Ready to run

I haven't posted about it here, but around the beginning of the year I decided that the only way I was ever going to get my weight under control (6'3" & 240+ lbs. isn't morbidly obese, I carry it pretty well, but it's not at all slim) was to start running. I've lost weight running in the past so I know it works, and my body seems to like running; every time I've started, I've made good progress quickly. Why did I ever stop? Well, like everything else, there's always an excuse: I get bored easily. Winter comes. Work stress glues me to the couch with a pint of ice cream.

This time, not so much. I'm already noticing the changes from being in better shape and I like them a lot. I can't quit.

I've been tracking my progress with a combination of the website WalkJogRun and Facebook, so my friends see what I'm up to and encourage me. If you check out the routes tied to user "ja3" in the 23507 zip code, you can see some of my runs. I'm going 4-5 miles consistently, at least three times a week.

Speaking of my friends, I have to give a lot of credit to Rosanne who has become my remote training partner. When we were able to run together once, we managed 8 miles, farther than I've ever run before. Knowing that you have to tell someone what you're doing and explain why you DIDN'T run is a great motivator.

This weekend Ruth and I are running an 8k over in Virginia Beach, my first race. Ruth had sworn off running for a long time because of old injuries, but she's a natural-born athlete, so I'm sure she'll be dusting me soon. Right now I'm likely to be a few minutes faster than her, but my plan is to stick with her pace and hopefully push her along. If we finish in under 1 hour 15 minutes I'll be ecstatic.

Wish us luck!