The thing I hate about my lack of fitness...

.. there are a lot of things I dislike about having lost a lot of fitness over the past two months.

I'm about 10 pounds heavier than I was and 15 pounds over where I want to be.
I can't run as far or as fast.
lethargy.
annoying habits of overindulgence at the table.
weakness for ice cream.
eating for fun.
eating out of boredom.

But the thing that annoys me the most is the stress relief I'm denied by not being able to cut loose.  There's something awfully freeing about hammering away at the miles at something close to "hard."  It's a stress relief that feels like no other I've experienced.  when the whole body is working together like a machine- it's beautiful.

And if feels good.  Like an accomplishment, like acing a test in a hard class because you know the material back on forward, like a pay off for having done work of quality.

Of course, since I haven't done any quality training, the lack of that feeling should come as no surprise.  And getting it back will feel pretty wonderful.

I maintained a sub-8 minute pace for 26.2 miles; three hours, twenty seven minutes and some odd number of seconds that was in the forties somewhere.  Three-Twenty something is a pretty big accomplishment from starting in the four-forties four years ago.

With the right amount of work, and the right inspiration, I can do it again.  Better, even.  All I have to do is play it smart, and do it right, and have a bit of luck on my side.

But more than anything else, i think I'm looking forward to feeling that feeling again.  :)