Countdown to my First 5K

On November 8th I'm flying out to Los Angeles to join my amazing sister-in-law for my first 5K. I've never run one before and I'm really looking forward to it. I have to say I'm not that great at running. I've gotten better than I've been in the past, but longer distances are still very hard for me. I love that Crossfit changes up the moves so frequently during a workout that it re-jiggers my mind set. Running long distances, on the other hand, gives my mind time to ponder how much I feel like stopping. BUT, the adrenaline of a crowd and knowing that my sister-in-law is running too may change all of that.

So it's time to bring out my Crossfit Endurance workbook and step up my training. I will be adding 2 endurance workouts a week for the next 3 weeks. I'm also not going to drink any alcohol in the next 3 weeks. I am doing this not because I am worried about the occasional glass of wine or beer, but because once I have a drink in me I make poor food choices. In the past couple of weeks I've let in so many bad food choices because of this. I don't regret the choices I've made...I've been to art openings, had a wonderful visit with an old friend, a send off celebration for a new friend, birthday parties, you name it! All these events have involved bottles of wine or fancy drinks to cheers with. But, I've started gaining back some body fat that I worked so hard to lose which means it's time to dial back in. It's starting to add up & I always see it first in those darn love handles.

And now is when I need to learn a new kind of balanced discipline. When I started my journey to lose weight, I found it surprising easy to make great food choices. I was so ready to shed the weight and so ready to feel better that with every great choice I made I was one step closer. And when I started to see the results I only got more motivated because I knew the great choices were making a difference. But now that I've lost the weight I have to learn the right mindset for maintenance. I eat so well most of the time, that I feel comfortable with letting in some "here and theres" to treat myself and feel like I have a balanced life. But I can really feel the difference in my body and wellness when those "here & theres" start occurring too frequently.

So rather than get depressed that I woke up this morning with a sugar headache and noticeable jiggling in my belly and love handles, I will embrace where I am and realize I'm at a new point in my journey. After all, this really is a journey in wellness and now I have to learn maintenance. I have finally learned to let go of an all or nothing way of thinking. And that is the first major lesson of maintenance. I don't need to feel like I ruined my hard work by gaining a little body fat & feel like I can never have a glass of wine again. But I can certainly acknowledge that the weight gain makes me uncomfortable, take note of what got me here, and make the proper adjustments.

I also plan on posting more frequently in the next 3 weeks about how I dial in and train for this 5K. That is both a commitment to myself and to all you lovely folks who take the time to read this.