Run like there's no tomorrow

I have realised that I am often very lazy about things, especially when they require a lot of time and effort. However, I am also extremely stubborn so when I really set a goal for myself I know am going to achieve it no matter what.

This is what's been happening with running/rolling :) I have no clear goal in mind (no half marathons coming up), but I am somehow motivated enough. Knowing that I spent a whole five months without exercising although I could have easily gone to the gym which was just across the road (well, I wonder if anyone thinks it's easy after a whole day at work) makes me feel extremely guilty. Since I am hoping to go back to Lux and I know I'll probably end up working just as much again, I have decided to lose those extra kilos so that I can regain them in the future and still be reasonably fit (probably not the healthiest of motivations... :).

I have been running every day for the past two weeks now*. I usually only run for about than half an hour. Partly because I don't want to overdo it and partly because I cannot handle constant offers of help and questions from passers-by for longer than thirty minutes. I have decided not to use the friendly "bugger off" sign I made because, afterall, knowing that there are people out there who are willing to help is a good thing. Imagine if I got stuck in a hole on the road (roads in Italy are disastrous!) or if I fell and got no help because of that sign. Not cool. My new technique is: push hard(er) and avoid eye contact. It's been working fine so far :)

Some of my favourite running spots

         

Running per se is not a problem. I really enjoy it. What is a problem is not allowing myself to eat as much as before. The hardest part is certainly saying no to chocolate (biscuits, pastries and sugar in general) and eating only veg for dinner instead of the usual dish of pasta. Then there is the social aspect. It is incredily hard to go out for dinner with friends or invite people to your place and watch them eat delicious dishes while you munch on lettuce. 

Time management is also a problem and not just because of the time it takes to get ready, go for a run, answer unwanted questions on the street, come back, take a shower, drop dead. No. The truth is that the more you exercise, the more water you drink  and the more you drink, the more you have to pee, which means that roughly every 20 minutes I have to stop doing whatever I am doing and go to the loo, just like a middle-aged woman (too much detail, I know!). Not to mention sleeping. I have always been a night owl. I used to go to bed late and wake up reasonably early. That was before my whole body demanded more rest. And before my sleeping patterns were disrupted by a snoring dog (she might be too small to even qualify as a dog, but jeez, she snores like a freight train). Now I am a zombie any time before 9 am.

On the plus side, I really like the fact that I now have a healthy excuse to get out of the house (and it's not just going to the bar to have a drink). Going out means I get to see people, which is not something freelancers should take for granted. And it's great to go running with the dog too. Believe it or not, the snoring dog is a great runner. She's quite funny to look at, she runs like a rabbit, but she's incredibly fast and has really good stamina. The two of us are so coordinated that people started asking me if she is trained. There's a plus on the social side as well. Being more fit means that it's much easier to climb up to your friend's place on the fifth floor to have dinner with them. Technically you've already burnt all the calories you are going to ingurgitate. And we are back to square one. 

* Not true. I started writing this yesterday and stopped because I had work to do. Today it was raining all day and I really didn't feel like getting soaked. People pity me anyway, if they see me in the rain it can only get worse :))))) So much for doing things regularly.