Thank heaven for small favors

At least I'm not a loser, like those Ohio State Buckeyes.

Which, of course, means my weight this week stayed the same again! I'm not even going to total up the calories in/calories out this week. I don't even care. I eat the same boring crap every day and run more than ever and who cares what the actual numbers are? Right? Right!

As for the basketball game, at least some of those Gators have to graduate and move on this year, giving everyone else a chance to dance next year. They're just so good at every position. The Buckeyes obviously aren't bad – you don't get to the last round by displaying mediocrity.

You don't get to any goal – the National NCAA Championship, a 4.0 grade average, the job of your dreams or the magic number on the scale – by being average. The common denominator of success is giving it all you've got. And then giving it some more.

It might look to you like I'm doing that, but seriously? After 15 months of plugging away at it – and six months of backsliding – I'm cutting myself some slack somewhere. I just have to figure out where.

As Jonathan mentioned this morning, motivation is something that ebbs and flows, comes and goes. You know it when you've got it, that charged-up feeling inside that nothing's going to stop you. But it leaks out as time goes on, little by little, like air from a three-day-old birthday balloon. You don't even notice it until one day, 15 months later, you wonder why you're not excited about stepping on the scale, fixing the oatmeal, lacing up your running shoes, tackling the challenge for one more day.

What was new and fun and full of promise then is just same-old, same-old now. Jonathan asked, "What does it take to be successful?" I know one thing: Same-old, same-old isn't the right answer.

Finally, are they at it again? This looks like a real website, but then so did the wholesome swimsuit one.

Twenty-five days until race day.