ON GETTING BACK INTO IT

Last summer, I lost thirty pounds, going from a husky 193 to a not husky 161 (which was lower than I wanted to get). Part of my weight loss plan was running three times a week (along with Tae-Bo another three times a week). Once school resumed and I found myself sharing the track with the track team, the urgency to run had faded (since I passed my goal weight), and I felt self-conscious with my slow pace, as track team members fair to flew past me.

So I stopped running, with the idea that I would just watch my diet all winter, and if I needed to start working out again, I would do some Tae-Bo or some equally indoor exercise. During the winter, drumming to Rock Band songs on "Expert" served as my primary cardio workouts (which really work out just my right leg). And while my weight did creep back up, it never got higher than 170 (which was my goal weight).

Since I have once again realized how much I love eating, I know that I need to add in some exercise. I'm not looking to lose weight - I can eat more, as long as I exercise. And, since yesterday was the first truly nice day we had, I decided to go for a run. No track team on the track making me feel old and slow, I'll just set a nice easy pace, listen to some "So Much for the Afterglow," and knock out a mile and a half.

Cue pain in my chest. That wasn't pleasant, although I like to imagine it as just shaking the winter cholesterol out of my ventricles and whatnot. Cue pain in my legs - I walk all the time, why can't my body handle going slightly faster than that? And cue pain in my back, probably from dealing with my belly bouncing up and down as I ran. I finished my six laps and walked a cooldown, happy I had made it through, not only physically, but mentally.

I got home, showered up, and rested for the remainder of the night. I woke up today and I'm sore, which is to be expected. It's a good sore, though, with the feeling that I am doing something to make my life better. And since I'm not on the same bare bones approach as last summer, I can at least ease this soreness with a Snickers bar. You know what they say: No pain, no gain...ing the right to eat a Snickers.