Run, Joseph, Run!

I've been sick the last two weeks.  It's almost completely totally gone.  There are still a few coughs here and there, but I'm way better.  The first week of that I didn't run; my lungs couldn't handle it, I didn't think.  And the extra rest was good for the healing process.  Last week I ran Monday and Tuesday and then was done for the week.  I'm trying to change my schedule from taking Wednesday off to Friday off since I am usually out on Thursday nights and getting up on Friday is difficult after being out later.  I'm an old man and go to bed between 9:30 and 10:30 on most nights.  11:00 at the latest.

I didn't run yesterday.  This morning when my alarm went off, and maybe even last night when I went to bed my legs were screaming at me.  "HEY YOU!  WHY HAVEN'T WE RUN!?  It's @$#(* time!" When I started really exercising last February one of my goals was to condition my body to want to exercise.  I still don't like it or get any high from it or anything, but it had been too long since I'd run and my body knew it.  And this morning I had a great run.

A month ago or so I had to buy new jeans because all the ones I had were too big.  I got two new pairs and have been loving wearing them.  I got some money from Mom for Valentine's Day and used it to get new adult pants (since I have to wear slacks to work).  Slacks that fit well make one feel great, especially when they're a size smaller than one has worn in five years.  For almost three years my weight goal has been 180, and I hit it last week or the week before.  It's stayed down.

This morning I burned 664 cal while running 4.56 mi in 50 min.  At the end of the run/beginning of the cool down my heart rate was 192.  When I got out of the shower and got on the scale?  177.4!  180 has been my goal and now my goal is to stay between 175 and 180.  And if I keep getting smaller, well, so be it.  I'm really thankful for encouragement and support that people near and far, whom I've met and whom I haven't have given me.  This has been friends, family, new friends, and people to whom I'm extremely close.  Having a running buddy in Mexico helped me, too.

I think that our dieting in Mexico helped a lot, too.  Controlled portion sizes.  And I've noticed that I'm a lot more conscious of how much I eat now.  I'm having a dance party in my room right now.  I did a happy dance (literally this time, not just in my head) when I got off the scale.  This is my weight low.  I don't know the last time I weighed this little but it has to have been sometime in high school.  I don't think I've worn 32s since middle school.  It's a good day.

And any bishops reading this as a result of my bio that went out yesterday, I don't always just blog about myself. ;)