Quick update on how the first week back to sanity is going:
Food-wise:
I swear, I feel like I’m in detox this week, at least early in the week. 1500 calories and I was still hungry at the end of the day. I was resenting how many calories fruit and veggies have because it meant I had to give up something else more filling. Crazy, huh? It was weird not to have a bunch of sugar. Yesterday and today though, my appetite has started to get the hint. Yesterday I finished the day around 1300 calories and just wasn’t hungry. Today, I’m not feeling ravenous either.
I think the worst is over, but I still have some bad habits to break. I think I did right by banning chocolate this week and limiting myself mostly to sugar free popsicles for desert (though I did splurge on about 1/3 cup of soft 
serve and a drizzle of caramel at the salad bar). I’m ok having stuff out occasionally but I need to put the stop to having pinches of chocolate chips/spoons of fudge/etc. Once I get through a few weeks, I’ll allow myself again if it works into my calories that day, but for now, I want to unlearn the habit.
Another thing that absolutely stops is the going to the fridge to feed my face snacktimes. Fine when I need to make sure I’m keeping up my energy for a race, because I’m not usually eating junk food when I do that , but it’s not fine while I’m trying again to lose. If I want a snack, I get a measured amount of it, eat it, and then be done. No eating with the fridge still open. Again, doing better since my appetite is going back to normal, but still something to watch for.
Workout-wise:
I’m still feeling compelled to burn at least 3000 calories this week, but it’s been at a much lower intensity. Bike riding has been a little hard to do in 104 degree heat, but we’ve gone twice for short mellow rides. The pool was great. I’ve done lots of DDR and yoga and weights at home. We are hoping to do an epic bike ride Sunday, and if not, the back up plan is ice skating. I even gave myself permission to do as little as needed this week if my body needed it but this is just reinforcing that moving my ass is now an ingrained part of my life. If for no other reason than I feel great when I do it. I might do a *little* less if I wasn’t training for anything and/or trying to take off weight, but still. Probably not much.
Also, 3 days until the running ban is lifted. I am ready to take these legs out and see what they can do on some short distance training! Next week I think I’ll limit myself to 2 easy runs though – after a week off I might need a 
little warmup! I do think the first order of running business is to work on improving my mile and 5k times. I think I can shatter both my records of 7:50/mile and 27:19/5k, and it’s perfect to do in the morning – it’s cool outside and it doesn’t take much time!
Mental-wise:
Besides battling with the want to run (mostly for the stress relief, it’s been a heckuva week here at work) and dealing with the mental letdown of actually having to watch what I shove in my mouth again, it’s been nice. I have just been going with the flow this week. My workout plan hasn’t panned out exactly how I imagined it most days, but I’ve been getting lots of mellow activity, and I’m feeling great. I admit I feel a little lost without something specific to be working towards, but that should resolve itself in the next week or two. As my neurotic mind starts getting antsy, my common sense kicks in and says, “chill, baby”. And chill, I have been.
Weight-wise:
Well, I saw a number Monday morning that did not make me happy: 155.6. However, after a workout it read 153.6. Same thing the next day – 155.0 to 153.0. I’ve weighed now everything from 155.6 to 152.6. I’m counting the low weight for the weigh in, of course, but I’m hoping by Monday everything stabilizes. Considering TOM just started, that might be a pipe dream. However, even the high weights have been steadily going down all week, so I think once I finish “detoxing” myself, I hope to see the 140’s soon!
The plans here for the weekend are relaxing tonight (maybe some DDR, 1vs100, and some other gaming fun). Saturday we are hitting David’s bridal to try on dresses, Sephora for some wedding makeup ideas, and a summer camp themed party on Saturday night. Then… either that epic bike ride or ice skating Sunday. Should be a good few days! What do you have planned this weekend, peoples?
decided it was go big or go home, and I went for a jacknife dive (jump up, fold in half into a pike, and then enter the water straight up and down, head first). It wasn’t very good, but I also remembered I used to crank the board way back to 6 so it was tighter (and they had it locked on 1, which is suuuuuper springy), so it was a matter of getting used to the board.
-Run a 5k in under 25. Same principle. I think if I plan properly for it, run it like a race, and give it my all, I can do it.
re a race I’m jumpy and excitable and can barely get myself to calm down. That day, once we were in the car and finally through South Austin traffic, I got so relaxed and tired that I wasn’t even thinking about the race. I’m sure it helped that I only managed 5 hours of sleep Thursday night, but finally being on the way and the road vibrations were just lulling me to sleep. I resisted a nap, but I kept that serene calmness through the rest of the evening.
even want to get up and take a shower like I had planned, so I just relaxed and drifted off to bed around 10:30. I found myself getting a *little* antsy when I started to try and close my eyes, but I just went ahead and went over my morning routine a few times and it was tedious enough to get me to dreamyland.
(yes, 15 minutes to gun time). The shuttle dropped us off at around 7:50-something, and then we found out it was about a half mile walk to the actual race. I started hearing “last call to get your numbers” so I left Zliten with the stuff and sprinted my ass off across the field and got my number and my chip, and was applying it while the first wave of relay racers crossed the starting line. Since the start was staggered, I went ahead and got rid of some excess water in toilets that didn’t have doors (eww) and when I got out, I saw the second wave go. I got up to the starting line as they were taking everything down and I frantically waved and pointed at my tag and they sorta rolled their eyes and said, go ahead. I was the last person across the line. The chip time probably included about 30 seconds to 2 minutes of standing on the mat haggling with the officials. Worst race start ever.
boost. At the end of the second lap, I realized something was a little off – my feet were hurting. Not my toe, but my feet. I realized then how uneven the pavement was on some parts of the trail, and my tootsies were more used to sidewalk or level streets. After a while it just started to become a constant ache which I was able to get used to, so it wasn’t too horrible.
must have looked so out of it, one of the officials cheered me on, telling me I had about one mile to go. That was the longest fucking mile ever. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I rounded the last corner and got a little pep back from a cheer from the relay runner, and headed for the finish. I didn’t feel like I had anything left to give but when I saw the finish line, I started sprinting anyway. In my head, instead of “dig, dig, dig, dig” which I’ve chanted to get me to the end of long runs, I was chanting something like “sit, sit, sit, sit”.
I just couldn’t. I was hobbling. Once we got on the shuttle, I exclaimed that sitting was the best thing ever. I didn’t even notice the AC until Zliten told me that was the best thing ever for him.
Tuesday: 30 minute tempo run
Week 13 – the week after!
I'm a video game producer and a lover of anything game related by trade. I'm a triathlete by hobby. I live for being on or in the water as much as I can - scuba diving, snorkeling, paddleboarding, water slides... you name it. The dichotomy between my outdoor and indoor realities are interesting, but they're all mine! Longer version