Why?

So, while I'm icing my knees, I'll write todays blog.

I was having a conversation at the gym today after class that I thought would be a great blog topic.  Why did I fight this process so hard before?  Why didn't I start making this change sooner?

I was telling my friend Tracy about doing Building Steam and running in the Steamboat Classic.  She was giving me some tips about getting to my endorphins.  I wasn't sure what she meant.  She said that most runners (even experienced runners that have been doing it for years) will tell you that all of them have a point when running that they have to reach before they actually want to do it.  She said for her, she knows that the first 6 minutes are the hardest.  In those first 6 minutes, her body is telling her to stop, that it doesn't want to do this.  But then she hits the 6 minute mark and it is smooth sailing.  She almost cant stop.  She said I just need to find that point for myself that gets me to my endorphins.  To pay attention to when that happens and then going forward, make sure I run at least that long. 

I made the statement that I know about myself that I want to be a runner.  It will be the middle of the work day and I really have a strong desire to just go out and run.  I'll be sitting there and I'll say to myself, "I wish I could just leave and go run now."  A lot a times it's, "I wish I could just go Turbo right now."  But for someone who hasn't really started running yet, I feel like I have the urge to run a lot.  She said that shows my metabolism is up.  That my body is actually telling me that it has been idle for too long and that it needs some action. 

Nikki said how she can't miss a workout now.  Even a year ago she would think to herself, "Oh, it's just one class."  And now she wouldn't dream missing a workout unless it just couldn't be helped.

I am feeling the same way!  And so again, I ask myself, "Why didn't I do this thing that makes me so happy and that I have so much fun doing sooner?" 

I know the reasons I used before were because of money and even more because it was going to be hard.  I've found that it was hard money wise for me to think about doing it, but when I was able to and really got into it, I was spending so much less money on other things because this is what I do.  I rarely spend money on going out to eat anymore which I would say was the #1 thing I spent money on.  And the #1 thing of the #1 thing I spent money on - FAST FOOD!  I can't tell you the last time I had fast food.  I do know the last fast food I had was a chicken sandwich from Wendy's.  But, that was so long ago I don't even remember when.  I would say before now, that was where my money went.  THAT IS SAD!  Now, if I spend money, it is on the hobbies that I REALLY care about.  And I still don't do that often, because I'm too tired!  ;o)

And there are some very hard things about going through this process.  But, the friends that I'm making and the encouragement I get from them, my instructors, and my instructing friends is so incredible that I couldn't think of not doing this with them on a regular basis.  I have my hobbies that I would like to keep, but I now have just as much passion about the health of my body as I did about the health of my mind before.

What a wonderful feeling.