You asked.

I've had several people ask me, "What do you think about while you're running?"
At first I thought "Think? I can't even breathe....much less think...?"
I ran 5 miles last night for the very first time, a strong 5 miles.....not the cheater cheater pumpkin eater kind ;) haha!
So I thought THIS would be a good time to tell you guys what someone like me thinks while she is running her first 5 miles.
Have a seat...it takes me a looooong time to run 5 miles so there is a lot of thinkin' happenin':

Here we go:

"Why is Isabel going so fast..."
"Wait maybe I'm going too fast..."
"Relax your shoulders..."
"The weather is sooooo nice...."
"Why did I bring this big water bottle....?"
"Jesus protect my left knee-Yea THAT ONE"
"I love Prince"
"That's a cute house"
"OH sweet MARY who is cookin' bar b q chicken!?"
"I'm not going to look at my Garmin until that white truck up there..."
"burp"
"seriously we have only ran a mile and a half..."
"Is Kristy talking to me?"
"I'm so glad I didn't lose my music when I got my new phone"
"Don't you stop Melissa"
"Jesus does me finishing 5 miles make you proud?'
"What kind of status should I put up..."
"People hate when I put up statuses about running"
"I don't care....eeewwwww I just swallowed a bug..."
"....um why do I do this.....? seriously do I think THIS will change me....will running make me a better person?"
"oh stop Melissa....you run because it's healthy...."
"Damn Isabel runs fast."
"a jacket? I have a jacket on....I bet people think it's a running jacket...nope I wore it to work, it works though."
"Thank you Jesus for helping me close that deal today-it felt good"
"Will Kyleigh be proud that I finish 5 miles-my sister will be....she thinks I can do anything"
"OK I will look at my Garmin when I get to that overly decorated house"
"Wonder if my husband will run?"
"Ricky Jackson is HOT-wonder if he runs?"
"I'm hungry.."
"I hope when I weigh in this week I've lost like 5 pounds..."
"3 miles? wow....a 5k....and no free tshirt...cool..."
"Brass Monkey that funkey junkey...."
"Junkey...? hahahah sounds funny."
"I love when Kristy says I may need new shoes-its like a prescription...."
"Almost 4 miles"
"Act like you are running 7 miles"

SAID THIS OUT LOUD: "Hey guys does it even look like I'm running?"

"hahahahaa"
"I'm numb. I wonder what I look like?"
"I cant wait until my shadow gets smaller"
"I have worked so hard"
"Seriously these woman care about me-look at them waiting for us to finish"
"I wonder if that song Grenade came out before or after Jersey Shore started getting popular?"
"oooo I may be getting gassy, I know everyone says its OK...but seriously if I ever toot while running....I WILL JUST DIE of embarrassment"
"4.7 miles....ME? seriously...."
"Jesus did you ever run?"
"why would I ask that..."
"my knees hurt bad"
"keep moving your feet-Melissa"
"4.9 can we just stop....?"
"hey let's go another mile....seriously I could"
"5 miles.....oooooo wow I didn't stop. Isabel didn't stop...we kept going....we are so good at running"

Ok so there ya go...

Tomorrow I will share with you the thoughts in my head while in the car driving home.

And if you guys are lucky....I will share "the next morning"

2.75 miles....seriously.

So I started my 10k training session.

I love the first day, we talk and get to know eachother and talk and stuff....just talking and laughing......I always try and ask 2 more questions so we can maybe talk SO much that we forget to run.

NOPE.

My coaches have me figured out and I love it!

We started the 8 week session with a nice and steady 2.75 mile run...CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?? I know me either. I will say this super slow..........................

"WE. STARTED. WITH. A. 2.75 MILE RuN!"

It just blows my mind that we started with such a high number and I did it.
I guess when I really think about it....it's not like we have to learn to tie our shoes everytime we get a new pair of shoes-that would get exhausting.

I am still one of the slowest, but I finish.

