Friday, September 18, 2009
Goals...Seriously, now.
So, I've been running pretty regularly for about a week now. A goal to run a marathon cannot be taken lightly. It is a tremendous strain on the body, and if I'm serious I can't blow off workouts. I don't want to get hurt. When I say that my goal is "to finish," I mean I want to finish with some dignity. I don't want to fall apart with injuries, crawling through the finish line. Ideally, I'd feel good enough to want to go out dancing afterward like my friend, Doreen did one year after the San Diego Rock 'n Roll Marathon. We had trained in a group called The San Diego Running Club. It was an awesome, wonderful, motivating experience. I don't know what happened to the club after that. I should look them up. The point is Doreen had never run a marathon before in her life, but she ran the 26.2 miles at the RnR, and then went to a party in L.A. and danced all night...in heels!! I really don't know how she did this.
I've never finished running a marathon with that much spunk. I'd be happy to be able to walk out to the car without limping or moaning. Even better, I'd like to wake up in the morning and be able to get out of bed. This is why I'm taking my schedule seriously.
Technically, Hal Higdon says I don't have to begin until September 26th in order to get in all of the running I need by the Carlsbad Marathon. However, it is widely understood that one should be in basic good fitness shape. The better fitness a person has, the better the outcome. So I've been running the last couple of weeks (actually since I found out about the "freshman fifteen.") to build a better running base.
I've also put the word out to most of my old running buddies to see if I can run with them. There is nothing like a running community to help a person stay focused on a goal. That is exactly what need right now. The thing is...I'm going out of town for a while. My next few posts will be coming from The Big Apple. (Why does everything revolve around food when you're on a diet?) This next week is going to be the real test. Will I be able to follow through while I'm away from home?? How do other people stay on track while traveling? Eating NY pizza and cheesecake? Bagels and pastrami sandwiches? Nightclubs and shows with alcoholic drinks? Aaagghh!
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