I suck.

I have demoted myself to nearly a 13 minute miler. I am not happy about this. At one point I was closing in on a solid 11 minute mile, but a winter of inconsistent training and weight gain has taken its toll. To quote my friend Jen, now when I haul ass, it takes two trips.

 

But I got back out on the road this week with my group, and even though it was humbling, I know it’s the only way back. I think I can get back up to speed by the end of the summer.

 

When I’m on the road, it’s clear what I need to do. Just lace up my shoes, step out the door, and keep putting one foot in front of the other. This simple sequence is easy to lose sight of when I’m not on the road, but rather swimming in the deep end of my daily routine and commitments.

 

Inside I need only concentrate on eating good, real, whole food – not too much. Less wine, more water. Less packaged, processed convenience foods, more fruits and veggies and lean protein. I know all this. I need to eat for fuel and pleasure, but not for comfort. Comfort I need to find somewhere else.

 

I can’t say I find comfort on the road. Running is stress busting and anxiety taming, but comfort? – not so much.

 

So where do I go for it? Where do you go for it?