My favourite food group? Does cake count?

My eating habits have always been somewhat erratic at best, and although in June I started my Weight Watchers programme, was eating pretty healthily and managed to lose over 20 lbs (and, partially as a result, in September smashed my marathon PB) since coming back from holiday, my diet has reverted to being supported mainly by the biscuit, cake and chocolate food groups!

After a bit of a faltering start, I've managed to get back into my training after the month off, but I'm finding it much harder to get my eating into line, and am rapidly edging towards putting all the weight back on that I was so happy to have lost, never mind actually dropping the 15lbs more I still have to lose.  Now, obviously, that bothers me when I consider the effect it has on my appearance - one day I'd love to look like a stereo-typical runner and when I line up at the start of a race with all of those slim athletic types, I don't want to be bulging out of my lycra!  More importantly though, I'm never going to run the fastest marathon I can, if I'm carrying an extra 20lbs or more.  I'm going to be slower and put more stress on my body and joints - it's a no brainer that as a runner I need to try and be the strongest and slimmest I can healthily be. 

But as well as the weight, I don't think my body can perform in the best way...or recover efficiently...if I'm not properly fuelled!  I've blogged about this before, have felt like this before...in fact it seems I've spent half my life thinking about what and how much I should be eating and then ignoring my own advice! But, that's not going to stop me trying to get it right.  Having restarted training after the holiday, and suffering as frequently as I do with hyponatremia (had another bout in Madagascar), I really do need to be more aware of the nutritional value of the food I'm eating, and make sure that my diet is healthy and properly balanced.

It's not a question of giving up the the biscuits, cakes and chocolate entirely - I know that's unrealistic, and I certainly wouldn't want to stop eating foods I enjoy so much...but they can't continue to constitute the majority of my daily intake!

I'm still paying for my Weight Watchers membership, and tomorrow, as they say, is another day.  So, I've decided that I'll be restarting my food tracking in the morning, refocusing on my diet goals, and probably rereading this post every half an hour through the day as I try to resist the office snack table!  Here's hoping I can be as successful as last time - I desperately want to succeed in my running goals for 2012, and fuelling myself properly is as important (yes, ok, I know not quite as important but you get my drift) as getting the miles in during training, and I have to work hard in both areas if I want to achieve my best performance in the marathons and my ultra next year.

Running home

Combining my run with my evening commute earlier this week actually worked out pretty well, despite the fact that it was absolutely tipping it down and I got drenched!  I ran from one station away from my usual one, and managed to get a 4.5 mile run in without getting home any later than usual!

The hydration pouch I used as a rucksack was perfectly comfortable, after a few adjustments, and although I do want to invest in a bigger rucksack,  (maybe about 10litres) so I can my day clothes in there, I think that I can just about get away with the current one until payday and do plan to work the commute run into my regular running schedule.

However, there was one thing that was a bit odd about being a commuter runner....it felt very different, by which I mean, it didn't feel like my usual evening outings, where I get ready at home and head out "for my run".  I was just trying to get home, and certainly didn't feel as focused as I usually do, it was all a bit odd.  However, maybe it was just because it was a new way of getting the miles in, and as it becomes a more frequent part of my training, it'll feel more normal.

From next week, I've scheduled three runs home from the next station away from the house, so rather than 4.5 miles, it'll be 6.5 miles.  Fingers crossed they work out as well :)

How to fit in your weekday runs

I don't think I can be the only person to struggle with deciding when to fit my runs into my day during the week...and as marathon (and ultra) training ramps up and my weekday runs get longer, it's only going to get more difficult.  I'm probably more lucky than most, in that I don't need to worry about childcare, I can pretty much go out when I want, and I have lots of choices available, but I still haven't found a time that really suits me - having to commute up to 3 hours a day and spend a further 8 hours in the office does reduce the available time!

Early morning

When I started my current job just over a year ago, I ran or went to the gym in the morning - getting up at 5am or 5.30am, running before work.  The streets are empty, and (depending on the time of year) you get to experience the beautiful sunrise, and it always made me feel much more ready for work...it had the effect of reminding me that my life wasn't all about the office, going into work was just something I did during the day, it wasn't the reason I got up in the morning...running was!  I was also very lucky that my new manager was also a runner (or at least had been in his hey-day) and he was happy to let me change my hours to start half an hour later every morning at 9.30am, to give me time to run, shower and get into the office without having to rush!  So, sorted, you'd think, except that my boyfriend naturally always stays up late - he rarely goes to bed before midnight - and I really didn't want us to be going to bed at different times, but I was getting far too tired with only 5 hours sleep a night.

