First 5K Around the Corner

Because I was feeling overly optimistic a few months ago post-surgery, I signed up for the Phillies 5K.  I'll admit I never really thought I could do it.  But it made me feel good to have a goal.  Even if I couldn't achieve it right off the bat, I could try...

So Sunday, Beth and I go out for a training walk.  We'll see how far I can go towards the 5K goal.  She downloads a little app onto the iPhone that tracks how far we walk and our time using GPS.  It's a nifty program and before we know it, we've gone 1K.  I have no idea what this means in "american" measurements - less than a mile?  I know a 5K is about 3 miles (maybe a little more).

We get down to Schuykill (you know that I mean, I'm not looking it up to spell it right!) River Park where there are lovely houses and a dog park.  We walk around and then realize that people are going over railroad tracks...

This is how people walk along the river!

I've lived in Philadelphia for over 15 years and I've never walked along the river.  Never knew how.  Never cared to figure it out.

But it was a bright, sunny spring day (yes, in March!) and we walked right over to the run/bike/walk path like we were people who did this regularly and we walked.... and walked... and walked...

I look up and see 30th Street station not that far in the distance and I felt like I could cry.

If anyone had told me 3 months ago that I could WALK from my house to 30th Street Station, I would have thought they were insane.

My back would have been hurting at 4 blocks.

I would have been a sweaty mess and uncomfortable at another 4 blocks.

In need of a break to sit and have some water at 10.

But no... in the end, we walked from our house, nearly to 30th Street Station and back.  In a little over an hour.  We walked 7K... longer that I need to walk next weekend to complete the Phillies 5K!

I can't even tell you how happy this makes me.  

As I stared at 30th Street Station and tried not to cry, I turned to Beth, 'this is the best decision i ever made in my entire life.'

And I so mean that.  

I guess I never knew how much being overweight was affecting me on a daily basis.  I know I'm still overweight (wii still cheerily will tell me "you're obese!" when I step on), but I feel like I have so much more control over my life today than I did a few short months ago. 

And there's no way I am going back to that person I was.  I'm starting to feel like I might make it - if not to my goal - at least to under 200 pounds (which really is my personal goal).  And that is just amazing for me.  I haven't been there since I was in high school.

I know only my friends are reading this... so I'll say to you now.  Thank you for your support.  Not just now as I'm the misfit who can't eat much at birthday dinners.  But for loving me no matter how much I weighed or how far I could walk.  I know you don't care what I weigh... but it's nice to start to feel more normal (even if I didn't know how not-normal I was feeling myself!).