BE-YOUtiful : I Am Thankful For The Strength To Try, And Succeed♦

My arms and legs have suddenly turned into hundred pound weights. I am breathing but the air doesn't seem to want to stay in my lungs. My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it's going to barrel right out of my chest. I put my arms up on my head, and try and take a few steps. The first few steps are the hardest. I feel like I could collapse at any second, but I don't. After a few minutes my heart rate has slowed, and I begin to breath normal. This is what running 3 miles feels like. This is what success feels like.

It took a LOT of willpower to run the whole route this morning. But I did it, and I've never been more proud of myself. I think back to the beginning of the summer when I could barely lift a finger without breaking a sweat and breathing hard, let alone running. It was hard--but I kept at it and eventually it got easier and easier. I even started liking it. I look forward to running at 5AM twice a week. I like the people that I run with. They challenge me, and I even challenge myself. Although I literally felt like I was going to die at the end of the 3 miles, that feeling subsided, and all that was left was pride and a feeling of achievement, well, and some pain. I pushed for 3 miles, and when I had two blocks left to go, I sprinted those two blocks with everything in me. I have never felt as good about myself in my entire life as I did at the end of that run with sweat running down my face, my hair sticking up, panting like a dog.

This picture is obviously edited, but I wanted to add a cool effect to it. I wasn't trying to make myself look better, because it's not about how I look in the picture, it's about how I feel. I haven't lost THAT much weight, but it's not even about the weight anymore for me. Being able to run multiple miles without stopping, or even wanting to stop is an incredible feat for me. I had never been a runner, not even in high school when I was in track, I HATED it. But doing this, on my own (well, with the help of my 5k class), feels better than any of those numbers on the scale would make me feel. I do have weight goals, and I do want to shave this excess fat off of my body, but that will come with time. I. Have. Never. Been. Happier.