9/6/2012: Vacation, Day 1

We are on I-70 headed east. The goal is to make it to Pennsylvania today so we only have about a 6-7 hour drive tomorrow to get to West Point. We have a tour of West Point scheduled for 2:00 in the afternoon tomorrow. Everybody thinks we're crazy to be driving to Maine, but I love road trips. We'll get the really heavy driving done today and, with the exception of another long day on the way home, the rest of our driving days will be casual, country road type days. I've heard rumors that the leaves are already starting to change in New England, so it should be beautiful. I hope we don't get too cold, camping this late in the season.

I lost another pound! This morning I weighed 172.4 pounds! I am right smack dab on my trend line again. It happens over and over again; I'll drop a few pounds, get below my trend line, flatten out for a week or so, end up above my trend line, and then lose enough to be right on it again. It's comforting, in a way, to know that if I just keep on doing what I've been doing, that it all evens out in the end.

I've packed a lot of healthy, pre-portioned snacks for both the road trip and our camp site. Greek yogurt, Luna Bars, fruit, prunes, and smoked almonds. That should get me through any rough moments, so I won't get too hungry looking for a place to eat. I am going to count every calorie while on vacation and stay in my 1500 - 1600 range. I am going to miss having my chart and my scale. Weighing myself every day has become a ritual that helps me stay focused. My chart is a huge inspiration for me. The good news is that if I maintain my trend while on vacation I will weigh 170lbs when we get home. That is exciting. Looking forward to seeing those numbers and marking my chart when I get home will provide me with incentive to remain disciplined while away from home.

A significant part of our vacation will be activity centered. Our plan is to spend most of our time outdoors hiking and doing whatever other activities are available this time of year (it may be too cool for water sports like kayaking). It will help that this vacation is designed to be a physical one. Between our hiking and my camp site strength training routine, I will have most of my exercise covered. I'll probably run a couple of times, on days that we don't do anything else, but that should be it.

It looks like our triathlon is going to happen next summer. We're going to do an Olympic length tri which is a 1500 meter swim, a 25 mile bike ride, and a 10k run. Ruth, what do you think about me coming up for a weekend this fall? I thought it might be a good idea to for you to give me a swim lesson, early on in my training, so bad habits don't get too ingrained. I'm trying to incorporate the lessons you taught me when George and I came up several years ago, but it would probably be helpful to get a few pointers. If it's not cold already, maybe I can bring my bike and we can do our own mini-tri! Let me know what you think.

Well, I guess that's it for now. It's time to pick up my head and see the beautiful scenery along I-70 in Missouri. Have a lovely day!




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