Last Friday I was out at Twins Hills new walking park. I have to say, I absolutely HATE walking. Yeup...it's true! I am confessing it now....I loath it!!! There's nothing fun about walking around in a circle over and over again so this idea that I came up with two weeks ago, well...let's just say I was shocked at myself. All I could think of was, " Girrrrrl, what in the world are you thinking?"
So, here I am out there walking. I was suppose to have been out there earlier walking with Erin but had missed her by about 30 minutes and I was so upset because we had missed walking with each other all week. Why did I miss her again? I hate walking PERIOD! Now I have to walk ALONE? (In circles to boot!) Oh, this is just GREAT! I got myself together though and put my MP3 player in my pocket and turned it on. It's now around 10:20 a.m. and it's getting quite warm out. I've walked 3 laps so far so I've got a 1.5 mile in. I'm doing good. There's around 7 people out there on the track. Let me lay it out for you. The track is absolutely amazing by the way. I have to give it to the city. They did a fantastic job! Okay now for the layout of my surroundings. There's a woman with her 3 wheeled stroller and the baby, she's about 115 lbs, matching exercise clothes...black leggings, yellow tank top, black jacket tied around her waste and her hair in a ponytail. "Cutie Patootie" <----That will be me (Ok not 115 but 165 and ummm minus the babystroller...ok, so it won't be me....I just like the whole "Cute Patootie" look! )She's jogging behind the stroller at quite a steady pace and has been the WHOLE TIME! There's a couple of ladies that were in their mid 40's I would say. They were just a talkin' about "Good Things Donuts" and how that is their "SATAN" and how instead of stopping by there on Wednesday's & Friday's they were just gonna do it on Saturdays!!! Yeah....now that's a plan isn't it??? HA!! LOVE ME SOME GOOD THINGS DONUTS!!!!!! I wanted to tell them that I would stick with Wednesdays since that's Devils Food Cake days but I didn't want them to know I was listening! WHAT? WHAT AM I DOING? I am out here walking and I'm actually thinking about suggesting when to go get DONUTS? UGH!!!! And I wonder why!!!!!!
Ok so now we are down 3 people the rest were 2 young dudes...I say "dudes" cause that's exactly what they were....nice looking young guys that were "dudes". They knew it, they had it going on and they were out there to show IT! I like that in a person! Too much is YUCKY but they had enough that was just right! The last two were on the exercise equipment out there, one was a woman around 50+ who was just sitting on a piece of equipment and then the other looked to be like maybe her daughter. Okay.......so my scene is set..yes?
Moving on....... I'm now on my 6th lap....that's 3 miles. I'm SO proud of myself! I'm feeling great...FANTABULOUS infact!! You see, I HAD to do 3.5 miles cause Erin told me that she had done 3.5 so I wasn't gonna stop there.
This is the moment where those 7 individuals, every single detail that I can remember now about them......at that moment that I rounded the corner near the library....there was no one out there but...... ME.
As my MP3 player was playing songs, the next song had came on and the song "Heart and Soul" by TPAU , (a 1980's group) came on. The intro of the song just gives you (at least it does me) this pep in your step.
As it came on, it started making me think about the past 2 years of my life and my journey of weight loss. Losing over 120 lbs so far and knowing there would be no way that I could have walked 1 mile without completely falling out, much less 3 miles! I was thinking of how much better I felt, the energy I had, running around in the yard with the kids, the stamina I have to do things that I haven't had since I was a teenager! As these thoughts ran through my head, the tears began to flow down my cheeks. In my ears I could hear the words of the song " Give a little bit of heart and soul...." , as I rounded that corner by the library, the sun glistened so beautifully on the water and across the pathway, as if someone was shining a spotlight towards me....the tears just ran........that wasn't the only thing that was running though.
Before I knew it, I had started running around that track! I couldn't believe myself! What in the world was I doing? What was I thinking? Fat chicks don't run!! Am I INSANE? All of those thoughts, as SOON as they entered my mind, they would immediately leave though, again....I was the ONLY person out there. (in my mind) The more I ran....the harder I cried. The song continued to play on my MP3 player and the only words that really rang out to me where, " Give a little bit of heart and soul......" "And don't you make me beg for more....."
As I came to the point of where I had started running I stopped and was bent over trying to catch my breath and I looked over to my right and there was that 50+ year old lady that had been sitting on that piece of equipment and gave me the sweetest and biggest smile, giving me a silent clap way up high in the air. It was as if she knew that I had just accomplished something so amazing that SOMEONE needed to acknowledge it. When I saw her, I mouthed "Thank You" and again....the tears flowed.
You see, I had just ran 1/2 mile and I haven't done that since I was in Elementary school. It was the most amazing feeling that I have had in such a long time....I can't even express to you how truly "FULL" I felt at that moment.
Although there was no finish line ribbon, no balloons, no crowd of supporters at the end to cheer me on or to clap as I ran through some tape..........my victory and my win- it was all right inside MY....... Heart and Soul.
