I started running again. My legs are still rebelling but they are slowly coming around. I’m training for a 10k in September with a friend. I’m using the Jeff Galloway training program. It’s been great to have a training schedule, especially one that’s pretty easy. My longest training run is 7 miles and my daily workouts are just 30-45 a day once I get ramped up. I had my first “long run” of a whopping 2 miles this weekend. My running muscles have been in serious hibernation for a long time so I’m having to take a lot of walk breaks. The eliptical machine helps with endurance and cardio but there is nothing that can prepare your muscle for pounding the pavement. By the end of the run I was doing more running than walking and I felt really good afterward.
We live in a great running neighborhood. Sunday’s run was nothing short of delightful running through the Eastmoreland neighborhood just over the freeway from our house. It’s full of big fancy houses which means beautiful gardens and nice trees. There are just enough hills to make for a great training run. I’m looking forward to more long runs through the neighborhoods near us. It’ll be a good chance to see parts of Portland I wouldn’t otherwise have a need to venture into.
I’m started to remember the rush you get from running more than a couple miles. I feel a heightened sense of well being. Every time I find myself in this position, coming off of a few months of feeling sad and crappy, then finding running again, I tell myself, never again will I stop running, it’s too important. But it always seems to happen. All I can do is try and remind myself how euphoric I feel when I’m running regularly. It cures my depression like nothing else can.
This diet thing is working out pretty good too. I had two really hungry days in the beginning but that’s about it. I feel like I’m in a groove now and I’m enjoying what I’m eating. I am starting to like cooking again. I do miss feeling full and I crave sweets but since I decided to forgo the phase 1 fruit ban, I get my sweets anyway. I’m eating plenty and I’ve even learned to love decaf Americanos and stevia. By Saturday I had lost 2 pounds, I might be at around a 3 pound loss for the first week. I am feeling better, I have more energy, and my back is starting to hurt less. I still have a long way to go before my pants start to fit again but I’m good on this diet for the long haul. I never thought I’d try to South Beach diet. I guess I didn’t know much about it. I basically try to eat like this when I’m trying to be “healthy” anyway so it’s been an easy adjustment. I just needed some structure and motivation to get me to take my health seriously. The scary wake-up call when I stepped on the scale a week ago was a good motivator too.
I hope my knees hold up while I shed these pounds. I can really feel it when I’m running. I feel a little bit like Frankenstein’s monster at the moment. I’ve got lead feet. I am glad I had all that Marathon training with Team in Training. I know how to stretch out my shins and t-bands and it feels good to be stretching again. Mississippi likes to stretch with me. I have to try and get it on video. I hope I can train her to run with me. Some days she’s great at running by my side, other days she wants to chase squirrels. She’ll get it eventually.