Making the most of it...

Three weeks ago, I joined the gym. Why? Because my "free" gym membership as a student expired. But the truth is, I rarely went to the gym to workout as a student so why was I joining a gym now?

I wanted access to the pool. The pool was going to be my cross-training for my non-running days. I had very high hopes for cross-training; swim one day, go to trapeze class the next. Both of these are great ways to strengthen your arms and stretch out your lungs without actually pounding the pavement. Let's count how many times I've been in the pool since I started training: ONE. And the trapeze classes? ZERO.

So, my cross-training isn't all that I hoped it to be. But at least I can say that I started and more importantly, that it feels good. It's that adrenaline rush (or even the pain that comes with exercise) that makes me crave the workout. That and when someone tells me, "NO."

The ultimate goal in getting back into the pool is to train for my next sprint triathlon. If I can learn to swim in open water (even though I'm training in a pool) for a longer distance, say 800 - 1000m, maybe I'll consider training for the olympic distance. And for that, I have started training early. The triathlon season is winding down in the northeast and it won't start up again until next spring. So...if all goes well, I will have about 6 months of training under my belt - at least for the swim. But the run will be a breeze and I'll rely on my gear shifters to make biking that much easier.

If you don't know me already, I'm not vying for the top spot - just as long as I finish, I'll be happy.

18 miles down and 5 weeks to go...

After last week's inevitable injury, I did not run an ounce - which probably helped for my 18 mile run this morning. Perfect weather; pretty good run. I ran three loops around the park and many hills later, I was back home getting ready for class - boy did I really want to go back to sleep.

While on my run though, I thought about ALL the things I would write in my blog - like the book that Murakami wrote on what he thinks about when he runs. But in reality, I don't think about much (and I also don't listen to music). Sometimes the miles pass by really quickly and other times, I wish I was already finished - mostly because I'm hungry and want to eat. If you've ever run a marathon, you know that the gel you suck down to give yourself a boost of energy is nothing like eating a full meal. Speaking of which, my "pre-race" meal last night was fantastic: baked potato with cheese and greek yogurt, baked beans, tomatoes sauteed in leftover bacon fat and a portion of pasta with salt and butter (since when do I like pasta with butter?).

So...after 4.5 hours of being on my feet (includes walking to the start, standing at the start and walking home from the finish) and 3 hours of class, I'm pooped and going to take a nap. My only hope is that my nap turns into a full night's rest.

Murphy's Law and the Inevitable Injury

Well...it's here - peak training season and with it comes a slew of oddities.

I woke up this morning with a pain in my knee. Not a sharp pain, but enough to give me a slight limp. And as unexpectedly as it started, the pain went away and then came back, again. For the past few months - wait, make it over a year - I would make any excuse not to go running. But today, I was adamant about going running. My running buddy was expecting me to go double digits and I didn't want to let her down. I could have also been using running to procrastinate for something else - like taking my mid-term? So, I compromised and ran 3 miles; giving my knee some time to rest before the 18 mile tune-up run next week - that means it's the LAST long run before Athens - EEK!

So, what is it? My lack of training that is causing my knee to hurt or overuse? This is why this is my absolutely LAST marathon (for a while). I would like to say that I'm retiring, but given my track record, the last four marathons were my absolute LAST. Running marathons can be compared to giving birth (not that I would know) - it hurts like hell, but for whatever reason, you go back for more.

Running as Therapy

It's always hard to get out there when your schedule takes over. But at the end of the day, it's worth it.

Yesterday was an all-around gloomy day - the weather started off overcast and rainy; I wasn't in the best of spirits and the work day didn't help - neither did the subway ride home. Luckily, I had the right mind to gchat my running partner and have her "convince" me that we should go for a run and vent. By the time I decided to gchat her, I knew that the only choice I had was to go running.

We agreed to do a tempo workout and as smart as I am, I scarfed down an entire hot dog prior to the run. It was there for the dog (as in our puppy), but I couldn't resist eating it - I could make him another one when I got back. But a tempo run and brisk jog later, I felt much better. I was able to run off some of that negative energy as well as vent a little bit to settle my mind.

Lesson Learned: Next time, you think about going to your therapist (or in my case, think about sitting at home and eating ice cream), think about how much money you could save with a running buddy and a pair of sneakers.

Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

I wish!! It would beat having to carry around those carbohydrate packed gel-like substances which have since been made better as gummies or jelly beans. It would also beat the heat...90s and 50% humidity. Let's just say that my transition back to the east coast from sunny, temperate Northern California was much different from moving out there. I moved out there and started running all year round. I moved back here and found every excuse not to run - it's too cold, it's too hot, it's raining, etc.

Luckily, my friend from college connected me to his friend (9 months late - but who's counting...) and she coincidentally became my running buddy. It's always hard to find a running buddy especially since I'm not the fastest long distance runner nor do I have the most endurance. To be compatible, you have to be comfortable with one another; not only in pace, but also in personality. Does she talk too much; too little? Am I keeping her from running faster or are we pushing each other to the finish line? Although we run different races (not on purpose), we have the same running philosophy which makes running a lot more FUN!

But also, she keeps me from bailing on my scheduled run. Don't get me wrong, I still find excuses not to run, but I run a lot more often in the heat and humidity than I would have otherwise. It's taken a few months, but I am more inclined to say "yes" when people ask if I'm a runner whereas before, I felt a little guilty in doing so.

59 days to go...

So, I was cruelly reminded that I have less than 60 days before I run the 2500th anniversary of a marathon in the "original" location - original is in quotes because the length of a marathon, today is slightly longer than Pheidippides' fatal run - 1.35 miles to be exact. I mean, really, who decides to lengthen a race that killed the messenger? The Queen of England, of course.

Anyway...training has been - let's just say - going. Not only have I paid to register for the race, the travel and the hotel, but I have also paid to run "mini" races in the meantime. In all honesty, I'm not motivated enough to run 16 miles by myself in the blazing heat. Luckily, this past weekend's long run was very cool for an East Coast summer. In another few weeks, I'm registered to run 18 - so I'll have at the very least put in the time and some of the mileage.

This is my fifth marathon - and it will be my last. I'm retiring. I would prefer to keep my original knees and hips when I'm 60, but perhaps, the damage is already done.