So I'm on a plane at 30,000 feet, contemplating how my favorite skinny jeans don't fit anymore.  Now, don't get me wrong, I know I'm not overweight. But it's so upsetting when your clothes from a year ago are just beyond your waist's reach.

My gain has certainly not been for lack of exercise. Last weekend I completed my first century. A century is just a fancy name for a 100-mile race, and I had a great time! The first 50 miles were some of the best miles I have ever had on my bike - my legs were strong, I had plenty of energy, and it was an absolutely beautiful morning! Miles 60-75 were a different story. I, uh, had a little incident involving yelling at my team mate and scaring some horses in the pasture. But hey, I rallied and finished strong! And the best part? I won this cool cycling gym bag in the raffle! It even has special pockets for your water bottle, shoes, and helmet. What a great day!

So I've been cycling on the weekends and hitting the hotel gym during the week. I haven't been a slouch either. I do sprint intervals and a lot of weight-lifting. Even my "recovery" workouts are challenging. I admit that I've slacked on my back/abs workouts, but only because everything else has been upped.

So what is it? Hmmm. Could it be the airport food? The all-too-easy access to cookies and pudding at the hospital cafeteria? Or maybe the total lack of edible healthy options on the road? God help me, I can't stand any more salad bar. What does that leave me? Dubious crusted fish or dry, flavorless chicken breast. Oh, joy! Surprise surprise: I end up eating crappy food, and no amount of exercise can truly undo it.

So in the spirit of lists, here are a few targets I can use to get back on track:

• No more cookies. I know, it's very sad. Cookies are my life blood. My comfort blanket. My fountain of youth (and fatness, as it were). But the hospital only has these mondo-sized cookies. And while having one mid-day normal-size cookie isn't going to destroy my waistline, those godzilla cookies will.
• Cook dinner. I am now staying at an extended stay hotel during the week, which means I have a kitchen at my disposal. Mostly I haven't used it. It's not as convenient as it sounds - every week I have to buy new spices, new olive oil, salad dressing, etc etc. But if I can make at least a few healthy, easy-to-prepare meals in my room, I can cut a lot of calories. I'll have to make meal-planning a part of my Sunday night packing ritual.
• Work out. When I work out, I work out hard. But sometimes it's a struggle to make myself get there. I travel, I work, I save healthcare, and sometimes, I just want to go back to the hotel and go to bed. So the problem is not my workout, but in my motivation. I'll need a workout schedule. So add that to the packing ritual.
• Go to bed earlier. I'm just so dang tired all the time. I need to rip myself away from Pinterest at 10:30pm and just go to bed. It'll help me make better food decisions and exercise the next day.

My Bike!

Meet Sparky, my 2011 Felt Z6 with his new Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheelset. Sparky and I first met back at the end of May. I probably should have introduced him before now, but we've been so busy getting to know one another. Better late than never!

Sparky is a good-looking fellow with his snazzy paint job. And just look at those orange tires! His carbon frame makes him pretty light, and replacing his wheels shaved off another whole pound. Although he's no ultra-fast race bike, we hold our own on the road (well, we try). This bike will definitely be all I'll need for a good, long while!