Feeling better!  Did my run (wound up being 1.25 miles on the elliptical and then 4.75 on the treadmill once one freed up) & a relaxing yoga dvd.

Right now I'm debating whether to sign up for the Runners World Challenge Big Sur International Marathon again.  I'll probably regret it if I don't!

Ok, ok... woke up feeling great at around 6:10, did yesterday's missed 4 mile run (I'm pushing today's hilly 6 miler to tomorrow), ate some egg whites, then proceeded to crash and crash.  So now I feel like crap and am weirdly anxious.

To make matters worse, my skin in breaking out, my neck is super stiff, and the cannoli pancake I had for breakfast yesterday is still working its way out of my system.  The silver lining -if you can call it that- is that between the over-indulgence of this recent trip home, subsequent stomach cramps (from about 3:30pm yesterday and are just fading now) and the official kick off of my marathon training program, I'm kind of "over" heavy food.

Good god.

Also, though I've recently reawakened my love of fish (so fast!) I've been looking longingly at all these vegan blogs & craving abundant vegetable-based meals.  I feel like death warmed over today, but over the past week I've really wanted to start cooking again.

My yoga studio cancelled its afternoon classes today, which is a providence because I'd much rather do my twists in privacy with these crazy cramps.

Dragged through 6 miles of hill run/walking, and yoga doesn't look likely this evening.  Ate a ton of cake, and a ton of meat, and not an insignificant amount of alcohol.  To be honest all I want to do it keep drinking, but we got rum so there is a stopping point for me there, and it is too soon.

Tomorrow will be a nice 4 mile (flat!) run and maybe one of my boyfriend's p90x yoga dvds.

I feel really good after yoga.  I wish there were more hours in the day, because not that much has been making me feel like that lately.  I haven't been drinking to much in terms of quantity or drunkeness, but I've been drinking to often because it takes the edge off the anticipation of doing today again tomorrow and tomorrow.

Boyfriend keeps telling me, rightly, that is I want to meet my fitness goals I'm going to have to do more (any) weight training, that even the vigorous styles of yoga I prefer aren't going to cut it for that.  And I know he is right.  And I don't even dislike weight training... I love Tony & Chalene.  It makes me feel good, and it helps me sleep, but it doesn't really "pick me up".

I'm very frustrated that the only way I seem to get what I need out of everything is to basically wear myself out by pursuing it to an unsustainable degree.

Dragged my poor, protesting body through a weird yoga class (we did that thing where we crawl on the floor like different animals... I feel like I should find it fun but I hate it) and another 4 miles on the treadmill.

The good news is that it is getting, by degrees, easier to run at an 8.48 minute mile for about a mile at a time.  Not that long ago, doing anything faster then a ten minute mile for ANY duration would be unthinkable.  If I could do the MCM at around a 9 minute/mile pace I'd be thrilled.  I mean, secretly I want to BQ, but the reality is I'd be able to run 50 or 100 miles before I'd be able to run 26.2 at that pace.

The less good news is that I went into some sort of food panic around 9:30, and scarfed down two slices of Whole Food Pizza and a can of coke.  The last thing I had was some jerky around 3-something, so I think I need to be better about having appropriate snacks handy.

Wow, so stiff.  Not really looking forward to the 6 mile hill run I have scheduled.  Maybe I'll walk a lot of it. On the brighter side, a yoga studio neat home still has their "lunch yoga" on the schedule for the holiday.  I'll pop in for that, or do a nice yin dvd.

I think I'm going to do some work on this blog in the coming weeks.  I want it to look less-pathetic in case somebody stumbles across it.

Wow, way to externalize.

Fell asleep at like 10:45 last night and got up at 7:20.  I can't say I feel wide-eyes and refreshed but I haven't slept that much in a while.  I am feeling pretty stiff and sore (yoga is a really cruel mistress) and I can't say I'm looking forward to this evenings 4 mile run and yoga class, but I'm not dreading it either.  Hopefully my energy won't take a dive later in the day.

This is entirely a motivational tool for me... I am starting marathon training for the Marine Corps Marathon, and my motivation has been at a record low since the (amazing, exhausting) Big Sur International Marathon at the end of April.  I want to keep running, because it is a good cardio activity that requires minimal coordination (I'm looking at you, Zumba and all other forms of dance-as-exercise), and, well, when I don't hate it I like it.  But right now I hate it.  But I'm going to sign up for Big Sur again when registration opens on the 17th.  Because that shit was amazing.

I also want to re-incorporate yoga as a regular feature in my life, less as "exercise" then as a moving meditation that makes me feel damn good.

Last but not least, my beautiful and much-neglected gym has a variety of of different strength building classes that I'm going to start taking advantage of.  I want to end the tendency to ONLY do cardio or ONLY do weights.

Goals:

1. Complete marathon training (run approx 6 times a week) &,
•  Complete MCM in under 4 hours, end of October. 
2. Do at least an hour of yoga at least 4 times a week.
• Get the hang of crow pose.
3. Take a strength class at least 3 times a week.
• Get tight like a tiger.

I'll think of something a little more measurable later.

So far, today, I ran a total of 4 miles in the morning and took an hour long noon yoga class.