Goal Success

Not too long ago I set a goal to stop smoking. I had a plan and a stop date.

Life (and death) got in the way and I missed my stop date (February 14) but not by very long!

I can't even remember the exact date I stopped smoking. It was a Wednesday. I know that much. I can't remember if it was 2 or 3 weeks ago.

It feels like it's been years!

It feels like it's been seconds!

But I have indeed stopped smoking. I have stopped all nicotine.

The goal of stopping smoking came after the goal of getting my blood sugar under control and doing my A1c. A1c is a blood test that measures average blood sugar over time. My goal was to reduce this number to below diabetic levels.

Guess what?? I did!!

My doctors even told me I can stop taking the medication that helps my body process sugars in the blood. So, that's a win!!

I worry a lot about the weight gain that is inevitably associated with stopping smoking. So, I want to run. I used to run. I used to love running. I first started running in 2014 when I was well into my 40s.

I don't like to race and I don't like crowds. Nevertheless, I managed to do a few fun runs and 5k fundraisers. The color run was less fun than I thought it would be. Not just because of the crowds, but also because of the colors.

I thought it would be a fine mist of liquid color. It was a powder. Nobody told me it would be a powder!!! Powder is NOT good for my asthma!!! I'm proud I did it. I'm proud I ran by myself. No friends. Keith came with me, of course, but he wasn't running. Just waiting.

Ever since I quit smoking, my goal has been to go for a run. These "runs" were actually walks. I wore my running shoes, though, and kept telling myself I would run sooner than later.

Today I ran. It was actually pretty amazing! I walked a bit first, to warm up my muscles. And then I set myself a distance goal and started running. While running I would keep my eye on the distance goal, thinking, "just run until you get to the next big tree." "The next driveway. The next sign."

My overall goal today was to make it to the 50mph sign. The sign is just before a curve in the road. That curve is around 1 mile from my driveway.

Believe me when I say I wanted to quit long before I got to that sign, turn around, and come back home.

I was already starting to feel all these weird aches and pains. I could feel a stitch in my side. I could feel my knees clicking. I could feel my butt muscles and my big thigh muscles getting shaky. I could feel the tendons leading from the top of my left foot to the bottom of my calf hurting with every stride.

I started to think about this story and how I was going to write it when I got home. So I took a photo. There. That sign is my goal. If I can make it to that sign I can turn around and come home and get a treat.

I could've just walked the rest of the way and been proud of myself for running at all. Instead, as soon as I could catch my breath, I ran. I ran until I could no longer breathe well. Until I could no longer carry on a conversation easily.

I would test my running conversational skills by talking to the birds or the cows or even the trees. Out loud. It isn't much of a test if it stays in my head.LOL!

I ran and walked and ran again until I did indeed make it to the sign.

I couldn't really see the screen of my phone in the bright sun, so I had to guess at where the sign was in relation to the camera.

So I took 2 photos, but then had to start back before I got too stiff and had to call my husband for a ride home! I thought about it! He is home from work today working on yet another plumbing emergency.

I thought about calling him, but I didn't. I set my sights on home and started running back. I completely forgot to set my Fitbit to see the distance I came, but I will do that tomorrow.

Because I will need to run every day.

I'm not trying to lose weight, actually. I am just trying to not gain too much weight.

I accidentally took a vignette photo. I didn't even notice until I got back and was setting up to write this story.

Home looks so far away in this photo.

I did eventually make it home where I fed my goats and looked for eggs. I didn't find any eggs. The hens must be hiding them.

Keith and I went to the market to get some plumbing supplies and food for later. I'll make tacos tonight. But first, I had to eat some lunch.

I made a healthy lunch of onions, spinach, and mushrooms cooked in olive oil.

Every fitness coach, nutritionist, and doctor I've ever spoken to tells me that fitness, weight loss, and weight gain all happen in the kitchen more than in the gym. So I am endeavoring to snack on healthy foods instead of bacon and chocolate.

MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm bacon.

I listen to books while I run instead of music. When I listen to music, I will pace my run to match the music pace. This has caused me to injure myself in the past because I ran a little too fast.

So, books it is.

Do you exercise? What exercise do you do? What do you wish you could do? Let me know in the comments.

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All images photos by Jonica Bradley