A Metamorphosis

I didn't make it home tonight until after 9PM. Sweaty but satisfied with my efforts on the treadmill (30 minutes of easy running) and at Bikram (90 minutes of difficult asanas - I wasn't very balanced this evening), I am content and proud of the evening's accomplishments. And as I walked home, I reflected a bit on the first month of 2006.

Miles Run: 120
Miles Walked: 144
Miles Elipticaled: 3
Hours Spun: 4
Hours Bikram: 9

I have made it either to the gym, to yoga, or to the trails every day this past month. My jeans are a little looser, my legs firmer, my arms more cut. My butt amazingly tighter although very much still a classic round Italian. I can run for hours without getting winded. And my tempo pace is comfortably at 8:30. I can get through Bikram classes without feeling sick and dizzy. I still don't like broccoli but I am trying to eat it. An I once came home from a bar (where I only drank water) and made myself peppers and hummus for a midnight snack.

Had I not caught myself (longingly) staring into a McDonald's while waiting for the bus tonight (no need to scale the Sacramento Street mountain after 2 hours of exercise, at night, in the dark, by myself...) I would have thought I'd metamorphosised into LGA.

I do some pretty good thinking at bus stops and tonight I realized that I haven't eaten any fast food in the entire state of California save one cheeseburger and half an order of french fries at In N Out. And that was in August. In Los Angeles. And In N Out is technically healthy Cali style fast food, so I don't even know if it counts as a true fast food indulgence. I have been so good the past month I am a little shocked. Not to mention slightly grossed out at myself. I can't stand those girls who go to the gym every day and eat salad for every meal and holy shit I am one of them. I didn't even have a bite of cake yesterday at work for KR's birthday. Not even a bite! What the hell happened to me?

I guess what happened is that I realized how serious this shit is. Not just the numbers on the scale, but the overall importance of being healthy. My family isn’t necessarily blessed with good health genes. Gather the extended family around the dining room table at Christmas and the skinny people are all in-laws. My brother takes medicine for high blood pressure. My mother takes medication to manage osteopina, the early signs of osteoporosis. She also takes medication to manage high cholesterol. My grandfather had Type II Diabetes and suffered from various other heart problems. And my mother was just diagnosed with some strange heart issue, too. I thought my dad had high blood pressure for a while, but he said he didn’t.

So this isn’t just a diet. And it’s not just an exercise kick. It’s a commitment to being healthy. For the long term. Hell, forever.

And so far, I feel really good. I am going to PR my next marathon without a doubt. I am going to be excited to get a physical next month and see that my cholesterol is still low. I want to be the first person in my family who doesn't have to take medication to manage osteopina or high blood pressure or heart problems or Type II Diabetes.

Bring it, February. Bring it.