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I am so impressed with my body and I have renewed faith in the C25K program.  This entry is very much about me eating my own words. 🙂  It’s also going to be a quickie as I’m running off to offer chair massage for charity at The Burlington Yoga Conference.  If you’re local to Vermont, come on by!  Proceeds from my sessions go to Safeline, a local organization supporting women and girls in crisis.

As a reporter on VPR proudly announced, “The weather appears to be fixed.”  That is to say it was close to 70º, breezy and sunny as I finished up week 4 yesterday.  I mentioned after W4D2 that I was starting to think I should repeat week 4 since I found it quite challenging.  Yesterday’s run was like night and day from the previous two workouts.  I did slow my pace down slightly, but I noticed I still ended up going the same distance that I ran on Monday; not sure how I managed that.  Each run felt light and relaxed, I never stared at the clock, and I didn’t have any issues with cramping.  Speaking of cramping, look out for an entry on abs coming out this weekend!

Today, no aches to complain about!  My calves feel much better, my lower back feels great, my abs feel like they had a productive workout; I’m all around a happy camper!  I’ve also noticed that my weight is going up.  I dropped a ton of weight when I first started working out regularly seven years ago.  I lost a chunk more when I started doing aerobics on my Wii (I use My Fitness Coach).  I’ve been at a “healthy weight” for a while now; not skinny-mini, but totally healthy for my frame.  I’m used to my weight going up a bit when I start lifting weights again, and I’m assuming this weight is thanks to the new muscles I’m building in my legs.  There’s been a noticeable physical change in the shape and tone of my legs.  The muscles are starting to get some definition and they just feel “beefier”.  I’m pretty stoked with the budding changes.

Weight has always been a confusing marker for me.  It takes so much more than a scale to define “healthy”.  I needed a scale to help convince me that I was 30-40lbs overweight when I graduated from college.  I had really put on blinders while I stuffed myself with fast food throughout those four years and in looking at myself in the mirror I never felt overweight or fat; my height hides a lot.  Watching the weight melt away and my energy levels grow as I began working in retail full time and ate better was the beginning of a reality check that led me to exercise.  If I start slipping by getting lax with the exercise and splurging on the calories, my scale is a good check for me.  However, when I’m eating right and working out regularly it becomes time for me to put that scale away.  I’m building muscle and can see that while the weight is going up, my waistline is getting slimmer.  So, screw you scale. 😉

Next run is on Monday!  Look out for another anatomy entry before then!