5 days later....

Yes, its five days later since my last update and a lot has happened. I'm still without a car, but the good news is that the car IS getting fixed WITHOUT any charges to us! (Whew! I cannot tell you how much I was worried about the costs of this repair). The mechanic at the dealership was telling me that normally, this repair would cost upwards of 3,000 dollars! Can you believe that?!?!?! And luckily, since this repair is not due to any vehicular abuse or neglect on our part (basically, the engine was not properly put together) this repair will be covered under our basic PowerTrain warranty. The only shitty part? That basic warranty does not include a clause for a rental or loaner car...so to save a few bucks, I'll be sitting at home and hitching a ride with Rob to classes for the next week or so. I'll be sure to keep you all updated on any changes with this situation.

Now that we're all up to speed with "The Saga of the Car", we can now move on to health and fitness. After all, thats what this blog is supposed to be about...right? Lets first talk about my running. I am SO PROUD of my running abilities and how far I have come. One thing you have to appreciate and understand is that I've never really been a great athlete. I mean, yes I played basketball, volleyball, softball and even ran track in High School, but I was never really the best or particularly talented in any of those things. They were more activities that I was apart of because all my friends played those sports, so I thought what the heck, I'll play too. No, the "Athlete Card' in my family definitely went to my brother. He was ALWAYS the most athletic and VERY skilled at all sports he committed to. So for me to now sit here and say, "I'm a runner." is something that I NEVER thought I would be able to say. Ever.

Whats even crazier is that I never thought I would be the kind of person who ENJOYED exercise. But its so true, I DO ENJOY IT!!! I LOVE going for a run outside, I LOVE hitting the gym and working it hard. I LOVE when my muscles are sore and tired from a lot of hard work. I LIVE for those endorphins at the end of each workout. (Side note: Can you get addicted to endorphins? Is this becoming a problem?)

I cherish days like this when I get the chance to sit back and think about how much I've changed. I've seen a lot of people on Youtube making videos about where they want to be (weight-wise) and what they want to accomplish (like running a 5k or becoming a regular runner, swimmer, etc.) Its a funny thing when you sit back and you realize, you've accomplished what you set out to do in the first place! When I first started this journey, I didn't know that I was going to fall in love with running, but I knew I wanted to become someone who enjoyed working out, who enjoyed their workout time. I knew I wanted to become someone who was aware of what they were eating. I wanted to become someone who already knew what a correct portion size was. And guess what? I'M THERE! I have accomplished all of the above, and the only things left for me to achieve are actually running a 5k race (which I'm researching today where and when they are in my area) and of course the biggest goal I still have left is getting to my Goal Healthy Weight.

But Julie, what happens when you reach those last two goals?

I've been contemplating this very question as well. It wasn't until watching a good friend's video (http://www.youtube.com/weightlossfordudes) that the answer became apparently clear:

I'LL JUST COME UP WITH MORE AND MORE GOALS!!!!

To me, this is the most beautiful thing about life. The fact that you can ALWAYS do more. You can ALWAYS strive to change, and push yourself harder and harder. So, once I run that 5k, then I'll start training for a 10k. After that 10k, I'll train for another race and another and another....you get the idea.

See? Its not about reaching a certain point and then just saying, 'Okay, thats it! Pass the chips this way, and where's my soda!' NO! Thats not it at all. For me, this process or journey has been all about CHANGE. Its been about CHANGING my bad habits and CREATING LIFELONG NEW ONES!!! So, I think its important for all of us to realize, once you decide to begin this process or journey, there is no 'stopping'. You just keep going. You just keep succeeding. You just keep living your life, but in the healthiest way possible.