Old You vs. New You

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A power pantry journey is a lifestyle. A wellness lifestyle. And that means progress, of some kind, is to be expected. Wherever we find ourselves, we have to decide that 'here' is no longer acceptable, and we need to get moving to somewhere better... to 'there'. Making the commitment and investment for that journey takes heart and perseverance, and by making the significant investment it requires, it will become a lifestyle.

Today I was on a 'long' run, thinking of these very things. 18 years ago I topped out around 220 pounds. I suppose I was livin' large in my late 20's, but really I was a mess. Now I tip the scales a good 60 pounds less than that, and have all these great wellness goals that I want to pursue. I'm signed up for my second half marathon, with less than two weeks to go. Hence the reason for the long run today.

What I realized is what a joke it would have been for my 'old' self to try and keep up with the 'new' me. Almost 20 years later, I'm healthier, happier and full of energy to tackle significant goals. Even 3-4 years ago, I couldn't have run fraction of the 10+ miles I ran today. I remember a small incline in the road that had me nauseous and almost throwing up a few years ago on a fairly light jog. Now I'm tackling significant hills with tenacity, and haven't gotten the heaves in a long time.

We're all on this kind of journey. Wherever you are, you are bound to make some wellness progress when you simply put your mind to it. Think of where you are now, and where you are headed, and how the old you would fair compared to the new you... Maybe it's just that the new you tackles the buffet line with healthy conviction and confidence without falling off the calorie and junk food wagon, where the old you was as big a mess as your plate.

Set some new goals and be bold enough to broaden your perspective on where "there" is. It will likely change and move (in a positive way) taking you further down the road on your journey. And chances are the new you beats the old you, hands down.

By the Way

If you train for any running races, there is a simple build-up guide you can use in your weeks prior to the race, to put you in great shape for the big day. The point is always to exert yourself, and recover... Push hard to a new level, then back down and heal up. For a half marathon or full marathon, your big run should be a couple of weeks ahead of race day, and your distance can represent about 80% of your final miles (so about 10 miles when preparing for a 13.1 mile half-marathon, and about 20 miles in preparation for a full marathon.)

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