KT: One Month In

It’s been one month since we started the compact. No new stuff, no take out, no store-bought gifts, no pump soap or paper towels. I guess this is where I ‘fess up. I fell off the wagon last week. I had some fairly new trail running shoes, which fit fine for walking around but by the time I realized that they are too short for running, it was too late to return them. A necessity? Nope. After all, I already own regular running shoes. But trail shoes protect your ankles and feet from roots and rocks and uneven terrain, and I was getting ready for a half marathon on a very rugged trail. In the end, I decided it would be better to go off my diet than risk twisting an ankle. I felt a pang of guilt, but then got over it pretty quickly. After all, it’s not the kind of thing you can find at a thrift store.

But then on Sunday when I was running the trail race, I couldn’t help but notice all the runners who were wearing regular running shoes (including people who were sailing past me). I didn’t see any of them twisting an ankle. Did I really need those specialty running shoes for safety? It’s debatable. Comfort? I still had blisters by the end of the race!

Aside from the trail running shoes I have been pretty diligent about following the compact. One month in, I still feel withdrawal pains pretty regularly. I miss take out terribly. I am a bachelor and don’t love cooking. I do love my local salad bar, the occasional take-out pizza, to-go burrito, and the soup stand across the street from my office (he serves the best lobster bisque in the city on Thursdays and Fridays). And all those beautiful deli items! I threw myself on the mercy of a Whole Foods deli employee a few weeks ago, but could not convince her to allow me to bring my own container for their heavenly sesame greens (due to the health code).

Bottled drinks are everywhere and I didn’t realize how often I buy them. I am not a regular soda drinker, but I enjoy one occasionally. Especially now that it’s getting warm outside. But the thing I miss most is mineral water. The bubbles! I have stuck to the compact on these things and my guess is that I have saved a lot of plastic and glass in the past 30 days.

May is another month and it will be interesting to see what challenges it poses for my mom and I!