Trying to make a comeback

Hi everyone, I'm Shelley. I too was blog challenged yesterday. Thanks for including me in the group. I think some peer pressure might be exactly what I need to get out of this slump I've been in lately. I've run off and on my whole life. I'm a plodder and I run mostly to relax and clear my head and just to be outside. Also, I am way too uncoordinated to do things like jazzercise or step. You do not want to be next to me in one of those classes. A few years ago someone convinced me to join a marathon club. My longest run in years at that point was maybe six miles. Club members train on thier own during the week but get together on Saturdays for long runs. The club marks the course and puts out water/food. Everyone runs the course at his/her own pace but people hang around waiting for others. The exprienced marathoners help the virgins (things like where to get cool running clothes!). I doubt I would have made it to the marathon without the support and frankly the group pressure to be there every Saturday. These people had cell phones and weren't afraid to use them. We did the Dublin marathon. It was painful, yes, but so much fun. I was hooked. I kept training and started running one right after the other. I got to where I didn't feel right without my daily run. I dropped weight but ate whatever I wanted. I felt so energetic. I said I would NEVER get out of shape again. Then my job required me to move to Hohenfels, I was working long hours, I lived in a hotel for 45 days, I had an injury...blah, blah, blah. Now it is ten pounds later and I feel out of shape and yuck. I'm mad at myself. I turn 40 in March and I don't want to do it like this. I've been running again for about two weeks. Okay...maybe jogging slowly is a better description. My biggest challenge right now is getting out the door. I've gone back to my old strategy of telling myself I have to go out for ten minutes. If I still don't feel like it, I can quit then. Once I get going I am always fine. So that is where I am at. I'm looking forward to the drawing from the group energy and/or being ruthlessly hounded when I post some lame excuse for not running. Thanks again for including me.