Kevin: Day 5232

Day 5232. I gained somewhere between 5-7 lbs over the past two weeks. I don't really feel that bad about it as I've been on vacation in California. Leading up to this trip, I was at the lowest weight I'd been probably since I was in high school. If I continued with this time off, I would feel bad. I know a few more days of slacking would irritate me. And that's enough to give me that spark. Fortunately, I know the fitness ship as it stands can easily be righted. I'm just narrowly off course. I also know how quickly it can sink if I don't tighten the reigns. I am glad that I stepped on the scale today. 

Measurables are so important. I feel pretty good. Because of this, had I not seen and stepped on that scale I would probably have not got myself back on track until we got back to DC. 

The reason measurables are important is that they are concrete. Did I know that I had slid off my diet/exercise routine a bit and had lost some ground? Absolutely. But this notion was just that, it was not written in stone in front of my face and subsequently it was not cemented in my mind. 

It often takes serious and repeated efforts to bring new practices to top of mind and even more focus to make them habits. Take my diet for example. For pretty much my whole life I've consumed things like French fries and ketchup. Junk food and processed food. In my mind, I didn't consume them often. But what is often? If you really think about it, if you eat something pretty much every week, you're eating it often. The way most of our minds work, if not actively engaged, is to take the path of least resistance. Thus, if we eat salmon once a week, we tell ourselves we it it often. Yet, if we eat sweets once a week, we seldom eat them... I used to feel weird asking to substitute a side for French fries. Now, I don't eat them. I have to substitute something or just nix the side. 

It's difficult to keep up with exercise when on travel. I don't have access to a gym. I have also been taking care of our 7 month old for most of the time here. It's a tough age. This guy won't let me put him down for 10 seconds, literally. 

If it weren't for the running streak, I would have probably gone most of this trip without running. Instead, thanks to the streak, like I have for over 14 years, I ran everyday. It's odd when I write and read that. I don't feel like I've ran everyday for 14 years. Most days it's an afterthought. I used to feel good about getting a run in on days that I ran. Now that I am this far into my streak, I don't get them same mental boost just from the fact of knowing that I went on a run. But regardless of how many days I've ran in a row, I have yet to get used to or eliminate the improved energy and mood that a run provides. 

Oddly, it has been raining for 3 days straight here in California. I've yet to get my run in, but I'll be out there soon. Streak on my friends.