So I just accomplished an amazing feat. I just went on a run with my husband for the first time ever!

Some perspective on the magnitude of this achievement:
My husband and I grew up in the same town and worked together throughout high school, although we never dated until college. We worked as lifeguards, so he has definitely seen me in my better days. I played sports throughout high school and was very athletic growing up. He once even told me that I was the most athletic girl he knew! Anyway, over the years we started dating, graduated college, got married, made it through med school, the first years of my teaching career, started residency, and yes, along the way I gained 95 lbs. My athleticism seemed to just disappear. Instead of swimming together or playing volleyball at the beach with friends we started ordering in and watching movies. Even though he has remained active and in-shape, our "couple" activities went from doing active, fun things to ones that kept us on the couch.

A couple of days ago I ran 1.5 miles on an outdoor running trail without stopping, which was a huge accomplishment. (I am terrified of running, afraid that I’ll either embarrass myself or that I won’t be able to do it.) The next goal that I had set to achieve was to run the loop with my husband once I felt a little more comfortable (so that I didn't have to feel anymore embarrassed than I already did about getting sooo out of shape and gaining so much weight)…

I was very busy today and was unable to make it to the gym so he suggested that we go for a run together. The thought of running with him made my stomach queasy and my anxiety soar through the roof. I was so sure that I was about to be publically humiliated because I wouldn’t be able to complete the run with him. I was going to fail miserably and let him down. (So dramatic, I know!) I guess I felt like I had been able to hide my declining health and physical state from him – silly me!

After setting some guidelines to ease my anxiety, we walked over to the running trail and off we went. I had my headphones on and at one point he signaled for me to take them off and he said, “Can you actually believe that we are going for a run together?” I smiled, put my headphones back on, and giggled a little to myself. Were we actually going for a run together? Was this really happening? You know those couples that you sometimes see running together? And you are envious because they look so happy and healthy? Today, I guess that was us. Who would have thought? Not me in a million years. Could this really be something that we do to spend time with one another?

Who knows, maybe we’ll only do it on occasion. At least I know that I can – it’s an amazing feeling☺ Maybe I CAN be a runner, maybe even a 5Ker one day…

an exciting day!!