Week 2: A sad, sad week

My friend died Saturday night in his sleep. We hadn't seen each other properly in years but he'd pop up occasionally on Facebook and I'd think about our vacations together and those nights out in dirty indie clubs when I first moved to England.

No one expected it. He was in his mid-thirties, had no illness that we knew of and poof he's gone.

I found out Sunday. I think three weeks ago I would have gone to the pub and had a fair number of drinks. When my grandma died when my cousin and I were in Italy, we ate and drank our sadness. It felt like a good idea at the time.

This time I went to my dance class and flailed around to hip hop music. It felt like a much better place to be sad in.

Something strange happens when someone your age dies. For me, it made me feel that I have to stick with this journey to become healthy again but it also reminds me that we could go at any time. I don't ever want to regret my choices or not go out there and live. Waiting for retirement is not an option.

This week was a little harder food wise. I stuck with it but I find it easier to eat at home then preparing for a whole day out. I need to make up snack packs to carry with me but also need to find time to make them up. I guess it's about priorities. Eating healthy and getting into those habits needs to be one of them.

Exercise wise I started resistance training (as recommended by Charlene) and it reconfirmed that my arms are indeed baby ones. I know it will take time to be strong and I'll get there even though I want it to happen now. My exercise bike arrived so I use it to warm up for resistance training and on the morning it was pouring rain. I think this will turn out to be a great investment.

This week I've lost another 3 pounds and lost an inch on my waist and an inch on my hips.

I want to give a huge shout out to Marianne who will be running the London marathon this weekend. Two years ago we stood as spectators near tower bridge and, with tears in our eyes, vowed we'd run a marathon and raise money for Cancer Research UK. You see that day, April 17, was the anniversary of my aunt's death from cancer and Marianne's dad just had his final all clear. I am so proud of her achievements and can't wait until we run together on October 12 in the Baltimore Marathon. Here's a video that explains more about what we're doing and why:



Lastly, I know much has been said on this, but my heart goes out to all those at the Boston marathon. Those who have sadly passed, all recovering from the trama of being in the bomb blast, and those brave and wonderful people who stepped in to help. It's so hard to think someone could do that to all those people who worked so hard to be in that race and those who came to cheer them on.

Yes. It's been a sad, sad week.