I have been eyeing these shoes at The Runner's Soul for a while now, and after getting paid this weekend, I finally went and bought them--just in time to break them in for the Chicago Marathon! (If all goes well, I also plan on wearing them for the Chicago Half next week.) I think the saleswoman could totally tell I was interested in their appearance more than anything else, and she was definitely right. That's probably not the smartest thing for a serious runner to do, but they fit great and haven't given me any issues yet, so maybe just this once, I've gotten away with being shallow and judging the book by its cover! Expensive, colorful (yep, they glow in the dark) and a little loud...yes, they are all of the above, but I absolutely love them, and when you're planning on running 26.2 miles in about a month, it never hurts to find something that contributes to the excitement! People must think I'm nuts walking/running around in these things, but what can I say? Life is short, and I've always been a believer in wearing what you love and having some fun! Easier said than done, I know, but I've had a blast wearing these shoes so far, so even if I look a little dorky, I'm gonna run across that finish line with a huge smile!
It's been a very nice and relaxing Labor Day weekend (passing by way too quickly, as usual), but it's time to get back to work tomorrow! I've eaten a lot more these past few days than I'd like to admit, which is usually the case after I've completed a long run. That's part of the problem when you finish 20 miles--part of you thinks that you've earned a practically immeasurable number of calories by running for over four hours straight, but truthfully, it's never as much as you think. That's just one of life's unfortunate realities; you can spend hours on a grueling workout and consume all the calories you burned in a single slice of pizza. Okay, maybe that's a bit of an overexaggeration, but you know what I mean. That's one of the things I continue to struggle with on a daily basis, and having lost 148 pounds to date hasn't made it any easier. When you love food as much as I do, it's something that you deal with for the rest of your life, so for me, I'm trying to learn how not to let a workout--no matter how long or successful it was--serve as an excuse to overindulge.
It is unbelievable that the half marathon is less than six days away now. I remember signing up for it several months ago, thinking about how far away it seemed, and occasionally wondering if I was delusional to think that I could keep up with all the other runners on the course. I am so excited about it, though, and the fact that it takes place on September 11--the 10th anniversary of the attacks--makes it even more special (that's the #1 reason I signed up for this particular half marathon in the first place). It will be fun to dress in our nation's colors, get out there, and take a stab at something that never would have crossed my mind a decade ago, not even for a second. Hey, if nothing else, I'll be in style (sort of) with my flashy new footwear!!
Question(s) of the Day: Do you have a favorite post-exercise meal? How do you prevent mindless overeating after an intense workout?
No comments:
Post a Comment