Finding your Courage

John Bingham said it best. "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."  So many people in today's society have lost that courage.  They sit on their couch watching tv eating a bag of chips and wish they could get out and exercise, play with their kids, etc.  They say tomorrow I'll start.  And they never do.  That right there is why I am starting this blog-to show you that it isn't that hard.  All it takes to get healthy is small changes every day.  Nothing drastic.  Nothing Biggest Loser-like.  Just small changes.  And hopefully to help you find your courage to start. 

First off, you are probably thinking that I am just someone who is going to tell you about how I get in shape and that its how you should too. Nope.  Its going to me more than that.  Yes, I will tell you my techniques.  I will talk about methods I have tried.  But there will also be things that don't work fantastically for me, but might for you.  I can promise you though, that everything will be researched.  I will check it out before I suggest it to you.  This is my promise as a personal trainer. 

Before we get any farther into this blogging experience,  I think you should know my fitness story. Throughout my childhood, I was always small and active.  I played outside constantly.  I was in cheerleading from grade school all the way through my senior year of college.  Unfortunately, its pretty hard to start a pick up game of cheerleading... So after my last season, I stopped working out. Seriously screwing up my knee was a great excuse to "take a break." In the meantime, I got married, survived my husband's first deployment (he is in the Navy), and moved across the country.  Finally, about a year and a half after my last cheer season, I realized I had put on a few pounds.  I never hit the overweight mark, but it really bothered me.  I started rollerblading and biking a few miles 4 or 5 days a week.  I lost maybe 3 pounds, but thats it.  I complained about it constantly.  Finally, my husband said the thing that really got me going, "Honey, you look fine to me, but if you aren't comfortable with yourself, let's do something about it.  Let's go get you some running shoes." Up until this point, I hated the idea of running.  Hated it with a passion.  But I broke down and got my first pair of running shoes.  The first time I went running, I made it one mile.  I had to take 3 walking breaks in that single mile, and by the end, I was literally in tears because my knee hurt and I couldn't breathe.  If my husband wasn't with me for that run, I would have quit and my shoes would still be hidden under my bed.  But it turns out, I survived.  The next day I did that one mile again.  I only had to take two breaks.  I still hurt, but already I had done better.  Two weeks later, I could run two miles without any breaks.  Today, two years and one month later, I am gearing up for my first 50k.  Thats 31 miles. Up and down 3 mountains.  I have finally come to terms with the fact that weight is not the important thing.  Its your overall health.  Although dropping 15 lbs while not giving up cookies or steak did make me feel pretty happy.  In the process of training, I found something else wonderful that came from it:  emotional stabitily.  I learned how to run out stress and anxiety.  It got me through two more deployments, and has even helped me get control of my anxiety disorder issues that stem from quite the history of mental an emotional abuse by my father.  Essentially,  I have not only gotten physically stronger, but mentally stonger! And I could argue that that benefit is more valuable than any pound lost. But all of that is not how this blog came to be.  Throughout those two years of training, I had so many people say, "Wow, I wish I could do something like that/ lose weight/ get in shape, but I just can't. (Insert excuse here.)"  I would try to tell them that sure they could!  But there was no weight behind my words.  I needed some credibility.  So I buckled down and started courses to be a personal trainer.  As I start this blog, I am working on becoming an elite trainer through ISSA.  I have completed the course to be a certified personal trainer.  I am finishing up the exam to be a Specialist in Fitness Nutrition, and then will complete the exam in Exercise Therapy. Finally I feel like I have enough knowledge and credibility behind me to pass on things I have learned, tried, and experienced.  And I can help you get up and find your courage.

There are going to be several different types of posts in this blog.  Some will be about exercise techniques, some will be about nutrition ideas, some will be about my experience running. Perhaps I'll tell you about the time my friend got chased by a deer on her bike ride. Or the time the same friend started a cow stampede while running...  Sometimes I will put out challenges to you.  And every now and then, I might throw in something completely random just to keep you (and me) entertained.  There are also a few things you should remember before reading further posts:

1.  I am a runner.  You don't have to be.  When I say, "get out and run," insert your own exercise preference!  It can be biking, swimming, pick-up basketball, yoga, dance class, or a game of tag with your kids. Just get out and do something!

2. Everyone has different nutritional needs/allergies/intolerances.  If I post something about nuts and you are allergic to them, then obviously, do not eat them.  You might think this is obvious, but I did once have someone tell me that my advice to eat a particular food was fine for me, but it isn't good advice because it would be horrible for someone allergic to said food. I thought this was obvious, but apparently not. 

3. I will never endorse any diet or particular eating plan.  More on this in my second post.
4.   If you want to refute something I post, please be respectful.  I will gladly re-look into anything and further explain things if I can.  Everyone has their own ideas and theories, and can be very stubborn in them when it comes to health.  Just remember I am not making stuff up that I post on here. 
5. Perhaps most importantly, I am a Christian and my faith is very important to me.  That will be reflected in this blog.  It will not change, no matter how much it offends anyone. In correlation with #4 and #5, if you post a comment that is rude or disrespectful, do not be shocked if it is deleted. 
 6. This blog has another purpose.  To hold me accountable to my own health.  Posting on this blog is also helping me stay active and involved! So thank you for helping me!

On those notes, here we go!  Lets start this blogging adventure! I'm so excited I've got to go out for a run...