Thursday, January 01, 2009

Taking it from the top

Well, it's January 1, and that sound you hear is thousands of people either starting new weight loss blogs or returning to old ones. Why should I be any different?

It's been a difficult 9 months on the weight loss front. I did manage to complete the 5K at the end of May, in a time of 40:16.7. I even managed it with shoes that were a half size too small for me, which I didn't find out until after the race when I compared them to my older running shoes. After that, though, it was a steady downhill -- I injured my knee in May while golfing, then hurt my hip while compensating for the sore knee. As a result, I had to stop exercising right at the time when I most wanted to be outside doing things, because things just hurt too much. This resulted in a bout of depression that lasted through the entire summer and well into the fall. At my worst, I'd gained back every single pound I'd lost in the past year.

In the end, I got an X-ray and an MRI that told me there was nothing structurally wrong with me, and had some physiotherapy that alleviated some of the pain in my joints. That got me in a better mood, to the point where I was able to start exercising again a little less than a month ago. I'm working on the treadmill 3 times a week (restarting the Couch-to-5K program -- I'm currently in week 3) and the stationary bike 2-3 times a week. I've also managed to clear out our spare bedroom enough that I can put a mat down and do some strength training as well. My goal is to do something every day for 30 minutes or so. I've managed to lose 9 pounds doing this so far.

I've set some longer-term goals for myself this time around. I signed up for the 5K race on Ottawa Marathon weekend again, but I also signed up for a 10K race at the beginning of August, and a try-a-tri triathlon near the end of September. This should hopefully give me enough incentive to keep at it this time around (as well as to relearn how to swim!)

Happy New Year, and may everyone have a prosperous and enjoyable 2009.

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