Lots to update folks on. Some ups, some downs, some things to come, and hopefully a return to prior progress. In my ever-present pursuit to get myself on track, back to this tradition I return. This coming Monday will be the first official reflection. Consider this the… teaser.

Let’s start with downs.

Well, I have almost gained back every pound that I lost since I started this health journey. This has been a difficult one for me to handle and digest (pun intended). I do not know if I truly can identify what the cause is. I think it is naïve to think there is one singular cause, but I believe it boils down to a few things. I know that I have been under different stress than before and I am coping differently. I have also reverted back into using food as a coping mechanism again. Third, during the height of covid, there was less to do and therefore I had more time to devote to myself, now there are more extracurriculars.

I do believe the bulk of my issues comes down to my food intake, but I also am not quite as active as before. I was averaging 5+ peloton workouts a week in addition to routine walks and some runs. That is a level of activity that I simply don’t have hours in the day anymore, but I still get 3-4 hard workouts in a week and almost daily walks.

There is a bit of this where I feel lost. Sometimes I feel that something is out of my control and that it is not fair. Fair or not, it is the reality. My body doesn’t care if I try harder than all those others, this is my reality. So I need to make choices. But these choices also lead to the good!

The Good.

I have found a love of running that is only growing. As I noted in a previous post, Marathon Sports, a run-walk store in New England, asked me to join on as an ambassador. Clearly something is going right. Running is hard, but it is a hard challenge I find myself thirsty for. So I went out on a limb and signed up for the Boston Athletics Association Distance Medley. This is their 5k, 10k, and half marathon. I have run the 5k and 10k, each will have a separate blog talking about them, and now I am setting my sight on the half marathon and the training needed for it.

I have been consistent with my running and walking all year and I feel that I am breaking down personal barriers around it. I am not as fast and fit as I was when I was down on weight, but my resolve is stronger, and I am here to break down expectations. I am in ‘prove it’ mode. So hop on that bandwagon with me.

For the remainder of this week:

Get some movement in and stay cool this week. Next week I begin the program for my half marathon training. With it I need to get better about my fueling and discipline. To the blog I return to get back on that. Please follow along and folks, I always am here for encouragement!