Considering what could have been, I feel pretty darn good this week. The soreness and a bit of a limp have lingered, but they are fading. The thought of running again has gone from “there’s no way” to “meh, I’ll be ready next week.”
I’m actually looking forward to getting back out there. But that’s next week.
This week, I’m still smiling and glowing in the wake of my first half marathon. That’s 13.1 miles against a clock. They’ll tell you the clock doesn’t matter. That’s a lie. You are always thinking about the clock. It’s really the only competition. My official time 3:09:48. They tell me that’s great for a first time. I wouldn’t know, so I will take their word for it.
If you don’t know the background of this insanity, it’s pretty simple. A couple of years ago I made a promise to my daughter. If she got in to New York University (her dream school) then I would attempt to enter the New York City Marathon by the time she graduated.
I was well aware of the fact that you don’t just walk in off the street and enter the biggest marathon in the world when I made the promise, but that wasn’t going to stop me from trying.
My daughter is currently in the middle of her 2nd year at NYU and I’m currently registered to run 26.2 miles through all 5 NYC Boroughs on November 6, 2022.
I cannot wait.
Armed with a good friend/marathon runner as a ‘coach’ and a Savannah’s best fitness trainer as a mentor, I’ve set out to take on this challenge. Capital C.
The plan was to start running in January in preparation for a half marathon in March. COVID-19 had a plan of its own.
I spent 2 plus weeks dealing with that mess in January and another week-plus getting back up to speed in day to day life, never mind running miles in preparation for a half marathon. Still, the calendar waits for no one.
Tick tock, pal.
I had 30 days during Winter ‘festival season’ to prepare for my first 1/2. How do you do that? No, it wasn’t easy. At all. Still, you’ve got to make the time. The morning of the Hilton Head Seafood Festival I put in 12 miles at sunrise. The first 5 straight down the beach. Considering it was the first time in my life I logged that many miles, it was really a joy.
One week later, I put in 13.1 in Miami. Another thrill. Another first.
Running competitively around my hometown was amazing. 4 hours of 80s tunes on my Spotify playlist only made it more so. Memory lane at ever turn. Every 4 or so minutes I was smiling, even through the pain of trying to finish. The last 2 miles were brutal. Did I mention I’d never done this before?
I had to laugh, though. I kept thinking about those athletes on television that talk about ‘celebrating tonight and getting back into the film room this week for more prep’. That’s where I am. I took 2 days off, but was back in the gym by Wednesday. Three months of what I’m told is called ‘maintenance running’ begins Monday. Only 10-12 miles a week. Yes, only.
This journey is just beginning really. The more I think about it, the more excited I get. November will be here before you know it. The key now will be to enjoy the process as much as possible. I wonder if Savannah will allow me to run the parade route next week?
For those that want to follow along, I’ll pop in from time to time with highlights and lowlights from the “March to NYC” I’m sure I will encounter both.
Thanks for stopping by.
