1. I’ve lost weight. Just 2 weeks and I can fit into a pair of jeans I bought 6 months ago even though they were slightly too small, because they’re hot. Now I don’t look like an over-stuffed sausage in them! Hooray!

2. I feel more powerful. Physical power, mental power, I’m just stronger all round. Hell yeah.

The route I run is town a long gravel back street and back, because it’s the only part of my neighbourhood that I can avoid running on cement, which is terrible for your joints. A few days ago I reached my first big goal of running all the way to the end of that track. Now I’m trying to work my way up to running to the end and back. It’s funny that the focus has shifted from my breathing being the painful factor to overcome, to it being muscle fatigue, now that I’m running solidly. Don’t get me wrong, it still takes a level of re-directing thoughts so I don’t pay too much attention to my breathlessness, but it’s become something that I can view from a distance. It doesn’t control me anymore.

Once I get to the point that I can run the full route without stopping, I’m going to up the frequency of my runs from every second day, to two days on, one day off. Still feel that it’s important to take this gradually and allow my legs to become stronger, because I’ve had problems with my knees and shins in the past. I want to grow strong in a slow, steady, successful manner.

Wow, this finally feels like I’m becoming the person I always thought I was, on the inside. Someone to be proud of.