trial of miles; miles of trials

REST DAY!!!! yummm

Last week I took Monday as a rest day, but tomorrow I have soccer.

I really wanted to sleep more last night because of how insomniac I'd been at the end of the week, but inevitably every Sunday I awaken at 7:00 with a "fake hangover." What time I went to sleep on Saturday has no effect on this, it's clockwork. This is what I call it when lack of sleep, dehydration, and a very small amount of alcohol combine to simulate the hangover after the consumption of an actually large amount of alcohol. I have only been actually hung over a few times ever, mostly when I was eighteen, but I get fake hangovers pretty often. Sometimes in the middle of the week! I hate it, but much like real hangovers, fake hangovers are all my fault, for neglecting to drink water and staying up late.

Today's was not so bad though-- I drank some water, wrapped my ankle, stretched a little, cleaned house (that's active recovery, right?) and then took a well-deserved hot bath, to soak all my achy pieces. I also ate a lot. I always eat a lot on Sundays, usually because I have neglected to eat on Saturday.

So, soccer tomorrow and probably no run. Though I may get inspired! We'll see.

Last game of the season. We lost, but I scored a goal. Only giving myself three, I wasn't playing hard.

I didn't drink enough water today and had that nasty dry feeling for the whole run. I do love running in the dark though. I ran the loop with all the overeducated commuters driving in a circle around me-- I love running in the dark, it lets me really be alone with my body and thoughts. I find long runs easier after sunset, I find my rhythm more easily. Oh, but speaking of which, I ran like a snail. I think I was running 9:40s, which is ridiculous. There is no reason I can't hold a 9:00 pace for five miles. I suppose my willpower fails me after ten hours of office.

A quick rant about my weight: I quit using my calorie counting app on my phone this week, it is useless and ridiculous. I am a careful, light eater and always have been, but no matter what I do, my weight does not budge from the 115-120lb range. (this is plenty-- I'm only 5'2") I have the slowest metabolism known to man, but I have also reached this stasis where I automatically consume about 1,300 calories per day, and run 4-5 miles six times a week. My body is perfectly adapted to this, and my weight does not budge. Whenever I try to diet, I get these calculations that what I am doing should already be causing me to lose weight. What?? It's ridiculous. I don't need 2,000 calories a day, and I never have, and "cutting down to 1500" is not going to help. Similarly, "exercising for at least 30 minutes at least four times a week" sounds like taking a week off to me. So what gives?

Biology, somewhat-- being overweight actually does run in my family, at least from one side. My maternal grandfather struggled with his weight for his whole life, and nobody in my family is leggy and slim. At least, nobody who's biologically related to me. Several of us are athletic. Every last one of us is sturdy. We live a really long time! But we aren't thin. As if that wasn't good enough, I picked a few years in high school to buck the trend, quit eating completely, and be delicate and slim. It mostly didn't work- I was underweight, yes, but mostly I succeeded in looking like a twelve-year-old and destroying my metabolism. And ever since then, I have been slowly, calmly running and maintaining my exact same weight.

I'd love to lose weight. It makes you faster! It really does, it's not coincidence that quick runners are generally slim (and muscular!). But I'm sick of receiving "tips" from magazines and websites and people that are things I already do and have done for years. Eat oatmeal? Constantly. Avoid red meat? All day every day. Cut dairy out of your diet? Since I was a baby. Avoid carbs? I eat wheat about once a week. Eat salad for lunch? Unless I'm having soup that day. So I guess I would just like to share this frustration, that it has gotten to the point where this week I am cutting peanuts out of my diet. And frankly, I feel ridiculous. And also, just in case any of us forgot, this is what it takes to actually be thin when your body isn't naturally like that (or, in a lot of cases, even when it is):

http://thegloss.com/beauty/adriana-lima-victorias-secret-model-diet-318/

Oh, and having a personal nutritionist helps too.

I have a weird rule that resulted in me cancelling my run yesterday.

Left work today to run for lunch, going around the block from our building is 1.7 miles. After the first lap, my calves and shins and ankles were unbelievably stiff-- it was so strange, almost like I just couldn't flex my ankles up and down. I've never had my legs be that tight before. I stopped and stretched a little and ran the second lap and jogged a little to cool down. Stretched a little when I got back to the office but honestly it's a little awkward to hang around in my running gear in the middle of the day.

I have to get on a plane in a few hours, and probably won't be able to run more tonight-- I get into Baltimore around 7:30, then will be taking a cab to my friend R's house and staying with him. I don't know how I could run at the airport, since I'll have all my things with  me, and by the time I get into R's apartment, I bet it'll be 8:30 at least. Bodymore isn't really the kinda place I want to do a night run alone, yennow? We'll see, maybe I can convince R to come with me just for 2 miles or something. In any event, tomorrow I will be back in the glorious city of Annapolis, where I can run the standard 4-or-6-mile route I ran for three years in college. And soccer on my home field with my home team. Be still my heart!

If I was a Serious Runner, I'd probably go to the airport in my running things, and jog around the terminal. But I'm not, deal with it.

Back on the treadmill for the first time in a while. It proved to be fairly useful, I did some intervals and was able to really pay attention to my stride. Also, I monitored my heart rate, which seemed oddly high. I drank a lot of coffee? I'm not really sure what's going on with me this month.

Soccer, then reffed a line for H, for some unfathomable reason.