WHAT YOU WEARING?

Unlike a lot of the guys who hang out at my gym, I don't worry too much what I wear. An old t-shirt and a pair of shorts works for me. I'm definitely not spending good money to try to look good to people I don't know at a time of day when most of us are only half awake anyway.

However, since I'm there to run, I do not skimp when it comes to footwear. I run between 30 and 40 miles a week and certainly want the necessary comfort and support that good shoes give.

I used to buy cheap sneakers and wear them until they look disgusting, but since I started regular exercise I've been way more careful.

A couple of years ago it was recommended to me that I wear Asics and they have become a firm favorite. A recent article in Runners World magazine named Asics Gel 1150's as the best choice for footwear for runners and I got a pair a couple of days ago.

I get new sneakers every 350 to 400 miles as they're generally worn down somewhat by then and have definitely lost a lot of their absorption.

This afternoon was my first run with the new shoes and they are excellent. I thoroughly recommend Asics Gel 1150's.

BACK FROM A NIGHT OUT

We didn't go out for dinner yesterday for Valentine's day, for several reasons. One, that Sunday is already a busy day while Monday is my day off, so better to enjoy a relaxing meal on a day when you're already pretty relaxed yourself.

One other reason is that we generally protest the way restaurants exploit customers on February 14th by hiding the regular menus and offering a more limited selection at double the price. So we eat out the day before or the day after.

Eating out is intimidating to some people who are trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle, but there's no reason why it should be.

I ate well tonight, but still stayed on program. Here are a few keys -

1. I looked into the Points value of menu items before I left home.

2. I decided what I would be ordering and what I would be drinking way before entering The Curry Club.

3. I recognized that in addition to what remained of my daily Points allowance, I had up to 35 flexible Points for the week to play with.

4. I ate slowly and enjoyed the occasion.

5. I stopped eating when I had had enough and did not bring home the uneaten food.

6. I had an excellent meal with the woman I've spent 42 Valentine's Days with, ate a substantial amount of my flexible Points, but am still ending the day on program.

Planning is always the key.

I STAND CORRECTED!

Got this note on FaceBook this evening from a friend who is also a member of one of my Weight Watchers groups -
"what's the scoop-- no blog update on Where's the Fat guy since November:) We need your wisdom and thoughts!"
Of course she's right. There have been no updates. It got to be just another pressure for me to come up with something worth reading every day and so I let it go.

So here's the scoop. I will get back to this. I want to get back to this. But don't look for daily doses of Blackmorian wisdom - I'll write here as often as I can.

Went to the gym this afternoon and did five miles on the treadmill. That gives me a total of 26 miles for the week, which isn't bad given the fact that two days were spent shoveling snow rather than running.

I've decided to set myself a target for the year, just to help me stay focused and I set that at a total of 1,500 miles, which should be totally doable at 30 miles per week.

The problem is that while I did run most of the days I was in India last month, I didn't cover the distances that I would at home. So it's the middle of February and I'm behind schedule, but it should be easy enough to catch up at this stage.

I enjoy running some days.

I hate it others.

But it works - and pushing myself is a necessary part of the equation.