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CHAPTER 14Instant Gratification

I run a lot. I try to log four or five days a week. Those of you who are fellow runners know that it is not always easy. The act of setting aside the time and putting on the running shorts and shoes can be a challenge in and of itself. As the run starts, the first mile is usually the toughest, but as you go, the legs start to acclimate once again and the runner's high commences. You're flying high, effortlessly gliding along hitting your target pace. As time goes on and the energy starts to deplete, the wall that you will soon hit is coming into view (As time goes on and your energy starts to diminish, that “wall” begins to approach). You push through to finish so that the next morning, you can look yourself in the mirror and face that bathroom scale. Done! What a great feeling! After the run, a funny thing happens on the way to the protein shake. A bakery pulls out in front of you and interrupts your entire plan. One of those bakeries that makes large cookies, sometimes served hot if you time it correctly. I go in, sweaty from the run, and I order two. All of that running can be undone in a savory, gooey, dopamine high. It is so good. To heck with the scale, I will face that tomorrow! Unlike my potential weight loss, which could take weeks, months, or years, the cookies are a definite satisfaction that can happen right now. I will deal with the scale tomorrow, but at this moment, it is all about instant gratification.

Instant gratification ...