Welcome to the 2014 Edition of the Hunger Games!

In other words, base training has begun for our big fall/winter endurance events.

May the calorie differential be ever in your favor!

As I may have mentioned earlier on the blog, I signed up for the full P.F.Chang’s Marathon, which will occur in January 2015, and Chris has officially paid for the SOMA half Ironman distance triathlon, a local race that occurs in late October.  Neither of us is in the thick of training yet (although Chris is getting close-ish), and after a summer spent just staying in shape,* we need to build up our base level just a bit.  That way, when the hard stuff rolls around, we have a decent base already constructed from which to build.

Not that base, you nerds.

Chris is currently swimming two mornings a week, attending spin class with buddies two days a week, doing weights once a week, taking one day off, and filling the seventh day with either running, biking outside, or some other activity.  For the past few weeks, I’ve done easy runs of 5-6 miles three days a week, strength training one day, yoga one day, and a longer run of 8-9 miles one day a week; then on the final day, I rest (this generally ends up being a Saturday).  For my Type A, slightly OCD personality, it’s nice to be a on a real** schedule again, and since I’m only finishing out my second week, it hasn’t gotten old quite yet.

The problem with all of this working out is that we’ve once again entered the state commonly known by serious and quasi-athletes alike as the “I want to eat the world” phase of training.  No food is safe in our house, in the areas nearby our house, or in the cubes/offices of our friends.  Apparently, Chris texted his buddy and co-worker Jake on Tuesday*** pleading for any food he might have, as Chris had consumed all of the calories in his immediate space.  Jake surrendered some mixed nuts to Chris, because he’s a good friend but also probably to diffuse the maniacal gleam that had undoubtedly entered Chris’ eyes.

 “So, Jake, I heard you have snacks…”

We’ve really got to start stocking healthy, nutrient-rich, good options for situations like this in our fridge at home and desk drawers at work, because it’s only going to get worse as we move into the fall and winter.  As an example, on Friday morning, Chris was packing his lunch and decided that the normal, lunch-sized container of leftover butternut squash and beet pasta bake wasn’t going to suffice.  He added to that a cup of cooked basmati rice with soy sauce, and a random Clif Builder’s Bar**** we found in the pantry.  It’s getting desperate around here, yo.

The lunch of champions?  Probably not.

Although they do taste pretty good.

I happened to stay home from work on Wednesday (the day of an easy pace, 6 mile run) and ate (in this order): two servings of Metamucil*****, a cup of Chai tea, an English muffin with a slice of cheddar cheese and ham, a cup and a half of watermelon, 8-10 oz of Powerade, a leftover hamburger slider from Zinburger, a small Coke, two cups of vanilla ice cream with cinnamon, a large heirloom tomato/cucumber salad with balsamic vinegar dressing, two cups of basmati rice with soy sauce (the origin of Chris’ Friday rice), another slice of cheese, a handful of tortilla chips, two steak tacos (street taco size) on corn tortillas with sour cream, shredded cheese, and homemade salsa, a beer, and 3 squares of a dark chocolate truffle bar.  AND I STILL WENT TO BED HUNGRY.

For the love of this tiny kitteh!

I know it’ll get better – it always does – but right now, I suppose this is our cross to bear.  Let’s hope we can finally train the dogs on how to successfully engineer a chocolate chip cookie run to Albertson’s, or we might all perish soon.

Please send pie,

Amy

* A shape other than completely circular, ideally.

** As in, created by Coach, who holds me accountable for doing it.

*** Jake is one of the buddies training with Chris for the fall event.

**** Peanut butter flavor, because I know you’re wondering.  This blog is about the WHOLE truth.

***** Mixed into 16 oz of water, not on its own.  Wow.  That idea is horrifying.