One Bite at a Time...

I'm sitting here trying to catch my breath and my legs are tingling just a bit.

I just walked 1.5 miles. That is a small step towards a bigger goal.

500 miles. That is my walking goal for the year. After todays walk, I'm at 4.75 miles for the year. :)

Last year around this time, one of my facebook friends challenged all her friends to do 500 miles in 2012. It could be walking, running, biking, etc. She is a personal trainer and had put together a 500-mile club. We could join, get a t-shirt, and she would send us daily encouragement.

I wanted to join really bad, I knew I needed it. But I did not. My excuse was the commute back and forth to work. It was eating away most of my extra time.

In March 2010, I ran my first half marathon. I've not run one since.
 While training for that race, I lost 50 lbs. I kept most of it off until this past year. 

On December 4th of this year, that same friend posted she had completed 700 miles for the year.

Honestly, I hadn't given the 500 miles much thought since she had posted a year prior. But, when I saw her 700 mile post, it hit me:

Had I taken the challenge one year ago, I would not be 20 pounds heavier. 

Yep, 20 pounds. That is what I gained in 2012 - maybe more.

When I realized this, I told myself that was enough. I would do 500 miles in 2013 and I would start now! I would not wait until January 1st because I was motivated right now!

Believe it or not, I had been praying for God to motivate me. I wanted to be motivated like I used to be. Once you catch the fitness bug, it becomes addicting. You love it! It makes you feel strong mentally and physically...or at least that is how I felt the last time I was in shape.

Since my evenings are unpredictable with kid activities and family commitments, I decided I would use half of my lunch hour to walk. Thirty minutes. What could I get done in 30 minutes? Whatever it was, it was more than I was currently doing, which was N.O.T.H.I.N.G!! The game plan was/is to keep it simple. I would walk in whatever I was wearing, only changing into my tennis shoes. Otherwise, it would get complicated and I would not have enough time to do much.

I started walking on December 5th. One mile, sometimes one and a half is what I can completed in my 20-30 minutes. Regardless how small the miles, the important thing is I'm moving. I'm waking up my metabolism! (It seems to go to sleep after a hysterectomy.) I'm taking small steps towards a larger goal.

You know what they say...The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time! :)

Pray that I will continue to be motivated. My health depends on it.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 

To read more about what stopped my running two years ago, see a previous post here.