Thanks Debbie!

I was kindly reminded last night at house church by my good friend Debbie that I have not updated the blog in over a week. This would not be a big deal if I had not told all you faithful readers that I would keep you updated on the 1/2 marathon training. So here is your update.....I have been running a whole lot.

Really I have made all my workouts including 5 miles on Monday and a great swim workout yesterday with by buddy Von, a student at ASU. It was really tough to make up the workouts from this weekend while in Gatlinburg at the only Hampton Inn in the country without a workout facility and 4 inches on snow on the ground, but I have been able to make up those missed workouts.

I weighed this morning and it looks like I will have only lost a couple if any pounds over the last two weeks when I weigh in tomorrow. But with big celebrations at Upper Crust and Texas de Brazil, and a weekend in Gatlinburg all in that time period I have to say I feel like not gaining any weight is a victory. I don't want you to think that means I am happy where I am, I still will lose the last 35 pounds or so, but after 12 hard hard weeks I have enjoyed adding fruits and vegetables and the occasional indulgence.

One of the coolest things about this weight loss journey has been and continues to be how it has impacted the relationships I have with my friends and family. I am by no means saying that I am the inspiration to anyone who has decide to get healthier in the last 12 weeks, but I have found that when someone else is doing something it gets kind of contagious. That is how it started with me, I was looking at pictures of my cousin in a road race and thought, "man I have got to get back at it" Just yesterday my friend Russ Adcox read my blog and in his blog he went out and ran 3 miles www.russadcox.blogspot.com, and recommitted himself to some goals he had already set. I have gotten calls from men that go to church just to talk about weight loss, my dad has lost some weight(thanks to the succses of my mom), and my friend Debbie is starting the same program next week!! (GO DEBBIE!!) My friend Greg Brooks and I are still running, something we started together over a year ago and will go to Nashville together again. My wife and I are going to do a triathlon together, I get to workout with some of the college stud ens like Von. The fact that our friends Ryan and Angie are going to meet us for a triathon this summer, and firends Kevin and Jenny are going to go to Chattanooga to do a tri with us. I love getting in shape and losing weight, but as most of things that motivate me, the best part of this journey continues to be the relationships that have come from it and have been strenthened by it.