What Not to Do.

This has not been a banner week for RunningBeth.

Now, I've gotten up every morning (except Sunday, my rest day) and I've run. But instead of running 8 miles a couple of days, I've run 5 one day, 6 three days, and 2.5 one day (lightning).

And it's been a struggle. I haven't wanted to get up and do it. I've had to literally force myself to run. Once I'm out there, and once I'm done, I'm fine, but getting out there -- UGH.

My speed hasn't been the same either. Last week, I was effortlessly running six miles in 50 minutes. This week, it's been a struggle.

I've spent the majority of this week trying to figure what has happened. I am not sick -- the sinus/allergy crud I had last week is gone. My routine has not changed -- I'm still going to bed at 9  p.m., still doing the same old stuff.

I was talking to my trainer about this on Wednesday, and he asked me all the usual questions -- are you sleeping, are you sick, etc. And then he hit the target:

Are you eating?

I automatically said yes, but then I remembered that I did skip a meal over the weekend.

It wasn't premeditated, and it wasn't because I was trying to make up for eating a dark chocolate cupcake from Sprinkles or drinking a Sangria Rita from Pappasito's. I genuinely was not hungry. I wasn't.

I wasn't hungry that evening, and when I woke up in the morning, I wasn't starving. I did eat a really great breakfast, but I wasn't ravenous.

That one, little thing set off a chain reaction that I couldn't control or stop during the week.

Lesson learned. Always eat. Never skip a meal. Ever.