First Interval Training Run & Lightbulbs

I've been feeling quite bored and frustrated at the gym this past few weeks, which worried me as I was scared that I was losing my motivation. I was scared if I lost my motivation to exercise then I'd lose my motivation to eat healthy and the weight would stop coming off, and probably start going back on.
I had a couple of lightbulb moments when I realised that I'd got so hung up on the running I started in January and training for my first 5k race on 3rd July that I'd lost my enjoyment in the gym because I was pushing myself too hard. Suddenly I was swapping a swimming session (which helps me tone and relax) for an extra running session, and was pushing myself harder and harder with each run. I ended up with lots of little niggles, a tight calf muscle, tight shin and I believe a slight hamstring injury, but I just kept pushing. My weight hit a short plateau and I panicked and just added more, doing a 20min treadmill hill walk before my step classes, anything I could think of to add more exercise.
Then because of childcare issues I couldn't do my usual gym workouts for 3 days. We went for a fun swim as a family one of those days, another I did 30Day Shred and the third we went for a family hike. I was panicking after those three days, thinking I hadn't burnt anything like the calories I usually do. But you know what, the scale suddenly started dropping again...
Then this last weekend we went away for three days so again no gym workouts. We walked a couple of times and I took a short run one day, but again nothing like the activity I'm used to. And the scale is still dropping...
I suddenly realised, for the first 6 months of this journey I was constantly changing things, adding more exercise at first, then changing the type and intensity, swapping which machines I went on etc. Then when I started running it was all I focused on, just ignored the rest of my exercise routine. I pushed myself harder and harder, doing the same thing over and over. I think I hit burnout...
The last couple of weeks having enforced changes to my exercise routine has made me see I need to change things up again. I put too much focus on the race, after all, it's only a 5k, worst case I can walk it. I started running so I'd still be able to exercise when we go away, and I've achieved that goal and that feels amazing. So why did I then put myself under so much pressure. I still want to do the race, run the whole thing and finish in under 40mins, and I know I'm going to be disappointed if that doesn't happen, but in the grand scheme of things it's one day compared with every single day I've been on this journey and all the amazing things I've achieved so far. I'd got carried away thinking after the 5k I'd sign up for a 10k, then a half-marathon, then a full, one each year meaning a marathon on my 40th, no problem! Lol, big problem, I had dreamt up such lofty goals so quickly I forgot the whole reason I'd started!
I have to get back my enjoyment of this journey because if I don't I know exactly where I'll end up, back sat on the couch eating my feelings. I reminded myself of why I'm doing all this and my main reasons for running, as I said before so that I can still exercise while we're away, but mostly it's turned out because when I run it makes me feel like I have more freedom and strength than I ever have in my life...
So today I did my first interval workout on the treadmill, 400m at my steady pace followed by 400m at half a kph faster, and repeated this 5 times. I LOVED it!!! It was so good to do something different and the time seemed to fly by. I felt weird to be getting off the treadmill after 30mins instead of the usual 40mins, but weirdly I actually enjoyed the rest of my workout more afterwards as well.
On Thursday I'm going to try running 5.5k at my steady pace, no speed work, no inclines, just a steady long run, and see how that goes.
And as for my 5k race, I'm a stubborn competitive person so I know that I'm going to do everything in my power to run the whole thing and finish in under 40mins still, and if it's meant to be it's meant to be. But for now I'm just going to go back to running for what it does for me. Oh, and on Friday I'm going back to my length swimming session...