I feel better while running. I can even talk. Well I can ASK one question and listen to them answer real good.

My knees hurt.

I have a friend that could just make me a 13.1 sticker for my car-she has connections. I am so tempted.

Nope.
I will finish every race that I start.

funk's suck.

You that time in a relationship when you DON'T get the "good morning text", or he doesn't compliment your new hair color?

You still like each other but it's just not the same.

Well I woke feeling like that way about running and being healthy. I woke up tired.
I woke saying to myself, "Why do I have to try so hard....when will this NOT be the first thing I think of....Don't eat bad today. When are you going to run this week? You will gain all that back. Does God get tired of me asking for help? look at your hair..."

I am seriously afraid of what I know I am capable of. I know that I could eat bad today and not run ever again. I know that people would still love me. I know my sister would still be proud of me, because I would just do something else (easier) to make her proud.

I woke up in a funk.

Funks scare me.

I ate cereal WITH SUGAR ON IT.

I am not doing this to make people proud of me, I am doing this so I can live longer...! Kyleigh at one of the 5k's said something to me that really just stuck with me:
She said, "Mom you are going to be calling my kids saying COME on Jr. lets run another 5k...if your grandma can do it you can...." we laughed. BUT it's true and its what I WANT.

When you get in a funk what do you do?

If you know me you know I prayed FIRST...but then I closed my eyes and pictured my life like a movie-you know that part in every movie. the music is loud and the calendar numbers show and the main character changes...kinda fast. Sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad.

I feel a little better.
Just struggling today.

New Shoes?

Well I bought some new runnin' shoes. I was told my other ones were "breaking down" I'm guessing its because of all the miles I had but on them....LOL. So I ran last night, a quick mile....and it felt HORRIBLE.....! I was by myself, with no one encouraging me. Which scares me a little. Do I always need someone there encouraging me? Will I stop this when the honeymoon stage goes away? It even felt different...my calves WERE killin' me....so bad that I was almost in a full limp-mode! It was super windy and when you go as slow as me it almost knocked me over. I kept saying to myself.... "Jesus did way more then this to get to his death...so that He could die for my sins" I know I know that may sound morbid to some of you, but really I am running a MILE and then going to dinner. Can I really NOT DO THIS FOR HIM....! I get frustrated. I kept running. Then I stopped to go to the bathroom. LIKE in an actual restroom.....(not all parks have those) this was the first time I actually saw the word REST...in restroom....I had to pee...BUT wow I could also REST IN HERE...no one was outside waiting for me. I rested. I rested too much. Was this the "old me"?... I thought she was gone....nope just chillin'! See, the old me is too lazy to make herself seen a whole lot....but she comes right when I am weak. She tells me it's ok to REST no one is around....no one even noticed you left the running trail. I have to remember that I am never alone.....I have to listen very carefully to Jesus...He is always in my ear encouraging me. For the first time in 3 weeks I did not like this transformation. It scares me to feel that way. I blamed it on my new shoes....but really it's not the shoes at all. It's a gentle reminder from my sweet DaddyGod...that any time you need earthly people more then Him...he will remind you in the only way he knows you will listen. Tonight I run again, and tonight it will feel right.

it's me again...

I'm running.......again.
This time it's different.

I am bigger now then the last time.....so it hurts worse. I cry before I run.

I started this 3 weeks ago, thanks to one of my best friends Nikole. She did this 5k training last year and did a great job....I waited and waited for the next class to start...."not like I wait for the Queso' to come out when I order it at a Mexican hole in the wall....but I did wait for it!"

Well the first day was fun, probably because I got hang out with Nikole. I was super nervous. We introduced ourselves...I made a couple jokes (I'm learning I do that so the coaches will be easy on me) now it was time to run...."this was a running group" not happy hour.
I did ok.

We ran 1/8 of a mile.

These coaches were different....they didn't just tell me to run...they stayed next to me. They encouraged me. They really believe I can do it.

