Back in the Running Shoes

Fitness has been on the back burner for a while for me. Even though I spent a month or two doing some dedicated winter running, I was quickly sidetracked with planning for my June wedding (oh my gosh!). Yup, I finally found my perfect partner in crime and couldn't be happier. Joe and I met through mutual friends, and enjoyed a wonderful nine months of not-so-wonderful long-distance dating before he decided he needed to move back to the Twin Cities. Three months later, a week after our one year anniversary, on a cold and windy day, he proposed to me at Minnehaha Falls Park. My response was probably not typical - I'm not incredibly lady-like. I spent a short moment letting the question sink in then began jumping up and down saying "yes! yes!" I was giddy, to say the least. :)

So, flash to a week later. We've told our families and friends and have been asked a thousand times if we've set a date. That question made me cringe just a little. I wanted to let the feeling of being engaged sink in a bit and to just enjoy it. However, we soon learned that our date options were actually pretty limited, as Joe's sister's and brother-in-law's military obligations are sending them out of the country soon. Basically this meant that, if we wanted them to be there, we had to get married within the next four months, or wait until 2015. Easy choice! Neither one of us wanted to wait.

It was a whirlwind four months of planning, crafting, and making arrangements. It was very stressful at times and I was so thankful to have a loving fiancé supporting me through the emotional roller-coaster. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have made any other choice. That short planning period forced us to focus on what was most important to us and not get too caught up in the modern wedding industry.

We didn't really have a rain plan for our outdoor ceremony and picnic reception. If it did rain, my plan was to "dance in it." The fold-up umbrellas went unused because we were blessed with a gorgeous day, in the middle of a week of rain and clouds. In fact, the sun peeked out a little stronger just as we were beginning our vows. Somebody was smiling on us that day.

(Photo courtesy of the fantastic Sean Berry)

Now that I am starting to come down from the wedding festivities, I'm enjoying getting back to the day-to-day. Summer arrived late in Minnesota, but it's here in full force now and along with the warmer temperatures comes a new motivation to be active. I want to enjoy these few fine months to their fullest. (nice alliteration, eh?) Not to mention, I need to fit into an already-purchased bridesmaid gown in a few months. How's that for a kick in the pants? ;)

Here's what I've been up to, health and fitness-wise:

One of my favorite perks of running
is enjoying nature.

• annual checkups with the doctor, optometrist, and dentist - I've had a tendency to put these off indefinitely in the past. Not anymore!
• I've resumed tracking my eating habits. I'm using My Fitness Pal again because it worked for me before.
• I'm running again. I was running on and off during the wedding planning, but not with any regularity. This week, I've resumed a past habit of running three times a week. It's just enough to be doable, but not overwhelming. I'm starting off slow and for relatively short distances of a couple of miles, but it's a heck of a lot more than sitting on a couch.
• I've joined a DietBet for the month of July. DietBet is a neat concept. The games are set up by anyone that has a login. Users can buy into the bet for the preset price, usually somewhere between $10-50. They submit proof of their weight via a couple of quick photos on the scale, then are challenged to lose 4% of their weight in 4 weeks. During that time, they share supportive messages via the game's page. Those that make it to the goal will split the pot. It's a win-win. Fiscal and community motivation!
• I'm focusing on making small better choices every single day; one scoop of ice cream instead of two, walking up the stairs instead of taking the escalator, water instead of pop at the movie theater. These seemingly tiny choices add up in a big way over time.

This worked for me before. It will work again.