Pay Day

You know how I've been running for the past eight months or so?

Well, let me tell you a little about what running has done for me.

{My friend Jennifer and me on our first 10-mile run}

It has made me stink. I smell horrible when I run. I don't think I've done anything in my life that has made me smell as bad as running has.

It has cost a lot of money. I've had to buy clothes made from fabrics that I didn't previously own. I've had to buy sports bras (I didn't own any before) and expensive shoes. And then there are all of the race fees and the gym membership I bought for my family so I had somewhere to run when the air quality was deadly.

It has destroyed my toenails. I have lost two toenails already this calendar year (i.e. in three months), and I kid you not, the day after the second one fell off, I got two new black toenails. I keep my toenails super trimmed, but even the slightest hair-width of toenail growth is enough to destroy my toes.

(Sidenote: I just bought new running shoes, and I decided to try a half size bigger to see if it helps with the toe drama)

It has caused me "let myself go." I rarely get dressed or do my hair and make-up anymore because I always have to be ready to go running if I can squeeze it in. I am more fit than I have ever been in my life, but I look like crap! (see above photo).

So mostly, running has turned my into a disgusting slob.

Go me.

The other day, though, I discovered a hint of a pay-off. I was sitting down with my feet up on the couch, knees bent, when I looked up from my book and saw daylight shining between my thighs.*

Daylight!

Between my thighs!

My thighs have never had a problem touching one another. For as long as I can remember, they have made full contact (squish included) on a regular basis, and yet, there I was, legs together, with daylight shining through. Not a lot, mind you, but enough to startle me.

I'll take it.

*Just in case you're wondering, I haven't lost any weight since I started running. I am a little more toned, and my boobs have shrunk, but I weigh the same. I believe this is quite a bummer.