Goal

I did it! Ha ha I made it to the top of the hill (but not the last couple 100 yrds home) but I made my goal. Getting all the way home will be another goal. I did it in 26 minutes (though I was walking the last couple mins) so I figure it must be pretty close to 2 miles.

I'm that many steps closer (literally) to the underside of my arm not waving with my hand. To being able to actually hold in my gut when I want to. To losing the cellulite that has been plaguing the back of my thighs for  months now. To actually having an ass again instead of a blob that melts into the back of my legs. Whoohoo for being fit again!

One of the nice things about running in the city is that I don't get whistled/yelled very often. I used to hate running in a small town because ever god damn redneck thought it was his duty to yell something clever (usually "hey") whenever they saw a female on the sidewalks. I usually resemble bob the tomato when I'm running (and probably smell like chewbacca) so I'm pretty sure if they'd gotten a closer look/smell they'd have resented they ever opened their mouth in the first place. Usually it would end up with me hitting or running into something because I'd be concentrating so hard on ignoring them (eventually I could ignore them without even thinking about it, I consider it a talent I nurtured) that I wouldn't see a rock or dip in the road, and since I tend to drag my feet, BAM. Bloody knees to run home with now.

 (I wish I could look like this girl when I'm done running)

Then I tried to find a photo of someone who looks like me when I'm done running... and no one even comes close to looking as bad (or as red and sweaty) as I do. Awesome.

I think it's embarrassing as hell to stop running and walk instead... I always feel like I'm being judged by the people zooming by in their cars going 45 mph. I'm sure they're saying "Look at the fat ass that can't even make it home ha ha ha." Ok they're probably not, and I'm not a fat ass, but I still feel like there's a possibility someone going by could be judging me. 
 
My dad ran a half marathon about 10 years ago and he did it by running a mile, walking a minute for every mile. People were giving him dirty looks at first because 'real' runners don't walk... until he was passing then 8 miles later feeling a hell of a lot fresher than them. So... maybe walking isn't so bad if, in the the end, it still gets you to where you want to be.