I Want to Become a Runner.

I am so not a runner. I was one of those kids who tried every sport, following her mother's insistence that there had to be one athletic endeavor that I would enjoy and be good at. Nope. I thoroughly suck at all sports, and nothing is worse than running. My childhood memories of running are centered around the Presidential Physical Fitness test, a once-a-year test that they give elementary school students (at least here in New York), where you run "the mile." So instead of a normal gym class that would involve half-assed attempts at dodgeball or kickball, all of the students would suddenly be expected to go out and run a mile. I hated it. I would start out running and make a real effort, but eventually that small-elf-squeezing-your-lungs feeling would set in and I would stop and walk, feeling like crap and watching my elementary school crush zip by (not only was he a runner, but he set the record for speed every year). Not exactly the best way for me to gain confidence in my athletic ability. As a result of this athletic anxiety, I turned to dance and yoga as a way to work out that's actually fun (I may not be able to shoot a basketball, but I am damn good at learning choreography). I never even entered a gym until college when my girlfriends dragged me into the gorgeous gym at BU, taught me what an elliptical was, and encouraged me to broaden my fitness horizons.

Once I started to be able to recognize myself in workout clothes, I started to change my outlook on running. After avoiding any kind of fitness endeavor that I found too "badass" for my girly self, I challenged myself to become more comfortable with running. Now I know that running can be unhealthy if you overdo it, but I think it would be really great to be able to run one to three miles a few times a week. Being able to run at least a mile without stopping is my current goal, something that I think is doable and will really make me feel like I am on my way to being "in shape." By in shape, I mean I want to look like this:

Did Kristen Bell's physique in Forgetting Sarah Marshall just blow your mind or what? She just rocks, and I've decided that I want her jobs (another one of my goals: to become a rom-com queen), her bangs (more on this soon) and her bod. I think Kristen is a great fitness role model because she's honest about her diet (she's a vegetarian and admits to counting calories and being very careful about what she eats while also letting herself indulge here and there), has a varied fitness routine (outdoor activities as well as good ol' hitting of the gym) and hello - she's 30 and looks like she's 20! Part of this, I'm sure, is due to her petite cuteness, but still - the lady seems to have mastered the art of taking care of herself without doing ridiculous cleanses or diets. Awesome.

So yeah, I'm going to become a runner. It's going to happen. I am going to beat the elf in my chest and really be in shape, and also become a movie star and have perfect bangs that I don't get sick of...anything's possible right?