Week 6: Food, I Love You, but You're Bringing Me Down
If you could, please just imagine that James Murphy, lead singer of LCD Soundsystem, is saying "food" instead of "New York" in the clip above.
Food is good. I like food. Food seems to like me. We understand one another.
But, food, it is with a heavy heart that I realize our time may soon be coming to an end. For so long, I've indulged in your bountiful bouquet of goodness. I tasted your sweets and savored your...savoriness. Chocolate was like the lover from another country that I never had. Chicken wings were the zest and thrill of my younger years. Pizza, you were my confidant.
And Coca-Cola. Where do I begin? Once it hits your lips, it just tastes so good.
I attempted to stop drinking soda a couple of weeks before I started running. So far, with a few exceptions, I've been diligent in keeping up with that vow. I haven't had a sip of the sugary-bliss of an elixir that is Coca-Cola in nearly two months. Am I building myself up here? Damn straight. I deserve it.
However, even with my minor victory over soda, I've still found that dieting hasn't been the easiest part of my training to adapt to. In fact, I really haven't created any strict "diet" at all. I'm sure there are quite a few different reasons I could list for my downfall:
1.) Dieting takes time and preparation. I do my best to have neither of these things in my day to day life.
2.) Dieting can be expensive. I'm poor.
3.) Did you read that whole part where I professed my love for food?
So, as I embarked on my sixth week of training, I wondered how I might be able to shift these tendencies in my eating habits.
Certainly, anyone who has dieted in any way would tell you that it can be a trying process. It mostly seems to be a process of starvation (not in the anorexic sense, but the tasteful sense) in which you attempt to eat the most bland food on the planet to see minimal gains, or loses. Yeah, doesn't seem like something I want to be a part of.
Those negative connotations sent me into a brainstorming frenzy. How can I , at least, begin to build on a repertoire that could lead to a successful diet in the future? I certainly don't need to go into a head-on food revolution, but I need to start building a foundation of habits. So, after minimal research, here are the steps I've taken, recently.
1.) No fast food on the weekdays. This one is more for the days that I work, and I haven't really perfected it quite yet. At first, I attempted to limit myself to one fast food splurge per work week. This could be anything from Taco Bell to McDonald's, and everything in between. Then, I decided that it had to be something not perceived as being so "terrible." So, I've moved on to allowing myself one cold cut sandwich (Jimmy John's, Panera, Subway, etc.) a week. Hopefully, I'll soon just cut this out altogether, but when I consider that I used to eat fast food EVERY DAY, it seems like small strides are worthy of celebration. The lunches that I pack aren't always the most nutritious in the world, but they aren't McDonald's, either. They usually revolve around a sandwich of some kind, a serving (maybe two) of chips, and a fruit. Do I realize the fruit is probably the only "healthy" part? Yeah, but like I said people, small strides.
2.) No Soda. This one is the big one. The one that is easily the greatest struggle of all. I lived on Coca-Cola for my near 26 years on this earth. My family has always had Coke in the fridge, and I've always been more than happy to drink my fair share. To say that a full switch to water was difficult would then be an understatement. Yet, it's amazing how much Coke has affected me over the years, and how I'm only able to come to this realization after I stopped drinking it. Water has caused me to feel more energetic, refreshed, and more focused in my daily living. I don't suffer from the same sort of caffeine drain that I used to feel late in the day. Instead, I just keep pushing forward on to the next objective.
3.) More fruit, and sometimes more vegetables . Fruits are easy. Apples, bananas, oranges, and the like, are all sweet to the taste and fill you with energy supplying vitamins. What's not to like? Vegetables, however, can sometimes seem a bit more tricky. They're not really finger food by any classification. I'm not just going to pick up a pack of Brussels sprout, lather some butter on there and call it a snack. No, I'm going to eat an apple like a civilized person. That being said, I like Brussels sprout in butter. I'd like to eat more, but for some reason the situation never arises. Note to self: pick up Brussels sprout when you move out.
So those three steps have been my introduction into "eating healthy." As you can see, it's definitely more in line with "one small step" than a "giant leap." That being said, I need help and suggestions about great 'running' diets. I've looked up a few, and they all seem just a little advanced. This is definitely the case for the article I read that said "Ultra Dieting for Ultra Marathons." I mean, there's an ultra version of these things?! 26.2 miles wasn't enough for you so you said, "Eh, let's do another 50." Ludicrous.
