Back in the Saddle, er, uh, the running shoes...

So this cold that's been bogging me down for the past 3 weeks and has sent me to both my primary care physician and to an urgent care clinic (ohmygodmakemyearstophurting!!!), seems to be singing (read: coughing) it's swan song.

I decided I'd had enough of sullen disappointment on the couch and I'd take my chances with a bit of a run. At first I thought I'd just walk, get myself warmed up and see what type of lung capacity I had with this lingering "irritation" in my bronchial tubes that make a deep breath challenging. I didn't want to push it too hard on the first time out after not doing anything for the better part of a month.

But I hadn't gotten more than two blocks before I found myself jogging. And continuing to jog. And not coughing. At all. So I ran. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that felt good.

It wasn't an epic run or anything like that (and "epic" for me at this point is probably 3 blocks without switching back to walking). I was only out for about 20 minutes, just zig-zagging through the neighborhood, and I certainly did walk a portion of it---but a much, much smaller portion of it than I'd thought I would. I coughed a little bit when I came home and I"m pretty sure I'll have to use my inhaler tonight before going to bed so that I can lie down and sleep w/out coughing. But I ran, and that is enough for me for right now.

I'm so thrilled that it's staying light out later these days---from now on, when Husband rolls in after work, I am out the door for 25 minutes of running.

Starting tomorrow I will be adding pictures to this blog. Not of me. Not yet. I wish I were brave enough to share "before" and "after" pictures, but let's face it---this blog has been in existence for three years now, and I've yet to move far enough away from the "before" to even merit a picture called "after". It would just be---"more before". Boo.

I've actually been following a few blogs lately of women who are dedicated to living a healthy and mindful lifestyle. You can find them, See Sarah Eat and The Healthy Tipping Point, in my blogroll if you don't already know about them. They have a practice of photographing their meals and snacks, sharing recipes and product reviews, etc. I have to admit, initially I thought this was eating disorder-y obsessive. Taking pictures of every bite you eat? Documenting it all for the world to see? How....crazy!!!

But actually, as I've followed the blogs, I've realized that they are doing something I promised myself this past New Year's Eve that I would do more of this year---live mindfully. Live in the moment and appreciate what is in front of me as it is there. Honestly, I've made a lot of progress on that in many facets of my life---but not in eating. Eating is the most mindless thing I do---in terms of what I choose to eat, when I choose to eat, and how. I can honestly say that I rarely ever walk through the kitchen without grabbing a handful of whatever. I throw it in my mouth and go back to whatever I was initially trying to do. When we go out to eat, I often just get the same thing I always get, or I don't know what I want, so I get flustered, order something obscenely bad for me and end up regretting it.

But by preparing meals and snacks that keep their bodies needs in mind, and by taking the time to prepare the food on a plate or in a bowl and taking a beautiful picture (seriously, they make sprouts look good), it seems so very in the moment and present in the experience of creating good food. I can only imagine what it's got to be like to feel that kind of appreciation for your food and what it can do positively for your body. My mind has been wrapped around the negative of what food can do to my body for so long, the idea of celebrating good, healthful foods and appreciating them is a step I need to take as I move forward.

So from tomorrow on, I am going to be following their lead---photographing what I eat and sharing it with you all (or you one, or you nobody). If nothing else it will bring some color to this otherwise drab looking blog!