Thank you to all for the great suggestions. I *have* entered a race... I traditionally do the first triathlon of the year, which is in March in temperatures barely above freezing. It seems so far away though.

I seem to have a case of burnout and the prospect of a race doesn't excite me as much as before. Probably what is contributing to my burnout is that I have felt under pressure to exercise so often that it has become a chore--twice a week for each discipline is draining when I have so many other responsibilities pulling at me.

I really like the idea of exercising first thing in the morning, except I have been thwarted every day this week due to volunteer commitments at 9 am. This has been a particularly draining week. I'm not sure I could cheat myself and pretend that I would only run 20 minutes when I know full well that if I'm out there, I might as well complete the time and distance... It's more that I intend to run for 45 minutes and end up doing 30 minutes instead.

I have yet to find an appropriate training buddy who is available during the day. Most of my friends work full time and those who don't are pretty much couch potatoes who think I'm an exercise freak! Last time I tried to run with someone, they kept jamming on me for all kinds of reasons, including saying they "forgot." Not much luck there. She jammed so often that I ended up become much faster and she was no longer a suitable running partner.

Thanks again for all the helpful suggestions. I will beat this thing-- I have to! So, the good news is I only gained 8 pounds, and not 10, which isn't much of a difference, but at least it's not in the double digits! I don't expect miracles over the next while, especially since my parents are visiting early next week so I'll be even less inclined to exercise during their brief one week visit. Argh.

All the best to you, helpful people.