whaddup?

greetings, y'all!  (proof i need out of columbus...i just said y'all...kill me now!)

yes, i live in ohio.  yes, it sucks. 

so, a little about me.  i grew up in northeast ohio, a child of a meat and potatoes kind of family.  vegetables?  ha!  not really as popular in the household as, say, foods laced with preservatives? seriously.  not the healthiest lifestyle.  and my body and energy level proved it.

yes, i was involved in sports.  figure skating, volleyball, softball.  i tried track once.  once.  not my bag.  (we'll see about that!)

junior high/high school pettiness and drama brought me to a breaking point.  i started exercising, even continuing through college.  after an overcritical boyfriend and some self-loathing anorexia, i lost the battle.  overweight, unhealthy, i couldn't get the equation right.  college ended, and weight continued to stick to me like tar.  i entered the professional world, was living on my own, but confidence continued to waver.  

then i finally started to get it (somewhat) right.  i joined a gym and made it a point to go consistently.  my diet, however, was still inconsistent.  i was losing weight, but still needed to complete the healthfulness puzzle.  i met the love of my life, who was also into fitness, but he also knew more about nutrition.  finally, i was feeling healthier, more alive.  

i also started running.  i found a program in a shape magazine and, after years and years of using shin splints as an excuse, i conquered the program and became a consistent runner!  

now, a 32-year-old adult, i'm married, happy, and healthy.  i recently signed up (there's no going back now) for the chicago marathon this october, so i've officially upped the ante on becoming a lean, mean, running machine.  however, i still struggle with the eating equation.  what can i say, i love food! 

so, here it is.  here's the place where i share with you my journey to chicago, and along the way i even hope to share with you my path to an even healthier lifestyle.  my ultimate goal is to share with you some healthy (and sometimes not so healthy..shh!) goodness as i test out recipes and variations to recipes.  i have to admit, i may even vent sometimes too, but i promise more recipes and less whining.  ha!  

so, until next time - here's to our health and happiness!

 -ruthie mc