Aaawwww, thanks Diana

Diana, you're so sweet. Keeping the blog alive!! So, I thought I'd blog a bit. The blog is for positive things and announcements but it's also for venting and complaining. So, I'll vent and complain and boast a bit here.....I was talking to Patty a little bit about this too' As you all probably know, I've been in a major thinking mode lately. The topic that consumes my thoughts? Aging and weight from the eternal perspective. I've finally come to the conclusion that I feel best with. How I came to my current philosophy is a long story which I won't go on and on about here. Suffice to say I've taken off my weight loss ticker and put on a different ticker. I put a running or mileage ticker on. I've decided, no--I've more than decided, I have vowed never to diet again. I will never diet again. When I diet, the pressure gets to me. I start to crave foods that I normally don't crave. For example, chocolate. I love chocolate and I eat it when I get the chance, but when I'm not dieting, I don't crave chocolate. I might eat it once a week......if that. I don't want things to eat. I don't crave them. I do still have my bad habits that keep me the weight I am now, when I diet, my hunger senses are heightened. Therefore, I decided not to diet.

I did make some running goals for this first half of the year and I'm really enjoying running again. I started running about 5 years ago with the intention of losing all this weight. I ran 2 marathons, 2 half marathons and a dozen 5 and 10ks in 2005 and didn't lose weight. I actually gained 5 pounds. I think it was muscle that I gained, but I think I overthought the weight loss due to running. I ate more than I should have thinking I was running, I am OK. I've also been doing a lot of reading about heart rate and calorie burn in relation to running (any exercise) and food intake (or some serious heart rate exercising). Just because you run (or exercise) doesn't mean anything unless you've got your food under control. So, my point.....I burned out. I started to hate running and dreaded it. Now I'm not running to lose weight. I'm running to accomplish a bunch of little goals that I've set. Distance goals, altitude goals, terrain goals, and things like that. I'm excited to start running again. Then, when I miss a day it's not a big deal. Or if I have an off day, also not a big deal. They're more quality runs.

Anyway, I hope to still be part of Nibley Biggest Loser. My goals will be in a slightly different direction.

Now, you may have noticed that I haven't done much running this week. Well, that's because last Saturday I was running the Bonneville Shoreline trail and totally biffed it. I rolled my ankle and scraped up my knee. My ankle has been a little swollen, but my knee is killing me. There's a big goose egg on it and it's bruised, scabby and pretty tender. So, I've backed off this week let my ankle and knee heal. I'm going out this morning for an intense hill run (intense for me.....) so we'll see how my body has recovered. First time running in 5 days. Plus, I've got to put a tiny bit more mileage on today. It's going to be a doozy run today. I'm up for it. Think machine. Think power. Think strength. Think whatever it takes to get up that darn hill.