No, not the D word

This year, I’ve proved that stepping up the training will lower your marathon time.  I dropped 20 minutes off my time from last year, and I think it was a direct result of running 605 miles from Jan-Oct, rather than the 447 miles I ran last year.

However, there is still room for improvement, and I think the best place to get it from is by dropping some pounds.  I don’t like to dddd, dddd, dddd, dddddiet.  (Jeez, can’t even say the word).  I eat like a pig – very unhealthy.  Snack all the time, eat big lunches all the time, just don’t at all watch what I eat.  I like to say that running gives me the freedom to eat what I want.  In a sense that is true, when I’m running, I don’t gain weight, but I’m also not losing weight.

In the beginning of 2007, I came off a strech where I did very little exercise, and my weight was 235, with body fat of 25%.  After I picked up the running, and started going to the gym, by April, I quickly brought my average weight down to 227 and body fat down to 23.5%.  And I’ve pretty much been there ever since.  Last month was the first time I actually had my average monthly weight below 225 (224.9!!) with body fat down to 22.4%. 

I think it is time to try the diet thing and see what happens.  If I can bring my weight down 10 pounds for the austin marathon, I think it will make a big difference.

To try and help me stay on the wagon, I will not make it a strict diet.  But if I can simply eat healthy breakfasts, reasonable lunches on most days, and snack on fruit instead of junk, I should be able to lose 10 pounds…