Running on the Brain

A friend of mine made a comment today that she felt like running had been on her mind constantly and that a lot of her conversations had been about running lately.  This coming from a friend who decided to do her own "Couch to 10 miles" program not 3 months ago!  I'm proud of my friend for taking the plunge and deciding to train and run in the upcoming 10-miler race.  It is quite an ambitious feat.  But is it necessary for running to take up so much thinking space?

For people like my friend and I, running isn't easy, and yes, it does take up a lot of thinking space.  It takes mental preparation and follow through to keep it up and be consistent.   Running or exercise for that matter has to be on your mind in order for it to become a habitual action.  And for those of us who are trying to make it a steady part of our lives, it takes thinking and talking about it a lot.  It's important to hold yourself accountable and to have friends to hold accountable.  And really, if I weren't thinking and planning my runs throughout the week, I'd be putting my focus on something else.

This little conversation brought about the thought that running really isn't some phase I'm going through.  It's not like all the other exercise regimens I've done in the past like intramural volleyball, kick-boxing, weightlifting, dance aerobics, body pump, JILLIAN MICHAELS (oh, Jillian how I've neglected you!).  I think running has finally become a habitual action and without it I'm not sure I could function in a positive way.

Slow...but Sure.

Yesterday I found a scrap of paper with my measurements from the beginning of last summer.  This evening as I walked by and noticed the pink paper sticking out among the pile, I got the urge to measure myself again.  Mind, I couldn't find my inches measuring tape, only the one in centimeters.  Overall, I am still smaller than I was at the start of last summer.  I have gained an inch here and there, but I've lost an inch here or there.  Funny how it works that way!  I have even managed to lose 15 pounds since the start of last summer!  An effort that is finally beginning to pay off.  

I must add that this past Saturday I jogged almost 5.5 miles, a personal best in the past 2.5 years.  It's been a long time since my body and mind have cooperated with each other, and it has been a case of where the mind was willing, the body was not and vice versa.  Small steps and keeping to my core goals (even when I fall off the wagon) have helped me to feel like this is not just a vain effort to feel younger or prettier or more socially acceptable... or any of those things that many feel are important when changing your body and losing weight.  This is becoming a way of life!  

OMG, I sound like I am on a Weight Watchers commercial - but bear with me here.  Changing the way one thinks about food and eating AND exercise is hard.  It takes a long time and has many ups and downs.  Bottom line though, is understanding that it's ok to lose your way here and there.  It's not important if you gain a few over the holidays, so long as you snap yourself back into the swing of things when it's all done with.  This past holiday was the first of many, where I didn't completely stuff my face at every opportunity or become swayed by 10 tons of carbohydrates.  I even found myself wanting to exercise at least every other day.  The end result:  I have already lost the few pounds I gained.  Sometimes food just isn't worth it. 

I think of my relationship with food and exercise like this:  it doesn't matter if you don't eat right or exercise all the time, but it is important to eat right and exercise most of the time.

In comparison to my last post WAY back in August, I am feeling very positive.  But perhaps it's because I am finally feeling like I'm getting somewhere.  It's slow, but I'm sure I'm getting where I want to be.

Prioritize then Procrastinate

I've just spent the past couple of hours writing a couple of posts for my new online Master's program.  Each one I've had to carefully write and revise before hitting the "post" button.  So as a relief to the morning, I'm just going to write what comes to mind.  It's been awhile.

So here goes!  I'm hitting a wall lately.  A wall with my weight, a wall with my will and a wall with my exercise "plan".  I've lost a lot of interest in rowing over the past couple of weeks which is something I always look forward to, I've not felt motivated by the 4 mile run coming up on Sept 4th and I've not really felt much restraint with regards to eating.  It's not exactly been a period of eating cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner and slobbing around but there has been a distinct change in my attitude of late.

So of course I immediately go to the question, "what's wrong with me?".  The truth is, nothing.  In reality, I spent everyday of my beach vacation being active and eating relatively well, all the while brewing up a nice summer cold.  When I got back I got sick and in turn fell off the wagon.  The problem is, now that it's time to get back on, I can't be bothered.

It's a common occurrence where I binge on many things at once, get overwhelmed and loaded down, then shut down until I can get it together again.  Not a good thing if I can't balance all the things I want to do.  The obvious thing to do is to cut back on activities, focusing on what is important.  Here's what comes to mind first with regards to importance:

-losing weight, building muscle
-enjoying my food/booze now and again
-doing a good job at my "job"
-making good grades
-and for whatever reason it's last, making sure that I am a nice person to be around while doing so

I'm not really sure what I'm getting at with this post other than to rant a little about what's on my mind.  I am reminded of a t-shirt my sister once had that said "Procrastinators Unite... Tomorrow!"  That about sums it up right now.