Why This Blog? Why Running?

One of my favorite paradoxes is fat people and exercise. People snidely say that fat people should get off our asses and exercise. But holy crap, look at their faces when we actually do! Those super fit people (think, overly perky girls in nothing but glorified undies) sneer, roll their eyes, and just generally adopt a 'holier than thou' attitude.

Also, I love how everyone says that exercise is so easy. Well of course they say that, the people doing the talking are those same perky pains-in-the-ass. So, when a fatty (like me) does decide to bite the bullet and commit to a serious exercise regimen, it is a) really easy to get discouraged, and b) really hard to find honest information about what to expect.

That's where this blog comes in. I have spent the last several months developing myself into a running neophyte. I've seen injuries, puzzled over running gear, got lost in shoes, and discovered a ridiculous amount of information about myself. So, I have chosen to graciously share the result of all of my information gleaning. I will tell you the truth. At times it won't be pretty. It can be pretty embarrassing. It will often be snarky. But most of all, I hope that it will be informative.

So, why running? To be honest, when I was coming to the decision that I wanted to find a way to exercise, I was pretty broke. Running seemed like a pretty good solution: no gym membership needed, no expensive equipment, no set schedules, just me, my feet, and a place to run. Also, I had never been able to run a whole mile at a time, ever. Never, ever. Not even as a kid. So, the idea that I could do that seemed pretty cool. I had also recently run across a beginner's running program to prepare you for a 5K race (more on that program later). And so, I took the plunge.

Where am I now? I've been training for 3 1/2 months. I did in fact hit that 1 mile mark - and I kept going. My plan is to run my first 5K race on the 4th of July. Wish me luck!