Begun

I did it. I ran today.

Got the shoes and gear on, and just went. Actually, I paused momentarily to futz with mp3 player, determined it to be defective, determined myself not to be, and left. I went about a mile, running for the goal of at least 60 strides, and then more until breathing became difficult. Then I walked until breathing became normal again. And repeated the process about 5 times. I was only out for about 20 minutes (including a stop at the convenience store for some water), but at least I started.

Writing this, it seems so small, insignificant,...so weak of a start. But it's a start. I felt the sun and the wind, and said hello to neighbors. I've just finished ordering a new mp3 player so that maybe soon I can focus on the music and not my own breathing. My shoes may need an adjustment for running, but they're quite comfortable while walking. Maybe Adam was right (what are the odds? rather great, in fact.) that I need to bite the bullet and get some proper running shoes from a running shoe company, recommended for me specifically by trained running shoe salespeople. In the meantime, these will do.

yay!

babysteps

No, I haven't started running yet. I have no good reason why not. It's so strange - it's something I want to do, but I haven't just gotten out of the house and started it. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I have made a few baby steps, though. At the very least, I can say I've not given up the attempt yet. I got some supplies (shoes, shorts, foundation garment), and just a few minutes ago I blew away my record on the stair stepper. I have to share this. Typically, I only do 2-3 minutes on the wee stepping machine. I want to get my heartbeat up a bit, but not break out into a sweat that requires me to take another shower. But for some reason, today I did Ten Minutes. solid. continuous. I did that whole "getting past the wall" thing. It was pretty cool. Somewhere around 2 1/2 minutes, my heart started getting faster, and I felt like I'd want to stop any second, but I kept pushing for the next minute to click over. But I wasn't watching the clock. So after 2:30, the next time I saw was 3:15. then it got up near 4 minutes, and suddenly I wasn't feeling as tired anymore. Then it felt like my body settled into a groove and it was nice and comfortable, so I just kept going. Once I got up near 10 minutes, I realized I wouldn't reach a nice round number of steps by 10:00, so I really poured it on as much as I could. I hit 10:00 and kept going at speed until I reached the 700 steps mark.

I don't know if that's any good or not. It probably isn't - a measly ten minutes on a wee stair stepper? nuthin'. But to me it's a tiny milestone. I want to keep going. I still want to change the lifestyle. And I want to remember that there comes a point, after the initial drudgery, where it starts to feel good. Quite good, in fact.

In other news, I've been eating much better, ordering more fish and steamed veggies and less cheesesteak and mashed potatoes with gravy. I've cut out french fries, and cut wayyy back on the bread and cheese. If I eat out for lunch, I cut the entree in half when it arrives, and only try to finish the first half. The second half I take home for dinner. I don't have a scale, so I can't report pounds lost, but I feel different. My arms don't rub against my sides when I walk. My clothes aren't as tight and uncomfortable. I'm less shy about wearing shorts.

It's small progress, in a small battle. But it's progress nonetheless, and I need to recognize that moving forward is a good thing, no matter how slowly it happens.

Update

Just some general things today...

First, Happy Mother's Day to Mothers, Grandmothers, Great-Grandmothers, Birth Mothers, Mothers-To-Be, Adoptive Mothers, Foster Mothers, ...etc. I hope you all have a Mother of a Great day!

Second, I'd just like to state again, for the record, that I Love Rain. It started raining here sometime while I was still sleeping, and continued through 'til just about an hour or two ago. Beautiful, steady, soaking rain with distant rumblings of thunder. It's the time of year that's just prior to Stinkin' Hot time of year, so I still have the windows open. Also, the leaves are fuller on the trees lately. I could hear the rain hitting the leaves outside my window for hours. It was absolutely fantastic.


Third, It's Not My Fault. I had about decided to just gather what pseudo running clothes/gear I have around, you know, the stuff that's not exactly for the avid runner, but it's close enough to make a start. I was going to make my first outing today. I've been doing the research, asking friends who run, and it seems that the best thing to do is to just start by walking. Get to know the route, get your body used to being out, etc. Then you step it up to something like Walk Four Minutes, then Run For One. Repeat 10x. You gradually increase the running while decreasing the walking, etc. etc. So last night I felt like I've been thinking about it for long enough and it was time to get off my tuchas and get to it already. Just shut up and run, ya know? Well, that didn't work out. (see above paragraph.) There are still hours left in the day, but also errands that must be accomplished in those hours. We'll see what happens.

