by Ruff » Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:16 pm
Reframing the journey as a quest! I like that, Skye.
I have been wondering who I am. I have seen myself in relation to someone else (daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend....) for so long it is interesting to think who I actually am in relation to myself. And I think this might be the quest I am on.
I am 58 years of age. I will be 59 in October. The aim of the quest is to discover my true self by my 60th birthday.
I have some starting points. I know I love the mountains, and I am a trail runner. I am also a physically challenged athlete, as I have drop foot in my left foot. This is from a spinal injury following an accident, and is unlikely to improve. I am therefore a slow runner, and I run in a leg brace. I know how lucky I am not to be in a wheel chair.
Weight comes into this journey. I am a lean strong runner. Unfortunately I seem to have buried that part of me in a comfy coat of fat. Lets get things straight here, I am not obese. I am not even technically overweight, with a BMI of 24.5, but I am certainly not lean. I had a huge weight loss with McDougall between 2012 and 2014 when I lost around 100 pounds. I had a starting weight of around 240-245 pounds (I didn't know exactly, I estimated from my last known weight.) I went down to around 145 pounds. I maintained for about 5 years and then slowly drifted back up with a few downs as well. My high point, post weight loss was 176 pounds. Today I am 161.2. I dont have a goal. My goal is to find my strong, lean runner.
So this is a quest, an adventure, stepping out again, along known paths at first, and then hopefully carrying on into new trails. I have companions, my husband, my adult kids, my friends in real life and my fellow travellers in cyberspace. I have champions in my team, Dr McD and Mary, Jeff Novick, Doug Lisle, Drs Cambell and Esseltyne, Jane and Ann Esseltyne and their wonderful recipes. I have tools, my cookbooks, my running shoes and my amazing running leg brace, and my computer linking me to fellow travellers.
I have travelled this way before, the difference this time is I would like to go further. I want to move into new territory, and then put down roots and live there. I hope to have many companions in my new territory, some are there already, and some will be travelling with me, or following the footsteps we leave behind us.
I can do this, we can do this. The longest journey begins with a single step. Lets go!