Transformation

What does it take to transform yourself into a new person?

Time and effort. 

And more time.

And more effort.

And more time.

And more effort....

...repeated forever.

I was the couch potato type.  I 'exercised' 30 minutes once or twice a week on an elliptical and felt so self righteous that I had made that 'effort'.  I felt cheated that I was winded just walking up stairs, and that my pants were too tight.  I was exercising, after all, and I wasn't really all that fat.

The fact is, the 'effort' was negligible and two workouts a week is not enough.  We are meant to MOVE!  Our bodies were built for movement.  And not just a little bit of it.

What made me start the transformation I am currently undergoing? 

I was asked to participate in a 5K in the summer of 2010.  I was on the Steel Days committee (our local city's summer celebration) and we were all asked to support the 5K director by participating.  Of course, you didn't see the other committee members all submit artwork to the art show; my committee assignment.  Still, I thought I could do that.

I could, but only barely.  At the time, 5 kilometers (or 3.1 miles) seemed like a HUGE distance to move my body.  I had no stamina.  I couldn't run.  I couldn't jog.  I walked most of the distance.  It took me almost 48 minutes.  There were elderly people finishing faster than me.  There were obese people finishing before me.

I was so ashamed.

Once upon a time, I was on a swim team.  Once upon a time, I competed in international ballroom dance.  True, I wasn't some super-athlete, but I had a body I could rely on and I had adventures!

I decided I just couldn't let that be the end of it.  We have had an annual pass to the city rec center for over 10 years, now.  It is only a block away from my house, so it just made sense to maintain access to it, even if I neglected to go more often than not.  It isn't big and fancy like a Gold's Gym, but it has everything I could possibly need for this journey.

I shifted from the elliptical to the treadmill.  I had observed that the skinnier people used the treadmills and the chunkier people stayed on the ellipticals.  Fine.  So, the treadmills became my machine of choice.  I can now tell you that a treadmill will definitely give you a tougher workout than an elliptical machine.

I spent months just walking, then speed walking on the treadmill several times a week.  I didn't get all dedicated to daily exercise, at first.  I was doing good if I got there 3-4 days a week.  But I no longer watched the time.  I watched the distance.  5K every time.

Slowly, so you'd barely notice, I was getting faster.  Every time the challenge was to just improve my time.  Even if by a tiny bit.  But, oh, how I ached!

I ached EVERYWHERE!  My hips hurt.  My thighs hurt.  I got shin splints from time to time that required care.  I groaned like an old lady every time I sat down or stood up.  And my FEET!!!  Oh my gosh!  Every morning it was agony to put my weight on my feet first thing.

I can't tell you what kept me going through the aches and pain.  Each morning I hobbled out of bed knowing that the pain would be temporary and would subside in 5 minutes, once I got moving!  Each workout that started out so tough would get better once I passed that 'wall' of toughness about 5 minutes into it.  5 minutes became the magic number.  If I could just survive the first 5 minutes, I could actually enjoy the rest of it.

The biggest motivator for me, though, was the incredible feeling I got after a workout!  I was HAPPY!  The endorphins that exercise give you are such a natural high. 

One day, I decided to keep going after I hit the 5K mark.  Just to see.

I went 7 miles in 90 minutes.  Holy cow!  I did some mental math and thought, could I do a half marathon?  Could I really move for 13.1 miles?!?  The 7 miles weren't that hard.  I decided I would train for a half marathon!

I completed my first half marathon 3 months later.  I'm not gonna lie.  That was HARD!  I walked parts of it.  I was sore for a full week afterward.  BUT I DID IT!!!  In 2 hours, 43 minutes.

I completed another half marathon 6 weeks later and improved my time by 10 minutes.  2 hours and 33 minutes!  And I recovered after only a couple of days.  Two months after that, I completed my first sprint triathlon.  600m swim, 12 mi. bike, 5K run.  Remember swim team?  Oh yeah!

Now, I am cross training.  Exercising 6 days a week.  Two days of swimming, two days of running, two days of biking.  I don't wake up sore.  I don't have to get past the 5 minute barrier anymore.  I have MUSCLES!  But, best of all, my heart is strong and I feel 10 years younger.  My current goal is to complete my first full marathon next spring...

... and complete an Ironman in the summer of 2013!

My current stats? 

5K (3.1 mi.) run: 27 min. 30 sec.
1 mi. swim: 40 min.
14 mi. bike: 1 hour

Life is full of adventure!  You won't find it on your couch. 

Get up and MOVE!