run a marathon

I’d like to say I’ve been busy working on my goals while not on the site, but I’ve been slacking overall. Still, progress has been made on the running. Broke a few personal records, nothing impressive. Will go for a longer run for the first time in a while this coming Sunday, about 8 miles.

Thought I had acclimated pretty well to the heat and got cocky. Heat index reached 120 somewhat after I was done. And I mean done. Had to walk the last leg. If there is a plus side, these runs are going to feel soo much better as the temp goes down.

In addition to my morning runs, I’ve got a 30+ minute bike ride to work in the morning. What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. So I’ve just got to focus on not dying.

Well, I got distracted and the MCM got filled before I could sign up. I could sign up to do it through a charitable org., but I’m no salesman. I prefer to just give directly. So it looks like I’ve got 18 months to prepare rather than 6.

Probably for the best. It’s like my body is rebelling against me on this running thing. Don’t know if it’s the heat or the blood donation on Monday (or both) but my times on my short runs have been awful. Worst that they’ve been in a while. Ah well, nothing for it but to keep at it.

So much has happened since then. Signed up again for the MCM. Things were going fairly well until I hurt my shoulder/arm using a post hole digger after irritating things from climbing. Shoulder? you ask. Yes, the shocks of running plus the natural twists and movement of the arms irritated it a great deal. That’s mostly past now, but I’m trying to catch up after a 2 month slack period.

I did almost 8 miles on the Sunday before last (per the Galloway training pdf) and it didn’t seem to be too bad, so I wasn’t worried too much about being able to do 20 miles yesterday as long as I took it slowly.

Wrong.

Tried to make a point of hydrating early on, but it wasn’t enough. Only fountain I was able to find was halfway down. But I don’t think dehydration was my primary problem. My muscles, primarily hamstrings and hip flexors, shut down on me by mile 12. I would have bailed at that point, but it was an out and back and I was still 8 miles from the car w. no cash and no cell. Initially thought I could just walk for a couple miles and then start running again. Body said no. About mile 14, the chafing began. Slowed my walking by half. That had never been a problem w. shorter runs so something more to take into account. Started raining heavy when I had just 4 miles left. I normally like running in the rain, but I was walking and not in the mood. sigh

But I lived and though I could barely make it up the steps when I got home, I don’t feel as bad today as I thought I would. I will persevere. I will succeed.

I haven’t been running enough to make any progress. Just enough to keep from backsliding. During a recent trip to New Mexico to see my father, I made a point of running nearly every day at about the time I would here in order to get habituated. The altitude didn’t hold me back as much as I thought and I actually made some decent progress. The week after getting back I went to pot. What’s worse, I failed to sign up for the Marine Corps Marathon. It’s probably just as well as I likely wouldn’t have been ready on time, but it still grates on my nerves.

Still, did a bit better this week about just going out and doing it. Felt oddly tired on Friday and my time was awful. Don’t expect much out of my “long” run Sunday morning for that reason and also because I gave blood the morning before. But I’ll at least remind my body to keep working. I swear, I take more than 2 days off and it decides;”Oh, good he was just going through a phase. Let’s tear all this down and start relaxing again. Don’t bother w. the glycogen, just put it all in fat. He won’t need it.”

About just about everything except climbing really (and even there I haven’t given 100%), but particularly w. the running. The numbness in the left foot wasn’t helping. I’m going to drag myself out tomorrow morning (early to beat the heat) just to see how far I’ve sunk.

Sure I could blame it on stressing about finances or my recent mugging. But what’s the point of excuses? I need to look forward.

Still, the loss of feeling worries me as it was getting slightly worse.

But I climb, because that’s one of my true passions. I also lift weights, because I have uses for my muscles other than climbing. And sometimes I bicycle. So sometimes if I overdo one of these things it limits me in the others. I had a very physical job last week and it pushed me over the edge. Had to cut back on just about everything.

Still, I should have been back on it yesterday. While I have been feeling unusually tired lately, it’s still mostly a matter of willpower as I don’t have the habit built up yet.

Been goofing off on the net trying to put it off. But now it’s time to go out and do it. Just the base 2.9 miles, but I’m dreading it nonetheless.

But nothing worth doing is. Did a 20 minute run yesterday and 35 minutes today. Yesterday I felt like I was going to die. Felt like I was going to choke to death on the mucus the cold instigated. Today I certainly feel empty and exhausted but am not about to collapse. And my metabolism woke up a bit so the cold didn’t bother me so much even though it was the same temp. Not yet able to run the whole way, but the goal this week is just to go out regularly make it a habit.

Sign up for the Marine Corps Marathon is May 17th. The marathon itself is Oct.29. Starting from almost from scratch during my long couch-potato period, my goals this week are just to make a progress plan and do some light jogs in the morning to get a feeling of where I am at.