Kids Say the Darndest Things and Other Thoughts

School Started last week for me.  In that time many students and a few teachers made some comments that I have found inspiring, and in some cases hilarious.

Another teacher: "John-John...I have to ask you, how much weight did you lose this summer?"  (This comment really made my day!  It was the first time that someone who hasn't followed my journey noticed that I had lost weight)

A former student upon seeing me the first day of school:  "Mr. Henrichsen, you look...different..."

Another former student, shouting in the hall before school:  "Henrichsen lost weight! Henrichsen lost weight!"

Student:  "Mr. Henrichsen, you look good!"

Another Teacher:  "You're looking really good.  Seriously, I've noticed.  I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

There's something about other people noticing the results of the changes that I've made in my life that is gratifying, impelling, and rewarding.  Perhaps it's the distance I have yet ahead of me or the fact that I look at myself in the mirror everyday, but I've seen the numbers on the scale and I haven't been sure that I was seeing the results that I thought those number should represent.  This has helped to change my perspective.

I started running again yesterday.  My hip is still not back to 100%, but the pain I felt as I ran wasn't enough to keep me from running.  And I really needed to run again.  I never thought I would say this, but I really missed running the week and a half that I took off.  I'm glad that I was able to start it up again.

I've written before about the mental toughness that has been required of me to keep running.  Especially at the beginning of the C25K, I felt that each run I went on made me mentally stronger as well as physically stronger.  Until I didn't run for a week and a half, I didn't realize how much mental strength that running gave me in other areas of my life.  I learned that I could do hard things and that my persistence helped me to achieve new heights.  After having a couple of harder days last weekend, getting back to running has been exactly what I've needed at this point in my journey.

Since June 30th I've lost 37 pounds and I've logged over 140 miles of walking/running for exercise.  My goal weight for the end of August is less than one pound away with 5 days still to go!