Little Things Mean A Lot

I ate strawberries this week! I also ate raw veggies (green peppers, onions, cucumbers without the skin and seeds). I've graduated to being able to veggie up like normal on my favorite subs at Subway. These things thrill me like you wouldn't believe! Being able to add these extra fruits and vegetables back in is going to make staying on track with my weight loss efforts that much easier. I still have 17 pounds to go before my follow up appointment in September. I can do it, no problem!

On the running front: I ran 21 miles in May! Considering I didn't expect to be able to run at all until sometime in June, this is huge! Last Saturday I did three miles for the first time. The first two were out with the run/walk group and then I ran the last one solo on the track. I am solidly below my pace threshold for returning to my regular pace group from last season, so I'm going to join them this weekend. I am so excited, I can't wait to be 100% back. I can't remember the last time I felt this strong in my running. I'm loving it though, I can tell you that much!

I think I finally resolved one little nagging detail that has been eating away at me. I really wanted to be able to carry a pouch, wafer, and some wipes on long runs just in case things really go wrong and I get caught miles out and have to do an emergency change. I realize the odds of this are really low, but it's been bugging me that I'm not prepared for the possibility. Monday I bought a Fuel Belt and killed two birds with one stone. Firstly, I will now have four of the eight ounce bottles on my person so I'm carrying extra fluids. Secondly, I bought an additional large pouch for the belt that is the perfect size for an emergency changing kit. Now I can carry what I need and hope I never actually have to use it.

I sat and thought really hard about the possibility of a pouch malfunction while on a training run or running a race. Here's the conclusion I came to: shit happens. Yes, that's right. To everyone. Hopefully only at convenient times, but it doesn't always work that way. In the midst of thinking about this, I remembered the 2005 London Marathon when Paula Radcliffe had to decide between giving up the lead and copping a squat on the side of the course to take a quick poop. I'll tell you this much, she ended up winning. If untimely poop can happen to a world class athlete of Paula's caliber, it surely can happen to me. Though I am in no danger of winning a marathon anytime soon, I know I can handle and overcome any unwanted poop situation with the same tenacity as Paula. I am not going to let the fear of something that simple hold me back or slow me down. I'm just not. So I'll carry my supplies while hoping for the best and being prepared for the worst. And then I'll just forget about it and run!