The flouncy-bouncy Running Goddess who got my butt moving!

Never have I been a runner...

I mean really...in school I would dread the "mile" days... days in advance!! 

(**Relevant middle school mile-running memory-- Once we had to run a group mile.  Four or five people to a group, everyone holding on to an outstretched jump rope.  Little ole Amanda was at the end of the rope.  This meant 4 of my 90lb. friends pulling me around the track and softball fields like a truck stuck in the snow.  It was my fastest mile run ever... )

So sometime last spring I started walking around my college campus in an attempt to lose some lb's, and every day this light and fit ponytail bouncing CREATURE would run past me every day. 

She looked something like this:


mmmm hhmmm...  go ahead and add your comments..I felt the same way!!  Just looking at her made my thighs feel like they were rubbing together more than usual. 

But instead of getting down on myself...I set a goal.  I was going to start running.  And little by little I started!

The first few days were torture.  My feet and calves were sore, and I felt like I was being dragged at the end of that jump rope again.  But every day that skinny running chick flounced past me and it made me want to keep at it even MORE!  I was so surprised at my progress within the course of only two weeks.  I could run for 15-20 minutes at a time..something I honestly thought I would never be able to accomplish!!

And while I've spent the last year going through stages of running every day for a few weeks or so and then dropping it for a few weeks... I haven't exactly seen the steady process that I was hoping for BUT when I am in a running stage I DO see and feel changes.  And they're good ones!  Another benefit is that even after I haven't ran for 3 weeks I can step out my door and run for 20 minutes without feeling the tug of that dreaded jump rope!

Each time I run I think of that bounding runner babe who I switched from wanting to slap to wanting to run after!! (Seriously..If I ran directly behind her and used her firm booty to motivate mine maybe I could run longer...but it may also creep her out so..)  Shes a complete stranger but she was my motivation and it's because of her that I've been able to get up off my jiggly ass! 

I ran for 3 weeks in November..took two weeks off..and ran for 22 minutes today.  I'm proud of myself! :)  And although I could do a MUCH better of keeping up with my new regime, I'm farther ahead that I ever thought I could be..and all because I glimpsed someone just doing their thing.  I hope somebody somewhere has seen me and been inspired to try something new too!