Facing the Demon and New Plan

  An old demon has raised it's ugly head, and it is my fault.
Warning.... Most women do not like talking about this subject: I weighed myself this morning, first time since before the marathon and I was shocked and pissed.. last time I weighed myself was at 145 lbs and then I stayed off the scale (stupid). This morning I weighed myself at around 158 lbs..... yeah, and the reasons I came to were:

• The body is a wonderful machine, and can adapt and become efficient at burning less calories during a workout after doing it for so long. 1)My body has done just that, last year I was running around 40-45 miles and during the marathon training I was reaching 50 mpw with one certain 7 day cycle being 63. 2) Then after the marathon - BAM, my mileage dropped significantly 3) but my eating did not. 4) Sadly, I would have to reach 65+ mpw to shock my body into burning more calories and fat because it is used to anything below 50 mpw.

Okay, all the reasons are in that paragraph (whoops, I am in a rush and late to work). Since my marathon training goal this year is to reach 70 mpw during peak training, my new plan is:

   

•  Get myself back up to the mid 30 mpw range by the end of February.
• Get back on a strict diet of more veggies/greens and protein from salmon and chicken, no more sweets, and less carbs which means very less Banana Bread English Muffins and Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins :(
• Get back on a strict regimen of going to the gym 5 days a week, 40-60 minutes.
• Cautiously begin lower body strengthening, first starting with the hip adductors and abductors, and the glutes.
• Keep stretching!!
• By May if everything is going well and good, increase weekly mileage to 40-45 miles by end of May. 

   Marathon training begins in July and I want to be in better shape this year than I was last year, and hopefully around 140 lbs or less but it's going to take a lot of determination and discipline, the same discipline I had in 2010 that got me from 162 lbs in February 2010 to 139 lbs in May of 2010. I didn't want to step on the scale because I knew what I would see, but I am so glad I did because it was a slap from reality - no more excuses and no more avoidance.