>I’m home today with some sinus/cough thing, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to also rest up from my exciting weekend. Anyway, it’s been a good time to think and reevaluate my fitness goals.
Two years ago I wasn’t running, at all. I was just getting into working out and eating right, and restricting my calories in order to lose weight. About this time last year I hit my goal weight and have maintained ever since. I’ve definitely fluctuated in either direction about five pounds.
I hit a new record in weight back in December, and I’m not sure, thinking back on it, it was the best thing. I had been amping up my running quite a bit, but I was obviously restricting calories too much because I was still losing. With the volume of running I’ve been doing (48 miles in January and 94 in February!!) I should be eating plenty of calories to sustain this level of endurance.
My weight goal for the marathon was 10 pounds less than what I weigh right now. I was thinking I was being preemptive, because I had been losing a little bit with all the running. I scratched that today and put it back to just one pound less than where I am right now. My body is obviously comfortable with this weight, as I did maintain it for several years when I was a teenager.
If anything, I would like to ditch the scale and BMI altogether. The caliper method is a much more accurate measure of body fat percentage, though I’m not sure how to go about getting measured that way. I would like to build up more muscle, and if that means putting on a few pounds, then I’m all for it. So… here are my fitness/nutrition goals:
1) Run the marathon! Have a remaining safe eight weeks of training by eating correctly and staying hydrated!
2) Cut out all caffeine. I’m starting to feel the headaches today.. ugh.
3) Keep a good base after the marathon. I’d like to be able to run a half marathon without too much trouble or extra training.
4) Do more strength training by doing pushups, crunches, yoga, resistance machines, Body Pump, whatever. I want to be able to do real pushups and pullups.
5) Stop worrying about the scale! I know I don’t need to lose any more weight and I feel great with how I look now!
6) Explore other cross-training such as hiking, biking, etc. When we move I’d like to spend lots of time outdoors exploring the new sites. And we’d like to take a camping/hiking trip through the Grand Canyon pre-children. Once we have children, outdoor activity and exercise will just be a part of everyday life.
7) Stop over-analyzing everything I eat. It’s great to have self-control, but if I over-indulge every once in awhile, there’s no reason to beat myself up.
Spring is almost here! Dusting off the old and preparing for the new!
mercies per mile 