Good news & Bad news

I'll start with the bad news, so I can end today's post on a good note. My diet is in a SLUMP. Today wasn't much better than yesterday. Simply stated, too many calories. I emailed a nutritionist I saw last year to schedule an appointment. The email was returned and she stated the problem was quite simple. Too few calories in relationship to my activity level. More on this in a minute.
I saw Katherine Kruppa in March 2006, but chose to contact my old nutritionist who was more readily available (Mrs Kruppa is extremely busy and most appointments are scheduled 3-4 weeks in advance). Mrs. Kruppa (Houstonian Nutritionist) set me on a 2700 calorie diet. I wasn't seeing the results I wanted, so I decreased my caloric intake to 2500. I started seeing better results. Knowing a little more now, I don't think it was the 200 less calories, rather, the increase in mileage that yielded the weight loss. The nutritionist I emailed today suggested a range of 2700-3000, when I saw her last year. Today's email response stated I needed to consider 3000-3500 calories on days I run and 2700-3000 on my "non-running days". There was some other stuff about a lower basal metabolic rate due to my weight loss. She mentioned that my metabolism should be increasing and is still repairing years of fad dieting.
I think I will try this for a while. I told her about my Sunday off-day. She stated that off days are a double edged sword. On one side you have a goal with associated rewards, on the other side you have not truly changed your lifesyle and will more easily slip into old habits.
Any thoughts, send them to me!

OK, time for the good news... I ran a 1-mile time trial in 7:09! This is my greatest running accomplishment thus far. Early this week I received an email about the training and immediately started wondering what my true one mile time is. Deep down, I secretly thought I could do a 7:50 mile. I didn't tell anyone, because I didn't want the disappointment of failure. I never thought I could run a 7:09, but something went right.
The session started with a 2 mile warm-up. The Stratford High School running track was soft and easy on my legs. The weather was pleasant, considering yesterdays high was 92 degrees. After the warm-up Steve jogged Stacy and I through some "striders"?? I think that is what he called them. Steve advised me he was going to pace me. He thought I would be able to complete three laps at 2:00 per lap and then try to finish strong on the final 400. Stacy was also being paced and we started the one-mile at the same time. The first lap felt really good. Not much talking, just simple running. I started to feel uncomfortable with the pace during the second lap. I was nervous, because I was watching my laps (watch) and I knew we were ahead of our projected times. When we started running the third lap Steve told me this would the the hardest and he was COMPLETELY right. My breathing was way out of control. I was running with my mouth open, trying to get as much air as possible. The third lap left me feeling like I had let my pace slip away. I hit the lap button to mark the time, but I was too tired to see what the time was. For the first time ever my lungs actually hurt. One-hundred meters into the last lap, I asked Steve what I needed to do, so that I wouldn't stop. EVERYTHING was telling me stop. Steve started talking, something about team mates, beach to bay, and who knows what else. I was so tired, I simple don't remember the conversation. I was taxed and my only concern was finishing. I do remember the last straight away. Steve told me spirit to the finish. I was mentally trying to speed up, but I wasn't going any faster. I wanted to show Steve that I had a "kick", but I came up empty handed. I lengthen my stride which felt a little faster, but who knows. This was the first time I had nothing left at the end. When I finished I collapsed on the infield grass. I was tired, dizzy, thirsty, nauseated, and breathing way too fast. My breathing returned to normal within 5 minutes, but I can't say the same about the nausea (lasted nearly 20 minutes).
I traded the infield grass for a seat on the bleachers to watch the other runners. I was amazed by the last two Striders who knocked out low 5:00 minute miles.
The training was complete after a two-mile cool down. Surprisingly, the cooldown pace was one-minute per mile faster than the warm up. Stacy ran the cool down with me, which made the time past easily.
Steve and the other cheering Striders are the only reason I finished successful. For a small time, I felt fast. You may be laughing, but its true. I have never thought of myself as fast, not even for a fraction of a second. The feeling was weird. I'm sure it had something to do with an Altered Metal Status, but I'm guilty for enjoying my brief glory.
I spent the entire ride home wondering what I am truly capable of.
I pinched this from Sean Wades website. I hope he doesn't mind, but I like it. The phrase is Kenyan:
Mambu Badda - "The Best is Yet to Come"

Activity: Run (2-mile warm-up, 1-mile time trial, 2-mile cool-down
Mileage: 5 miles total
Time(s):
Warm up: 21:09
Cool-down: 19:31
Time Trial Splits: (7:09)
1:47
1:48
1:48
1:46
Location: Stratford High School
How I Felt (1-10): overall 9.5