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Introduction Text Years passed. I can't even remember exactly who I was or where I was when last I wrote about myself, but things I know that have happened are... I moved to Philadelphia and learned to love city life (things always going on - even if I don't "go" with them, I can see them; all kinds of diverse folk around to make me feel like a citizen of the world; walking EVERYWHERE; restaurants at my doorstep; etc.). I also got both heavier and slower, which turned into a vicious cycle and I was at a danger point yet again (155 lbs+), ready to accept that post-menopause Rosie was just going to be heavier and slower. Then my best friend, yet again, turned me onto a new idea (fasting related). I self-coached myself through fasting to some degree and got almost back to 135 lbs, my ideal weight. Or so I thought. A cousin then turned me on to a formal Intermittent Fasting approach (described in the "Delay, Don't Deny" book). I "officially" do 16:8, but it's closer to 18:6 or even 20:4, and I'm not strict about the ratio. I just follow a basic "at least 16" and "no more than 8" rule. I don't really eat less, I feel, but maybe that just happens naturally. Sometimes I feel like I eat more - "OMG, just one hour left in my feast, I'd better eat something so I don't get hungry during the fast." But I'm trying to learn to handle that more gracefully than by shoveling in everything in sight. And it's a CLEAN fast. Only black coffee beyond water. Tough but doable. And... amazing things happened. I blew right through my 135 "ideal" and went 10+ lbs further! I've been as low as 119.8 (!!!) lbs, and I hover at 121-123 currently. I'm calling 125 my new ideal unless things change again. I've also lost persistent pockets of fat - or is autophagy truly a thing and I've even lost loose skin - in my inner thighs and upper arms that I thought I'd NEVER lose. I still have some, but it's a huge difference. I've gone down sizes in clothes. Buying a women's SMALL is an amazing experience and I always feel wrong doing it. But so far, everything fits, though I do tend toward medium tops "just in case" (given the extra fat/loose skin on the upper arms). I'm a jeans & t-shirt person and boy's large is my new t-shirt happy spot, and I can't remember the last time size 6 Levi's fit so well (maybe it was never). And, tada... I got faster. I picked up training again to some degree, plus dropping 30 lbs (over some months) made - as one might expect - an amazing difference. I'm not as fast as I was "back in the day," but I'm happy just getting faster than where I am now. I've started calling out "second half century [i.e., age 50+] PRs" and there have been several! I think I'm eating better. Not totally, of course. I still like my "junk." But I'm at least eating more intentionally. With a restricted range of time in which to eat, I don't want to waste it on crap I don't REALLY enjoy. And sometimes I'm deliberately making the healthier choice. I'm also older... with wrinkles... some crepiness in the arms, legs, neck, oh heck, everywhere... more aches and pains... More thoughts about retirement and less about mental challenges... But overall, I feel pretty good. I'm more concerned about the state of the world, the environment, the people and all living species. Even though I have no children of my own, I'm more thoughtful about what we are leaving for future generations and more concerned about doing as much as we can to give them the best chance possible of overcoming what decades of neglect have done to the planet. And I think I'm a better PERSON - more compassionate, more empathetic, more open to people "not like me," more concerned about the world at large (and her peoples), more concerned about the health of our planet (and her peoples), more liberal, more progressive, just more... more of a PERSON... who cares about other people... and is looking for a way to leave a trace, make an impact, make at least one thing better. And I just feel better again... I feel good in my skin and just moving around again... I enjoy running again and thinking about races... I enjoy thinking about and working my geeky side at technical challenges...

Chasing those second half century PRs - - marathon at 4:48 (11:00 pace) - half marathon at 10:00 pace or better. - 5K at 9:00 pace or better. See if there's more weight yet for Rosie to lose or else settle into my happy spot and maintain it. Eat better... Eat more nutritionally... Learn to avoid the boredom eating I STILL get during my window... Learn to deal better with the desire to close my window with a sudden burst of eating for fear I might get hungry when I fast... Step up the "intentional eating" - enjoy what I eat, make the nutritional choices... Be better to the planet and make the ECO-FRIENDLY CHOICES as well! Cut back on social media and other things that waste time/depress me! Enjoy life... Find a "thing"... find a reason... find some happy places (mentally and physically)... Be good, do good - to the planet, her peoples, her creatures... Find a way to get my geek on again!

Intermittent fasting: * CLEAN fast (only black coffee and water when fasting); * Follow a basic "at least 16" and "no more than 8" rule, but strive for 18-20+ fasts and 4-6 feasts. Running: * Keep it up. Do the training. Put in the time. Other * Strength training, PLEASE. Yea, still not getting to that.

I'm in Philadelphia, PA - 54, single, no kids and no partner (but a housemate & friend I love more than life itself, and two adorable teddy bears and their puppy & pony friends). Love to be outside and active; enjoy traveling (especially if activity - a nice, long race or some good hiking or walking). I work as a software engineer and enjoy getting my geek on as well. :)

Enjoy music - classic rock, older country, modern alternative, high energy dance music, bluegrass... Open to anything that MOVES with a good beat. Favs are Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe, etc. Enjoy reading and/or audiobooks - especially into scifi/fantasy (though more on the scifi side right now). Peter Hamilton, Roger Zelazny, Patricia McKillip, China Mieville, Neil Gaiman, Neal Stephenson, Terry Brooks, Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Margaret Atwood ... and the list goes on!

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