Today is Day 25 in my challenge. I slipped up once this week, but made it up by running an extra mile the next day. So I’ve run the equivalent of more than a marathon…it’s just taken me 25 days to do it! My knees are not very happy with me and I think I’ll be switching back to speed walking or elliptical training after the challenge is over. My right one has been “clicking” more loudly than normal; I’m guessing that’s not a good sign. And also a good reminder as to why I gave up running a few years ago. My body just says “no bueno”.

In other news, it is almost time for Habitat for Humanity to start up again and I’m so excited. I love participating in the home builds and leading other volunteers. I almost feel guilty when I leave because of the immense satisfaction and fulfillment I get each time I’m there. If you’ve never spent a day helping to build a new home, I highly recommend it.

Today is Day 15 of my challenge and so far I’ve run everyday without fail. The only exception was when I couldn’t even physically make it home after work due to a snow storm. But I did 30 minutes of dance aerobics at my friend’s house, and I think that counts.

I definitely think I’ll keep it up after the challenge is over. I like how my body is feeling and starting to tone up. The exercise is also motivating me to stick with my food plan more than before, because one is almost a waste without the other.  Included in that is drinking 80 ounces of water at work. That sounds like a lot, and would be if you tried to drink it all at once, but spread out over the day, it’s not bad. Plus I get more exercise walking to the ladies room every 30 minutes.

One of my other “good” things I alluded to last time is finalized, so I can mention it here. I’ve been tied to my ex through an upside-down mortgage for the past 2 1/2 years. My name was still on it, but he was paying it. However, the looming fear of something going wrong and me having to take over was enough to be a weight on me. So…after many attempts, he was able to refinance, allowing me to be released from the mortgage and everything associated with it. What a huge relief! I’m not going to run out and buy a house or anything, but it’s nice to know that would be an option if I wanted to do so. It’s also good for me (and him) to cut that final tie between us. Both moving in our own directions, this old connection was a frequent reminder of what was and it’s nice to finally let that go.

Starting something new is always hard. A new workout routine, a new “food plan”, a new job, a new relationship. There’s always a period where I’m not sure I can/want to do it and I really just have to psych myself up and do it. Then when the results start coming around, I know it was worth it and that motivation is enough to keep it going for a while. I say “for a while” because obviously I’ve fallen out of that before, so I know the motivation based on results can be temporary. It’s at that point where I try to remind myself of the time when I was in a place where I wasn’t happy with the way things were, the time that made me make those healthy choices to begin with.

Today is Day 8 of my challenge and I’m on track so far. I even ran outside in the snow yesterday just to get it over with. Today’s weather is much better, so I’ll have no problem running after work. And the result? I’m quite sure I’ve lost a few lbs with the combination of the running and my healthy food choices. I say “quite sure” because I don’t weigh myself. In fact, I avoid all scales until its absolutely necessary, like at the doctor’s office. I know what it’s like to live every day hoping the scale will change and the obsession that can result from that. I refuse to let myself get there again. So I go by how my clothes fit, and they are fitting better than even just last week. THAT is definite motivation to keep going.

It’s Day 4 of my challenge and so far so good. Even though the temperature here has dropped 30 degrees (to between 27-32 degrees) from that of Day 1, I am still running outside. I just can’t justify all the effort it takes to go to the gym for a 1 mile run. Although, the point is probably to help me get to the gym so I end up working out more. Oh well. For now, I’m sticking to the mile.

Some other really good things are happening for me right now. I’m not much of a believer in fate or the universe, but it’s hard to ignore that things are aligning for me at a time where I’m making deliberate choices to do what’s best for me. Some of those choices have been harder than others, and some will be ongoing challenges, but I’ve always said I thrive on challenge, so I think it’s worth it in the end.

Was that the most vague paragraph ever? Haha. I plan to share some of those good things with you soon, but am waiting to finalize a few details.

So Superbowl Sunday is this Sunday, and I don’t really have any plans. My new food plan (I shan’t call it a diet) is not really conducive to party food and beer, so I’ll probably take it easy. I’m definitely tuning in to see the commercials at least!

I like how this sounds like some huge, life-changing challenge…like Day 1 as a vegan, or Day 1 of no smoking (I don’t smoke, but I imagine if I did, Day 1 would be hard). Really, it’s just 1 mile everyday for 28-days. And I already completed my mile for today! I don’t usually work out in the morning…my lungs just aren’t ready for it. I’ve always suspected that I have a little bit of exercise-induced asthma and it becomes most apparent when I work out in the morning. But, I thought it would be better to get it over with right away and not spend all day thinking about having to change when I get home, decide whether or not to go to the gym or just try to run outside, etc. Basically, I didn’t want to give myself the whole day to talk myself out of it.

I made the decision last night, actually. I was talking to a friend who’s considering a challenge of his own and it motivated me to just make this happen. I mean, I lost 100 lbs on my own 10 years ago. Surely I have enough discipline to run ONE mile everyday. I know it’s not much and really only takes a few minutes (so what good is it really doing for me?), but it’s more exercise than I’ve been doing lately so that’s worth something. You gotta start somewhere.

The weather was very pleasant this morning so I got my butt out of bed, got dressed and went for it. 10 minutes later I was back. I went a little longer than a mile, but not much. Piece of cake. The route I picked has a hill, with the up part on the way back, so that added a little extra challenge to it.

So, there you have it. Day 1 – Complete.