Fat and/or Fit?

I have had a couple of runs this week that were really, really awful. Sometimes workouts are just awful because some days are just off days. Still, given my penchant for analysis, I can't help but reflect on what went wrong when a workout falls off the rails.

It could be that my runs this week have been difficult because I'm still not quite over the bronchitis I had earlier this month. Or maybe I'm getting used to working out every day after having had a fairly unstructured and leisurely autumn. The question that always comes to my mind, though, is how much of my trouble is because of my weight. Is it possible for me to achieve the fitness I want and still carry this extra 25 pounds?

I searched the web for some insights into the fat vs. fit question. Generally, it seems that it's better to be overweight and fit than thin and idle, although carrying extra weight still puts a person at higher risk for weight-related health issues. Also, fatness and fitness aren't black and white categories so the relative impacts of weight and fitness are quite individual.

So, what about for me? I can probably survive if I continue to carry these extra pounds and probably accomplish some good things in triathlon. But, I don't really want to be like this and I would really like to see what might happen if I got the weight under control. I would look and feel much better and I might pick up some speed if I didn't have to drag this flab around!

The old adage "you are what you eat" is so true. This is the one thing I have yet to get a good handle on. I have tried before to focus on good nutrition and I do last for periods of time, full of enthusiasm and zeal that just seems to fizzle out over time. It is just going to require discipline, the same kind of discipline that it takes to get the run, bike, and swim workouts in. Maybe eventually eating right will become a lifestyle for me, too. Today I am going to commit to giving it a try again.