Me: 1 Leg Pain: None

HaHA, knee pain! I defeated you!

I took Thursday and Friday off, stairs still hurt on Friday but I took an easy walk and come Saturday I ran my farthest distance yet, with the least amount of stopping. Best part? Not sore at all. Not a bit. All that stretching I did before, during, and after surely helped. I'm also making a mental map of all the water fountains in the park, jotting down blue dots on a real map after I get home. Distances that used to seem so great before seem like nothing now. I'm going to push myself a little farther every time, run farther, run longer without stopping, just on running. I've already noticed my breathing is better, and it's only been a week! I haven't made the whole loop yet, I haven't wanted to risk killing my legs/knees before they're ready (especially after how they felt Thursday!), I also want to have a clearer map of the water fountains before I do so - hydration's important! But that is my personal goal, to do the loop. I'm gonna do baby loops till then, around the lake, the boat house, the Nethermead, etc. Funny part: the distance I run every time is roughly the same as doing the loop itself! I know I know, big deal, the loop, it's totally easy I'm sure, but it's important not to overextend yourself - this is how I hurt my knee to begin with, and I don't want any repeats.

It's a heady feeling, this running again. Also all the good food I've been eating. I was craving a bacon cheeseburger like mad on Saturday, but I opted for quinoa pasta, broccoli, and beets instead. I might have caved for bacon on Sunday morning though...naughty! But I want to be absolutely clear, I am not doing this to lose weight by any means. I am vehemently against my losing weight. I've always declared that if anything, I need to gain weight. This is just a means to be active again, to build muscle strength, and tone some body parts that could use some toning in the process... If I dip below a certain weight level, I'll eat a whole pizza to compensate. That sounds...really good right now. OK. Lunch time! And then to the park!