Success!!!

Wow!  What a wonderful feeling.  Even the smallest little thing can feel like a giant leap in the right direction if you have been waiting, and let me tell you...  I've been waiting!!!
As my Loser Peeps already know, I've been have a pretty good run of successes here lately, and I just wanted to share with all of you!
Using miCoach, I have been steadily increasing my speed on the treadmill over the last several weeks, from June 26 at only 1.4 mph to July 18 I maxed out at 5.0 mph.  I will grant you that my entire workout was not at 5.0, but I still maintained that pace for more than a minute.  To me, that is a huge accomplishment when a very few short weeks ago I could not break 20:00/mi.
I have been going to the gym, doing my strength workout, then my treadmill workout, and then going home and doing another 2 miles there as well.  The last time I walked with my mom, we broke that 20:00 mile, but I just thought that she must have been pushing me really hard and it was a fluke.  Thursday, I broke 18:00 by myself and was stunned!  Friday, I went home after the gym and set out...  My first mile broke 16:00.  Now, let me tell you...  I was grinning like a stupid fool because I am back!  I may not be 100%, but I am getting there!!!  My second mile at home that night was a little slower, but my overall pace still came out to be 16:16.  Oh my...  It felt so good!  More like unbelievable!
For the last several weeks, I have been yoyo'ing between the same 2 lbs, up, down, down, up.  Now I know that you should never see an immediate response to any type of fitness routine or diet.  All of those 'burn x in y days' gimmicks are just that...  not sustainable.  Well, I finally got my reward for my hard work.  Friday morning I posted a 5 lb loss!  Yes, I have already started yoyo'ing again, but this is just a few lbs below where I was.  Keep working and watch it come down more!!!
I have been using a Fitbit One for about 18 months now and absolutely love it!  Supposedly, it is going to get you taking more steps as you see all of your friends above you.  Well...  I've always been real lucky if I could manage to break 20,000 steps in a week until I renewed my commitment.  My very good friend A.P. and I tend to get a little competitive and as I started getting closer to his average of 35k steps, he started moving a lot more to stay ahead of me, but you see I was cheating...  I was getting up first thing in the morning as he was driving to work and walking 2 miles, 4-5 days a week.  I was going to the gym and getting on the treadmill for an hour and walking 2-3 miles, 2-3 times a week.  And if I got home before dark, I would walk another 2 miles a day.  My steps count quickly flew through 30k and up to 40k.  Now, the 2 of us will still battle it out and bounce back and forth, but I checked standings one night and out of my friends, I was ranked 3rd...  Wait what????  Now I know that my friend M.M. was unable to sync his tracker, but how did I get to third???  WOW!  Then Saturday, I checked ranking and I had passed my very good supporter, G.P. (sorry....), but M.M. was back from his trip and was at 80k+ steps!!!  How was I ever going to catch up?!?!?!?!  Oh yeah, and one of the guys from church went on a mission trip to Brooklyn last week, and HE was sitting in position #1 with almost 90k steps.  My jaw dropped as these 2 challenged me like never before.  I guess I'm not getting #1 this week...  Oh wait, my trainer decided to drag me out for a 6 hour, 12 mile hike and by the end of the day....  30k+ steps later...  I claimed victory!  For the first time ever, I am sitting in the #1 spot.  (I think I need more Fitbit friend, cuz I beat all these ones...)  
Now I know, that all of this won't last and this is just a temporary high that I am enjoying, but let me tell you what......  I am going to enjoy it for as long as I can!!!!!  So, please...  get out there and start moving today...  I need some Fitbit challengers!  :-)