Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Life as a Goose



It has been a long time. I have been struggling with running, weight, and life in general. I, like many, started running because I was overweight. I ended up losing 50 lbs. by training for a triathlon. I learned so much about myself and my strengths and weaknesses from running. I am in one of those lows, where I just want to quit. I am fighting to keep going. Maybe it is the weather. Today I read a blog about a lady who is on the same relative journey as I have been on. She talked about how she would never let herself be that person again who over-ate, who was heavy. I remember thinking that myself, but now, the numbers on the scale just keep creeping up. They are not jumping, but I am a good 10-15 lbs. (depending on the day) heavier then I was six years ago. I can't seem to remember what I did differently then. I am still exercising regularly. I have even picked up the pace, but the scale stays the same or goes up.

So, I was thinking about my ride yesterday, and how I need to incorporate that idea into my life. On Tuesdays, I ride with a road bike group. There was a relatively small group this week (maybe around 12), and they decided to do something they called pop and drop. Basically, when you ride, you can draft off of the person in front of you, making it easier to ride. (same idea as geese flying in a v formation) So we made two lines, the line on the right was the line where you drafted, when you got to the front of the line, you pulled the rest of the line for about 5-10 seconds, then dropped off to the front of the left line, which goes about 2 mph slower. You then stay in that line until you are last in that line, and pop back in the fast line. The idea being, you can ride faster together then you can alone. Why ride for 26 miles all alone, working hard to ride 18 mph, when you can work with others, allowing all to share the work, and ride 20 mph. So I ask myself why I am not doing that in my own life. I tend to try and do it all myself. Lately I have been reading many blogs, and they have inspired me. I have decided this may be one way to share the work. I will try again to post ideas and questions in the hopes that I can work with a group to accomplish a common goal. So my question for the day is, "What is the best food to refuel after a recovery run. When should I eat it, and how much?" Any ideas would be appreciated.

I still need to celebrate. Today I celebrate 60 degrees. Who knew 60 degrees could feel so wonderful. I am ready to pull out the swimsuit and jump in the river. However, for a few more weeks, I guess I will stick to running.

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