Day 61 - 20 days to go - Sunday Run

Ah, so today I got up and ran the same four miles run around the 'hood that almost killed me at 3PM, in the sun, the other day.  Wow - what a difference the temperature makes.  The breeze, the empty streets, Sunday morning - it just makes it all so good and this morning I had a noteworthy thing happen.  I ran the whole four miles without walking.  Not for one minute, not for one second!  I ran the whole friggen thing and that's the first time that's happened.  It felt fantastic.

Now it's worth also noting that I only saved like 3 minutes off my run/walk from last Sunday.  Last week, I ran most of the time and probably only did walk for a minute here and there.  I was surprised that it didn't translate to something a little more radical but I'm thinking that I probably ran a little slower to compensate for running further.  It probably all comes out in the wash, but it still makes me feel souper accomplished!!

If you think it's a souper accomplishment - don't forget to vote here:  Jen's souper - vote for me!

Later on in the day, Hubby and I took our son to a fantastic park and walked for about 4 miles.  It was an 8 mile on foot day for me!!  :)

It's really interesting the organic changes towards health I'm making, without feeling like it's a big deal.

Saturday nights are usually my "loosen" up meal.  Hubby and I usually order something slightly less healthy and I have a cocktail.  In the day (even when I was trying to lose weight) I would drink 1-3 cocktails depending on what we were doing.  That loose meal would typically be horrible.  A pizza, some wings, maybe a burrito... you get the picture.  But now, things have changed.  I have a one drink limit.  My martini glass has gone from mambo sized to tiny and even our ordering has changed.  Last night for chinese night - I got a little won ton soup, we split a few steamed dumplings and instead of some greasy oil dripping General Tao's Chicken or Pork Lo Mein, I ordered steamed shrimp with mixed steamed veggies and brown rice.  And I loved it.  Certainly the soup and dumplings weren't high on the food pyramid and even my baby martini isn't winning any health food awards but the smaller (one) cocktail and steamed veggies/shrimp/whole grain "splurge" in my diet is significant because it doesn't feel like sacrifice - I'm enjoying my food and how it makes me feel.

AND, these changes are based on wanting to be able to wake up early on a Sunday morning and run.  I know if I have a vodka hangover and Chinese food related heartburn, no running will take place - it's liberating to find balance and to figure out how to land somewhere between the world of the diet and the land of overindulgence.  This is a good place to be.

XO

Jen