Challenged!

Understand that among my closest friends--my friends from college and their spouses--I have always had one of the most sedentary lifestyles. An exercise program has never been my thing (so much so that the tag 'lazy' didn't bother me. I openly admitted that I mimicked Darcy in my propensity for napping and making body imprints on seats in front of the computer or tv); eating an excess of carbs (especially of the sweetest sorts) certainly is.

Apparently, recent adjustments in my behavior are incredibly motivating... at least for one. Dave and I have been friends for years, and we have amicably tolerated each other even longer. In the years since college that we have been acquainted, he has never known me to stick to a training program, consistently logging in five days of running. He decided to use this phenomenon to propose a challenge.

The premise is simple... Dave wants to lose weight. He suggested that, if I continue to motivate him by remaining consistent in training, he'll reward me for every pound he loses. Read it again, and it will sound the same--the way Dave proposed it, I get rewarded for doing what I had to do anyway. I contemplated it, and decided that I should up the stakes for myself. The running program would only be half of the deal. I would also start counting calories, for a two-fold. Thinking of my resolutions, I hadn't done much with the nutrition one (as recently discussed)... and, I want to shed one of the few campaign souvenirs I really never wanted--extra pounds everywhere! Guidelines were established for what has become a somewhat complicated challenge, and its timeline lasts until we both hit our goals.

Dave is doing AWESOME! He's running... a lot... and losing weight, and truthfully, it is a lot more difficult for him to fit it all in. He's a husband, a proud father of two, works at a job that requires him to drive all around every day. This is a virtual challenge (he is states away), so I find it hard to take any credit for his efforts. I heartily applaud him.

Two weeks in and I am a calorie counter. It is a total adjustment to be completely conscience of all that I eat all the time. I think about food constantly and I always want to eat. I have to walk away from temptation. Sometimes I win; sometimes I lose horribly. This past week, riding the wings that I easily came in under my allotment last week, I showed no willpower on Monday. I rationalized that I was really hungry and I could eat what I wanted (considering the day before I had run seven miles). I paid for it all week, and I never quite recovered. One step forward, two steps back...

I am still running. An oddity this past weekend happened--Steph was feeling a little less inclined to follow our training program (well within her right since she is really sticking to it for me. It's a benefit of being in shape--we both know that she could easily run ten miles today without worry). When she told me she didn't really want to do a long run this weekend, after I got over the shock, I knew that I'd have to get it done on my own... I imagined too easily not running those miles; I didn't really want to and I started to convince myself it wasn't necessary. I knew I was going to be over with calories; without the run, I'd fall short on the run, too. That would be too much for my pride to confess.

It's early yet, but the challenge seems to be working. Motivation to walk away from temptation, as well as move forward, should come from our closest friends. After all, I have always found they make life so much easier than walking the path alone.


Time: 42 minutes, 3 seconds
Place: Hilly Quarry
Weather: Super Cold Again!
Distance: 3.7 miles
Feeling: Like a S-L-U-G!!
Overall grade: C+