I'm sure there's more, but talking/writing about my inactivity makes me fidgety. Must go do something.

Have a lovely!!

Lifestyle change

Wow, guys.
There's something I've been thinking about for a while, and I'm still thinking about it, so I thought I'd mention it here. I was reluctant to say anything until I did it, for fear that the urge would dissipate upon talking about it. But here it is:

I want to start running.

Me. Running. ...ok, maybe jogging. Whatever. I am not a runner, and never have I been. I was on the track team in high school, but I was a jumper - high jump, long jump, etc. Occasionally, I'd do a sprint or some hurdles, but never, EVER did I do any distance. I was always rubbish at the distances. (explains a lot, dunnit?)

So, not knowing where to begin, I've been poking around for information for truly beginner runners. I'm not looking to train for marathons or anything, I just want to set aside parts of the day to go out and enjoy the weather, the day, the outdoors. I need this.

But there's a lot to do to get started, apparently. Shoes, clothing that "wicks" (?), special socks, doctor's permission, foundation garments, high protein bars and lots of fluids (never my strong point), training plans, etc.

Anyway, that's that. Wish me willpower.

In Flowers Lie Secret Codes

There have been a lot of flowers advertised lately, and it got me thinking about the time I spent as "the cute girl behind the counter" (official title. no, really) at a florist. I learned a lot, and not just about the names of flowers and the best way to keep them fresh. So here it is, no particular order:

Don't order the most popular flowers on a big holiday. I know, you're supposed to give red roses on Valentine's, but trust me on this one. In some cases, red roses are stockpiled for MONTHS to save up for Valentine's Day. Think about that. Flowers. Sitting wrapped up very very tightly for months until they're used in that special arrangement for your beloved. Sometimes we'd unwrap a package that happened to be a little damp when it got wrapped, and those flowers would be moldy. The solution: get other kinds of flowers. Ask the florist to do a mixed arrangement, or choose something like tulips. Tulips are great in spring, and people don't often request them for Valentine's Day. Get the red roses on a different day.

There are MANY colors and types of roses. Check 'em out. Some have one main color with a different color just barely painted around the petal tips. Some look paint splattered. Some are coral colored, light silvery purple, or even green. Yes, green. Some are really thick, as though they have twice as many petals as the usual ones. These make really fat, gorgeous blossoms. Ask if they have anything cool or unusual that they've been dying to use in an arrangement.

You've probably heard of the "language of flowers" - you know, red roses mean passionate love, while yellow roses mean the decrease of love. Jasmine means sensuality, while lavender means mistrust. And who can forget Ophelia's "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember. And there is pansies, that's for thoughts...."? Well, that's how the Victorian's did it, anyway. But you can make up your own language. We had a couple that would order flowers from time to time, and according to them, a bouquet of Anthurium and Pussywillow meant to prepare for a long night of loving ahead. Every time we got an order from one of them, it charged up the whole flower shop, and got us all thinking about snuggling someone. You may be sending flowers to your sweetheart, but the gift radiates out, and keeps on giving.

Think about it.

Water kept in a vase of flowers for a week or more smells FOUL. Even worse than Baby's A$$. To keep this from stinking up your house, dump out the water in the vase and refill it from the tap every few days. Use a bit of the flower food each time if you want, but it's not necessary.

Baby's Breath is nicknamed Baby's A$$ by those in the floral industry. It does not small pretty. Think about what every woman does when she's handed a flower: she sniffs it. Say no to Baby's Breath. (On the other hand, it's really cool when you first put it in the vase - all the little buds pop open like wee popcorn.) There are lovely alternatives: genistra, heather, waxflower (prettier than it sounds), and caspia to name a few.

And the last tip for today: Ladies, you can give flowers as well. Yes, to men. Some of them even really like it. A lot. There are even arrangements designed especially for men, if you think your guy may not go for the frilly pink stuff.

That's all I have for now. Feel free to share if you have any flower tips, stories, or interesting facts.

And to the Mothers (and Mothers-to-be, Viv!):

Happy Mother's Day!!