Gotta have a strong heart

This one has to be quick because I have to get ready for work. Weighed in at 287.8 lbs this morning. That's a total loss of about 20 lbs in 5.5 weeks. Not too shabby if I say so myself. I'm staying pretty loyal to the diet, except for this past weekend when my brother came to visit. We hit a Chinese buffet, and I was pretty good the first go round. I had some roasted chicken, shrimp, and some shiny green beans. Eventually I had a taste of some crappy buffet pizza, a fried spring roll, and some fried shrimp. But I didn't overdo it like I know I can. Other than that, everything has been pretty well on track.

I skipped the gym yesterday morning. I know I said I had to fight through those lazy days, but yesterday was not laziness. I was tired...dead tired, and I got some much needed extra sleep. I caught some shit for that today at the gym, but I don't think I deserved it. I also caught shit for constantly being late to class. That I deserve. I don't know why I can't seem to get there on time. It's not just at this new location either; it just seems to be a bad habit. I'm working on that, but it's going to be a process. I took the class, and it was hard as usual. Tuesday I went for approximately a mile jog with Amber, and I actually made it most of the way without walking. My hamstrings got really tight since I didn't use them yesterday, and they were killing me today. After class I did a 2 mile jog with one of the other women in class. I didn't realize what I had gotten myself into until I was a couple of blocks into it. Usually I run to warm up before class, but this was after class - after I was exhausted. I probably still ran more than I walked, but I did a lot of walking on this stint. When I finally got back to the gym, I felt like all the life and energy had been sucked out of me. I was catching my breath, and I was very aware of my heart pumping blood to meet the demand my body was putting on it. It wasn't a scary feeling. I didn't think I was going to have a heart attack, but I could feel it beating at a much faster pace than usual. I just thought to myself that I gotta have a strong heart if I'm going to make it through this training. Not just in the physical sense either. All the stuff I've described before: the guts it takes to step into the ring, the camaraderie and sportsmanship involved, and everything else that these fighters do for the love of the sport...it's all heart. That's what I need, and I'm going to have a strong heart.