Running

Over this past very busy weekend I unfortunately ate a lot of unhealthy things (burger and fries, cheese fries, bagel, chicken nuggets, fast food burger, chinese food just to name some of it) and am definitely paying the price. Not only did I eat crap, but I didn't get to the gym on Friday, Saturday OR Sunday! It was just ridiculous! It was nice to be social and have fun with new friends but I can't let my new healthy lifestyle get pushed by the wayside every time there's an Ugly Xmas Sweater Party to attend. Sunday I was doing really well with my eating until I got home after work. Then I ate myself stupid with whatever I could find. Though the only good news about that is that I polished off the tempting bread and cereal! I had gained about 3-4 lbs in just one weekend from all that junk.

So yesterday I officially jumped back on the wagon. I ate well and I hit the gym. I ran 2.1 miles (25 minutes) at the gym, then walked for another 20 minutes for a total of 45 minutes of cardio. I also went on a walk during my lunch break so I burned about 700 calories yesterday. My calorie intake was about 1,500 which was on the high side, but I'm aiming to keep it in the 1,300-1,500 range. And this morning the scale is already heading in the right direction.

On my walk during lunch yesterday, I saw a poster for Cupid's Chase 5k. It's a race to support a company that supports people with disabilities. It's the day before Valentine's Day and it's right in Princeton! I know I wanted to gear up for Maddy's 5k, but I think this one would be a good start. If I could run a 5k last week on pure emotion, then i'll be able to runa 5k in two months on pure adrenaline. My issue will be moving my training from inside on the treadmill to outside. Especially as the weather gets colder.

I always hated running. Mostly because I was terrible at it. But now that I'm actually trying it and finding my rhythm with it, I realize it's a lot of focus and not just putting one foot in front of the other. It's a completely mental activity, and I finally understand why people enjoy it. At this point, I can't say that I enjoy it yet, but I love how I feel afterwards. While watching the Biggest Loser last week, Kathryn told me "That's all marathon running is: pain management". And I'm realizing that's definitely the case. My ultimate goal will be to run a half marathon in the next two years.