It’s been a little quiet around here this week due the my work schedule. I can’t complain about work because I truly love my career, especially this new role. The last two nights I had the opportunity to go out to dinner and drinks with many of my co-workers whom I only see once or twice a year. In fact, I hadn’t seen many of them since our national sales meeting in Las Vegas in April.  (Nope, Theodora isn’t one of my co-workers but she sure had fun partying with us!)

My schedule on Tuesday and Wednesday looked like this:

• 5:30am  I wakeup and immediately curl back up in bed. I’ve only been asleep a few hours and can easily rationalize sleep over working out. Then I realize that the next few days are going to be packed with evenings out, entertaining, and indulgence. I hop out of bed, remembering the way I feel after a workout. The dark morning sky and bright Empire State Building greet me as I step out into the cool morning air.

• 5:45am Out the door for either a personal training session or a run up 1st Avenue. I spend my run thinking about the day and watching the city wakeup. I finish my workout feeling invigorated and energized for my day.
• 6:45am Hop in the shower
• 7:00am-7:15am Attempt to blow dry my hair while responding to emails, apply makeup, and make sure I look especially nice since I’m going to be with my colleagues all day. I do work in the fragrance and cosmetic industry after all.
• 7:30am Arrive at work and continue to work through emails while enjoying banana oatmeal and iced green tea. I skip the “free continental breakfast” provided for the meeting since it’s eggs and pastries.  I make sure to take my vitamins since I know they help with my energy throughout the day.

• 8am-6pm Sit in meetings all day long surrounded by chocolate, Twizzlers, sunflower seeds, and soda. Laugh constantly as we go through a healthy living session about “fueling for your day” with healthy and natural food choices, while these artificial treats haunt me.
• 6:30-9pm Dinner at either a steak house or Mexican. Do my best to practice moderation by sipping the wine slowly and only eating half my meal portion. I also focus on the conversation more than the food since that’s more important.
• 10pm-12:30am Get to know my new co-workers over a few more drinks. I focused on only having vodka sodas since these keep me hydrated and don’t leave me feeling bloated. I resist the amazing pizza my co-workers order after our 10 block late night hunt for food. Walk at least a few blocks home to clear my head before hopping a cab. 1:00 am Chug a huge glass of NUUN water before crawling into bed.

Everyday, at least one person asks me if training for a marathon and practicing my “healthy habits” are worth it.

Isn’t it tough to wake up and workout every morning? Isn’t it tough to travel and have to stress about your runs? Isn’t it tough to have something control your life?

I am not going to lie and say that training for a marathon or having a healthy lifestyle is easy. But, it isn’t tough either. For me, at this point, it’s a life decision. I experienced 22 years of being lazy and overweight. I was never as energized, confident, or happy as I am now.

Some people’s schedule is controlled by NFL games, Real Housewives of NYC, parties, or other things that bring them joy and happiness. My schedule is happily influenced by marathon training.

Sometimes this mean’s missing an amazing Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion concert with your friends after two indulgent days of long hours and partying. Deep down I knew tonight that an hour personal training session, homemade dinner, and early bed time were what my body needed to stay healthy. I felt it in my gut and never questioned my decision once. 

Doing things in life aren’t tough if you enjoy them as much as I enjoy my life at this point. Sure, there are days when marathon training and being healthy require me to plan ahead a bit, lose an hour of sleep, or alter my schedule. But this year, I’ve learned better than last year, how to ensure it doesn’t take over my life or stress me out even when I’m traveling more than 21 days in a month.

• Do your long runs or hardest workout on whichever day is your best day. Don’t force yourself to wait until the weekend comes just because that seems natural. I absolutely love Friday long runs and wish I could enjoy one tomorrow!
• Don’t make a scene unless you want the attention. Even though I will run or workout every morning while out in California, I’ll never use my workout as an excuse to go to bed early when I’m out with the client. Honesty is important but in certain situations it can just make it awkward. No one ever questioned the co-worker who said they were exhausted or had some work to do before going to sleep. 
• Make it fun! I used to dread working out when I traveled because I always used the hotel treadmill. These days, I’ll run outside, even if it’s circles in a large parking lot, before the treadmill. Take advantage of social media and find a safe and enjoyable route in your new city or take a class at a local yoga studio or gym!
• Moderation is key! I was able to really enjoy myself these past two days, going out each night with co-workers, and still stand on the scale this evening weighing a pound less than last week and feeling great. Making sure you don’t use these evenings as an opportunity to go crazy is key. I went out each night but I practiced moderation by sticking with my eating habits, using portion control, and sipping on wine or simple vodka drinks. I avoided desserts, sugary alcoholic drinks, and late night food. These things would have left me feeling bloated, tired, and disgusting.
• Plan a recovery period. I have two nights in between these work events and my trip down to Philadelphia for the half marathon/20 miler. Therefore, these next two nights are my recovery period. This evening I spent an hour with my personal trainer, enjoyed a homemade turkey burger dinner, soaked in the tub, and will be in bed by 10:30. It’s sort of like interval training, making you stronger in the end!

I’m not saying my life or schedule works for everyone by any means. I’m just trying to help you realize that it is tough sometimes but it’s totally feasible and worth every minute!

Every time I put on this 2010 ING NYC Marathon finishers jacket a smile comes over my face and I remember the feeling I felt at 3:46pm on November 7th when I crossed that finish line!