Day 732 (+1) and Counting

What's the significance of 732 days? Is it just an anonymous number, picked out of thin air? Sure, that works. Or, it could be day one of year three of my march toward health and fitness. (The plus one? Oh, that's because today is really 733 but I didn't get this post finished on day 732, so let's just pretend it's yesterday, okay?) Just two short years ago I got off my formerly very fat ass and got on the treadmill for the first time. It's really hard to believe I've been on this path to health and wellness for that long.

Not to say that it gets easier, but every day I find it more difficult to believe that I used to live the way that I did. By the same token, I don't think I'll ever feel like I can't go back. Today, I just have a much different relationship with food. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I could care less what I eat, but I think of most food as just a means to an end.

In these past two years, I've run/walked more than 1000 miles and biked more than 500 miles. I've run 5k's, 10k's, 10 milers, 2 half marathons and a full marathon. Buying a bike last fall saved my progress from going south after the first of now three ankle and foot injuries. I look forward to getting on the bike more than just about anything exercise and enjoyment wise.

I think back to that first day when I stepped on the treadmill and recall how difficult that first mile was. I was so ready to hang it all up. In comparison, in the 24 hours period between last night and today (again, pretending that it's now Saturday, even thought we all know it's a total farce,) I biked to the gym 7 miles, took a one hour Body Pump class, biked to the pool, swam with the kids, threw in 10 laps, and then biked home. This (Saturday) morning, I rode 31 miles with a local bicycling club, the HoCo Cyclists.

As I got on the scale this (Saturday) morning, I was looking forward to breaking new ground, and that I did. The number staring back at me was 226. A loss of 188 pounds in two years and 40 pounds from this time a year ago. I've lost 22 inches on my waist, from a 58 to a 36. Those numbers all seems so normal.

It's truly impossible to understate the importance of my biggest fan and cheerleader, Deb. She has kicked my ass more times than I'd like to admit for getting out of a routine, eating too much crap, not doing the right kinds of exercise and any other general ass kicking that I surely needed and deserved. On top of it all, she's held down the fort particularly through the tough marathon training period. I could not have asked for a better partner. Thank you, my love!

Okay, enough sappiness, so what's in store for year 3? Well, I've already set my weight goal for the end of the year -- 199 is the number. As for events, hard to tell. We'll see how this foot/ankle thing does. Who knows, with the swimming, maybe a future triathlete in the making. For sure, I'll be looking for my first century bike ride by the end of 2009. Other than that, we'll see how things go.

Thanks, all, for reading and encouraging.

L'Chaim!