Every Day Comeback

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It's Tuesday and life is cruising along, a bit more excitement than my normal life though. I'm knee-deep in my Weight Watchers extravaganza. I wish I could say more about it but it won't be long before you get to see what I've been up to.

In the meantime, I've been gently focused on my little comeback. I followed through and went to the gym on Sunday. I ran for 3 miles on the treadmill at a very doable 5mph (12 minute miles). I haven't been running lately so I started with a 5 minute warm-up walk (and did a 5 minute cool-down walk too) to allow my body to adjust. The running was great, actually. I was nervous about how it would go but I felt fine. Not just fine, really good. Physically it was definitely a challenge, but psychologically I felt such a sense of relief that I was actually doing something.

So I got to thinking about making a training plan for the Rock-n-Roll half-marathon in April. I do not want a repeat of the Healdsburg half. If you recall, I ran those 13.1 miles with almost no training and it was painful. Lesson learned. I don't have a training plan yet but I'm comforted with knowing I can easily run 3 miles as a base. Definitely something I can work with.

After the treadmill I did some light weight-training and body weight work. I'm not yet following a plan with weight-training, just doing what feels easy and simple while I slowly build up some base strength again. I haven't been to the gym consistently in months, this is going to take some time. And the good news is, I have the time - and the desire.

So I finished at the gym and then it was home to make dinner. I'd had a plan to make a Latin style meal, grilled chicken breast with grilled bell peppers and pico de gallo. I also made Spanish Rice. I was SO HAPPY with how the meal turned out. I chopped up cilantro and rubbed it into the chicken - that with salt and pepper and a little olive oil - YUMMY!!

Seriously, doesn't that look good?

Every homemade meal that is at the crossroads of "healthy" and tastiness feels like such a victory! Then to bed, the workweek is starting so a good night sleep is in order.

Back to it on Monday. I stopped at Baja Fresh and had the Grilled Shrimp Chili Lime Salad -

fresh salad greens & kale, pico, onion, bell pepper, jicama and tortilla strips, topped with fresh avocado and anejo cheese, tossed with chile lime dressing 

I had them leave off the tortilla strips, cheese, and dressing but I added green salsa (sort of in place of dressing) and jalapenos for more flavor. It was great, especially the huge chunks of avocado.

Grilled Shrimp Chili Lime Salad from Baja Fresh

I had a plan to go to the gym after work and I was feeling less than enthusiastic about it. But I used my old trick of "don't think, just do." Reminds me of Yoda - "Do or do not, there is no try." Yeah, Star Wars is big in our household right now.

Anyway, the point is, I made it to the gym. I did 25 minutes on the upright bike and then some simple, easy weight training stuff, focusing on the physical therapy exercises from a couple years ago.

So there you have it, two days of going to the gym. And today I went to my WW meeting, down 1.2 pounds from last week. Nice! Despite feeling like I haven't been that focused, all the little things add up. I guess I'm in the midst of a comeback, not a major one, more the kind I've made before and will make again, a sort of every day comeback.