Another Week Nearly in the Books

This week flew by like so many before it.  I accomplished many of the goals I set out at the beginning of the week and added a few along the way.

I worked out six of the seven days, with four days running, one crossfit weights, and one biking.  This while working all week which included travel to Atlanta and the normal dad, husband, family-type tasks.  All-in-all a successful week.  Oh, and I signed up for a marathon.

Since last fall, I have been toying with the idea of completing another marathon (my first and last being the 2002 San Diego Rock n' Roll Marathon).  I have a friend who has tried to convince me for a couple of years to join him in doing the Walt Disney World Marathon and after seeing that 2013 was the 20th year for the marathon, I began to have illusions of running it.  I did pause after hurting my ankle last fall, but the feelings returned again in the past few months.

I mentioned this race a couple of times to my wife, who was not keen on my daughter missing school for the trip.  Last week, after mentioning it for the umpteenth time, I must have finally worn her down as she reconsidered and responded affirmatively.

After getting the go ahead, I didn't immediately sign up.  I thought about it some more and talked to a few trusted running friends to see if I was crazy.  Conclusion?  Yes, I am crazy -- just crazy enough to run and complete the race!

So, I signed up today and decided I wanted the extra training support (and VIP experience) that comes with the Runners World Challenge.  The registration is confirmed and now the training fun begins.

See you on the road to Orlando!

Success is Mine!

Family Photo

Well, based on my efforts the past two weeks, I am sticking to my plan.  I wanted to continue to lift weights (check), cross train on the bike or pool (check) and start to increase my mileage (check) all while improving my diet (check).

So now you migh ask, what's next?  A couple of things: 1.  this plan has only been in effect for two weeks, most real change in habits and patterns take at least 6 weeks of constant effort before it gets easier, so I still have at least 4 weeks to go before this turns into a routine; and 2.  starting an effort is often easier, in my experience, than continuing the effort when the newness wears off.  So far, I am still in the honeymoon period, which I hope stays true until the habits are established, but I must be prepared to push though when the difficulty arises.  Just recognizing the feelings and doing the activity will be another step in the path to greater fitness and faster speeds.

As the miles continue to climb and I prepare for the Market to Market, I want to keep in mind the pleasure and joy of moving my body under my own power and running for the sake of running.

Happy running, my friends!

Back for a Quick Check In

Where does the time go?  A question I continue to ask as day follows night follows day over and over.  Between work, vacation in Disneyland, and an occasional workout the time has moved rapidly from spring to full on summer.

I will update more latter, but suffice to say that although I have taken a step back in mileage over the last several weeks, I have maintained a decent level of fitness while including strength and bike workouts.  Now I just need to get my diet in order and we will be back in business!

Peaks and Valleys

 Monday started promising enough, with a solid speed workout during a beautiful early morning run.  The rest of the week was laid out ahead of me and with some time off from work Tuesday and Friday, I was prepared to put some miles on the new bike, balancing it with the week's scheduled runs.

Tuesday started with a little extra sleep since my planned bike ride was in the afternoon.  The afternoon ride was great fun as I put the first long ride on the wheels.  Cruising around the neighborhood and beyond on two wheels made for a nice way to spend a sunny afternoon.

After having dinner with friends that night, something peculiar happened -- my lower back tightened up.  What's that all about?  I figured it would go away and I would be ready to go again on Wednesday.

Unfortunately, I literally rolled out of bed Wednesday in pain. Then the pain had the audacity hung on all week and has prevented me from putting any additional miles this week.  I've been doing everything I can think of to recover quickly (ice, heat, stretching, exercises).  I  realize time heals all wounds, I just hope that this wound can heal with less time.

I don't know if I am getting smarter or more mature, but in the past I would have tried to push through the pain setting back the recovery.  This time, I am attempting to be patient until I am well into recovery when I start running again.  The waiting isn't easy.  I am targeting Monday for my first return run.  This too shall pass and I will peaking again soon!