Overcoming the obstacles of life.

Running after the holidays is never easily. Finding your grove once again can almost seem impossible. I have been out for a couple of runs in this new year and it has been a little rough to start. But Anthony and I have made a pact to workout and run more frequently and step up our game dramatically to get ready for the Mountains to Beach full marathon in May. It really isn't that far away! 

We are wanting to create an amazing memorable experience with our trip to California for the run but we aren't quite sure what we would like to do yet. Ideally we would fly down, rent a car and take two weeks to drive back up to WA but that seems a bit of a stretch, in a good way though because Anthony just received the great news that he will be switching to a new company in a couple of weeks. Congratulations to him on moving up in his career! So we may just make it a luxurious weekend on the beach with a marathon thrown in. Can't get much more relaxing than that! 

I am so grateful that I found a partner that can join me in my running and appreciates trying to live a healthy lifestyle. Which these days seems to get harder and harder. From fast food and video games its hard to have to gumption to cook for yourself and get out and play instead of taking the easy way out. Something I found that makes life so much easier is to surround yourself with people that have like minded ideals and whom you can just call up and go for a hike or have over for a healthy meal. A support group so to speak of friends and family that you can rely on for the little things. 

An example of an unhealthy relationship; one of my friends has always struggled with her weight and this past year started dating someone new and has gained a substantial amount of new weight during their time together. She used to be very active, running, biking, etc. Now its hard for her to go biking and now she has gained so much weight she can't run. This is because she is no longer on her diet, she eats what he eats, does what he does. Instead of supporting her and going with her on runs or to workout she all on her own if she wants to get healthy. He doesn't want to do those things with her. It's incredibly sad for me to watch but right now she isn't ready to listen to a friend trying to say "Your BF is killing you." So instead I try to give her advice on how to eat better and how to find the energy and courage to get out and workout on her own. (I would go with her but she and I live several states apart.) 

This is a struggle that many of us deal with in our daily lives. I have been there myself. I gain about 50 lbs my first two years of college because of the relationships that I was in. I at what they ate and never ever worked out. I was forced into a reality check four years ago when I went hiking with my sorority group and I was constantly out of breath and miserable instead of enjoying myself with my friends. Thankfully at that time I was single and was able to focus on myself for a change. I lost my first 20 lbs without even trying, aka drinking as much water as I possibly could every single day. Once I flat lined with that I started working out for the first time in my life and recording all of the food that I ate every day. It wasn't long before I found myself back at my high school weight and a much happier and healthier me. It wasn't easy by any means, I had people making fun of me for working out, asking me to skip workouts to hang out, to ask to go out to eat at unhealthy places, etc. It was hard, I didn't have a supportive group of people around me. I fought hard to get to my healthy weight again and once I got there everyone asked how I did it. Yes, the same people that teased me all the time. They didn't like my answer of hard work and dedication. Everyone seems to want a magic pill, well, there isn't one! 

If you are seeing similarities in these stories to your own I would suggest joining a running group near you on FB or a health and wellness group. They are surprisingly supportive and free! There are also countless gyms out there but if you want a more personal touch I would suggest taking classes at your local community center, they are much more personal and you can find many other supportive groups through the center. There are also many supportive diet organizations as well. Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig both have weekly meetings that you can go and share your stories with and receive the proper support you need. You may have to think outside the box but you can do it! I believe in you! 

I hope your new year is going well! Stay strong! Keep on Running!