My official Nike+ running mileage has decreased this month as my soccer season is now in full swing. This gives me two less days per week to run. On top of that, I allow myself rest days after each game as part of my recovery process to avoid injury. So that leaves me a maximum of three days a week to run. In reality, I am currently running only a maximum of two times a week. Here’s how my schedule typically flows:

• Game on Sunday
• Recovery/rest on Monday
• Run on Tuesday
• Another game on Wednesday
• Recovery/rest on Thursday
• Another rest on Friday
• Run on Saturday

Although this does not sound like a lot of dedicated running, I actually believe my exercise schedule is helping rather than hindering my overall fitness level and I am already seeing benefits.

My soccer games require stamina and endurance to get through a 90-minute game, but they are also interspersed with a lot of short-distance sprinting. So instead of running fartleks on one of my running days, I consider my efforts in soccer games as my sprint training.

Both of my runs per week are slow and steady, which is done on purpose as per a realization I shared in a previous post. One run is typically a 5km distance, and the other run is also 5km, but with the option of becoming a longer, slower run if I ‘listen to my body’ and feel like doing so.

As you can probably tell by now, I am applying moderation to my training schedule rather than trying to do too much. Everyone’s circumstances are obviously different and moderation may not be for everyone. Someone training for a marathon, for example, may need to be somewhat stricter or tighter with their mileage (and their mileage increase) in order to train the body for such a demanding race. But what moderation does bring is a safer way to train, and hopefully a smarter way to train in order to keep both the body and mind in shape. Applying moderation is also a good way to be realistic for those of us that have busy schedules and lots of other commitments in life, and it is also good as motivation because doing things moderately is certainly a better goal than doing nothing at all. Do what you can, and do it well.

I have recently started eating smarter too. It’s not a special diet with strict rules, and I do not weigh myself. My goal is not to lose weight (although that obviously has many advantages), it’s just a personal decision to try and consume quality food instead of quantity. It’s also about creating an awareness of the type of food I eat, and how much of it. For example, like most of us with busy lives, the temptation to pick something up to eat on the way home from work is high, but because I want to eat foods rich in ingredients that I know are better for my body, I will, instead, cook something at home that’s very simple, very filling, and very quick to prepare. A typical meal might be boiled brown rice with plain chicken breasts, along with steamed vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli and/or snap peas. This is typically accompanied by a large glass of water or maybe some non-carbonated lemonade if I’m in the mood for something sweeter.

And here’s the twist — I still eat a candy bar after my meal if I crave something sweet. Again, I don’t count calories, and I don’t punish myself for anything I eat. If I over consume something, at least I’m aware of it and I take the responsibility to learn from it and try to prevent it again if it’s something that I shouldn’t be eating excessively.

I’ve always had a fairly balanced diet — lots of fruit and vegetables each day for example, but I’ve always had the temptation to eat high calorie, high fat meals such as fried chicken or perhaps French fries. These days however, because I want to give premium fuel to my engine instead of lumpy, dirty oil, I think twice before adding something that might contribute to a damaged engine.

The results of moderation and honest appreciation and analysis of what I eat and how much physical activity I perform have been very positive in a very short period of time. In the space of two to three weeks, I have found that I’ve lost the reliance on fast food to satisfy my hunger, and I’ve gained the ability to choose something smarter to eat (fruit for example, or maybe trail mix) instead of being lazy and ignorant and relying on the convenience of a chocolate bar from a vending machine or a packet of chips from the pantry. Being proactive about buying good food while out grocery shopping and preparing healthier meals in advance for convenience have also helped change my mindset.

Today I ran my most enjoyable run in a long time. It was a slow and steady run that I breezed through with what turned out to be my fastest time in almost a month. I felt good during the run and I felt good after the run. Something has definitely changed for the better, and I believe it’s simply the result of doing things more moderately and concentrating on quality of health and fitness rather than quantity.