A slight break in the catch-up action...

You may have noticed that I'm crazy behind in my postings--this training thing and the whole real-life thing have taken their toll on my spare time (or, more accurately, obliterated my spare time). So, while I'm still making baby steps on catching up on the weekly wrap ups and race updates, I did want to take a little break for a real-time blog entry.

At today's WW meeting, a couple of things happened worth noting. First, I'm at my lowest weight ever (well, since junior high probably) and am now a pound under the top limit of my healthy weight range, which means I have a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 25 or less. When I started WW, my BMI was something like 41--way unhealthy--so the fact that I'm under the 25 mark is pretty amazing to me. I'm still technically 4 pounds away from what I thought my goal weight would be--may increase that by a couple of pounds, but I'm going to wait until after IM to make that call. It's also interesting to me that it seems like I actually can't eat enough these days--I haven't journalled or really tracked for the past several weeks, and it seems like I've been eating everything in sight--and yet I'm losing weight. My guess is my metabolism is through the roof these days and that I'm making the right food choices (except for the not-so-occasional bowl of ice cream)...however, my lack of normal discipline with my diet (measuring, tracking, etc.) makes me a little scared as to what will happen post-IM...but I'll wait to cross that bridge until I cross the finish line. The bottom line, though, is that I've lost 107.2 lb since August 12, 2003, and that I feel awesome about life, WW, IM, and me.

The other thing that happened today is we talked about the weight loss journey in terms of the journey and not the destination. I think one of the key things that I like about WW is that there really isn't a concrete destination--at some point, I'll hopefully hit my goal weight, which is certainly a milestone, but the tools I've gained and lifestyle changes I've made will keep me on track long after I hit my goal weight.

The whole time we were talking about the journey, though, I kept thinking about the IM journey, too--of course, with IM, there actually is a concrete destination--about 140.6 miles after the start of the race...but I think the journey is a pretty amazing part of the experience, too. Sue told me before I even registered that the journey was the best part of IM--I didn't believe her at the time, but I think I do now.

Theresa sent me a couple of quotes after the Muncie race (which I'll eventually get around to blogging about)--seems like they apply very well to the whole IM experience so far and, as such, it seems appropriate to post them here, too...

"The higher the goal, the harder the climb, but taken each day, one step at a time. The goal is accomplished, the dream is attained, and the prizes? The wisdom and strength that are gained."

"Victories in life come through our ability to work around and over the obstacles that cross our path. We grow stronger as we climb our own mountains." -Marvin Ashton

The first, in particular, hits home with me--I'm definitely gunning for the finisher's medal, but I do believe that the bigger prize I'll take away from this experience is everything I've learned about myself along the way. With less than 6 weeks to go, I can say with certainty that I am most definitely a different person than I was when I started this journey late last summer. If you're wondering what I mean, here are just a few of the things I've learned so far...

• I've learned that I have an internal drive and commitment that is pretty powerful--it gets my non-morning-person butt out of bed nearly every day to get to the fitness center or pool, and it keeps me going when things start to hurt after (or during) a tough workout.
• I've learned that, mentally, I can get through darn near anything by talking myself through it (and, on occasion, literally talking to myself--there have been several runs where I've actually cheered me on verbally).
• I've learned that it's OK to let other people help out--even my fiercely independent nature has picked up on the fact that sometimes I need help to manage through a situation or to work around my limitations.
• I've learned that time is valuable--it's been tough prioritizing training over friends and family at times, and one could argue that it's pretty selfish to do so, but I've tried to strike some sort of balance between my training demands and my relationship needs.
• And, with respect to work, I've learned that work-life balance is a pretty fine line--sometimes I do OK with it, and sometimes not as much...but I'm way ahead of where I used to be, at least.
• Most importantly, though, I've learned that I can do whatever I put my mind to. I never, in a million years, imagined I'd be doing this stuff to culminate in an IM race--in fact I thought "those people" were insane. And yet, here I sit--6 weeks away from the big day and confident that I can do it (provided things stay within my control)--all because I put my mind to it and haven't looked back since. It hasn't been easy, but I've done it--and I think that's the best part of all.

With all those learnings, it's easy for me to tell that I've changed--I think for the better...all thanks to this amazing journey--which, in my world at least, is a crazy combination of WW and IM experiences. There may have been (and will continue to be) bumps along the way, little side trips to parts unknown here and there, and a few random swear words of frustration...but I wouldn't trade any of it...

And the journey continues...