The second week the injuries started. I still showed up, now I cry AFTER the run. I now carry around some roll-on ben gay stuff in my purse...and I have ice packs always attached to somethin'....but I showed up.

We ran like 31 miles.
(actually three 1/2 miles with walking in between)

Third week. I had to miss one day because my chiropractor said so. I was so afraid to miss one. That was Thursday....I made it up on Saturday morning at a "fun run" and I was the only one who showed up. Well me and one of the coaches....just me and her! She stayed with me, we walked and jogged and talked (not while running-cuz I can't yet), stretched, jogged......at the end she said "well you just had a 2.3 mile morning!!" At first I thought she said twenty-three miles...I was like "wow I am amazing...."

I felt good. no crying.

The 5k is April 23rd. Today is March 21st.

I am writing this for me...I know some people may think...why does Melissa always have to tell everyone everything....why does she share these "journey's"?? I am not sure....all I do know is that it helps me.

I hit 300 pounds 3 1/2 weeks ago. It scared me.
I am now 291.

I hear God whispering "Keep moving....Melissa" He has made me for more. I have to be healthy to serve (not small) but healthy. If Jesus needs to me climb the highest mountain because one of his people are in need...I have to be READY!

Stay tuned.....

Running even when your not being chased.....

I am a new runner....if you know me you know how NEW I really am. It's pretty sad when you have to google "running new start breathe" to even get started with the process.
I learned that there is a process, and if you don't follow it perfectly you can be in DANGER-sounds scary-huh? Tell me about it.....

I print out the instructions and I wish they would have NOT let me read ahead-but I did.....
and who ever wrote these instructions is a very excited runner who has never doubted herself a day in her life...
"In just 9 short weeks you will be running 3 miles"
"9 weeks huh.....OK!", I said still standing at the printer.

You start out with 60 seconds of running and then 90 seconds of walking and you do THIS back and forth for 20 minutes. pretty easy huh? I couldn't wait to get started-really.
SO-I made the Acadamy trip-we have all made this trip-I was even walking different when I went-I was a runner and I was acting like one. I was confident and I knew what I wanted.

Instead of walking around the store I decided to ask someone b/c I didn't want to get winded.....
I asked, "Yes I need a new stop watch-mine broke" I did NOT want to sound NEW.
They pointed me in the direction and I WAS OFF.....to go and search for my new best friend.
WOW----if no one has ever searched for a stop watch you are in for a surprise. They had everything you could think of except for the one that RAN FOR YOU...don't worry I looked.

After searching for almost 30 minutes I started to sweat because they didn't have the air on in there-because we are athletes and we DON'T care about air, I finally found one.
Now I needed a new shirt-a running shirt-because I had to look amazing and a new shirt can make you run faster.....well Acadamy does not carry plus sizes, I am guessing because once you make it to that store you should have already lost your weight, needless to say I was upset.
I ended up buying a men's T-Shirt that was actually perfect and on sale. All this for a 60 second run.
While waiting in the check out line I ended up picking up some "Energy Beans" I know I couldn't believe I found those so quickly, but finding the right stop watch was so difficult.
After eating them I learned that they just gave me that sugar high that I can get with any kind of JELLY BEANS....the picture of the "ENERGY" Bean on the package with the sweat band on threw me off. "ok?"

I was ready.
I looked like a runner.
I sounded like a runner (iPod Shuffle was charged)
I could keep time like a runner (stop watch)
I WAS A RUNNER

I get to the track and I am ready to BE A RUNNER....I go to a high-school track around my house and if there is something going on at the school I cannot get on the track....well I drive there, I am pumped and ready...THE ENERGY BEANS HAVE KICKED IN!
And-yes you guessed it something was going on AT THE TRACK.....

SO-I went home and started the real journey the next morning.....
I DID purchase a Jump Roap though and did that (whatever you wanna call it) for 12 seconds, I was NOT going to let all that prepping go to waste.......I drank a Vitamin water and went to bed!

What an amazing start to this amazing journey!