Running - My New Challenge

In 2009 I was diagnosed with an auto immune disorder that affects skin and muscle - dermatomyositis. As a result I spent 2 years on prednisone - and consequently gained 50 pounds. I kept getting told "the weight will come off after you get off the prednisone..." Nope, 3 years later and still battling the bulge. However, I have dropped 23 pounds!! And am getting back into shape.

The most dramatic affect of weight gain and being on/off prednisone is how weight affects your ability to exercise effectively or efficiently. If you've never been on prednisone, then you may not be aware also that coming off of it (a prescribed steroid) causes a "crash." It was the 2-3-4 week crashes every time my dosage was dropped that also affected my ability to exercise. 

Needless to say, I'm still in recovery, but enjoying the cross training. Running, well, used to be fun. It's not so fun with extra pounds. That's why I started reading Running a Marathon for Dummies. It has great info on the bodies physiology as it adapts to longer and longer periods of running. Some of it is a refresher, but a lot is new. I highly recommend checking it out if you have the extra pounds that you are not used to and want to get your athlete self back into shape.