jiggly bits

three weeks.  that's how long its taken me to get seriously out of shape.

when i first got here i thought i'd actually lose weight from all of the walking i had to do.  every time i'm hungry i have to walk somewhere, and at 6500 feet, even going to the corner grocery store made me break a sweat.

so i started running with tracy 2 or 3 times a week.  we'd get out while its still pitch black outside and run out of town, on the side of the highway.  cars and buses are screaming past, making us jump off the side of the road (yes, the painted lines are optional), and we're breathing the horrible exhaust fumes.  add that to extreme altitude and it makes for some seriously unhappy lungs.  the first run was awful, i really thought that i was going to die on the side of the road.  and 2 weeks later, it wasn't getting any better.

tracy has mostly taken me for 'flat' runs, with these tiny hills that feel like mt everest.  and little by little i could run further but always breathing like a fat asthmatic lady trying to climb stairs.  we ran hills on friday and that was maybe the worst run ever.  i think we went about 4 miles total but the first half was almost straight uphill and tracy kept stopping to wait for me and yelling at me because all i wanted to do was sit on the curb and cry.  i didn't think it would take this long to acclimate to the altitude.

so i started feeling really bad about my plummeting fitness level this weekend.  especially after several days of nonstop margaritas.  and an out of control corn chip addiction.  i tried to do some of my trx cardio and that was just sad.  4 burpees and i'm sprawled on the floor trying to breathe.

yesterday i went swimming with tracy and her kids.  the only reason i could walk out in public after seeing myself in my bikini was that there were a dozen fat ladies doing water aerobics in the pool.  nothing like using someone else's problems to make myself feel better.  at least that inspired me to try to swim some laps.  but mostly i just wanted to lay on the comfy chair and nap in the sun (which tracy made me feel good about, 'tan fat looks better than white fat').

so today's run was actually pretty good.  i went further than before, and was able to talk a little bit.  i think i'm finally getting accustomed to the altitude, just in time to leave.  and i keep telling myself that i'll get back into shape when i get to the beach, i'll swim every morning, surf, run on the sand.  but there are also new bars and restaurants to try everywhere i go.  maybe its just time that i made peace with 'fat melissa'. embrace the mumu.

it sounded more mexican on the menu