disclaimer: This post uses "I" a lot, it is a post of self reflection, and commitment.
It has been a year of ups and downs in my quest for running success and healthy lifestyle choices. If success and failure are two sides of the same coin, then I have been flipping that coin all year long. In this post, I seek to examine both sides of that coin and define a plan of action to get it landing on the side of success more frequently.
Success in Running - I got a PR at the Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon in April. I got a PR at the Illinois Marathon in April. While it wasn't a PR, I bettered my time form a year ago at the Mahomet Half Marathon in August.
Success in Nutrition - I celebrated 1 year of freedom from meat in October. I never knew that I would make it that long much less make it a lifestyle. There is a great deal of power in educating oneself! I will be posting a recommended reading/viewing list very soon if you're interested in more information.
Failures in Running - Injuries sustained during the Mahomet Half marathon and subsequent ankle/Achillies injuries (from stepping in pot holes) caused me to skip the Indianapolis Marathon this past October. That in turn caused me to loose a great deal of motivation. When I eventually needed to take a month off to let some injuries heal up I nearly lost my motivation to run at all. I have lost a great deal of fitness since my last marathon in April.
Failures in Nutrition - Who knew that there were so many unhealthy foods that were vegetarian, and in fact in some cases (OREOS, Marshmallows, etc) even Vegan! Cheese has been another of my major downfalls this year. I've gained weight. A lot of weight. I'm not back to the point that I was at 2 years ago, but am heavy enough to allow the voices of self doubt to creep back in.
So, where do I go from here? I'm heavier, slower, and less fit than I was a year (or even 6 months) ago.
Running - I started what I am referring to as my "Starting Over" running plan last week. I am committed to taking my come back slow, introducing consistent cross training, and becoming a faster and stronger runner than I have ever been. Excuses have too often crept into my running life over the last year. My running needs to become more consistent once again. To that end, I am setting a goal of running a sub 4:30 marathon during the fall of 2012. You can follow my progress on dailymile.
Nutrition - I need to focus on a HEALTHY PLANT BASED DIET. Processed foods are a NO-NO from here on out. I'll accept the occasional veggie burger, but for the most part, no more highly processed food. I am not committing to becoming vegan, BUT I am committing to moving in that direction over the next 10 months. I'm currently looking into starting out my re-dedication to a healthy plant based diet with a short juice fast. Regardless of my methods, you should expect a lot of nutrition posts for a while.
Weight - As a business analyst, I know that all good requirements must be measurable. Otherwise, how can one determine if a requirement has been met?. My weight will serve as this measurement as it is one visiable, easly measured variable that is closely linked to both my fitness and nutrition. I may get a bit more detailed and use other metrics as well (BMI, Cholestoral, etc), but for the purposes of this blog, I will be using weight as my primary indicator of success.. I am 15+ pounds heavier today than I was at my lightest weight since adding running to my life. I have my eye on a half marathon in March 2012 (about 17 weeks from now I think). My goal is to lose those 15 pounds between now and then.
Poor Nutrition + weight gain + injuries (not running) = more poor nutrition + more weight gain + more not running....I am done with that cycle. Anyone want to join me?
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