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I got a feeling...

As I WORK to maintain my weight loss, there seem to be three things that keep me "on track."

1.  NUMBERS: I love data.  Heart Rate, Pace, Distance, Weight, BMI, Body Fat% - I track them all.  As my numbers improve I feel motivated to stay the course.  Numbers also help me during long workouts...

2.  How I look:  I think I look strong.  That makes me happy!  A piece of chocolate will not make me as happy as the new muscle that I found in my arm this week :-)

3.  How I feel:  This is a new one for me - and the point of todays post.  I have always been TERRIBLE about listening to my body during workouts.  I push too hard - I expect too much.  I have heart rate trained in the past, but this time is different.  I have been consistent and using my number 1 motivator, let the numbers guide me.  Today I didn't have to.  Today I felt my body telling me how much I could do, and I listened.  Let me tell you - it felt great!!  It made me feel...  happy, strong, amazing, awesome, invincible, and most of all motivated!

Two years ago, running 6 miles sounded like an impossible feat!  Last year, I took on a 1/2 marathon, but laughed when people said you should be able to train at a level of "holding a conversation."  To run more than 1 mile, I would be so out of breathe and red and sweaty - conversation, HA!!  Today...  I talked to people at every mile wishing them a Happy Easter and discussing the beautiful day.  Last year, when I would run SC, I would avoid looking at the mile markers - because "how could it only be 0.25 miles since the last one."  Today, my thought was, "wow that was a quick 0.25 miles!!"  I saw deer today, the glistening of the water, the sun, and even enjoyed the wind in my face (granted it was a light wind.)

Don't get me wrong, I will always use the numbers, especially on the days when the birds aren't chirping and I am not finding the "runner's high."  I thought I had found the runner's high before, but today, I think I finally really found it.  It is somewhere between "I am capable of anything" and "I could do this all day."

However, I will let the feeling motivate me when I can.  The numbers will come :-)  and the "feeling" is so much more motivating and rewarding.

Look how much I have changed as a runner over the last 4 years!

4/20/2014
March 2013

March 2012 
April 2011

March 2010


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