Not eating frankenfood is easier than I thought.

This morning's workout was called a fartlek in the ol' Runner's World app:

But I don't know if that's really a fartlek, as every time I've fartleked before this I was never prescribed a certain time to run at a certain speed.  But hey - I'm giving the runs on this app a chance precisely because they are different than what I normally do.  So, because it was pouring down rain at 5 AM this morning, I hopped on the treadmill and got this fartlek-that-felt-like-an-interval-workout done.

Fartlek?  IDK....

Treadmilling it.

I have to say I am surprised at how good I've felt during my workouts, fake fartleks or otherwise, while not eating any processed carbs.  Apparently my old "but I need to eat these highly processed and made in a laboratory carbs because I need energy for running" reasoning is a tad bit faulty.  I'm also surprised by a few other things I've been able to do in this foray of mine concerning not eating crappy carbs.  Let's bust these little eating surprises out in a bulleted list, shall we?

Surprise #1: I haven't really missed sugary treats.  Very much.  Now, don't get me wrong - if I was locked alone in a room with a box of chocolate bars for more than 2 hours, those chocolate bars aren't going to make it out of the room intact.  But I have found that as long as that junk isn't in my house or around me, I'm cool - and not craving any of it.  Very surprising to this common sugar addict.

Surprise #2: I have learned to live without dessert.  Usually the highlight of my dinner was dessert, and I just ate all the stuff before dessert out of respect for tradition.  And not looking like a freak.  Anyway, I have found I can quell my dessert habit by just popping a piece of gum and having some sparkling water.  That little bit of sweet from the gum tamps down the need to shake down every cabinet in the kitchen for some chocolate.

Surprise #3: I have learned bread needs me more than I need it.  Before my current diet, my sugar addiction was matched only by my love for bread.  Bread, bread, bread, and more bread - if it was in front of me (along with some butter), I would suck it down in nanoseconds.  But now that I'm a member of the "I'll have the hamburger, hold the bun" club, my bread addiction is greatly reduced, much to my surprise. 

You know what's not a surprise?  The fact that the cat could care less about all of this.

He's not caring so hard at us.

And these learnings are least surprising of all:

• Even though I have some issues with the Runner's World Run Plan app, I mean it when I say I am enjoying the different workouts being thrown my way.  Gotta mix it up, my friends.
• Fartlek.  Fartlek fartlek fartlek.                              Fartlek.
• I don't always love treadmill running, but I love it when it means it's the only way to get my run in that morning.
• Speaking of my treadmill, that cat is the reason I got on the 'mill 20 minutes late.  Because that cat's comfort comes way before my workout, apparently.
• Really, all of the frankenfood I used to eat needed me more than I needed it.  I'm glad I broke up with it.

Tomorrow's workout: Some cycling.  Or upper body weights.  Who knows?!?