.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}

Gia-Gina Across the Pond

So I've decided to follow my husband to his native Italy. Follow our adventures as we eat, drink, travel, adapt to and explore this remarkable country. Part food blog, part photo blog but mostly my rants and raves. After our two years in Italy, we relocated across the Atlantic "pond" and are back in the States.

Saturday, August 27, 2005

Sluggish

Back before I was married to Deme, I dated an unknown track star. During the two and a half years that we dated, I ran three miles a day, 3-4 days a week and was in the best shape of my life. At 12% body fat, I felt great and had tons of energy. I was eating low-fat and studying my brains out in college, the running helped with the stress, not to mention the “freshman 15”. After we broke up the running stopped until last summer when Deme started training for the NY Marathon. He had run a ½ marathon the month after we met, done a Beat-the-Bridge diabetes run in Seattle and made up his mind to go for the Full Monty in NYC. Needless to say I began to train too, with him and for myself; it had been a long time since I ran. He was up to 23, 24 miles a run and I was up to 10, which was my max. I had no plans to run in NY but reached my goal of 10 miles non-stop. We were doing great and I fit into my old jeans again. Long story short, we did not go to NY for medical reasons and we both stopped dead in our tracks.

Fast forward 1 year and 2 months later, last week, he started up again. Now he’s up to 6 miles already. I on the other hand have not put on running shoes yet. We had a great time running together, it was fun, I was proud of myself and felt great afterwards, and so why am I procrastination. Even my dad has a treadmill and he says he’s been using it too. Even the dog goes on Deme’s runs. Me I choose to stay at home and think about starting up again. My motivation is nil and I feel sluggish. I’ve never liked running, I just knew it was a way to get in shape fast. I’ve been making a list of Pros and Cons to help motivate me.

Pros
1. Good for my blood pressure
2. Cheap
3. Eases stress
4. I can get out of the house
5. I get to keep my husband company
6. Good for my figure
7. Good for general health
8. I can eat more
9. Dog gets out too
10. I can use my I-Pod

Cons
1. I might get hit by a car
2. No running culture in Torino
3. Hard to get started
4. I sweat a lot
5. I get really red
6. Sore feet
7. My heart beats so fast I feel like I’m having a heart attack.
8. Muscle aches
9. Stinky work out laundry to do
10. Lungs feel like they are on fire at first

P.S. I’ve been supportive of my husband and not tried to sabotage his running. He’s asked me to cook low carb meals and to stock up on carrots, fennel and yogurt. I even gone so far as to make sure there are always freshly cut carrots sticks in the fridge. This is a stretch for s guy who used to get foie gras, FED-EX’d to him from Lobel’s in NY.
P.S.S. Even the dog has been supportive, he eats carrots sticks after running.

4 Comments:

At 3:49 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm impressed with you, Dog, and your husband's running (even if you're deciding to pick it up again).

I'm not a runner at all. I don't run for anything - not the bus, subway, or even to cross the street (yeah, I know, lazy). As for the NY marathon, I like to watch it on T.V., from the comfort of my bed. ;-)

I do like to walk, though, and lost some weight doing it, but after a while, I got bored (and it was too hot to walk) and I stopped ...

Good luck as you make your decision to run again. I know you can get back into it. It's just a matter of getting started. ;-)

Now you have me thinking about exercising....

Best,
Paz

 
At 1:22 AM, Blogger Judith in Umbria said...

I loved running. Why? Because it was exercise that you could get over with really really fast! Then I discovered I had wrecked my knees due to a congenital difference in the joint formation. Walking=good; running=no good.
Think up your own agonistic sport. Reluctance could mean something or nothing. I did rock climbing and mountaineering instead. There are hundreds of ways to be fit, but I don't know about all those carrot sticks if he's burning up so many calories. Lamb chops with perfumed rice seems more in line to me!

 
At 2:55 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, Judith! Rock climbing and mountaineering? I'm really impressed. Cool!

Gia, I just wanted you to know that I tagged you for the childhood food memories meme, which you can find here:

http://thecookingadventuresofchefpaz.blogspot.com
/2005/08/my-first-meme-childhood-
food-memories.html

I hope you can participate in it.

Best,
Paz

 
At 5:46 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Gia,
I just know how you feel ;) We live minutes away from the Isar (river) and the south part of the beautiful English garden and my boy-friend loooves to go for run. I don't. Period. But then again I know, that it's good for me AND I always feel great afterwards... But never ever without my ipod ;)

 

Post a Comment

<< Home