It's been a good week. I've consistently seen the 160s on the scale since Wednesday, which is awesome. I've been motivated. I haven't fallen off the wagon. Last night, I went to dinner with some girlfriends and had a few french fries and funnel cake straws, but I didn't go overboard. I didn't eat until I felt sick. I didn't want to not get up to workout this morning.
I'm feeling really proud of myself. :) I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere.
With my run this morning, I've hit my highest weekly mileage ever -- 24 miles. That includes Zumba and runs. I've also got some strength training in and I'm killing time right now until I have to leave for a yoga class at 12:30. I just feel really strong and confident that I can do this right now.
Anyway.
Friday night, I got a text from my mom about my dad being on so much medication it's sick. My dad finally went to the doctor after 20-some odd years of not going. Ever. He is now diabetic, on medication and a strict diet for that, as well as checking his blood sugar multiple times a day. I think he said his blood sugar was 270 when it was read at the doctor's appointment. They have him set up for an eye appointment to see if the diabetes has done any damage to his eyes because nobody can tell how long he's had it. Next up is a kidney function test. He has high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and has an appointment with a neurosurgeon because he is having pain through his neck and into his arm.
You have to understand something. My dad is the toughest man I know, I'm not even kidding. He will work overtime, then come home, mow the lawn, fix the cars, walk the dogs, hike with Mom, shovel the walks, shovel someone else's walks, mow someone else's lawn. He is a machine. He never stops.
Mama, Papa, and I at the Race Against Racism last April.
(My first 5k ever! They made the 3 hour drive at
6 a.m. to run with me.)
Last year, when Mom and I quit the Mega at mile 10, Dad trucked through, finishing it for the 2nd year in a row, but this time finishing in just over 9 hours, 3 hours less than last year. I was so proud of him and what he had accomplished. He was so excited for that race for 10 months and met his goal. He's also lost an incredible amount of weight since he became active and got back into hiking about 2 or 3 years ago.
So, to find out that he's relatively unhealthy with the diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, it comes as kind of a shock. P. and I were going to grab dinner at Chipotle when he called me and I told P. how glad I am that I started taking care of myself when I did. Diabetes is now on both sides of my family, so now it's even more important that I get this weight off.
My mom and dad have been my driving force behind this love of running I'm developing. My mom started running in a cemetary years ago because she was too heavy and too out of shape to run more than a few feet before she got winded. Before I knew it, she was running 5Ks and kicking ass at them. When we ran the Race against Racism together last spring and I passed her, I could have sobbed for hours thinking about it. Never in a million years did I think that we'd ever run a race together, let alone that I would finish a race before her. My dad motivates me because I want to finish the Mega right beside him this year. I'm tired of getting hauled off the mountain in a truck because I can't do it. I will do it this year and now I have more reason than ever.