My fitness consulting

Paul was asking me what he should do to help with his minuscule little spare tire.

Because I am now expert on all things related to fitness (yeah, right), I suggested more cardio work in addition to his situps. Those who can't do (in my case, get rid of my own spare tire) -- teach.

He then started whining about not wanting to spend the time.

I explained how -- believe it or not -- time spent exercising improves efficiency while not exercising, how I feel like I can accomplish a lot more on days I've completed a run.

It's pretty surreal that I'm now someone who sings the praises of exercise.

Craziness: I completely overbooked myself today. Even with dropping a couple of obligations and getting help from a couple of friends, I was still running most of today. Everything was worthwhile, but it added up.

Embarrassing music: I'm on a twisted musical jag right now. First off, I have decided that I enjoy Lady Gaga after finally (sort of) figuring out her performance art. Even more bizarrely, I have a sudden fondness for Nickelback. I really don't know where that is coming from.

Pilates

A private Pilates session left me sore today.

No, I didn't pay for it.

Why I don't write about the diet so much

I don't write about the diet so much anymore because it's second nature. It's no big deal.

At the same time, I won't say it's never hard.

I'm actually at a place where I have to make a decision. Right now, I can maintain relatively easily. It's easy for me to find flattering clothing. My husband is happy with me.

The big issue: Is it worth it for me to lose the last 15-20 pounds? Because what I'd need to do to do that is a lot more cardio (which I like), a lot more strength work (which I don't like so much) -- and I'd have to be willing to be hungry again (which I really don't like!).

Right now, I rarely am hungry. I pick items to eat that are satisfying, and they probably have a little more fat, a few more calories than other choices. I mean, I eat beef and bison and salmon instead of chicken and whitefish and beans.

But I like it. I like being able to maintain my weight without being hungry -- and that's something I've never experienced in my life.

There's also the aspect of I've finally gotten comfortable with my size; losing another 15-20 pounds, which is do-able, would be significant enough that I would have psychological size adjustment issues again. And I'd again have trouble finding clothes that fit, except it'd be because I'd be an XS rather than an XXL.

So that's something I'm thinking about.

Running: I jogged for a rather slow 45 minutes straight today. I tried out new shoes in a half-size bigger. They were absolutely great, and my toes are happy today. Unfortunately, I also bought a new pair in the smaller size, but those will still work for non-running workouts.

The Surf City Half Marathon giveaway shirt was great, too -- it's long-sleeved but lightweight (and v-necked!). I wore it today for the coolish morning run.

My 8-year-old was cuddling with me right after I got back, and she talked about how good I smelled. That's the great thing about the littler kids. My older ones would've been complaining.

More on Surf City

1) I didn't eat during the race. Usually, I'll have some nuts in my pocket (yes, I know that's not a particularly good carb source). I did eat a couple of hours before the race. I was able to easily get my breakfast in at the hotel restaurant, and I was a little concerned about that -- but it was two hours before the race began, so it worked fine.

2) Chafing: I'm not a particularly sweaty runner. That's not a good thing, as I could benefit from the cooling properties. So, I pour water on myself. What that did, though, was create a good environment for getting me a little chafing spot on my breastbone from my bra.

3) I carry salt in my pockets, but I couldn't find it during the race, as it got buried amid my ID, money and cellphone. I had eaten a fair amount of salt the day before, though, so I wasn't all that worried -- just a little. I was slightly tempted to drink sugary electrolyte beverages, but I did not.

A lot of the Alcoholics Anonymous-inspired eating plans (very similar to eYou, the plan I follow)tell people that they should not exercise more than 45 minutes a day -- because there's the feeling that people with food addiction issues will get into compulsive exercising and then fall into compulsive eating. I can understand that, but it hasn't really been an issue with me.

4) I was a little bit sore last night, but it's almost all gone now.

5) I had a couple of twinges in my feet during the race. The right ankle started hurting a couple of times, but it wasn't an issue. Then, the left one started bugging me. These feet issues are new, and I don't fully understand what I'm doing differently that is causing them. My toes were definitely hurting by the end, and I was wishing I had worn my bigger size shoes. I think from having been so heavy and pregnant often, my feet tend to swell. Ideally, it would've been nice to start with the smaller shoes and switch to the bigger ones at -- who knows? -- maybe Mile 8.

6) I saw a woman running who had exactly my body type, which was striking in its rarity. I don't know how she can possibly find pants that are long enough -- considering the struggles I go through and I'm not all that tall. She was younger and taller and chubbier than I am right now. I don't think she was adequately trained for the race. She was running with a guy who was encouraging her, but she was struggling. For a while, I was pacing with them -- but I eventually ended up far ahead.

Surf City Half Marathon race report

OK, here's the relevant first info. The finish time: 2:42.47.

Not fast, of course -- but under three hours.

There was no throwing up occurring, either -- and I finished strong at the end.

My complaints: 1) I need to not do these out-and-back beach races where the course doubles back over itself. Yes, I know I sound incredibly spoiled and whiny and obnoxious on this. (My goodness! I get to see the ocean!) I just don't like the feeling of endless running without much change of scenery.

2) Why do runners leave so much garbage?

3) Why do people who are walking walk in long rows, so they're hard to pass? When I take walk breaks, I try to cause as little trouble for the people coming up behind me as possible. The race should've had more "phases," as the group in the "more than 3:00" was just too huge.

Things I loved: 1) The Leggers had a special tent where I could leave my bag.

2) I did the race with friends. Our paces were slightly different, so we didn't run together.

3) I saw a couple of blogging buddies along the course.

4) We stayed overnight and then took a shuttle bus from the hotel. Which was wonderful. I might have to look into that for the L.A. Marathon.

5) The race was pretty well organized. It did take 37 minutes for me to get to the starting line.

I took walk breaks, which I think was a good thing. I need to get a little more techy about it, as I was just taking breaks when I felt it. And, of course, I can feel like it a lot.