Week 3 & 4 - Surviving The Holidays, and Planning Ahead

Many people thought I was crazy to be so strict through the holiday season, and they were right, it was a little unrealistic. In the past I've hit both ends of the holiday spectrum, in that I've had many years of bingeing experience, coupled with the one year of misery where I was far too strict with myself. This year I entered the holidays knowing that I would allow myself reasonable amounts of food, drink, and sweets, while not going completely over the top one way or the other. Everything went to plan, and I even got a few chances to exercise. And though my weight may have gone up after the dust had settled, I can look back knowing that I had a great time, and after a few days of being back on track, everything should be back to normal.

It's actually quite nice to come back to a regular routine after the holidays. My sleep schedule was a complete mess, and I was eating through the entire day at times. Getting my eating back on track hasn't been that difficult of a transition, but getting psyched up to consistently workout has been a bit of a stumbling block. So, as a gift to myself, I registered for a half marathon on April 27th. The weather will be a little chilly, but I think the brisk Spring air will be beneficial. My training won't hit full stride until mid-January, or maybe even the end of January. The excitement of the event tends to make me want to train as if I've already been running for months, which would just lead to disappointment. I've got to reign myself in to ensure a gradual increase in distance and pace, otherwise I might burn out and not even make it to the starting line. In addition to the April run, though dependent on how well my training goes over the next few months, I'll be signing up for another half marathon on June 15th, the same one I ran last year. After a brief appraisal of my present condition, you'd likely think I was being a little too ambitious, or even slightly deranged to attempt such a feat in 16 weeks. The reason I've signed up for the April run is to prove to myself that I CAN and WILL do this. I've committed to it, and now I have to follow through with it. No "cramming" for this run, as I've learned from my mistakes and will be thoroughly prepared. There's no better motivator for me than setting a date, a firm goal to achieve, and now the first date is set. April 27th - 21kms. I don't have a goal as far a finishing time goes, though I'm looking to better my time from my first attempt. Just talking about it gets me adrenalized, and I can't wait to start training. Hopefully I can maintain this enthusiasm through the coming weeks.

Short and sweet today, but fear not. I'm back on schedule for weekly updates, and with the friendly competitions still going strong there will be lots to talk about in the coming weeks.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
~ Lao Tzu