Foremost (and always the most important thing…), today’s PERSPIRATION INSPIRATION:
Running in the rain.
That’s what I looked like today.
Just kidding, I probably looked more like this:
Drowned rat.
But the good news about working out is it makes you release happy chemicals, and the happy chemicals help you lie to yourself about things like how you look while you’re running in the rain.
Good thing I didn’t do my make up today… I would have looked more like this:
… sans the model face under the makeup…
And besides, the important thing is, I ran in the rain. 4 miles. And it was awesome. Seriously, it rocked. Then again, I’m an overcast, light rain kinda gal. My eyes prefer it to the bright sun.
Anyway, I’m still truckin’ with my game plan, and I’ve even recruited some girls to run a 5k and 10k with me. (Michael Jackson’s “You are not alone…” just popped into my head.)
So here are some general updates:
The good: today was the first day that I went out and didn’t feel like I was out of breath. The entire run, I actually felt great. Never out of breath, never sucking wind, and my stride is getting better. All this running stuff I read talks about the magic stride per minute rate of 180. I was no where near that (I think I was something crazy off like 90 spm). So I focused on my cadence today and was able to increase it. I wasn’t able to count it because I wasn’t wearing my watch, but I was keeping cadence in my head that was much closer to 1.5 strides per second.
The bad: my hip and ankle are starting to hurt more. My right leg is shorter than my left (my sister used to joke that it made me run in circles… don’t worry I have thick skin). It caused some knee issues in high school, but my physical therapist at the time warned me it’d cause some hip problems later in life. Am I already there? To the “later in life” point? Ugh.
The ugly: I haven’t lost a pound. -_- I keep telling myself that I’m in the fat-converting-to-muscle phase. And I’m pretty sure it’s true because I definitely feel stronger and slightly more toned, but still. I’m a numbers girl. And I really like to see the weight drop. So it better start happening soon…
That’s a wrap. Leave me some love, friends.
So proud of you! You always accomplish your goals Meaghan. Keep up the hard work, it always pays off in the end. Be patient… a virtue I fear that I did not pass on to you or your sister. Sorry! I love you and just remember that the numbers mean nothing… the way your clothes fit tell the true story. You look amazing!
Don't worry, kids teach you patience even if it's not in your DNA.
And thanks for the encouragement, mama.
Just remember – your inner Fatch is beautiful and that's what matters most
)) No, but seriously I'm feeling inspired! I just bought new running shoes which is the first step and you're pushing me to the next! Go girl 
What?! So inspired that you TOO are doing a sprint tri? And you\’re joining ME in the spring?! Word. You\’re so awesome.