Running

Tonight, I started the Couch to 5K running program.  Again. 
I started jogging a few weeks ago, in an effort to lose a few pounds and not sound like an elephant when I have to hustle anywhere for very long.  Lauren has been very enthusiastic about tagging along with me - in fact, more enthusiastic than I would prefer, to be quite honest.  For the first several nights, she came with me and we walked/jogged around town, then we made the connection that we could walk to the high school, run on the semi-squishy track, and then walk home - if my knees could talk, they would be saying "ahhhh" right about now.  So we did that for several nights.  But Lauren doesn't run as fast as I do, and she doesn't want to run as far as I do, but she doesn't want me to leave her behind.  So she was cramping my style.  :)
She was perfectly comfortable with the idea of walking to the track with me, playing in the infield while I ran, and then walking home with me.  And, in theory, I'm fine with that.  However, in practice, there are other people there.  People I don't know.  People who PROBABLY are not wierdo child-snatching stalkers, but I'd hate to be wrong about that.  So I keep making her walk & run along with me - I'll run ahead, then turn around and run back to her, then walk with her, then repeat the process. 
Finally, one day, after my patience was wearing thin, and it resulted in Lauren crying because she didn't want to make me feel impatient, she and I struck a deal - she'd come with me every other night.  And I also realized that my mom has a treadmill, so I could go run over there and Lauren could play while I run.  Jackpot!  I've been loving running on the treadmill because it doesn't let me slack off.  It forces me to keep running at the pace I set, AND it counts my calorie burning.  That's very motivating for me.  I need a chip in my wrist that shows me that at all times. :)  I bet I'd mow the lawn more often.
So I was feeling good about the fitness plan, and my running stamina, and fitting into some shorts that I couldn't fit into earlier this summer (or all of last year).  And then we went away on vacation.  And then it was raining all the time.  And we had 4th of July celebrations in the evenings.  Ugh.  I totally got sidetracked from the running program.  And I was doing some crazy vacation eating, too - you know, the whole "calories don't count if you aren't at home" mentality.
So, today, I started fresh.  Well, okay, to be really honest, I stared with a piece of my mother-in-law's chocolate cake for breakfast.  Because it is pretty much criminal to let that go to waste.  But after that, I started fresh.  I had Rainier cherries for a snack - one of my favorite foods ever - and Subway for lunch, and a chicken sandwich for dinner, with no other snacking.  Fairly reasonable. 
With the knowledge that I'll be eating cake at my sister's baby shower tomorrow.  But then I'll run in the evening.  Balance, right?