The Plan? Clean Living

So, I've held true to my training strategy for the New Year. No less than 5 days a week of a minimum of 45 minutes cardio training a day. Whether that be on the bike, spin class or running. Weights have gave way for a daily routine of push ups and sit ups. I've seen the most improvement in this area. With the cycling season nearly a month a way, it's time to modify the training program from maintain to improve. What does that mean? Running, running and more running. Cycling and spin class are great and have made up 90% of my training since the New Year but, I am convinced they don't have nearly the fitness benefits that running does. Especially, given the fact that I simply don't have more than an hour a day during the week to devote to "working out." I've decided I need to put in at least 3 hour long runs a week and maintain this as long as I can throughout the season. Now is that something that I will start doing immediately?. Certainly not.
Running is hard. There is no if, ands or buts about it. At my current weight (172lbs), an hour run is simply too painful and too hard. This is coming from someone that consistently ran 80 miles a week through high school and college. I’ve tested this theory. I ran 57 minutes last Saturday and 56 minutes the Saturday prior. My joints and back simply can’t take the pounding at my current weight. So, that's where the “clean living” comes into play. How clean you ask? Clean enough to drop at least 10lbs. Will I attempt some preppy beach body, organic, uncooked, whole foods diet? No way. Well, at least not initially. I plan to do cut out three things from my diet.

#1 - Fast Food. I don’t eat a lot of it but, it seems to find its way into my belly 3-4 times a week.

#2 - Desserts, treats and snacks. The bad kind, I am the kind of person that likes to eat 3 or 4 Costco chocolate chip cookies and then go for a run or a ride. Then another few after lunch. Or anytime I walk by them.

#3 - Beer. This is the key. I love beer. Rich, thick, dark beers. Stouts, porters, IPA’s, etc. Gotta cut back on this. So, only in social settings. At least until I can hit my running goals.

This simply dieting strategy pealed 10lbs off me in only a few weeks last year. So, I am hoping for the same results this year. I started this “plan” last Saturday and so far, I’ve been able to maintain points #1 and #3. But, it’s girl scout cookie time and I knocked out a whole sleeve of short bread cookies in a day at my desk at work this week.

The Corktown 5k is less than two weeks away. While I definitely don’t have any thoughts of putting up a decent time at the race, I am a little scared to see what kind of running shape I am really in. Whatever it is, I already know it’s not going to be pretty. As usual, I have lofty and unobtainable goals for myself. Under 17 minutes is what I am thinking will allow me to call the race a success. Man, I never thought I’d see the day when under 17 minutes for a 5k sounded intimidating.