The Battle of the Bulge: TOLT

Today I’m Thinking Out Loud about how I seem to fight the battle of the bulge every winter.

Do I suffer from some mild SADD? Yes, absolutely. Am I less physically active? Probably. Even though I am running way more miles than I normally do in winter, it’s just harder to get in extra activity when you’re just so friggin’ tired all the time. Do I crave more carbs? Yup, again, yes, I do — and we just might be figthing our biology on that one (read this article here).

Winter weight gain isn’t the only thing on my mind today, but let’s dive into that one first.

That winter weight
This may be unscientific, but I would tell you I think I’ve finally figured out that yes, indeed, I gain weight every winter. I mean, I already knew that — but this is only the second time I’ve seriously trained through a winter to run an early spring half.

I’ve come a long way, baby, and learned a lot over the years, but like clockwork, up the scale goes in winter. I had hoped that that serious training would mean I could keep my weight under control this year.

So far, knock on wood, I’ve managed to stay within a couple of pounds of my goal weight — and that’s a first for me in the winter — but it’s still gone higher than I’d really like to see. I think the main reasons it’s remained lower this winter was a) I was at a lower weight going into winter and b) maybe the training? maybe.

All I know is that I’m now at a weekly mileage where I can usually have more wiggle room in my eating — only I don’t seem to have that wiggle room. Winter, I’m totally blaming you!

Check engine . . . no wait!
My car is almost 17 years old, but very low mileage. That’s what happens when you work from home, then don’t work, and don’t take it on long trips. Lately, though, it’s begun to drive us nuts with the check engine light.

It’s nothing serious, but it won’t pass inspection if it’s on. And it keeps going on and off! It’ll be on for months, then go off for months, then suddenly back on — damn thing is “driving me nuts”. It’s also kind of distracting while you’re driving.

At the moment it’s off — cross your fingers it will stay that way for inspection (still a  month or so away, plenty of time for it to come back on).

The secrets of older runners 
A while ago I was contacted by Liz Vassey, who is trying to raise money to complete her documentary, The Human Race, about older runners. From her IndieGoGo page (you can read the full page here):

This feature-length documentary will follow five runners over the age of 50 for a three-month period as each one trains for his or her first 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, or ultra marathon. In the process, we will explore the ripple effect athleticism has in their lives.

You can see a short trailer here and a slightly longer one here.

This sounds like a fascinating documentary that I, as an adult onset athlete who hopes to be running the rest of her life, would love to see!

Come run Utah with me
Don’t forget that code crj15 gets you 15% off of your registration for the Utah Valley Marathon (your choice of three race distances). The price goes up on March 2, so register today!

I’m running the half, and quite a few other bloggers will be racing, too.

Disclaimer: I make a small amount of money if you register using my code.

I thought the scratcher would stop him from laying on top of the sofa

Bandit update
I was headed back to my car to put more water in my bottle at the tail end of last week’s long run, when I saw a woman walking a dog who was almost a dead ringer for Bandit. I stopped to chat with the dog’s owner, asking if she had any idea what the dog was.

Turns out the dog was a rescue — from Austin (remember, we lived there 17 years) — from her lawyer son who now lives in LA (my brother, the lawyer, lives outside of LA). We had a nice long chat (which is how the next to last mile was one of my fastest).

Since her dog was also a rescue, like us, they really have no clue. She thought maybe daschund/hound mix. Mr. Judy is absolutely convinced Bandit is a Jackchi (Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua mix). Only he makes the weirdest noises — to my mind, very hound like (not that I’ve ever owned a hound). And he has a long back like Lola, so her guess actually made sense to me — I don’t see chi in him, but the tail and the ears remind me of a beagle (and the strange noises he makes — haven’t really been able to capture that on video nor can I explain what they sound like).

Like Chester, he will forever be a wonder dog, or as one of my pet sitters once said: “I wonder what he is?”.

Girlfriend knows how to live

Speaking of comfy dogs . . . Lola makes herself comfy with Mr. Judy — on the sofa, not on top! We try to keep the dogs off the top of the sofa so they don’t upset Gizmo. Of course all bets are off when we are not there (and yes, Lola does get on top sometimes when I’m out — she’s there when I come home, sometimes) — except for Bandit.

Bandit is still crated when I go out. He ran up to Gizmo when Giz was scratching on his tree, and snapped at Lola when she literally jumped on him — that girl has no sense of danger — both totally understandable reactions, but I am still not at the point where I trust what he will do if I am not there to stop him.

Talk to me. Tell me in the comments:

Do you ever notice a pattern to your weight?

New car often or hold onto for dear life?

What do you have trouble keeping your furkids off of?

I’m linking up with Amanda at Running with Spoons for her: