Feelin' Good

Made my goal today of 750 steps!

I'm on track -- 330 last Saturday, 500  on Monday, 750 today. 

The Plan
Early next week, close to 1000...I'll see how it's going.  At the end of next week, or maybe on Monday the 23rd, some amount over 1000...1,200?  It will depend, but these are my approximate goals.  The five days between the 23rd and the 1,600+ steps of the event on the 29th,  I'll simply continue a variation of cardio workouts in the gym. 

I'm happy with the plan, I'm happy with the results so far, and I'm happy to be on this course.
I always feel better working toward a goal.  My favorite place to be is lost in creativity or discovery while time has no meaning and complete focus is all there is.  I've often experienced this state when working with photography, gardening, writing, creating music, preparing for a presentation or traveling.

Exercising has not evolved to this level for me.  It's work.  I'm always aware of the time, the number of repetitions, the laps I get to walk between the laps I have to run, and how long it takes me to recover. 

My daughter, Melinda, is also concentrating on strength and cardio workouts this month.  Eighteen months ago she trained for a half-marathon and eventually reached a stage, however briefly, where she actually enjoyed the running experience at mile 10 of one of her runs along Lake Shore Drive.  After the half-marathon however, she gave up running.  Now these many months later, returning to the track and the treadmill every day, she reported recently, "Mom, today I finally reached the point again where I could keep running and it felt good."

I await that day.  In the meantime I feel good about every grueling Pilates session I tick off, every lap around the track I may complain about but still run, and every gasping step I take up that stairway. 

It feels good...
if not while doing it,
very much so when it's over!



Friday January 13th

Meals

1-egg omelet with spinach and 1 oz. dill cheese, fruit.

Leftover stuffed peppers, half of a giant one

Lettuce Salad with a little chicken

First Snack

There is no chocolate in my house.  Or, so I thought. Today in the refrigerator, behind a row of condiments in the door, up popped a little chocolate bar!  I had dropped it there months ago, a goodie sent from our church as a reminder to take the good step of making a pledge for the year.  Luckily it was little--thin and about 1.5 in. by 3 in. I suddenly felt like it was saved there for this very moment, and after just climbing 750 steps fifteen minutes earlier, I stood there taking tiny bites of that bar until it was gone.  Once again, I am a work in progress.

Second Snack

4 small chicken breast medallions

Workouts
Personal training session and
The steps.