One run or one cookie?

Yesterday's Well column in the NYTimes discusses the evidence suggesting that small changes don't matter that much when it comes to weight loss. I applaud mainstream coverage that recognizes that being a certain size isn't just a matter of "eats too much" and that if you could just "cut out sweets" you'd be skinny or whatever. I also liked the passing mention of the fact that exercise and eating well have impacts far beyond weight loss - it's good for your cardiovascular system, your nervous system, and your mood.

So today I did my one run. It was a short, half-walking/half-running 20 minutes. I'm trying not to do too much too fast and burn out, but rather to take the Mysore approach of adding a little bit at a time when you're ready. The temptation to get back in bed was strong. But I overcame, remembering what I'd written yesterday. And I succeeded in getting outside (yay) before work (double yay) and felt good doing it (triple yay).

I enjoy being the first one in the office in the morning. I like the quiet, and the (admittedly overly self-righteous) ability to roll my eyes at yet another email from a colleague saying s/he is running late. That used to be me, and I love that it isn't anymore. And exercise is the thing that makes it possible.

Marchathon: 2 for 2.

New beginnings

It's been months since I blogged, or ran regularly, and I don't like either of those things. I've been more on than off with my yoga practice, and that's good. In the meantime, I've moved back to New York, rejoined a division of my company I used to work for, and tried to resettle into something resembling my old life with my new me. It's going pretty well, though change is always surprisingly hard and unsettling.

The good: Yoga Sutra. I've been taking Mysore with Costanza. It's different than with Phillipa, but I still find it the best part of my day. Costanza is much more authoritative, she'll shout across the room to remind you to put your head down or breathe or 'not like that' but she's also very *there*. Which is a long way of saying, Phillipa was much more English, and Costanza (despite being from somewhere else, I think, based on the accent) is American through and through. I feel for her, lately: her partner (in life and teaching) has gone to India to study for a few months and she's carrying the class mostly alone. But I'm definitely making progress.

The not-so-good: I'm toying in my head with running the Brooklyn Half this May, despite having not run regularly in who-knows-how-long. Part of me says I should sign up to have a goal, part of me recognizes that I've done that a couple times lately and haven't followed through and should recommit to running regularly before I do.

The promise: begin anew. Take the month of March to get back to a 3 or 4 day a week running schedule. Stick with the yoga. Keep at it even through traveling for work. Enjoy the active vacation you have planned. And blog. Is it Marchathon?