Lunchtime

During weekdays, I also have the option of running at lunch time - many people in the office do, there are beautiful places to run very close to where I work (Hyde Park, along the Thames, St James Park and so on), and we have decent shower facilities.  However, this is something I've never tried and don't really fancy- in that short time available, I can't really run far enough to make it worth all the hassle, and I think that running around the very busy London streets filled with dawdling tourists to actually get to those beautiful places would probably be pretty stressful!

Nights

The option that has worked for me in my training for the last two marathons has been running at night.  I get home from work at about 7.45pm, have dinner, catch up with my boyfriend and spend a bit of time in front of the TV, and then at about 10pm (or as it was last night, 10.30pm after we'd finished watching Junior Apprentice) I head out for my run.  I know to a lot of people this seems like the least attractive option for when to run, but it has suited me - the streets are generally very quiet (except on a Friday night, when they're entertaining instead!) and I can still spend some time at home with Francis, watch some TV & relax after work, but also get the miles in.  However, it does mean that every night I run becomes a really late night, especially as by the time I get home, stretch, and shower...and more importantly calm down from the run, it's often the early hours of the morning before we get to bed.  I don't have to get up too early, especially as I still have my late 9.30am start at work, but it's not really normal! 

The commuter run

The fourth option for when I can run is something I've not tried before, but I've decided to give it a go.  I get the train home from work every day, and tonight, I'm going to get off the train a stop earlier than usual and run the rest of the way, with a rucksack for my stuff.

I'm hoping that this way, I can still get my miles in but reduce the impact on my time at home.  I'll be able to sleep until a normal time in the morning, and go to bed at a normal time at night.  I wont have to disappear in the middle of the evening, leaving Francis home alone, and it should help with the motivation too...once I'm ensconced on the sofa, it can be difficult to drag myself outside on a cold, dark, drizzly evening!  Also, by running during the time that I'm usually on the train and walking home from the station, I figure I'm actually saving myself some time too.

The only issue I foresee, is running with a rucksack, which is what has always put me off before.  I don't have a running specific rucksack, and don't want to buy a new one just yet, so tonight I'm using an old hydration pack with the water pouch removed.  I bought it ages ago and never used it, but will try it out, although if it doesn't feel comfortable (or if it's just not big enough!) I'll be starting a new series of blog posts reviewing running rucksacks!

I'll let you know how it goes....

Am I just interested in running or actually committed to it?

I am committed to my running.
I will go for a run tonight, I will stop moaning about having lost my motivation and
I will just get out there and get on with my training!
I have a sub 4hr marathon to run in 5 months and that's all there is to it, so 5 miles tonight & 19 miles this week...if I want to be a runner, I have to run!

Have I left my motivation in Madagascar?

I've been back from our month long Madagascar holiday for 5 days now, and despite my best intentions, my motivation seems to have completely evaporated, and I've only been out for one run since my return, and that was only a 4 miler.  However, it was far enough to confirm that my fitness levels have plummeted as a result of the holiday, and if I'm serious about running a sub 4hr marathon in April, and completing my 50 miler in July, I have to seriously start to focus on my training and do whatever it takes to rediscover my missing mojo!

I'm not quite sure why I've not been able to get back into the groove, because I really enjoyed that single run (even though it was very hard work!) but I'm hoping that by starting to blog again, and by spending some of today surfing some of my favourite running websites, reading some articles, even trawling through twitter and dailymile, I'm going to be able to get back into the right mind set, remind myself that if I want to be a runner I need to actually get some miles in, and be motivated enough to head out for a decent run.

There's no doubting that it is very much colder than it was before we left on holiday, and it's more likely to be raining than not when I step out of the door, but not going out because of the weather really isn't a legitimate excuse, and to be honest, I think it's more an issue of a profound laziness that's come over me, that isn't just about running...I haven't even unpacked my suitcase from holiday yet - maybe it's the holiday blues?!

Well, whatever the reason, I just need to man up, pull my finger out, get over it, and get on with it!  If I'm not careful, and this laziness continues much longer, not only will my realistic aim of running a sub-4hr time become a distant memory, but the weight loss success that I've achieved so far this year is also going to be entirely undone, I'll end up in the same shape I was in this time last year, and will end up missing my running targets.

I would be so upset if I let those things happen - it's certainly not worth another hour in front of the TV - so I really need to get back out and start pounding the pavements!