Too Much Energy??

        Once upon a time there was a 41 year old woman sitting on the back steps of her house smoking a cigarette.  This woman smokes a pack and half a day.  This woman has trouble sleeping every night.  She has trouble breathing and is miserable.  One day this woman took a chance and quit smoking, with the help of friends and pharmaceuticals.   She went through withdraws, the mood changes, and the feeling of being lost (if you have ever quit smoking you will understand this feeling) and before she knew it had been a month.  She expected the typical issues that came with quitting, but there was one that she did not expect:  AN OVERWHELMING SURGE OF ENERGY!!  What on earth could she do with all of this new energy?  Run!!!!!!

        I am sure everyone has figured out that I am that woman.  I am 42 years old now.  I have been smoke free for 304 days and counting.  When I quit smoking I was amazed by many things.  Who knew that food tasted so good?  I had smoked since I was a teenager, so I didn't know that oranges tasted amazing.  Yes, I did gain weight and I am still trying very hard to lose it all, but we can talk about that another time.  I quit smoking in October and in November I had so much energy it was insane.  I knew that if I did not find a way to use this energy I was either going to go crazy or start smoking again.  

        Then one day I came across an App called Zombies, Run.  I am a zombie lover.  I love zombie movies, books, and video games.  Needless to say I was intrigued.  I researched it a little and eventually came to the conclusion that maybe this would be fun and a way to use some energy.  If you are not familiar with Zombies, Run then you are missing out! Basically, you listen to a story that requires you to run.  Yes, that is as simple as I can make it.  A story will play for a few minutes and then you listen to music.  The story is broken down into episodes, so you listen to a 30 minute to hour episode and you run while you listen.  Simple?  Yes!!!  I downloaded the App and went around my neighborhood listening and trying to run.  I fell in love with the story and I fell in love with running.  The most exciting part was that I was doing something that I had never done before.  I started to look forward to running everyday.    
       
         Let me say this very clearly...I did not start running 10 miles a day.  I struggled and still struggle with running.  I struggle with the physical part of running and especially the mental part of running.  I read a lot of running related articles and blogs, so many of them make it sound like these people just run out their front door at an 8 minute mile pace.  They also make it sound like they run 7 miles a day.  This blog is about my struggle with running.  How I fight with my brain every time I run!  It is also how I opened a new world by running.  I have achieved things that I never thought possible and have changed so many things since I started running,  I wanted to share these things.