Three very cool things happened this morning.

First, I stepped onto the scale, and it read 130!  Last week, I was hovering at 132, and we modified my diet, aiming for a two-pound-per-week loss for the next six weeks.  And sure enough, I’m now down 2 pounds! With five weeks left, I expect to blow past my original goal of 124 and reach my new goal of 120.  For me, it’s more about the diet than anything.  Christina gave me a very specific meal plan that is high in protein.  It’s a different way of eating than I’m used to.  We’ve even put eggs back into my diet.  That was a big step for me after years of no meat or eggs.  But my logic and what I tell myself to get over that mental hurdle is that big goals require big things of me.  And everything I’m doing with this program is a big goal – a big, worthwhile, wouldn’t want it any other way, no turning back goal.

Second, I stepped outside, and it was 60 degrees!  In Texas!  For a second, I thought I had woken up in Canada or Portland, but I was at home! Thankfully I had a long-sleeved shirt in my car, so I was able to stay warm during my session with Christina.  I love fall weather.  This weather gives me hope.

Third, I stepped onto the trail to run 3 miles after my session with Christina, and I ended up running 4!  This is a big deal because my workouts are largely head games.  If I mentally prepare for 3 miles, I can’t do a step more.  As Erin saw this weekend, if I mentally prepare to ride 70 miles and a turn arrow blows away and we miss the turn and end up extending our ride to 78 miles, those last 8 are harder for me than the original 70 because I had mentally prepared for 70 miles.  So this morning, when I hit the foot bridge that was the turnaround for the 3 mile run, I surprised myself by thinking I should run past it and go one mile longer than I was intending.  So I did.  And it felt good.  Strong even.

Happy Monday to me.  And you too!