onepinkfuzzy

Mmm...Trader Joe's 100-calorie dark chocolate bars...mmm...my treat for the day. (And it packs more antioxidants than a 1/2 cup of blueberries!)

Okay, dark chocolate aside (which is relatively healthy in small amounts), I actually have been doing really well with the eating thing. My self-control actually exists!

I love training. I'm a somewhat neurotic person by nature (aren't all long-distance runners?!), and training gives me a good outlet for that neurotic energy (otherwise it's directed toward other, more frustrating things, like relationships or work or turns into judgment on myself). I can obsess and feel good about miles under the belt, about hours of cross-training. I love feeling kick-ass. Like last night, I got home late from work. Chris and I were going to head to the gym, but I felt the need to run (I love that feeling). So I went out for a killer fast four miles, then came back ready to hit the stairmaster for 40 minutes. It was awesome.

Streaking: six days in a row of running. I don't usually get that many in a row. I'll work out four or five days in a row (including cross-training), but I don't usually run that much in a row. I did this last week, from Thursday to Tuesday. (Due to Ash and work scheduling, Wednesdays are always a day off - no running, no cross-training.) Plus I got some cross-training (spinning, stairmaster) in there as well. That rocks.

Another thing that rocks: my speed. I'm still slow, but now I'm averaging 10:40 miles (on pavement) on a regular basis (instead of 11:40s, or *gasp* the 12+ per mile I was averaging back in September, coming off the no running regimen of August). 11-minute-plus miles feel slow now. I love that. Of course, trail miles are much slower. But still better than they were.

What happens after ZG? After my big impetus is gone? I've been contemplating it and I think I want to focus on speed. I want to continue healthy eating habits and I want to get faster. I want to run 9-minute miles as an average pace (on pavement). I think I'll spend May, June and July doing speedwork, but then I'll probably scale way back in August (when the bad humidity comes in on top of the triple-digit weather), and focus on cross-training. Once September hits, I'll be ready for the fall race season in the desert. Yay! I'm hoping for another ultra in 2008 - but not sure when. Depends on how ZG goes.

Next Monday marks the one-year anniversary of our first date for Chris and I. We're celebrating with dinner Friday night. I asked for Friday night, so I didn't have to worry about staying up late or drinking too much the night before my long run :) My long run on Sunday should be a blast this week - heading out with Barb and Renee. Not sure yet exactly where we are going, but it'll be 17-20 miles of fun!

So I'm glad training rocks, because work so doesn't. I was so upset on Monday, I found I couldn't eat my lunch! That has NEVER happened to me. I am working on not letting things get to me so badly. I'm leading a new, high-profile project with too many miscommunicating cooks in the kitchen. I choose to look at it as a challenge (as opposed to impossible, which is what it REALLY is). A challenge is fun, it's a game. It makes it easier to handle. And handle it I will.

Happy early Valentine's Day to everyone. I love Valentine's Day. Too bad my boyfriend doesn't. Oh well :) I decided that since he doesn't do V-day, I'll buy *us* a box of dark chocolate, yummy :)