Running....ugh!

Well, I haven’t ran in a couple of days and guess what! My back doesn’t hurt! This is just one example of how we push ourselves to do things that aren’t even what we want or need to be doing. Don’t get me wrong…I love to exercise. I love working out and spin class and swimming and hiking and long walks but I AM NOT A RUNNER! So why in the world do I run all the time?!? That is a very good question and is exactly what this post is about.

We need to learn to be who we are…who God intended us to be…no more…no less. Each and every one of us is different. We aren’t all going to be small, or tall, or have long beautiful hair, or….be a super running star….LOL! I mean, if I think back to my past I remember that running is one of the main reasons I got out of the military and it has been my nemesis ever since. I have realized that I am trying to prove to myself that I can run because I have been told and made to feel for so long that I could not run. Well, maybe I just don’t want to. I don’t have to do something just because it is what others are doing. I have so many friends running in the next 5k and I just didn’t want to be the one who couldn’t. But, here is the thing…I CAN do it! But, I just don’t want to….running HURTS!

When I feel like I can’t do something then I want to do it all the more…always trying to prove myself. Of course, for me…I try to prove that I am super woman which I am NOT! We ALL live differently and not one way is right or wrong. We have to stop doing what the world thinks we should be doing!

So….I am from this moment forward embracing gentle nutrition along with gentle exercise (both I.E. principles). There is no reason to harm myself just to stay healthy. Live well and strong in what you know is best for you J

Are you in shape? I am...my shape is round :)

Well, Wookie and I just finished week one of our C25K training! YAY! My sweet little pup is totally getting the hang of running with me (without pulling me and tripping me). Of course, I think he gets hot when he is running with all that hair he has...it is time for a trip for to the salon for my pooch anyway so I will be having him shaved soon (even though he looks a bit like a rat with no hair.....LOL.....it is okay, I still love him).

So, I am planning on making a little book with the pics I take as Wookie and I run together all the way through our first 5K. It really is a big deal. I mean, I used to run miles and miles but I also used to be 20....LOL! Times have changed but I gotta get back into shape.

What does being in shape mean anyway? I used to think it meant teeny tiny and thin but I am learning that all shapes are good...even if the shape tends to be a bit round.

Now, I am not saying that we should all just eat dessert seven times a day and not worry if we get big as a barge. What I am saying is....we need to quit focusing on what our shape is and focus more on how long we are going to live. As I was thinking about taking pictures for the picture book I am making of our jogging journey I started thinking how I needed to get up and fix my hair and make up and stuff so that the pictures would not be bad...and ever worse....I started thinking about how I needed to suck in my tum-tum for each pic. REALLY!? Wow...I catch myself downing myself on the regular. And ladies....thinking you have to wear make up every single day and have a wash-board tum-tum is just a new way of putting yourself down! So STOP DOING IT!

I have a challenge for every lady out there: Go one week....seven full days....and use NO make up and NO hair product (except some shampoo of course...LOL). Can you do it? No? Why not? What do you see when you look in the mirror? Ask God to start showing you what He sees instead? You may be surprised at how freeing it really is when God shows us how much we are loved and how much our inner beauty really does radiate out and makes us amazingly beautiful...with or without all the make up! Loves!

Week One Day One of C25K with my pup!

Well, today I started my C25K running program. It was great because I took my Wookie with me and I learned that he loves to run!

I had started the program already and finished week 2 but it was boring running myself. I knew I needed a running partner and there is no one in my family willing to get up early and run. Then I remembered! There is actually two members of my family that would love to get up early to run! Their names are Cloe and Wookie.

Now, Cloe is bigger and loves to run but she runs WAY TO FAST! She would kill me and that is only if I could control her long enough to even do the run. But Wookie....he is just small enough to not knock me right over. And he did soooo good! He ran right next to me almost the whole time. There was a couple of times that he tried to go chase something but I just said, "No Wookie!" and he came right back to run right next to me!

Of course,  I don't think that everyone in my neighborhood thinks this is a good idea. There was an older lady slowly walking her cute little dog and saw us and said, "Awwww, poor doggy." Oh come on....dogs love to run. I can't help it if her pup is just super lazy...LOL!

So, I can't wait to continue this journey and I of course praise the Lord for giving the ability and desire to do this! Praise God!