So About That Marathon

I've been talking about it for some time.  It's been sincere talking (if there is such a thing).  I've been training up for distance, but only in a rather scattered manner.  I haven't made a real commitment for several reasons--until now.

First, there was the strange knee pain that started the day of the half marathon in November of last year.  It took me into the next year to have a diagnosis that ultimately was, "sure, you're fine to train for a marathon, but you really ought to do some cross-training if you want that niggling pain to stop.)

Second, there was the personal trainer.  And no, I'm not complaining about him.  I very much enjoy going to see him every week and being put through tough exercises that can also be categorized as fun (as soon as you've survived them.)

Third, there's the shin splints.  I still have them, although they are very mild.  Actually, I think I have them.  I'm hyper-aware of any perceived pain in my shins so I think I still have them, but it's drastically reduced.  Still, I'm wary of over-training and making that worse.

So, is there going to be a marathon for me this year?  On the way to the gym recently I mentioned to my neighbor that we could sign up for the November marathon (the same one we did last year for our half) and then we'd be committed, but we'd have well more time than we needed to train for the distance.  She agreed and then we both dropped the subject.

Then, less than a week later, she said, "Let's do it.  Let's do this marathon."  Later that day she sent me a link to the marathon and said she'd signed up.  Not to be the slow second place, I immediately signed up as well.

What was the first thing we said when we got in the car to go to the gym the next morning?  "What have we done?!"  She wasn't initially into a marathon, but she is now.  She's been doing reading on best training schedules because we're going to have to work around her and her husband's on-call schedule and hospital times.  From experience, getting together for one long run each week is going to be a challenge for this very busy doctor and mom of four.

So we're committed.  It won't be until November, but we're already able to run upper teens in distance without much worry.  But, running eighteen miles is a long way short of twenty-six point two.  So there is progress to be made...in the heat...in the humidity.

It's sure to be fun.

The Big Boy Update:  Another itchy update.  Our saline pool got hit with lots of salt the other morning.  Today after being in the pool for a while my son got out to have some snack.  I noticed he was scratching himself all over and realized he had a white coating all over his skin.  Just like ocean water, if you don't dry yourself off when you get out, the water evaporates and the salt remains.  I had to take him into the shower and wash him off.  It didn't bother my daughter, but then again, my son has special itchy skills.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  "She's a serious little girl."  That's what my neighbor said.  She also said she didn't see her laugh much.  What?  Really?  She giggles all the time.  Then, Bryna watched them for a few hours while we had a meeting at school and the giggles and laughter came out.  Now she knows what my daughter's really like.

Fitness Update:  Eleven miles.  Easy run this morning.  We're starting lower than our recent long runs to have a planned distance increase every week.

Someone Once Said:  To be matter-of-fact about the world is to blunder into fantasy - and dull fantasy at that, as the real world is strange and wonderful.