RW Backstory

Racing Warrior. I know. The name makes me sound like a hard-core, running machine. Not entirely accurate. In fact, I only started experimenting with running a couple of years ago, treating it like a casual on-again, off-again casual relationship. It was just in February of 2011 that I turned a corner and seriously began to consider competing.

I have had a sour relationship with the idea of running since I was in high school. I was one of those kids who dreaded the physical fitness test. While I put up with the sit-ups, the pull-ups and the flexibility tests, I loathed the mile. Not only did it feel like my lungs would burst every time I took a ragged, uneven breath, but my shins felt like they were on fire. With an early exposure to running that only coincided with pain, why would I ever want to make this part of my daily routine.

Flash forward to 2009. My family, which consists of my husband and two daughters, had our pictures taken by a family friend. She does such amazing work. I was excited to see the finished photos that I would proudly display in my home. When Kelly placed the proofs in front of me, I practically fell out of my chair.

"Oh, my God!" I screeched. "Is that really me? I look. . . horrible."

Kelly laughed and said everyone says that, but not to worry. The camera always adds 10 pounds. The camera might have added 10 pounds, but apparently it was just adding more to the already excessive amount that I already had gained. More importantly, the camera was proving a point that I had gotten too content with my life. I had to make some changes and get moving.

Long story short, I got moving. At first it was just walking. I built up quickly to 3 miles. Walking was easy to do and I didn't have fiery shins. But the weight was not coming off. In the attitude of full disclosure, I am a small person to begin with. Standing at 5'1, just a few extra pounds makes a difference. I needed to loose at least 20 pounds, but it was so difficult to do that it felt like I was trying to loose 100.

So, the weight wasn't coming off and I thought, Maybe I need to rev things up a bit. I decided to try to run a little during my walks. But by then the weather turned colder and I am a fair-weather runner. But I didn't want to give up. I went to Target and bought a mini-trampoline (yes, that is not a typo - I bought a trampoline) and started jogging on the trampoline 30 - 45 minutes every other day. After that there was no going back to that girl in the pictures. Throw in strength training in the form of weights, yoga and the weight began to fall off quickly.

The purpose of this blog is to talk to others who share my passion for a healthy lifestyle. If you had asked me when I started this adventure if I was a runner, I would have surely laughed and corrected you. "Nah, not truly. I jog, a little, but mainly I am a walker. Better for the knees. Who in their right mind would run if walking produces the same results?"

Who was that woman? The evolution into what I am today as been slow and steady. I am still evolving which will be evident in my posts and revelations on this site. One thing I learned is that running helps me think clearer. It has given me a time in my day where I can choose to think about nothing at all or to use it as a way to expand narrow thoughts into large ideas that find their way into my creative mediums: writing, quilting, decorating. All of which will most likely show up on this site in their own right.

So, thank you for letting me share my thoughts and my experiences with you. I look forward to what we will learn from each other!

Life is good (except when it's bad, but we aren't going to go there. . . ) Have fun!