A whole lot less of me to be

I started out this divorce thing with my usual stress responses.

I talked it out. God, I am so sorry to my family and everyone else who had to listen to me ramble in the first couple of months...

I tried to find other stuff to think about. OK, not all of my ideas worked. 

I bought stuff to support the old (and new) hobbies. Sorry mom. There were multiple trips to the bike shop and the running store.

After a while I started realizing some new responses had crept in.

Evidently I am now a runner. On purpose. In my business, the rule is if you see Mike running, go the other way...

When my double decade worth of digital music disappeared into a moving van, I started listening to different music. And I started making use of the local music scene in town. Happy Birthday to Myself concert tix anyone?

But most surprising/not surprising to me, weight loss. When I get stressed I quit eating. Then I feel awful and I have horrible headaches. So that didn't surprise me in the early summer. What did surprise me? The way that I got my head together(ish) at the end of the summer and then I started eating healthier.

The extra 25 pounds I have carried for 13 years melted off with a better diet and increased exercise. I was eating better and finally seeing results. I have always been active. Again, sorry Mom... but this fall I was able to meet a goal I had long given up.

I am sitting at a weight I have not seen in at least 15 years. I feel better than I have in twenty and I just got home from running the first timed road race of my life - and I beat my pre-race goal by almost 4 minutes.

It is true, I have a long way to go before this divorce thing is behind me and I am ready to completely  move forward. But at this rate, there is a whole lot less of me to drag into my future.