The events of the past week and a half have really affected my running routine, making it nearly impossible to keep up with my goal of running six days a week. Between the three day holiday which we spent at my in-laws, spending time with my wife and kids, and joining my co-workers for dinner last night, I have run exactly once in the past nine days. Due to another holiday this week, after my run tonight, I won’t have a chance to run again until Sunday. This means only two days of running in the span of 13 days.
In the past, this kind of setback spelled disaster for me, and my all or nothing thinking would kick into high gear. I would say to myself, "It doesn't matter anymore. Since you are not going running tonight, and you didn't go running last night, it’s okay to have some cookies and then follow it up with ice cream, and top it all off with some cheesy Doritos. Next thing I knew, I had convinced my wife to order in some pizza for dinner, accompanied by fries and another ice cream for dessert. Suddenly, I was spiraling downward into a never ending cycle of eating bad and not working out. The scale reflected my sabotage, and this weight gain made it more difficult to complete my runs. This cycle of poor eating and joyless running led to more negative thinking and exhaustion, and it sometimes took weeks to recover and get back on track.
In the past, this kind of setback spelled disaster for me, and my all or nothing thinking would kick into high gear. I would say to myself, "It doesn't matter anymore. Since you are not going running tonight, and you didn't go running last night, it’s okay to have some cookies and then follow it up with ice cream, and top it all off with some cheesy Doritos. Next thing I knew, I had convinced my wife to order in some pizza for dinner, accompanied by fries and another ice cream for dessert. Suddenly, I was spiraling downward into a never ending cycle of eating bad and not working out. The scale reflected my sabotage, and this weight gain made it more difficult to complete my runs. This cycle of poor eating and joyless running led to more negative thinking and exhaustion, and it sometimes took weeks to recover and get back on track.
Now back to the present, and the miracle of Running Without a Watch. Since I have become more relaxed about my working out, I find it significantly easier to rebound after such a long break. I have reframed my thoughts into a positive and practical mindset with phrases of encouragement such as, "You can't run tonight, but you will be able to run again soon. Don’t eat a whole lot of junk food or have too many portions at one meal". With this new mental approach, and by putting forth extra effort to eat healthy and well portioned meals during these two weeks when exercising was limited, I even lost two pounds!
I am so excited about running tonight. The lesson I have taught myself is that "Life Happens". There are going to be times when I will be able to run every day and there are going to be times where I may only get to go running once or twice in two weeks. If I continue to think positively and eat right during my running days and my non-running days, I will have continued success in losing weight and staying healthy.
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