The Dam Run
Conquering Lake Murray Dam #damrunner
by
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By the time I took that first kick-boxing class I was the heaviest I had ever been, I had fallen into the "family eating lifestyle." We ate out more than we ever had due to hectic schedules. I deceptively thought I was being active because I coached the children's soccer teams and felt like I was constantly on the go, but I was less fit than I had ever been and that class proved to me that I was out of shape and at risk.
As I looked at myself in the mirror I could see that my once toned arms and shoulders were now soft and rounded. My high cheekbones were covered in a fleshy round face that didn't look great sad but was radiant when it was happy; red apple cheeks and all.
Oh no, am I now the happy fat girl? I thought.
It wasn’t quite that bad, but to me it was horrible. I was over 200 pounds, closer to 230, and I cried again.
My lungs were still on fire from the first class on the day that I took the second class. I didn't care. I wasn't going to be fat! I wasn't going to fall into the obesity trap! I was not the most enormous person in the world or even in my small town, or even in that Kick-boxing class, but I was upset with myself and fed up. I was determined to make a change.
I went from taking that Kick-boxing class to taking Kick-boxing and Yoga. I became obsessed with Yoga. I had Kick-boxing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10am, I had Yoga Monday evening at 7pm and Wednesday morning at 9am right before Kick-boxing. Before long I added Bikhram Yoga (hot yoga) on Tuesday mornings and Zumba on Saturdays. I added an afternoon Boxing Class with Heavy Bags. Then came the weight training since I was "already at the gym" and the addiction to the elliptical followed.
The logical next step to me was running. I had conquered so much and in my mind that was the epitome of fitness: the runner. Oh the endurance they had and the freedom! They all seemed to thrive on the difficulty. Yes, running was for me! I wanted that challenge! But it was a long road and it started with that first Kick-boxing class. It started with tears and self loathing. It started with pain. It is a pain I still fight with. I still look in the mirror and find faults and have difficulty embracing them. I still think I could lose some weight, but Lord can I run! I can keep going for as long as I have time!
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About the Book
Some days we are inspired to run and some days we run and it inspires us. This book is both sides of that coin; the run and the inspiration. It is a book for everyone whether you run or not. It is about being inspired to do hard things. It is about finding the strength inside you when you think you have none. It is about knowing you are good enough; that your efforts count. Read it and reflect. You may be surprised to realize whom you inspire and who inspires you... and if you are inspired to run, all the better!
About the Author
V. A. Riccasola prides herself in being a well rounded individual: she’s a mother, daughter, sister, friend, career woman, writer, runner, kick-boxer, fad dieter, pseudo-nutritionist, home school teacher, cook, amateur political debater and public speaker, small-time daredevil and home maker. She is passionate about challenges and adventures and has found she loves roller coasters, rappelling, no ropes rock climbing, spelunking, skiing, martial arts, motorcycle riding and Corvette racing. Currently residing in Lexington County, South Carolina and working in Public Safety, she writes tales born mostly from her experiences in the Northeastern and Southwestern United States. Now she is accumulating experiences in the American South to share. Short yet valuable careers in hospitality, real estate, the medical field and public safety give her an experienced view of the world from which to draw. Her love of travel lends zeal to share the world's beauty and both personal and imagined experiences through her writing. Her stories are the culmination of many hours of pecking away at her keyboard between all that life has thrown at her and running. Mother of two teenage boys, she is often surprised when she can find even fifteen minutes a day to call her own. She dedicates that cherished time to writing.