I was completely out of shape when I started

Couldn't even run 6 cycles of 1 minute run, 1 minute walk...was in the worst shape of almost all of the people in my training group (about 50). Now I am ahead of schedule, running 4 4min run/1min walk cycles, which is what we cover next week.

I was a runner 5 years ago, able to run (slowly) a 10K race. Then I discovered my ovarian cyst and the obstetrician caused all sorts of alarm. Not only did he insist I have it out (it was the largest he had seen in 3 years at the time and he was excited because he would be working with interns on my surgery, so I would be a study case), he also said that I couldn't run or have sex or do anything jiggly anymore, out of risk of rupturing the cyst. He acted like it was a ticking bomb.

I stopped running then and there, and gained 60lbs over the last five years. How depressing!

The day I dared to sprint to the streetcar, I felt liberated, and knew that, while I was taking a risk, the cyst has been here for 5 years and has remained intact.

Periodically I would start to run again, but not get far. Coincidentally, my "learn to run" clinic started shortly before I started my fast.

Oh yeah...my blood pressure has gone down too, from slightly above normal to healthily within the normal range.

Whoo hoo!

Good luck everybody.