! I took control of my life and with the help of many wonderful people I was able to lose 135 pounds in 11 months. Set a goal, tell everyone who will listen, and stick to your plan. You can do it!!
Props on going shirtless. You've definitely earned it.
ReplyDeleteAnd serious props for enduring that long on a dreadmill!
It feels more practical from a performance standpoint. It helps you shed body heat and keep you cooler...unless you are a ginger with mayo white skin that torches in the heat! Not sure wearing a hydration pack would work either. I wore a tank top at my marathon a few weeks ago and noticed it helped clear the heat...I will be experimenting. Congrats on your run at Bryce! I haven't gotten the first hand accounts from the Boise guys but it sounded awesome!
Delete