Week One

1-2-12: I stretch my sports bra on, put on an over-sized T-shirt and athletic pants, lace up my decade-old New Balance sneakers (borrow hubby's socks, don't have any of my own) and head out at 7pm to the Islands YMCA to face the workout room. I feel exactly like I did whenever I started a new school growing up. A mixture of nerves, desperation, doubt, and confidence. The chill in the air amplifies all of these feelings. I wander around and eventually find the right place, then remember my nether-issues and make my way to the bathroom to pee. I find a treadmill on the back row, butt to wall, thank you very much. I begin. I walk at 2.5, then 3.0 for a few minutes, then try to jog at 4.0 and then 4.5 for a while. I have in mind that I will do this for 30 minutes. I have no idea what I'm doing and I spend the entire 30 minutes wishing and hoping that one of the fit and firm girls will make eye contact with me and tell me I can do this, keep it up! Why are they ignoring me? I resolve to keep this in mind when I am fit and firm and see a chubby girl on a treadmill in early January with tears in her eyes.

As I leave the Y the chilly air feels good and I exhale, knowing that the hardest first step has been taken. (1.64 miles complete.)

1-4-12: I find the Couch to 5K running program on the web and start that tonight. It's only 20 minutes and it tells me not to push myself too hard at first. Even so, the training feels harder tonight. (1.14 miles) 


1-6-12: Tonight I go to the Habersham Y because that's where Baker has basketball practice. I watch a show on that Van der Sloot guy who kills girls in exotic locations. Apparently, he is a sociopath. I hope he gets life in prison. I think about Dexter. I actually look forward to the jogging minutes this time and it gives me the false hope that I might have learned to like running already! (1.16 miles)