You will get there!

You can do it!

That seems a lil bit cliché, I know! Its the truth though.

I was talking with a client about starting to walk earlier today. I cannot believe where I have come from. I remember thinking, "Oh my God, am I in over my head here? Maybe I have just let myself go too far and this is my destiny. Is this even possible?"

Maybe that's where you are today. Wondering if its even a possibility for you to be fit and healthy. I will tell you it absolutely is. It isn't going to be fast or easy (there are shortcuts but you don't want to take those because they are traps that usually lead to you being further away from healthy) but you can totally do this.

When I started walking I was already down about 35lbs or so. I tried walking alone but I got heckled on a fairly regular basis (every damn time- pardon the passion). My friend Kathy walked regularly and invited me to go with her. When we started my lower back and calf muscles were BRUTAL> we probably walked maybe 30 mins and I would go home completely exhausted. I kept walking and even though it hurt at first persistence paid. It always does. We eventually stopped walking together because I joined a gym. I started jogging. It was brutal at first but I also quit smoking around this time so that helped me too. When I say I was unhealthy I totally mean unhealthy.

Jogging was a huge feat. I pretty much had to fight to do it. My breathing sucked. My calves hurt. I got shin splints. Nothing felt easy.

I have worked through injuries too, that slow process of two steps forward one step back. I kept at it!

Fast forward two years...

I am running my first half marathon. 21.1km. I did it. Didn't set any records but I did it and I felt good about myself. After my run that day my old walking partner and I were gabbing and it turned to tears when we talked about where I started from. At the beginning of my walking days I would go home completely exhausted but Kathy would then go for her regular hard-core walk. We laughed and then we cried. I was blessed to have her at that fragile first stage. She never told me I was her warm up friend haha, and to be honest I am not sure I was strong enough to know it at the time.

 That was a few years ago now, I have ran many runs, I am still running. I am a runner. I am not a competitive runner whatsoever but I love it. I love that my body is able to run. I also lift weights, flip tires, ride bike, seek stairs instead of avoiding them like the plague, etc etc etc. If I can do it, so can you. Just don't expect it to be easy. Peeps are always disappointed by my reality check lol. You can do anything but you will have to work for it!

If you feel alone in your fitness journey, don't! I assure you that you already have at least one fit peep, ME!

XO,
Di