Back in the Sky

Hi everyone! Wow here in the south February has given us a glimpse of spring and I am loving it!! As the weather gets warmer I hope you will take advantage of the fact you can get outside and enjoy the warmth and beauty of the outdoors. My personal preference is to get my cardio outside. Treadmills and ellipticals are wonderful and they both have been very helpful for me but there is nothing that can replicate the feeling of a run or walk outdoors. You feel the warmth, the breeze, and the scenery changes as you go!! I also feel like I get a better workout when I run outdoors opposed to the treadmill. My stride is natural and the incline constantly changes, not to mention the window shopping I get done along my route through town :) We need the sunlight, vitamin D is important and we know that sunshine can brighten our mood. It just makes sense to take that exercise routine outdoors. The good news is that as we get closer to spring you and I will have even more and more opportunities to get outside, not to mention the fact that daylight is lasting longer as we approach warmer weather!! Do I sound excited??
I also wanted to give you an update. Last week I was talking about "running against the wind," well I have powered through my funk and I am back in action. I am excited because on Sunday of this week I overcame a hurdle for me. I was able to run a little over 6 miles. I know for some that is not a great distance but for me it was huge! I had a mental block where I felt that I could not attain that distance, well I did and I have all plans of doing it again this weekend! I have lost a lot of weight but I still have new goals. That's what keeps me going, there is always new challenges for us to conquer! We are in this thing together. Neither of us are at the finish line waiting for the other to arrive we are running together. I have learned to celebrate my success but continue to set new goals for the road ahead.
I just checked the weather, here in the foothills of NC we are projected to be in the mid 60's today and mid 70's tomorrow!!! Try to get out today and do something, even if it is for just 15-20 mins. Come on you can spare that much time, right? I promise you will feel better if you take the time to do it. In the wise words of Sheryl Crow, "lets soak up the sun!"

Till next time.... Travis

Running Against the Wind

I admit it, I love Bob Seger, his music strikes a cord with me and I feel that parts of my own experience can be captured in some of his songs. That is definitely the case this week! I feel as though I have been running against the wind. For the past 2 and 1/2 years I have been on an incredible journey. I have made great strides and with God's help have accomplished more than I had ever dreamed possible, to which I am so thankful!! With that being said, I still struggle and this week has been a rough week. As I have said before my weight loss has slowed down, which I am ok with. I have accomplished so much and I know that I am living a healthy lifestyle so I am letting the rest of the numbers be whatever they will be. I would love to shed a few more pounds but we will see where that goes. That is not the issue that has discouraged me this week. I feel like I have been running against the wind when it comes to my energy level. I have dealt with a lack of energy for the past 10 days like I have never experienced in the past 2 years. At first I thought I was getting sick with a cold which never fully developed. As time went by I could not blame the sickness but nevertheless I was an engine that was way low on steam. This had such negative effects on my exercise routine. My running program has been compromised and cardio has almost been non-existent for the past several days! I say this here to let you know that we all have challenges when it comes to our exercise and diet. Even after a couple of years I run into road blocks from time to time. The difference for us comes when we push through this, which I will do and you will to, if you choose to. Let me let you in on a little secret. One day or one week does not define your success! I know this for a fact! You and I are on a journey that is about distance and endurance. There will be days that we have to stop but we start again. DO NOT GIVE UP!

The good news is, I think I may have found a reason for my energy vacuum. After discussions with Mandy this past week I discovered that some of my food choices, though very healthy, were not giving me adequate iron levels. So the past 2 days I have been eating some foods that are rich in iron. As of this morning I feel that I am gaining steam. The lesson here for all of us is to keep going, sure you have to stop a day or two but then go back and give it all you have! I may be running against the wind this week but hey I am still running!! :)

Till next time... Travis