Updates and random thoughts ...

Well I finally reached a total of 40 pounds lost this morning. I was very excited to see that on the scale. This past week I have been traveling for work once again, but during this trip I also got hit with a head and chest cold. This threw me for a loop and knocked me out a few times with pure exhaustion. My workouts were limited due to lack of energy and not being able to breath but I tried my best. I mostly walked as much as I could because I knew running could cause some problems with a chest cold. I am feeling better, still dealing with the cold lingering but feeling much better. So this week is a clean slate and I don't have to travel again until Friday ... woo hoo.

Twenty-eight more days until my triathlon and 10 more weeks until my 3 mile open water swim. I need to kick up the workouts a notch in order to be ready. As far as the triathlon is concerned I am good with the swim and the run of course the bike needs some work ... and for those that know me well you are not surprised by this. The thing that is getting me nervous is the fact that I have a few work travel trips between now and the triathlon. So I have to plan accordingly. Tomorrow morning I am heading to the pool, the alarm is set and off I will go!!

My other random thoughts...I am struggling with a few other things right now too. This struggle has nothing to do with my training or my weight loss but has to do with a goal I have set for myself and I am struggling with. Last fall I started my doctorate. It is a hybrid program in Higher Education. Weekly I do the work online and once a month I head to campus for classes. I enjoy the program but I struggle with getting the work done when I travel so much. When I am home I work all day, get a workout in and then spend hours working on school work. Which doesn't come easy to me. I have always been an average student who has to work really hard to make a B. Then when I travel, I work during the day and then usually head to meetings or events at night and I am limited to when I can get my school work done. And usually if I have to sacrifice something it is the school work. I want to continue but it is hard. I also have to make a big sacrifice financially and that scares me too.

I am weighing all of my options but I still don't have an answer. What do I want? To do well at my job; to be healthy and beat diabetes; to continue to lose weight; to be able to train and compete in runs and triathlons and complete my degree? Can I do it all? Am I insane to try? I know there are sacrifices and what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger ... but is it all worth it? I ask the question again, Can I do it all??

One Year ...

Before - June, 2014

After - June, 2015

One year ago today I stepped on the scale in my apartment, saw a number I didn't like and decided to make a change. Since that day I have lost a total of 38 pounds. That is an average of about .73 pounds per week. In the past 365 days so much else has happened but I tried very hard to stay on course. Even though one year has passed I am not satisfied and I must keep going. I do like the fact that I have lost the weight but I must keep moving forward.

Since I am starting another year, I decided I would take a look at my post from the New Year. At the start of the new year I decided to live this year by one word and one phrase ... six months into the new year I am still facing each day reminding myself of my one word, "health" and my one phrase, "medication free". It's a long road but I am not afraid of the journey!

38 pounds this year ... how many next??

"Finally, what do I want?  I want my health!  I want to be healthy!  How will I get there? One step at a time.  Everything I do and every choice I make I will keep my "one word" and "my phrase" in mind ... will this get me what I want!" ---Maura Donovan, New Year's Post