Chapter One: Kate

  Catch-Up Post Draft: “Chapter Two Continues” I haven’t posted in a few days—and I’ll be honest, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag. My birthday was on the 3rd (🎉), and between the celebrations, rest, and just feeling worn out, the blog took a short break. But I didn’t quit. Since my last post, I took a much-needed rest day, had a low-energy Saturday, and skipped Sunday entirely after going out for my birthday the night before. My eating wasn’t exactly clean, but it was intentional . I allowed myself to celebrate without restriction. I don’t regret the choice—but yeah, I do feel the guilt creeping in a little. Still, the point of this journey isn’t perfection. It’s persistence . And yesterday, I got right back into the swing of things: A hike and some writing in the morning Strength training in the afternoon Clean eating and hydration back on track I even got a birthday gift from nature—just as I was leaving the trail, I saw a bald eagle dive, catch a fish, and soar ...

Chapter Two: Built for More So this week is a new beginning within my new beginning. I'm starting Chapter Two . Chapter One started back in October 2024, and now it’s time to level up. I’m still going to keep walking and hiking, but they won’t be my main workouts anymore. It’s time to add in some strength training. I’ve been hesitant to do this. Walking 3 miles a day is no joke, and I didn’t want to mess with my routine. Plus, I’ve been worried my “all-or-nothing” mentality would kick in and drag me back to old habits. So, I took my time. But now? Now feels right. I decided to start working in strength routines during my lunch breaks. It’s a good time to get the habit going before work picks up again—by June, I’ll be back to a full 60-hour workweek. I won’t lie: this week started rough . My first sets of goblet squats were so much worse than I expected. My muscles wanted to seize up, and I couldn’t even get through all the sets I planned. I recorded that workout, and when I watche...