60 day window

60 days sounds like a ton of time but in essence, it's just 8 short weeks to my birthday.

Looking back on the plan, I think I can see the end... and I'm nervous.  I usually save my energy for most things until they are due.  I finish work at the last minute, I train right before, I used to pull overnighters to study.  Apparently, I saved up some of my energy till the last minute on this one too.

I have been unusually unconcerned while strangely obsessed with my "turning 40 plan".  I think I am a bit of a visual learner so I filled a jar with stones and left it on my dresser as a reminder.  One beautiful blue stone for each Sunday left before November 30.  Every week I take another stone out of the jar as a reminder of how quickly the days and weeks fly by. 

I make choices everyday, and everyday day gets graded on a curve.  Yes to the fries, no to the cake, yes to the bland no calorie Special K chips, no to the pizza.  I have been trying to change my habits.... but I like my habits.  I am forever telling my kids that they need to "step out of their comfort zone" if they are ever going to learn something new about themselves. 

I think I should take my own advice.

I thought September was going to be workout month (everyday).  Turns out, that might need to be October instead...  1800 calories and 3 days of workouts a week is normal.  If I want to see changes I will need to cut back on the cal, and increase the workouts.   So goes the plan..

hells yeah, i did...

So, we're more than half way to B-day - November 30 -  and several months ago I decided I was going to set my sights on the Warrior Dash.

For the uninitiated - go here!

The warrior dash is a 3.1 mile obstacle course meets 5k through mud, water and fire.  I was pretty sure I could run it, I was not sure my body would deliver on the obstacles.    I talked a few friends into going with me and I am so happy I did.  It was AWESOME.  It was hard, and easy and fun and a little scary and everything I had hoped it would be.

Of course we were not running for time... we were running to finish (and for the free beer at the end).

The entire point of signing up to run the Warrior Dash was to prove to myself that my body can handle a fair amount of stress and survive.  I wanted to prove I could do something I set my mind to.  I wanted to feel alive and in charge of my body.

All these things happened and more.

I rocked the obstacles
I made friends along the way who gave me their free beer chips
... and most importantly, I didn't stop.  I didn't even want to.  I knew that I could do it if I just didn't stop.

New lesson on the eating thing -
just don't quit  (did Nike already use that as a slogan?)