Reruns

Nope, I'm not recycling old blog posts. I'm not watching TV.

Yesterday I ran for the first time since Thanksgiving day.

I didn't mean for it to be such a huge absence. Just with weather, schedules, the flu... everything sort of interrupted my workout routine. And that means one yucky thing.

I have to work back up to where I was.

So yesterday, with much fear and trembling, I got back on my dreadmill and I faced it. Because I'm still dealing with the tail end of my sickies, I figured I better go slow- not slow speed wise, but slow distance wise. And I set my sights on ONE MILE.

After all the running I have done, I figured that I could handle a mile. But wow, it was tough.

I wound up running it in 13 minutes. Not too bad. And technically, I could have gone another mile. But I chickened out. Mostly because I wasn't wearing my Enell Bra or my knee supports. I figured I'd hit 2 miles today.

And here I am- looking at my dreadmill. It's calling out to me.

"Come run with me!"

It's actually slightly irritating, because also calling to me from the kitchen is the peppermint ice cream in my freezer. I got lots of voices going on in my head. But the running- it's gonna win. After such a tough haul as I had yesterday, it's important for me to get cracking on that. Otherwise, I'll never be ready for the half marathon in April.

Although my situations this last month couldn't really be helped, I am frustrated. I feel like I lost a lot of ground. McMuscles hasn't seen my face in WEEKS. (I haven't abandoned ship yet, McMuscles. I promise.) And the weight- it's holding at between 171 and 173 depending on the day. So I can't really complain.


And yet... here I am, complaining.

One of the greatest disservices we can do to ourselves is taking a "break." We fall back into bad habits. Our bodies get lazy. It takes a lot longer to build them back up than it does for them to go back to lazy. Amazing how the science works like that.

Our eating- oh, mylanta, the eating- just a week of bad eating can set us back a month's worth of work, if we aren't careful. I know lots of people are using the excuse "It's Christmas! Lighten up and eat!" But that doesn't fly with me. It's always some holiday or special event. There's always birthday cake, or anniversary dinners, barbecues and picnics. No matter what time of year it is, we could find an excuse to eat poorly if we wanted too. So this holiday season, I am forced to ask this question.

What is more important to me?

Celebrating the birth of Christ by stuffing my gullet to the point of bursting?

Or celebrating the birth of Christ by focusing on self control and patience and perseverance?

I know which one Jesus would pick for me. And it doesn't involve an all you can eat buffet. He's the bread of life, and He's not covered in spinach artichoke dip.

Here's the deal. I have vowed that I will start the new year weighing 169. I want to live the entire year of 2011 without being in the 170's. It's never happened before (unless you count the years I weighed way OVER 170. But I'm not counting that.) and I think it's time I start really reaching the goals I set out. This last year, I've whined, binged, gotten right, then took a month off. Granted 2010 was a hard year for me. I dealt with lots of stuff. But 2011- It's gonna be MY year. The year I hit goal. The year I start attacking my dreams instead of thinking they will come find me somehow.

What do I want for Christmas? To make GOOD HEALTHY decisions. To be the best person I can be. To make my blog more than just entertainment.

I wonder if all that would fit in a stocking?