Well, I hit my running goal tonight.  Actually, I surpassed it.  I started the Couch to 5K program a while back (well, really I read it and then got injured and had to kind of figure out my own thing).  After my injury, I couldn’t run, but I could do the elliptical, which I did, and apparently that got me more conditioned for running than I thought it would.  I started out running a mile straight, then walk, then run, and I’ve been adding about 1/2 mile to the straight run every time since (running 2-3 times per week).  On Thursday I ran 2 miles straight at 6.2 mph, walked five minutes, ran another mile at 6.3 mph.  Today my goal was to run 2.5 miles straight, but when I hit that, I felt pretty good, so I pushed on through.  Another motivator was that I told myself that when I could run 3 miles straight, I would buy a pair of Nike + shoes that will hold my ipod chip, so I honestly think that was why I kept going, lol.

So, I’ll post a picture of the shoes when I get them, but I’m going to wait a couple weeks until I go home where there’s a Nike outlet.  I’m all about deals!  Still, I’m excited to get them, and I’m really proud of myself.  I’ve never been able to do this in my entire life.  I can’t say I like running, but it is not nearly as painful as it used to be.  I would say I ran a mile without getting really out of breath or even being too uncomfortable.  That comfort time keeps lasting longer and longer, so maybe if I stick it out a while I will get to the point where I really don’t mind it.  It’ll be like an experiment.

So, now I have to make a new plan.  I think I’m going to keep increasing the distance until I hit 4 miles straight, and then I will start increasing my speed.  I suppose my “ultimate” goal is about 4 miles at 7 mph or 7.2 mph, and that is simply because that’s what my trainer runs every day for a basic calorie burn.  I know that’s a little silly, but I have no point of reference other than that because I’ve never done this before.  Also, I figure he’s in great shape, so he must be doing something right!  I’m excited to tell him about my 3 miles tomorrow– he was gone when I finished.

Okay, on to my food:  I totally binged last night.  I mean, I just started eating and literally could not/did not stop myself.  I was so hungry that I dove into chex mix, and then I had a couple pieces of chocolate, and then I had pop tarts of all things (super high calorie– 420 for one package of two pastries– they cheat by making the serving size one pop tart but putting two in the little envelope.  SO unfair!)  Anyway, I don’t really even like/crave that stuff, but it was just there, and I was so hungry.  I would have ten times rather had a cookie or something, but I was just out of control.  So, today I decided I’ve had enough of the hunger, and I’m increasing my calorie allowance to 1200 per day.

I technically am not supposed to count calories, but I started a week ago (eating on my “diet” but just adding up the calories for curiosity’s sake), and I usually take in about 800-1000 per day.  Today, I ate a bit more and basically added a South Beach bar at 100 and a sugar free pudding cup with cool whip at 75.  Everything else pretty much stayed the same.  I’m feeling good now, and I still get to have my hot cocoa in a bit, so I think it was a good plan.  I’ll try this for the rest of the week and see what the scales tell me on Friday.  If I don’t lose, I suppose I’ll try to go back to militantly following the diet like I did in the beginning and not having this extra stuff.  Hopefully I’ll lose because I don’t want to be hungry all the time again.

Breakfast:  1/2 english muffin, 1 slice cheese, 1 egg white, HNS (245)

Lunch:  bar, HNS (280)

Dinner:  taco, applesauce, HNS, South Beach Bar (485)

snack: 2 bites meal bar, pudding cup, hot cocoa, cracker and cheese (195)

Total:  1205

Calories burned in workout (low estimate):  600— weights (legs at 150 cal), running (3 miles straight, 4 miles total at 460 cal)

Net calories;  605

Weight at home:  161 (same as yesterday, so at least the binge didn’t kill me.  It was 1785 cals total yesterday, 1185 net after workout).