Input, Output, and Honesty

While I haven't posted in a while, I have managed to read other TRIgirls blogs here and there, and I've been thinking baout Renee's honesty, Deanna's nutrition, and Cyndi's battle with the party demons, and how there is so much overlap in what we all experience in and out of training.

I train a lot.
I eat more.

More calories in that calories out equals weight gain. I know this. I've been a member of Weight Watchers for about five years. I achieved Lifetime status a couple of years ago when I hit my goal weight, which I'm currently over by about fifteen pounds. The thing is nutrition and "dieting" is like training and a whole lot of other things in life.

Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. The Seven Ps.

I need to follow my workout schedule. I need to watch my intake, counting Points or whatever. I need to prepare to make these things easier for me--packing my swim stuff or running shoes (in my super-cute new TRIgirl duffel) to have for when opportunity strikes--the same way I always had a toothbrush and a change of clothes with me when I went out in my college years (and, okay, since then, too!) Bringing a sandwich and a piece of fruit with me to work, so I have something to munch on in lieu of the ten desserts a purveyor brought for us to sample.

That way, when an occasion arises when I really don't have the energy for a workout or there's a schedule conflict with an event I really want to attend or life presents me with the perfect dessert (or bag of kettle chips, as the case may be,) I can skip a workout or veer off my nutrition plan without regret.

It makes me cringe to hear people, and usually they are women, say, "I was bad," followed by a description of something they ate. As my WW leader points out, nobody ever got fat by eating a piece of cheesecake. The same goes for training. When being ribbed about missing a cycling class a couple of weeks ago, I replied, "You're right. I probably can't finish Eagleman now."

Point being that these "bad" moments are exceptions. If I ate a steady diet of cookies, hadn't biked in two months, and smoked a pack a day, it would be a different story. If I felt the need to report that "I was good" because I ate a serving of vegetables, I'd start worrying. So, as long as I can remember the last creme brulee, skipped workout, and Camel Special Light in my life, and as long as I can say with certainty that it was the exception, I will be honest about its place in my life. My goal is to relish the small indulgences because they are, indeed, indulgences.

Shamrock 8K Race Report

My first 8K ever. When I mentioned this to some people who don't train with me, I got a lot of encouraging comments about pacing myself, working up to that distance, etc. Funny since my races have all been much longer than that recently. However, there are so many little lessons in returning to a short distance and enjoying the first race of the season...
1. the value of a PR--it has been a long time since I'd PRed in any event, so trying something new can give one a little shot in the arm
2. the value of a race--I hadn't raced since November, so it was kind of exciting to be back in the circuit (especially coming from one who is often teased about the number of races I enter each season)
3. the value of speedwork--thanks to the great coaching from Maramarc and TRIgirl, this is the first time I have ever worked on speed. While I was hoping to be a bit faster than I was, I still ran a faster pace than in any other race I've done.
4. the value of a TRIgirl weekend--Monica graciously opened her beach house to nine TRIgirls, and eleven of us ran in the 8K. Post race, I enjoyed a very relaxing day of eating and expo-shooping with TRIgirls Monica, Kathleen, and Teresa, who was also celebrating her birthday.
One difficult thing about running this time of year is the wild fluctuations in temperature. Today, for example, it is eighty degrees. Race day it was thirty-five and very windy. We even got snow flurries as we drove around post race. Another benefit of shacking up with a bunch of TRIgirls--sharing clothes! Kate O generously lent me a vest, I wore some mismatched gloves that I found in my car, and I'm not sure any of the other runners left the house without a little piece of Teresa's running wardrobe.
Traditionally, I don't wear a watch when I run, so having no idea when I started, here were the clock times I saw running along...
Mile 1--9:01
Mile 2--18:00
Mile 3--26:58
Mile 4--36:02
Finish--44:29
I'll give myself a bonus point for consistent pacing! Ran a touch faster at the beginnning and the end, meriting a chip time of 44:14.
What a great way to end my Spring Break!

Spring Break in the Winter

Wow! I really hadn't realized how long it had been since I last posted. You've seen the shirts that say Run, Eat, Sleep, Repeat? Well, add in Bike, Swim, Lift Weights, Wait Tables, Teach Classes, Read Student Writing, and that's where I've been for the past month.