Friday, May 16, 2008

I don't understand how running works with my body. Or I should say I don't understand it yet. But I'm learning. There are patterns I'm noticing - things that work and things that don't. For instance, earlier this month, I was running a few times a week. After couple weeks, each run was killing me. I had no energy or stamina, I got cramps and stitches in my side after the first half mile, and I actually gained a couple of pounds. Gross. Then it got cold and grey and wet, which I took for a perfect excuse to stop exercising.

Today I went out again for the first time in a while, and it was great. I did my longer, 4-mile loop (the other times I was going about 2.5) and it was good. Nothing cramped, nothing stitched, I have a few almost-blisters and I don't smell great right now, but I'm willing to take all of that in stride.

I think the big thing that changed (I mentioned patterns before - this is what I meant) is what I ate beforehand. Today I had a bottle of Blue Moon, Meijer sushi (readers in South Carolina need to bit their tongues. It's not that bad, ok?), and a mountain of chocolate chips, while before I was eating healthier but heavier things like pasta and drinking lots of water. This latest combination of victuals was magical - the sushi was light enough not to gum up my intestines, and the chocolate gave me enough sugar-energy to make it more than half way around the lake before I needed to stop and walk a spell. This menu might have to be a regular pre-run thing.

Also, I've decided that I'm a compulsive exerciser as much as I'm a compulsive eater (but neither of these things to an extreme degree, don't worry). When I got home from work today, I had no intention of going running, but once my "after school snack" turned into a feast, my guilty conscience chided me into a few miles of cardio. Maybe I'll wait a week and then go again? Tomorrow Danny and I are garage saleing, but before that there will be cream puffs and long johns, which might at least be incentive for a few jumping jacks or a sit-up. Or maybe we'll just power walk through Heritage Hill and I'll tell my conscience to deal with it. Because that usually works (?)

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