TriathaBLAH: Is the Honeymoon Over?

It seems we Triathabloggers have collectively hit a wall. Two weeks ago, if you'd asked any of us about the project, you would have gotten an enthusiastic progress report, combined with a little all-in-good-fun trash talk.

Ask us about it now, and you'll probably meet a glazed over look of exhaustion. I, for one, would much rather talk about napping, or hot guys in the new Twilight movie, or napping. (I know, I said it twice.)

Wikipedia defines "hitting a wall" as the "condition when an athlete suddenly loses energy and becomes fatigued." Uh, yeah. I think we're there.

How do we get past this? Wiki recommends Carbo Loading (check — Ranch Fries), consuming food or drinks (check — Americanos), and lowering the intensity of the exercise.

Ah, there's the rub. If we're going to finish with dignity (okay, let's be honest, bragging rights), we can't take it easy.

I want new motivation. I want renewed discipline. I want it to be exciting again.

But maybe that's not the point. Maybe the point is to keep going, even when I'm slow, or feeling sick, or stressed at work, or hung over from holiday parties — whatever. Maybe, in the end, that's how you make fitness a part of your life, and not just a phase.

Either way, I always welcome an excuse to Carbo Load.

My Achilles Heel Is Ranch Fries: It May Not Be an Epic Struggle, but It's Mine

When it comes to my diet, I’m kind of like that girl in the nursery rhyme: "when she was good, she was very, very good, and when she was bad, she was horrid.”

I’m a vegetarian anyway, and when I actually pay attention to what I eat, I end up getting plenty of vegetables, some fruit, lots of protein and just a few carbs. Awesome! When I’m not paying attention, my diet consists mostly of Egg and Cheese Biscuits, baked potatoes, and Purple Onion ranch fries (although lately I’ve been experimenting with cheese fries). Not exactly a food pyramid so much as a flat line … which could be taken as some kind of metaphor, I guess.

I don’t think November is the time to start a full-on Food Watch, considering this month I’m trying to win Triathablog, finish a novel for Nanowrimo, and plan holiday parties and gifts … oh, and hold down a full-time job. But I do want to stop the downward spiral.

I’m terrible with moderation (give me an outlandish blog challenge and I’ll run every day, but give me freedom and I’ll sit on my couch), but it looks like I’m going to have to get better at it if I’m going to get vitamins or protein for the next couple months. This is Triathablog, not Supersize Me — there’s no need to prove I can run fueled only by McDonalds.

My energy is low, and that's not good for my health or my running, so I'm hoping to start small changes. I'm going to keep drinking lots of water, and I'm giving up soda after today. I'll try to eat some fruit or (gasp!) even a vegetable or two. Maybe substitute hummus for ranch fries next time I’m at the Purple Onion. (Or maybe not; let’s not go crazy.)

Here’s hoping.