What a great week! After all of the apprehension I have been feeling about the enormous task of running my first marathon, I have to remember what has always been my key to success. I never knew before how I was going to accomplish any other running goal, so I just started working toward it without a total picture of the end. Simply put, I just did the work. The same is true here. For this marathon training endeavor, I have a running plan, a nutrition plan, and scheduled rest. I just follow that exactly, getting in every workout as scheduled, follow the nutrition plan, hit my calorie goal every day, and embrace the luxury that is rest day.
What I have learned so far has been interesting. Anyone who knows me well can tell you that I have been literally every size from 5 to 16 in my lifetime, but the nutrition component has started to change my orientation to food. All my life, I have been good at losing weight but not super awesome at keeping it off for the long term. I always equated salad with health, and I knew I could quickly drop weight by subsisting on rabbit food. My gosh, I could not eat another salad, especially knowing I had to run. The other thing I have learned is the value of asking for help and being totally honest. So as we were making these training plans, I was just totally honest with my team. Cooking and deciding what to eat makes me anxious, and I do not do it well. I knew to be successful, I did not want to eat processed food. I wanted to eat fresh food that would make me full but still fall in my calorie range. Enter Mighty Meals! The food is fresh and awesome, and because I order 14 per week, it is delivered to my door! What the nutrition plan is helping me do is look at my calorie goal as a target I need to reach, instead of something from which I need to cut. I have not felt deprived, rather, I find myself needing to find a quick healthy snack to add to reach the goal, and I have made it every day with positive results.
Although I have seen positive numerical results, I am a firm believer that results are not achieved solely on the scale. I have been watching for results in other ways, and I certainly see them. I definitely already see and feel a stronger core. When Lisa, Murphy and I went running on Thursday I was surprised when Lisa told me my mile was under a half hour outside. I will take it! We are just starting this journey. It will test me in every way, but I am excited to see where it leads.