I Propose a New Rule...

In just over a month several things in my life have changed quite a bit thanks this this new found love of running.

Before: Exercise occurred when I walked downstairs to leave and then realized I forgot my keys or phone and had to go back upstairs to get them.

Before: Going to the gym meant I was going to church for some function/event to be held in the gymnasium (said event would not have anything to do with physical activity).

Before: Tennis shoes were those things at the back of my closet that I only dug out if it were too cold outside for flip flops and there was a chance I might get my shoes dirty (ie - when cleaning out the garage or sweeping the sidewalk).

Before: Saturday mornings were spent sleeping in as late as possible. My child is a night owl - which for 6 days a week really stinks. But on Saturday I can let her sleep and then I get to sleep.

Now: I'm running four days a week (like actually running) plus doing some form of low-impact cardio two days a week and maybe some resistance or core training thrown in a couple times just for fun. (Note: Before all this running nonsense, half of the words in the previous sentence were not even part of my vocabulary.)

Now: Going to the gym is something I do EVERY day. And, I don't mean "going to the church". By "gym" I mean that place where spandex is acceptable, sweating means you're having a good time and protein shakes are thought to be tasty.

Now: My running shoes rarely even make it to the closet. I usually need to wear them again before I get around to putting them away.

Now: With every Saturday morning comes our team run. That's right, I spend my Saturday mornings RUNNING!!

Anyone who's known me for a long time may be frightened and concerned after reading this...especially the part about running on Saturday mornings. But, let me assure you, these changes are for the better. I think...they are for the better, right? Yes, yes, I'm sure this is a good thing.

My activities have changed, my size has changed (literally, I've lost many pounds), the amount of pain I feel on a daily basis has changed. But, maybe more importantly, my ideals have changed, my thought process has changed, my determination has changed...who I am and what I believe and what think is important has all changed (i.e. watching TV is not nearly as important or time consuming as it was just a few weeks ago; frivolous spending is not nearly as fun as it used to be; having water at my fingertips at any given moment is no longer something I take for granted).

Yes, these changes are for the better...and hopefully this is only the beginning.

This post turned out to be a good deal more insightful than I'd originally planned. I intended to talk about the torture known as Sports Bra and propose that all men should have to run in said torture device at least once so they would understand the pain and discomfort it causes. I was also going to suggest that the men on our H2O Runners team be the first men to try out this new rule...but I'll save that for another post.

By Chrystal Murphy