Shortcomings

So, yesterday, I did make it to the gym. Eventually, hubby joined me and was less than thrilled about it. He usually gets a bit cranky before we has to catch a flight back to his station. While I didn't get the entire pace run in, as scheduled, I did manage to get 2 miles in 18:09. I am pretty thrilled about this because it is faster than my best time in basic training 14 years ago. Today, I will pace it out. I think 9:20/mile for just over 4 miles is doable. Speed is fun, but longevity is necessary.

I read a lot about running. I subscribe to Runner's World, have books on my Kindle app about running, and try to absorb as much information as possible. I also track my workouts like a compulsive person. Seriously. I have 4 different ways of tracking my runs. There are 2 apps that I use on my phone. One keeps my schedule and time, the other tracks all of the distance, plus allows for notation. When it is cool enough for me to run outside, I also have my Garmin and I like Daily Mile, which syncs with my Garmin and posts my progress to FB. One of my best friends will say I am way too analytic and should just enjoy the running. The thing is, I do enjoy it, but I also enjoy tracking my progress in every conceivable way. This tracking is what keeps me going. Every time I see an improvement, I want to improve upon it. I am also inherently lazy. If I don't track, I don't stick to it. Further, I find that I need to up my game, otherwise, my body becomes accustomed to the pace I set. I actually read about this in my Kindle book. A runner must increase the effort in order to improve. With all this tracking and reading, and then applying to my workouts, I believe progress is a given.

Diet is also a major part of running. Many say that they can eat whatever they want because they ran 5 miles that morning. I so wish this were true for me. I don't eat gluten due to allergies, but I do get carbs from rice and potatoes. But, even though I run as much as I do, and avoid wheat flour products, I can still gain weight from junk. This week I managed to gain 4.6 pounds! Horror of horrors! I blame salt! Hubby and I have eaten out quite a lot during his visit and restaurants in America have an obsession with salt. Ugh! While I know I am not starting at square one, I feel as if this backslide is one of the worst things of the American diet. Oh, well. No more eating out for a while.