Well, Hi!
Introductions are in order. My name is Steph, and since June of 2009, I've been living a healthier life through the help of Weight Watchers and running.
I wasn't always so healthy. One year ago, I was 193.1lbs. At 5'7'' that is nowhere near a healthy weight. I was sluggish, unhappy, and unhealthy. My asthma was horrible and at times unmanageable.
The killer part? I had been this weight before. Oh yes. In 2004, I ballooned from the high 150's/low 160's to 197lbs. I joined Weight Watchers, and got down to 152lbs in about 4-5 months. Then one weekend, I stopped counting points and paying attention to what I was eating. I never would count again until that fateful day when I rejoined in 2009. Over the next 5 years, I gained all 45lbs back. It came on so slowly that I had time to get used to being overweight again, so I didn't realize just how much had some back on.
How did I realize I needed to do something? I went to visit my friend in May of 2009, thought the weather was going to be warm and only packed shorts/skirts. Of course was really cold, so I had to buy pants. Well, turns out I needed a size 15/16!! Never in my life had I worn that size (even when I weighed that much in 2004). Something had to be done. When I came home, I registered for WW online that next week.
When I did WW in 2004, I didn't do any form of exercise at all. This time around, I knew I had to do something or I wouldn't stick with it (because I need the extra points you get from exercise to not go batty and eat everything in sight). I had done cross country in high school and hated it...but I knew that running was the best exercise for torching calories...and I always had this lofty dream of someday running a marathon in the back of my mind.
Enter the Couch to 5K program, which I started doing in August of 2009. When I first started in August running for 60 seconds at a time KILLED me! A funny thing happened though. The program built me up so slowly (and there was no one there trying to make me run faster than I physically could) that I actually liked what I was doing. I liked the way I felt after I ran. I liked how in tune with my body I was. I liked how much easier my day to day life was now that I was in shape. Now I'm training for a half marathon in October on Mackinac Island using the running program detailed in "Marathoning for Mortals" by John Bingham. (So excited for my first medal!)
Oh, so why "The Tortoise" for my site name? Well...I'm slow as hell when I run! My average min/mile time ranges from 11:30-13:00 depending on the length of the run and how I feel that day. I will never be fast. That doesn't mean I don't care about PR's, because I do...but I know I'll never be on the podium. I'm ok with that. I'm pretty happy if I just beat SOMEONE that is running the race against me. I'm super excited if I beat someone in my age group. But no matter what, just running the race is exciting to me.
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