Training for the City2Surf: Finding Will Power – Week 2

I’ve made it public last week about my sordid love affair with Salt ‘N Vinegar chips.  In the past, it has gone beyond control.

After spending a long extended stint in Japan (namely, almost a decade), the first thing I did when I arrived back in Australia was crash on my parents couch, watched Foxtel and ate bag after bag…after 175 gm bag of salt and vinegar chips.  Yeah, I know.  Disgusting, right ?

While living in Tokyo, my folks always sent care packages with an abundant supply of these sodium-rich, mouth watering snacks.  Opening the boxes, the packets had inevitably burst open from the high-altitude air-freighted journey, leaving me with broken chips scattered everywhere.  It didn’t stop me from picking up and savouring each and every tiny little precious crumb.

So, here I am today.  On my running and fitness kick.  I know there shouldn’t be any room for my beloved crispy pals.  But breaking away from them is oh, so, so hard.

Going to Coles for our weekly grocery shopping on Sunday, I managed to achieve the unthinkable.  Walking by the confectionary aisle, I noticed an inviting bright yellow sales tag under my source of addiction:

“2 for $4”

I walked by that aisle three times.  Despite all the pacing, I stayed strong.

I left Coles without those extra snacks.

The drive home was excruciating.

I could only think about how terribly delicious that combination of salt and vinegar always is.  And how I was missing out.

Last week I mentioned how motivation and encouragement comes from others.  It takes friends, peers maybe even family to give you that hearty kick up the butt to get moving.

But when it comes to will power…that is all you.

No one else.  And although that can be a lonely concept, the rewards are again, only for you to reap.

Not buying those chips was a small triumph for me, but it lead me to avoiding bigger regrets.

Instead, I was able to enjoy this week’s highlights and achievements.

Highlights:

No major weight loss this week, but I can feel my body changing.

Wearing my pre-pregnancy jeans, they no longer feel tight.  There is a certain sag in the bum and in the legs.  Although I don’t need to yank them up all the time, when I do need to pull them up, they don’t stop in the same place.  My jeans can actually go a little higher on the tummy.  Amazing.

As for that post-natal rubber tyre stomach ?  It’s still there.  But that stubborn bulge is less prominent.  It’s no longer a tyre.  More like a billowing cushion…

I even got to wear new slinky jeans on date night !

Achievements:

One of the mums from my personal training group suggested we go for a run last Saturday morning.

Jeepers.  I am so not a morning person.  Yet somehow, I agreed.

So, she texted me at 6am.  It was pitch black outside.  I grumbled getting out of bed to put on my running gear.

Then, getting outside I realised just how magical early mornings are.  There was a pink sunrise.  Only cyclists and the milk delivery truck on the road.

We ended up having a great time.

During our run, this mum made a great point, “This is the only time in the day when I can truly say it’s just time for me…”

No screaming tantrums.  No smelly nappy changing.  No unpredictable family or children-related dilemmas.

We’ve arranged to go for another run tomorrow morning.

Tune in next week for more running and fitness adventures 🙂