I think I can, I think I can...

My Amazing friend Amy came into town this weekend.  Besides eating too much, bashing her ex-boyfriend, and playing games, Amy told me about how she has become a runner.  Here's the catch: Amy has chronic asthma.  Like uses her inhaler at least three times a day asthmatic.  So when she told me she started running. I was intrigued.

Back Story:

About a week before my wedding (October 14, 2012) I was feeling really sick.  I didn't want to go to the doctor's office because I was convinced that it was just a chest cold and there wouldn't be much they could do for me.  It wasn't until I was in excruciating pain with every breath that I agreed to go to Urgent Care.  After two hours, a chest X-ray, and a shot for pain, I was out the door with a stack of expensive medications and a diagnosis of pneumonia.

A week later (two days after I said "I do"), I was feeling even worse and starting to cough up a little blood (sorry if that's gross, but it was true).  So I went back to urgent care.  The doctor took one look at me and sent me to the hospital via ambulance.  They were nice enough to attach our "Just Married" flag, but poor Dean was too busy freaking out about me to take a photo.  At the hospital they did a CT scan and found two large blood clots in my left lung, believed to be caused by birth control.  I stayed in the hospital for about a week and life hasn't really been the same since.

I believe this was day 5.  I hadn't had a shower and I was miserable.

Back to today:

I didn't really understand how severely ill I was and what effect it had on my body until just recently.  I haven't been active at all because my lung is still very fragile, and I haven't been eating very healthy because leafy green veggies don't mix well with my medication.  I have never been a "skinny" girl, but I would never say I was obese either.  Well, the last time I went to my doctor's office I weighed in at 214 pounds.  Ouch.  (pardon me while I let that settle in again).  

That brings me back to this weekend's conversation with Amy.  When she told me she was running and was healthy, I wanted in.  She's lost about 30 pounds since my wedding (6 months ago) and feels great.  She found this blog about a girl who as asthma but runs marathons.  She uses the Galloway method for training, and does really well with it.  

I have done some research (and talked with my doctor and got his OK), and I have decided that if asthmatics can run, so can I.  My goal weight is 165.  If I look at the numbers, it's intimidating.  My end goal in all of this isn't really numbers, it's to feel better about myself. 

I have gone back and forth about weather or not I should post.  What if I can't do it?  Admitting you weigh over 200 pounds is embarrassing!  What if people think this is just another weight-loss blog now? All of those thoughts raced through my mind today, and the only response I can really think of is: So what?!  So what if I do fail, at least I tried.  50 pounds is a lot, but it's not as bad as 100. And so what if people think this is a weight-loss blog now, maybe I can inspire some other people to try something they didn't think they could do.  

I have decided to start my training on April 22.  I picked this day because it is the Monday after the 6 month mark of my illness.  It starts the first full week in 6 months that I will be medication free. And because the weather forecast looks like this:

I will admit, I am a little nervous because I still have some pain in my lungs when I get winded.  But if I never try, I will never know.  So here goes nothing.... I think I will be adding new fancy running shoes to my birthday wish list (hint hint, Dean).