End of Summer Health Update

This summer, I took my exercise and diet routines to places where they have never been before.

Time off from work is time for me to do things that I really enjoy, and doing some serious workouts and eating clean are some of the things that give me complete joy.

I biked at least four days almost every week this summer. I'm not talking about leisure rides, I'm talking about rides that made my calves sore. (Sweet Pain.) After riding over 100 miles on a weekend trip, I got up that Monday and did a hill practice with Babes on Bike. The stronger and tougher my rides became, my recovery time became shorter.

Berhane, the greatest trainer in the world, knows that when I workout with him, I want a workout that challenges me, and that is what I got this summer. Every workout with him has been one difficult workout after the other. Sometimes, I really wanted to curse him out, but afterwards I would want to hug him.

My Saturday runs have all been at least ten miles, and most of them I ran very strong; however, a few were slower than others, but I always finished. But, just like biking, my recovery time became shorter and shorter. I got to the point this summer where I could run ten miles on a Saturday and bike forty miles the next day.

Needless to say, I was sore all summer, and it felt so good...

Being a church and a spoken and written words girl, I know many "Church Quotes." One in particular has been on my mind today: "Resist the devil, and he will flee." The devil is anything that I shouldn't do. My devils use to be popcorn from the movie theater, desserts, and cocktails. However, if you resist your devil long enough, the desire to do things that you shouldn't do may always be there, but your strength to resist your devil will increase.

This past weekend I resisted birthday cake, wine, cookies on the airplane, pancakes at Ihop etc. Today, the first day back at work, I resisted bagels for breakfast and a pasta and pizza lunch with some of my favorite desserts. However, it felt so good to know that I can be around things that I use to love to eat and drink and actually resist them. There was no way that I was going to mess up a whole summer worth of butt kicking workouts.

This week, Berhane is on vacation, and he told me that he wanted me to take this week off to allow my body to recover from the summer, and he guaranteed me that when I run this half marathon on Sunday, it will be one of my best runs ever. So, today when I left work, I went and laid around the pool instead of going to workout, and I can tell that my body is really appreciating this break.

 Now tomorrow, I will do my Tuesday night bike ride, and I will bike with my coworkers on Thursday, and run this half marathon Sunday. However, next week, I am going back to those butt whipping workouts that give me so much joy.

So, if you have been following my health journey, you know that this journey has not been easy, but it sure has been rewarding. We are so much stronger, in so many ways, than we may know.

I'm still on my journey, and I am feeling real good.

Join Me!!!!!!!!!

Oh, I am still reading The Count Of Monte Cristo. With my travels last week, I have not been able to read 100 pages a day, but sometimes, life happens.....

You still have time to get The Count of Monte Cristo and join me.