My Training Diet

     I write this as Tropical Storm Debby dumps massive amounts of rain on sunny St. Petersburg.  Going for a run or a good bike ride is not in the cards for me today.  I don't even want to ride to the gym to do the dreaded treadmill run. I F'n hate those things now. A huge part of my training has been my diet.  I was on what I now call "the single guys diet".  I ate ramen noodles, frozen pizzas, TV dinners, fast food, Chinese delivery, anything that was cheap and easy.  (make a joke about some of the women I've dated and I'll smack you.)  The only time you'd find me in the produce section of Publix was if I needed something to go in a cocktail.  So I decided to start eating healthy.  No more frozen or processed foods.  I am one of those guys who reads labels at the store now.  I learned some new words, like portion control, salad, turkey bacon, Miller Lite, WTF!!!!  It took some getting used to but I made eating healthy fun.  Chicken and fish with lots of fresh vegetables.  That's pretty much all I eat now.  Good thing I'm pretty creative in the kitchen so it doesn't get boring.  The fresh market or local produce stands are now some of my favorite places to shop.  But its not cheap!!  My food bill tripled if not more.  Is it worth it?  Hell yeah, I feel great.  My energy level is through the roof, I actually sleep at night now, my skin cleared up.  This is great!  My secret to success?  CHEAT!  If I feel like having a burger or a piece of pizza once in a while I do it.  Its not like my diet is court ordered.  After a race nothing beats a big juicy burger and a beer.  So if you make it to a finish line don't be afraid to hand me a cold brew as I cross.