My naivety got me again... but I did have a "first"!

Yesterday was week two of the YMCA 10K training team... and I dutifully showed up for the 8AM run, which was supposed to be 2 miles for us "novice" runners... I mentioned before that last Monday, I ran a mile straight without stopping for the first time... so I was completely ready to run half way yesterday, and do that mile again... and I did! Yipppee! It was really hard - I kept thinking to myself, "man - this feels a lot longer and harder than Monday", but I kept pressing on... I made it to half way, and then walked about 5 minutes, and started running again... made it to about 1/4 of the way 'till the end, walked a few more minutes and finished running. Here is where the naivety comes in - I am a person who completely believes what I am told, so I just thought that because the schedule said we were running 2 miles, that we did! When I got back to the Y, I heard someone saying that we had actually ran 2.6 miles... WTF?!?!? So I went up to one of the trainers, an older man of about 65-70, and asked how far we ran. He said "how far do you think you ran?" and I answered that I thought we were supposed to do 2 miles... and his response? "You always can do more than you think you can, if you don't let your mind think about it too much and talk you out of it... Yup - you just ran 2.6 miles!" HOLY $H!T !!!! I ran 1.3 miles straight without having to stop to run yesterday! What a rush... I had the BIGGEST grin on my face getting ready to drive home! A great accomplishment! And how true a statement. It was hard, but I did it because I thought I could.

And last night, I had a first... I actually put on as close to a costume as I have in over 25 years! I hate dressing up... but one of my really good friends' wives (follow that?) had her 40th birthday yesterday... she is just finishing up radiation and chemo for breast cancer (at 39!) and decided to have a celebration to say "ta-ta" to her 30's and welcome her 40's. The theme was "Flip your Wig"... and everyone had to come "wigged out"... so thankfully I have a great neighbor who loves dressing up, and was willing to lend both of us wigs for the evening... What I realized last night (somewhat bittersweetly, if that is a word), is that I have ALWAYS AVOIDED DRESSING UP IN A COSTUME OF ANY KIND - because I have always been been so afraid to draw ANY attention to myself. But you know what? I was so comfortable in my own skin last night - even with the blue, Marge Simpson, wig on! Hell - I danced all night with it on! Marge was gettin' down!!! It was a real accomplishment for me... in fact, the whole day was! I am SO THANKFUL to have had this procedure - what an amazing journey it has been, and you know, as great as the weight loss is, it is these little NSV's that are more valuable to me in a lot of ways.

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It's going to be busy week for me at work, but I will do my best to check in with all of you - just wanted to share those two accomplishments! Hopefully too, I'll see some movement DOWN on the scale this week...