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For me, the benefits of working out with my group extend beyond the physical workout. After the long Thanksgiving weekend, I was feeling the pull of sugar big time - I'm usually OK with not going crazy with sugary treats, but it was like I'd unleashed the beast from within and all I wanted was to eat from Buddy the Elf's four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup. OK it was mostly candy that I was craving, but honestly I'd have sampled anything with sugar in it. So along with a bit of a sugar hangover, I was also experiencing a struggle from within to not buy and eat all the sugary things.
Funny thing about that - after I finished with Monday's workout, I didn't feel so much like a sugar fiend. I don't know if it was the fact that I got my sweat on and endorphins going, or that I fell back into the mindset of I don't want to work that hard only to undermine myself by eating junk, but whatever it was, I was not as sugar-crazed that evening as I had been for the previous four days. I'm grateful for this, and who knows - maybe not having such a long period between my run on Saturdays to my run and workout on Tuesdays will keep me in a healthier mental place.
Running Update: It's going well, and you know what? I deserve to have some good running after sweating through the extra long summer months and then dealing with a torn calf muscle - it's about damn time! I felt good doing the Turkey Trot 5K on Thursday, and then on Saturday Jeff, Diane, and I ran 5 miles, which is the farthest I've run since June.
For that run, I'd planned out a route that we haven't done in a long time, mostly because it's a long, long uphill climb. I used to do this one a lot when I was first with USAFit, but as a couple other roads opened up, I was able to avoid it. But Jeff needs some hilly training as the Houston marathon route has a wicked hill toward the very end on the marathon side (it's not on the half marathon side and I always feel bad watching the marathoners having to deal with that after 25 miles), so we ran that route...and it was as challenging as I remembered. But we did it, and I felt strong for the entire five miles which was most excellent.
Yesterday Diane and I ran our usual 2 miles; I wondered how that would go considering I worked out the afternoon before, but once again, I felt pretty good during that run! It helped that it was 31 degrees - once I get going, I do pretty well in cold temperatures - as long as it's not cold and windy, or cold and rainy. Then all bets are off. The weather will be warming up for the rest of the week but it should still be a whole lot better than our summertime misery!
from My Journey to Fit https://ift.tt/2BDlpcc
