Running to Lose

I have been struggling with this decision for the past few weeks. I am trying to decide how to incorporate running into my physical regimen. I usually workout in the privacy of my own home. I do a lot of strength training and core exercise. I am , dare I say it ; trying to lose my muffin top. I do not have many options for an ideal running environment. My neighborhood is out of the question. It's not that it's a rough neighborhood. Lets just say there is an animal control problem. I don't want to use a treadmill, it is hard on my legs and it doesn't feel natural. I have used an elliptical. But I want to feel the ground under my feet. Also I was thinking I could run in my back yard. Which sounds weird when you think about it. I didn't want to the crazy neighbor who runs around in circles in her back yard. I know someone would have videos of me on you-tube by the second day. And I just think running on trails and tracks are very unsafe for women who run by themselves. It sounds like I am giving excuses, but I am trying to find a safe solution for my activity. I am probably going to just have to result in getting a fat burning super cardio DVD. For the past couple of months I have been using Hip Hop Abs and Jillian Micheal's' DVD. I have seen results from both of these regimens. I just wanted to add some variety to my training.

It's hard to find a workout buddy. You would need someone who is consistent,motivated, and on the same schedule as you are. Because consistency is one of the key factors for keeping the weight off. If you have found someone to do this with consider yourself lucky. Another hang up I have for running is how long should one run for. Should I time it, and do 30 minutes or would I measure it by distance? I will most likely start out timing myself. Pacing myself , and creating a goal to increase the time each day. I want to commit to some type of running exercise sooner than later. I hope some of you that read this can pass on some of your ideas that have worked for you. I am willing to try some new activities. To keep an open mind about this will allow me to have more options.