The Bathroom Scale

I have found the best running motivator yet - my bathroom scale. Yes, I said it . . . and I mean it. When I posted this on my Facebook status I got quite a bit of flack.

I am not a big person. I am fortunate that I have good genes (thanks, Mom & Dad) and, with one exception, have never had a serious weight problem. But, because of that one exception, I do need to monitor my weight and because of my job, I need to stay under a certain weight.

Well, it appears in the time I spent in Massachusetts working with my ensemble theatre company and living with my parents, I put on more pounds than is good for my job. Or my clothes. No, I'm not suddenly obese or even close, but you can't tell me that you don't recognize when you're not longer as healthy as you were. I don't feel as good. My clothes don't fit right. And I don't like the number coming from the scale!

I'm not complaining, really. I'm happy for the added incentive to get out and run. It helped me get out the door and run three mornings last week and start off this week with a run as well. And the number on the scale is dropping. Slowly, yes, but it's going in the right direction now.

I learned a lot about my relationship with food in my visit back East. My mother did most of the cooking for those of us in the company living with her. And if you don't know my mom, you don't know just how amazing a cook she is. Seriously. I joke that my mother is Martha Stewart without the jail time (or the attitude), but I am awed by her abilities. I learned that I love to eat fresh, home-cooked food. I learned that I need to control my portions of fresh, home-cooked food. And I learned that I need to be more pro-active in preparing fresh, home-cooked food for myself!

So, I have been good since my return. And I'm even more inspired now that I've read Mark Bittman's article in this month's Runner's World. I'm an ovo-lacto-pesce-vegetarian, so the meat thing isn't that big of a deal for me, but it made me look more closely at ALL the foods I typically prepare. And it only reinforced my desire to get more fresh food in my diet. So I've been cooking! And I'm really excited about a number of his recipes; I can't wait to try his Shrimp and Tofu stir-fry.

Now, I'm not currently in rehearsal for anything, but that's about to change. In less than a week, I begin directing Macbeth and I will be on campus more or less every weeknight between October 5 and December 6. WHEW. Not a lot of extra cooking time. However, I have told myself that at least one weekend day each week I would do some cooking. As for my meals while teaching and directing, I will be able to eat some leftovers and the rest of the time I can prepare salads, steamed veggies (I ADORE the Green Giant health blends - i.e. Immunity Blend, Digestive Health, Healthy Weight, etc.), and probably Lean Cuisine or the like. The last one doesn't thrill me, but those meals are fast. If I can plan ahead enough, I can use my crock pot some, too, and that will keep me from using packaged food.

So lookout Bathroom Scale! Between my running and my eating - well, not exactly RIGHT but certainly better - that scale can replaced as a motivator by maybe a race! And I'm already looking at two short ones to start.

Run Parade

On Saturday, I ran for the first time in ages. And I ran with all four of my dogs.

Yes, perhaps I am certifiable.

But after over six months off, I am determined to find a way to get running back into my life. So on Saturday, I decided to try running with my dogs.

A friend of mine said I must look like a parade coming down the street. He's not far off. I surely must look like one person trying to hold onto a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon on my own. Still, the dogs seemed mostly game so I decided to run again today.

It went better . . . and worse. We ran a longer distance which was good. And we didn't run any slower (frankly, I'm not sure that's even possible at this point and still call it a run and not a walk). But it's dark at 5:30/6:00 AM now and I hit a small rise going over a man hole cover and BAM! I hit the dirt. It was pretty ugly. I landed smack on the heels of my hand and a wound on my left hand, given by one stressed out Henry just yesterday, burst open. My knees are scraped and my wrists are sore. This was MOMENTS after we began our run. SIGH.

Well, I got back on the horse so-to-speak and off we went. My lab, Zoe, is a perfect running partner in that she understands where to run (just to one side and slightly in front of me) and generally keeps up with me (more on THAT in a second). But the others . . . oh, the others. Stella isn't half bad - she kinda understands to stay to the side, but she's easily distracted. Running with Bingley and Buster is like running with two leashed Tasmanian Devils. Seriously. They're ahead of me one moment, behind me the next, and criss-crossing constantly. It's funny, but I'm regularly having to untangle myself and their leashes.

Plus there's the stopping. Now Zoe is efficient and doesn't require a lot of stopping. Neither does Stella really, but of course she takes more time. Buster and Bingley have to hit every tree, stump, curb, signpost, streetlight, hydrant, bush, flowerbed, and other dog smell along the way. Something about that male need to mark the world. And it's ACORN season. Apparently that's a little dog's delicacy. Seriously. Bingley and Buster want to stop for EVERY ACORN on the route! And EAT every acorn. It's humorous, but annoying too. How am I supposed to get any real running done?

And then there's Zoe's motivation. Well, she's 12 so I can't blame her, but she really doesn't WANT to run much anymore.

So what's a girl to do?

Now that the new semester is into it's fourth week and I start directing in early October, there is just no other way to get a run in without running with the beasties. It's kind of opposite of running with the bulls.

At least I won't get gored to death. Maybe just bored to death.