Choice & Accountability

So...it's been a while.  I know.  There is a lot of explaining to do and NONE of it can be assessed as "excuses" 'cause I won't make 'em.  Here's the sitch:  Back in March I was cautioned by my doctors that although this running adventure was worthy and admirable, I was not taking a "healthy" approach.  What?  I'm running!  I'm losing weight!  How on earth could this possibly be considered NOT HEALTHY?!?!  Turns out that it puts a lot of stress on my already damaged and stressed out knees.  We compromised...I can run a little bit a lot, or run a lot a little bit.  Either way, the Labor Day 1/2 Marathon was out.  This made me sad.  And disappointed. And a little bit angry.  This revelations was followed up with this gem of advice, "Well, if you lose another 20 lbs, that will change things and you can run all you want."  Ummmm, what do you think I'm trying to do here?  My oh so educated doctor then asks me what else I like to do.  I indicate that I love the elliptical.  She says, "That's great.  Do that.  How do you feel about swimming?"  I gave her the "ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?" look and calmly (!) informed her, "You just told me I was too fat to run.  How do you THINK I feel about swimming?" SIGH!  So where does that leave us?  Well, I'll tell you (obviously)....

I WAS running 4 miles 3 times a week.  That was too much (for now).  So I was down to 4 miles 2 times a week.  Didn't like it.  Then a very good friend of mine (who does NOT wish to release her name to the masses) asked me to train with her for a 5K.  Once again I find myself at the beginning of the Couch Potato to 5K program.  We're on week 2 and she is doing AMAZING.  I'm having a great time.  We have added weights to our running days (arms tomorrow).  I did squats (like with the big heavy pole) for the first time the other day.  Sit-ups with weights on my chest (ouch...in a good way).  And I've introduced free weights into my life.  This could turn into a love affair.  I LOVE the way my body feels after the work out and in the morning when I wake up and my muscles scream at me, I know that it is WORKING.  Better yet, the scale tells me so too.  I haven't seen numbers this low on my scale since just before becoming pregnant with my second child.  Don't get me wrong, the number is still too high and I am only a few pounds away from my cute little "Mii" on the "Wii" moving from "obese" to "over weight".  But I will celebrate that day!  Not with food (tempting as that may be) but with a new dress.  You'll know...'cause I'll wear it to church, and you can all smile with me and give me that secret little nod and wink.  Watch for it....'cause it's coming soon to a pew near you.  Baby, I'm back and I promise to be better about my blogging.  Next time I write I may share my humiliating experience with "ZUMBA".  How's that for a tempting little nugget?

So, why title this "Choice & Accountability"?  I made a choice...to run a  1/2 marathon.  I told the world about it, with hopes of that encouraging me to be more accountable to that choice.  The other day a dear friend gently but subtly said, "So what ever happened to that blog you were doing? It seems a bit empty lately."  Not in those exact words, but pretty darn close and with the same intention.  Nudge.  Nudge.  Nudge.  And with that, I find myself here again.  Blogging.  But succeeding.  I am accountable for my own actions and choices.  I'm owning this one.