Done and Dusted!

Not quite sure what that expression actually means, but I'm using it to say that I have finished my final long training run before the half marathon in two weeks. CL and I ran 22k (13.75 miles) this morning in the cold drizzle. It was a nice run, entirely flat and we finished in just over 2.5 hours. We had a nice chat along the way, too.

She and her husband just had to put their 18-year-old cat down, so she was pretty down about that. But running solves all problems as it gives you 2+ hours to talk everything out.

I went roller skating with a bunch of friends last night and it was fun, but my glutes (medius and maximus) were really feeling it! I felt very old as there were lots of teenagers there and I only recognized two songs they played! All that damn hip-hop stuff kids are listening to today... ;-) And, I just have to say that although I am old enough to have a teenage or pre-teen child, I am sooooooo freaking glad that I don't! Who in the hell lets their 13-year-old daughters dress up like French Maids (complete with garters, fishnet stockings and black eyeliner) to go out roller skating?? I swear, I would lock my children up until they were 18. OK, not really... but you know what I mean. Scary!

In the pub after skating I was chatting with my friend SC who is also a triathlete and trying to lose some weight in the off season. She doesn't really have that much to lose, but everyone feels excess weight, especially on those long climbs on the bike. Anyway, she was telling me about how her physio/nutritionist told her that the reason why long-distance athletes have trouble losing weight is because of elevated cortizol levels. Basically what happens is that your body thinks it's in distress, so it holds onto fat (I guess the way if you starve yourself or restrict calories it can do the same thing). Anyone heard of this? It bears investigating, that's for sure.

I was saying to her that all I want to know is the "recipe" for weight-loss that will work for me! It's not for lack of motivation or trying that I haven't been as successful as I want to be. Honestly, if someone could tell me exactly what I had to eat, how much I had to exercise and how to combine the two to achieve the results I want, I would DO IT! Just tell me and I WILL do it. I will make no excuses and say, "Oh, I can't do THAT."

I'm now vegging on the couch as I'm feeling very tired after my long run. I'm going to KH's for dinner tonight to celebrate KL's BD. I also still have another 1758 calories left to consume today (can you believe that??). My run "earned" me an additional 1595 calories. Oh, what to eat, what to eat...?