It's Time 2 Run

First week is in the books! Yep Yep! Flip side is that I’ve got 15 more weeks to go. But I’m going to focus on the positive on this one. The most important thing is that I’m injury free. I’m sore though but, with little experience I do have, I know the difference between injury and general muscle soreness. So far my my training plan has only taken me to a long run of 8 miles. I chose to do that run at Cherokee Park which is known for plenty of hills. I’ll continue to do the long runs there to help build leg strength. In body building terms, those are my leg days.

The challenge is more mental this week as it’s getting colder. The cold is inevitable. After all, it is winter in Kentuckiana. I told myself that as long as it’s dry, I’ll be out running in the cold. The key word is dry. Unlike running in the spring, there is the possibility of running on ice in the cold. For me, running on ice = injury. My hope is that it stays dry.

I’m two training runs in my program and things are good.  However, I’m learning quickly that I’m a morning runner.  Today,  I woke up later than usual and couldn’t get my run done before work.  (Damn Powerball Drawing!) There was no choice but to do my run after work.  Bad idea! My stomach was full of stuff I’d eaten and I could feel it for sure.  I felt heavy and sluggish the whole seven miles.

In the morning, my stomach is empty. The only thing I’ll have before a morning run is maybe something to drink.  I feel light on my feet which is exactly opposite of how I felt this evening.  Even though this was supposed to be an easy run, side cramps and indigestion made this run a struggle the whole way.  My apologies to anyone within ten feet of smell range of me. My stomach was killing me! So, lesson learned.  Get up and get moving in the mornings.

I’ve contemplated this for years. Each thought ends in absolute terror over the distance of a marathon. Today, I begin to conquer this fear with my first training session.

Just as background, I was a long sprinter in high school and college covering the 200m and 400m distances. That was almost twenty years ago. I am now much older and as you can imagine, not as fast.

Running is a new experience now. I began running 3 years ago due to health reasons and have made it up to the half marathon distance easily now. Still, the thought of a 26.2 terrifies me! I’ve already paid for my first marathon so I guess that means there’s no backing out now. That’s the purpose of this blog. Keep me accountable! Wish me luck on this journey! I am excited to share this experience with you all!