easy as she goes

Had a nice, slow & easy long run yesterday with the marathon group.  Actually, it was just two of us doing nine miles; the others ran shorter distances.  T and I ran a VERY hilly out and back route (uphill both ways!) but ran the entire distance which seemed like a pretty big accomplishment for both of us.  I'm recovering from bronchitis and T was recovering from a super hectic couple of weeks.  Our pace was just under 12 minute miles, slow enough that we could chat the entire time.

I have to say, T is amazing.  We are the same age.  I don't know her very well, but I do know that she has lost about 85 pounds so I asked her what prompted her to change.  She said her changes have been incremental.  She didn't like how she was wheezing after a hike with her husband so she decided to quit smoking.  After working on that goal for a while and starting to feel better, she was out walking her dog and just felt like running a bit.  So she joined a club at a local running store and got going.  Ran her first 5K and was hooked!  (She tells how she finished running her 5K and turned to the 10K finisher next to her and said, "I just finished my first 5K!" and the 10K finisher gave her a huge smile and said, "Great job!"  LOVE LOVE LOVE how supportive other runners can be!!)

Her goals kept advancing:
* she wanted to change her diet and lose weight - so she joined a group to help make that happen
* and she wanted to get stronger and more fit - so she found a personal trainer to help make that happen.
She has run 5Ks, 10Ks, 10 milers and half marathons.  Now she is training for her first marathon.  Wow!!!  What an inspiration!!

T makes it look so easy the way she picks goals and then finds a way to make them happen, but I know it's not easy.... she says the thing that is most useful is breaking goals down into palatable chunks.  You know the saying, "How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time."  Keep it doable to increase the likelihood of success.  Very cool.  I loved hearing her story.

Oh, and after our run, she went home and had her first ice bath!  Brave girl - the first ice bath is the toughest!!! (like I'm such a veteran of the ice bath phenomenon....I was probably the biggest baby of all regarding ice baths, but now I've done them THREE times!!  Big girl!!)

Rest day today, so I'll be taking Jane for a walk.  More snow in the forecast (up to 10 inches)..... Ugh.  March in Minnesota.  I am SO ready for Spring to be sprung!!