Starting Line

At the age of 49, weighing almost 190 pounds, I was cleared by my doctor to start running in August 2011.

I used to run as a young woman, and again after I had quit smoking back in 1996-1999. Unfortunately I had let interpersonal relationships and having two jobs interfere with that.

During the months before August 2011, I was walking 2 to 3 miles a day on week days and doing occasional trail hikes on the weekends. As I had suffered severe anemia following a post-surgery arterial hemorrhage earlier in the year, I first had a full EKG, running stress test with a cardiologist. I not only passed it, I was told that I had a very good heart. My resting heart rate in the doctors office was 58 bpm and my recovery after hitting a max was so quick when I went from treadmill to table that I had to do it a second time so they could get my heart at full throttle. She said I had an 'athlete's heart and running would be okay.

My firsts:

Aug 21 (186.1 lbs) : One mile completed on a treadmill at 4.0 mph - it was "pure hell"

Aug 30th (185.2 lbs): Four laps on a school track. "So proud"

Sep 7th (183.6 lbs - 38% bodyfat): Two miles on a treadmill at 4.0 mph.

Sep 24th (183.8 lbs): Three miles on a treadmill at 4.0 mph.

Oct 3rd (180.8 lbs): Four miles on a treadmill at 4.0 mph

Nov 8th (178.4 lbs): First street running for 1.5 miles non-stop

Nov 24th  (175.2 lbs): First FUN RUN (that was less than 5K) at 39:41 minutes included some walking

Dec 4th (173.6 lbs):  First full 5K RUN - finished with NO walking! 39:50 minutes  / 12:49 pace

May 27th, 2012:  First 10K RUN - finished in 1:11:58 / 11:36 pace

August 10, 2012: First bike ride OUTDOORS (that was more than a mile).  A little over 6 miles.