Anyways, please help this recovering junk food-aholic turn his life around before I get into the meat of my training (nailed that pun). Throw out your best, and by best I mean best tasting, healthy food suggestions and rules. I'll eat 'em up (kind of a pun, nailed it again).
As always, please donate to St. Jude Children's Hospital.
Week 6 Breakdown:
Mileage
Week: 6 1/2 Miles
Total: 23 Miles
Daily Mileage/Playlists:
Monday: 2 Miles
Playlist: Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes. This was only the second time so far that I’ve run two miles in one workout. I didn’t think I was going to make it. But, I truly believe that Robin Pecknold and the boys pulled me through. What a swell group. Fleet Foxes are indie darlings (if that’s still a thing) that mix rich harmonies with classic folk rhythms and mythologies. At one time there music is harmonious and soothing, but what separates Fleet Foxes from the many generic folk groups that followed in their wake is their keen sense of mystery and discovery. “With scarves of red tied round their throats/To keep their little heads from falling in the snow,” is at once a childish whim of a fairy tale, but it also hits with the type of dim undertones of a Grimm’s story. That certain je ne sais quoi is at the heart of nearly every piece of music that Fleet Foxes have produced, and it’s what has captivated audiences to hold on to their music for dear life. In a world full of Mumford and Sons, Edward Sharpe, and Avett Brothers, Pecknold gives his group a iniquity that these other groups sometimes lack. It’s nice to see him back out with the posse again.
Tuesday: 1 Mile Playlist: Kanye West - College Dropout. Listen. I don’t want to hear anything about this selection. Is this guy crazy? Yes. Is he a musical genius? Sometimes. Is College Dropout still one of the best hip-hop albums of all time? You’re damn right.
Thursday: 2 Miles
Playlist: Eagles - Greatest Hits. I have no idea where this came from. I just wanted to hear "One of These Nights" because it's a damn near perfect song, and then before I know it I've listened to like five Eagles songs. It was terrible. Not necessarily because the Eagles are terrible, but my god they are not fit to run to. Remember how people accused the Eagles of being mannequins at their live shows because all they did was stand in one spot? Yeah, you try getting pumped up for a run with a band like that.
Friday: 1/2 Mile
Playlist: The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk - "I Feel It Coming." Since this was a relatively short run, I just went with a one song 'playlist' for the run. I picked the one song that has been stuck in my head, the proverbial needle of my psyche working its way over the grooves of this record, for about two weeks now. The Weeknd just released his new record, Starboy, on streaming services. I haven't had a chance to listen to this recent work, but I've always found myself torn on how I feel about The Weeknd. At one time, I think he makes infectious pop/deep R&B tracks that you can't help but feel joy listening to. On the other hand, I find some of his efforts to be so corny that they're almost laughable. "I Feel it Coming" definitely finds itself in the former line of thinking, though. It's a throwback 80's pop/disco/R&B/funk smooth jam that hits all of the right notes. For an artist that's often compared (rather unfairly) to Michael Jackson, the track sounds like something that MJ himself may have dabbled with during his Off the Wall days. Daft Punk handles the production masterfully, and that falls in line with their recent efforts. I don't know who thought to merge these two artists together, but dammit they deserve an AR promotion.
Saturday: 1 Mile
Playlist: LCD Soundsystem - 45:33. Hey! Look! It's LCD Soundsytem, again! 45:33 was actually a conscious effort by Nike and James Murphy to create a soundtrack for runner's to get their stride on to. That actually turned out to be a little white lie (James Murphy doesn't run. Cool kids don't run), but the overall composition of the track still matches up well with a predominately run-heavy workout. There are several segments, or parts, of musical composition that make up the entirety of the record, and most of them function well as individual songs and long form creations. If you're a fan of LCD's work, you'll notice that Murphy later ripped part of 45:33 for the song "Someone Great." Overall, the album moves at a light and breezy pace with all of it's synth and analog glory, oozing from every pour of the project. It makes for a nice companion peace to an early morning jaunt, and I'm sure I'll revisit it many times along this training.
-Ryan